8 GREAT TIPS FOR A BETTER BENCH PRESS

Stop stressing your shoulders when you bench press. Hit new PRs with these benching tips.

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THE PROPER WAY TO BENCH PRESS

THERE ARE VERY IMPORTANT KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER WHEN PERFORMING THE BENCH PRESS TO ENSURE HEALTHY SHOULDERS AND LONGEVITY. IN FACT, THESE KEY POINTS APPLY TO THE MAJORITY OF ALL HORIZONTAL PRESSING MOVEMENTS.

1. Keep a tight grip on the bar at all times, a tighter grip equates to more tension in the lower arms, upper back and chest.

2. Keep your chest up (thoracic extension) throughout the movement.

3. Elbows should be tucked and end up at approximately 45 degrees from your side.

4. Unrack the weight and take a deep breath and hold it.

5. Row the weight down to your chest by pulling the bar apart like a bent over row. Do not relax and let the weight drop.

6. Back, hips, glutes and legs are tight and isometrically contracted.

7. When you touch your chest, drive your feet downward and reverse the movement.

8. Lock out the elbows WITHOUT losing your arch and thoracic extension.

In this "How To Bench" video, you’ll learn the perfect elbow correction, why leg drive is important for a big bench, how to setup your arch and upper back, plus a whole lot more. This video teaches you that the bench is a full body lift, not just an upper body exercise.

Lazar Angelov

Lazar Angelov

Name: Lazar Angelov

Height :6”0 (180 cm)

Weight 195 lbs (88 kg)

Body Fat: 4-5%
Legit 18 inches arms

Date of birth: September 22nd, 1984

Birthplace: Sofia, Bulgaria 

Lazar Angelov Workout Routine

 "I don’t have a specific schedule; I train often and heavy. I rest from 2 to 4 days a month. I like basic exercises and heavier weights – this is the only way for a natural athlete like me to maintain decent size. Most people don’t train often, because they are afraid they might overtrain, but I would rather overtrain than feel like I haven’t trained enough. Here is how my split is set up:

1st Day: Chest/Abs

• Flat Bench: 4 Sets × 8 Reps
• Incline Bench: 4 Sets × 8
• Decline Bench: 4 Sets × 8
• Pullovers: 4 Sets × 12
• Hammer Press: 3 Sets × 12
• Dips: 3 Sets × 12
• Weighted Sit Ups: 4 Sets x failure
• Hanging Leg Raises: - 4 Sets x failure
• Side Bends: 4 Sets x failure
• Side Crunches: 4 Sets x failure

2nd Day: Back/Traps/Forearms

• Bent Over Row: 4 Sets × 8 Reps
• Deadlift: 4 Sets × 8
• Pulldowns: 4 Sets × 12
• Pull Ups: 4 Sets × 12
• Cable Row: 4 Sets × 12
• Shrugs: 6 Sets × 10
• Standing wrist curl behind back: 4 Sets x failure
• Reverse barbell wrist curl over bench: 4 Sets x failure

3rd Day: Delts/Abs

• Military Press Behind The Neck: 3 Sets × 8 Reps
• Machine Press: 4 Sets × 8
• Lateral Raises: 4 Sets x 10
• Weight Plate Front Raises: 4 Sets ×10
• Front Raise: 4 Sets × 10
• Reverse Pec Deck: 4 Sets × 10
• Reverse Fly’s (on incline bench): 4 Sets × 12
• Weighted Sit Ups: 4 Sets x failure
• Hanging Leg Raise: 4 Sets x failure
• Side Bends: 4 Sets x failure
• Side Crunches: 4 Sets x failure

4th Day: Triceps/Biceps/Forearms

• Close Grip Bench Press: 4 Sets × 8 Reps
• Tricep Pushdowns: 4 Sets × 8
• EZ Bar Skullcrusher: 4 Sets × 10
• Cable Kickback: 4 Sets × 12
• EZ Bar Curl: 4 Sets × 8
• Wide Grip Curl: 4 Sets × 8
• Hammer Curl: 4 Sets × 8 Reps (each hand)
• Concentration Curl: 4 Sets × 12
• Standing wrist curl behind back: 4 Sets x failure
• Reverse barbell wrist curl over bench: 4 Sets x failure

5th Day: Legs/Abs

• Squats: 4 Sets × 12 Reps
• Squat (to bench): 4 Sets × 12
• Bulgarian Squat: 4 Sets × 12
• Quad Extensions: 4 Sets × 16
• Stiff Leg Deadlift: 4 Sets × 12
• Leg Curls: 4 Sets × 16
• Glute Kickbacks: 4 Sets × 20
• Calf Machine Raises: 4 Sets × 20
• Seated Calf Raises: 4 Sets × 20
• Leg Press Calf Raises: 4 Sets × 20
• Weighted Sit ups: 4 Sets x failure
• Air bike: 4 Sets x failure
• Side Bends: 4 Sets x failure
• Barbell Twists: 4 Sets x failure

Here is the abreviated version for douchebags around here!

Lazars Arms & Ab Workout:

Triceps:

• Close grip bench press with drop set
• Tricep cable pulley press down
• Single arm cable pulley pull downs

Biceps:

• Ez-Barbell bicep curls
• Wide grip cable pulley bicep curls
• Rope cable pulley bicep curls
• Laying straight bar cable pulley bicep curls

Abdominals:

• Decline seated ab crunches with plate / drop set with no plate
• Hanging knee raises (left, center, right, centre, repeat)
• Roman chair alternated leg raise>knee raise
• Standing Dumbbell oblique crunches
• Barbell behind neck twists
• Side plank ups with dumbbell

Cardio Workout?

