The Protein Corner

You probably know that creatine is the single best supplement you can take for improving your performance in the gym. It helps you lift more weight, do more reps, gain more muscle, and push harder during cardio (especially high-intensity intervals ). But does creatine offer any benefits if you don’t lift weights? What if building muscle, getting stronger, and performing better aren’t your main priorities? Or, if you do lift weights or train regularly, can you expect any additional benefits beyond better performance? Yes, according to emerging research on a number of health metrics. Aside from performance, the most well-supported benefits of creatine have to do with cognition, mood, and brain health, and scientists believe it may also improve blood sugar control, immune function, gut health, blood flow, and even sperm count. For example, scientists at Research Centre Jülich in Germany gave 15 healthy adults either 0.35 grams of creatine per kilogram of body weight or a...

Table of Contents + Instructions Expert Tips Workout Programming Mike's Take Ab Crunch Machine Alternatives 3 Ab Crunch Machine Workouts Muscles Worked by the Ab Crunch Machine More Ab Exercises Instructions Adjust the seat so the pivot point of the machine is at about the same height as the middle of your torso. Sit on the seat and place the back of your upper arms on the pads. Contract your abs to curl your ribs toward your pelvis. Pause for a brief moment, and reverse the movement and return to the starting position. Expert Tips Focus on crunching your chest toward your waist, rather than bending forward at the hips. Your lower back should barely move, if at all. More range of motion isn’t always better with this exercise. Your abs can only contract a relatively short distance, so the range of motion on this exercise is much shorter than most others. That’s fine—it’s just how the abs are built. Try to adjust the seat so that you feel a sl...

Table of Contents + Instructions Expert Tips Workout Programming Mike's Take Barbell Good Morning Alternatives 3 Barbell Good Morning Workouts Muscles Worked by the Barbell Good Morning More Hamstring and Glute Exercises Instructions Adjust the hooks in a power rack or squat rack so the bar is at the height of your midchest. Holding on to the bar for balance, place your feet underneath it about shoulder-width apart, then duck under the bar and place it across your upper-back muscles, directly across your shoulder blades. Tuck your shoulder blades back and down, and gently adjust the bar until you feel it resting on the “shelf” created by the bony protrusions of your shoulder blades and surrounding back muscles—this is where the bar must remain throughout the exercise. Grip the bar securely, stand up to unrack it, and take one step back with each foot into a stance about shoulder-width apart. Take a deep breath into your stomach, brace your abs, bend you...

Table of Contents + Instructions Expert Tips Workout Programming Mike's Take Reverse-Grip Lat Pulldown Alternatives 3 Reverse-Grip Lat Pulldown Workouts Muscles Worked by the Reverse-Grip Lat Pulldown More Back Exercises Instructions Adjust the thigh pad so that it locks your legs in place and prevents your butt from rising off the seat when pulling the bar down. Grab the bar with your palms facing you and your hands about shoulder-width apart. Sit down, letting your body weight pull the bar down with you, and then wedge your legs underneath the thigh pad. Lift your chest upward and slightly arch your back, so that you’re leaning backward about 10–15 degrees. Relax your arms and shoulders, letting the weight pull your arms straight and your shoulders as high as possible (they should be almost touching your ears). Staring straight ahead, pull the bar down by bending your elbows and pulling your shoulder blades down and back simultaneously. Keep pulling until ...

Here are the 5 best side delt exercises you can do: Cable lateral raise Dumbbell lateral raise Cable rope upright row EZ-bar upright row Machine lateral raise The side delts (lateral deltoids) have a very simple purpose: lift up your arms. They’re also a small muscle, which means you can usually only add weight infrequently and in small increments, which often leads people to think they simply can’t grow their side delts. The truth, though, is that you absolutely can grow your side delts, so long as you use the right exercises, with the right form, and proper intensity. Table of Contents + 1. Cable Lateral Raise 2. Dumbbell Lateral Raise 3. Cable Rope Upright Row 4. EZ-Bar Upright Row 5. Machine Lateral Raise What About the Overhead Press? 4 Side Delt Workouts Want More Workouts Like This? 1. Cable Lateral Raise How to: Move the pulley to its lowest position on a cable machine and attach a handle. Grab the handle in your right hand and stand with yo...