"Pretty much I try to avoid cardio, but in general I like aerobic exercises. Cardio causes me to lose a lot of muscle mass. Usually I would switch between HIIT and regular cardio, but I do those very rarely."

Current Diet:

• Meal 1: Oatmeal, Eggs, Peanut Butter & Grapefruit
• Meal 2: Rice, Chicken & Broccoli
• Meal 3: Pasta, Tuna Fish & Avocado
• Meal 4: Rice, Chicken
• Meal 5: Salmon & Green Salad
• Meal 6: Cottage Cheese & Broccoli

Bulking Diet: 

"I bulk during the winter, when my body fat % goes to about 10-12% and I lift very heavy in order to be able to gain at least a couple of pounds of clean muscle mass."  

"Since my body type is somewhere between ectomorph and mesomorph I have a pretty fast metabolism and I don’t limit myself on food when bulking. I just follow a couple of important principles, the most important one of which is to take 30 gr protein every 2 hours, combined with complex carbohydrates."

Cutting Diet: 

"I begin with stopping carbs intake in the afternoon. Then I start carb cycling and during the last days of the period I completely cut any carbohydrates."

His 3 tips for someone looking to reach their goal physique

1. To be patient – “Rome wasn’t built in a day”
2. Staying consistent with both your diet and training routine
3. Never giving up no matter the obstacle that is placed in front of you

Favorite Quote:

To achieve what others won’t, you have to do what others don’t!

Lazar Angelov is an inspiration for all of us weight trainees. 

The perfect blend of mass, lean muscles, and symmetry.

 Sports a physique ala golden era of bodybuilding.

The Arnold era when bodybuilders had tiny waist instead of the ugly insulin & GH guts sported by todays bodybuilder.

And even more importantly, he is an awards winner in Natural Bodybuilding Championships.

http://www.lazarangelov.com/biography.html
http://www.lazarangelov.com/ 

What Is Candida Albicans?

Candida Albicans is an opportunistic fungus (or form of yeast) that is the cause of many undesirable symptoms ranging from fatigue and weight gain, to joint pain and gas.

The Candida Albicans yeast is a part of the gut flora, a group of microorganisms that live in your mouth and intestine. When the Candida Albicans population starts getting out of control it weakens the intestinal wall, penetrating through into the bloodstream and releasing its toxic byproducts throughout the body.

As they spread, these toxic byproducts cause damage to your body tissues and organs, wreaking havoc on your immune system. The major waste product of yeast cell activity is Acetaldehyde, a poisonous toxin that promotes free radical activity in the body. Acetaldehyde is also converted by the liver into ethanol (drinking alcohol). Some people even report feeling a drunk or hungover feeling along with debilitating fatigue from the high amounts of ethanol is their system.

Do You Have Candida?

Almost everyone has Candida Albicans in their gut, and a significant proportion of us may have Candidiasis, or an overgrowth of Candida. Candida Albicans starts to cause trouble when there is some change in your body that allows it to overgrow. This change could be anything from a few courses of antibiotics, a prolonged diet rich in carbohydrates and sugar, or even something as common as a lengthy period of stress at work.

So if you suspect that you have an overgrowth, the first place to look is your lifestyle to find what could have caused this imbalance. Antibiotics? Oral contraceptives? A diet high in sugar and carbohydrates? Alcohol and drugs? Stress? Or all of the above? Eliminating all of these risk factors is a crucial step in tackling your Candida problem.

Many sufferers of Candidiasis remain undiagnosed by their doctors and unaware of their condition. Unfortunately, many doctors don’t recognize the systemic problems that Candidiasis causes. They only treat the symptoms such as vaginal infection or oral thrush. Don’t be surprised if your doctor thinks it’s all in your head and sends you off with a anti-depression prescription. Some healthcare professionals don’t believe in Candida, so you need to find a doctor with an open mind, or see a naturopath, homeopathic doctor or kinesiologist.

Is Candida Albicans Always A Bad Thing?

So why is Candida a bad thing? Ordinarily it isn’t – the Candida Albicans population is kept under control by the friendly bacteria in our gut. However, when your immune system is down, Candida starts to multiply and can quickly take over.

The overgrowth of Candida Albicans produces toxins that your body’s immune system can struggle to cope with. The wide-ranging side effects of this battle range from headaches and fatigue to abdominal pain and depression.

The occurrence of Candidiasis has actually been increasing rapidly over the last few decades. Our modern diet of processed food and sweets is partly to blame, but so are the increased prevalence of obesity and diabetes, plus the much more frequent use of antibiotics.

Candidiasis is a debilitating condition that prevents you from waking up strong, healthy and bursting with energy. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to fight it.

Common Mallow

Common Mallow – Health Benefits and Side Effects

Botanical Name: Malva sylvestris L, Malva vulgaris.

The botanical name Malva comes from the Greek word “malaxos”, meaning slimy, or to soften.

Other Common Names: Mallow, zebrina mallow, blue mallow, cheese-cake, high mallow, marsh mallow, cheese flower, malva (Spanish), malve (German), rödmalva (Swedish), mauve (French), almindelig katost (Danish).
Habitat: The species is native to the eastern Mediterranean and North Africa, but is now naturalized in many parts of the world.Plant Description: Mallow is a biennial or perennial plant of the Malvaceae plant family. It’s covered with small hairs and usually has creeping stems. It can grow up to one meter in height. The leaves are dark green, and the flowers are pink with purple darker veins (the flowers of Mauritanian mallow are deep purple). The flowers are 2 to 5 cm wide and the petals are three to four times longer than the cup. The fruit is ring-shaped and splits into many smaller seed.

Plant Parts Used: Flowers and leaves. The large young leaves that are not infected by rust fungus (a common ailment for this plant) can be used in herbal medicine and as food.