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[lauriepcrenshaw]

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[razorblade180]

Calling

Jaune walks into his home a little sandy and completely tired. He lets out a long sigh before hearing the babbling of his one year old daughter who is sitting on Ruby’s lap as the woman watches tv. Smiling, he takes off his armor to go set next to them, laying his head on Ruby’s shoulder and greeting a baby happy to see him.

Ruby:Hehe, I think our little dummy misses her daddy.

Jaune:And I miss her just as much. You know eventually you are going to have to give her a more complimenting pet name?

Ruby:I’ll do that when she puts a cube block in the square hole. She’s my adorable little dummy who I love very much until then. How was the mission?

Jaune:Tiring. New kind of grimm again. They were like giant spiders and they sucked aura.

Ruby:Ah, so they made for you?

Jaune:Wouldn’t go that far, but considering there’s only one person who could be making new grimm....I’d say she may have had particular people in mind. Nothing I couldn’t handle though.

Ruby:Still...*rubbing his arm* I’m worried. The world seems to be getting safer and more dangerous at the same time. Our world anyways. Carmine’s world.

Jaune:Yeah...it’s daunting for sure. No real scares yet but ya never know what is an accident and what’s planned anymore. Guess Cinder learned a thing or two from Salem’s playbook. The job was in mantle though, and a remote village. New grimm or not, that’s as common as a mission gets. *kisses cheek* don’t over think it.

Ruby:You’re surprisingly calm about this.

Jaune:I missed you both, my happiness given form.

Ruby:*red* Yeah you missed us if you’re saying that. I missed you too. *kisses cheek* Which is why I’ve been thinking more than usual. Hey, do they still call for me? The people?

Jaune:Hehe, yeah. No matter where I went, your name was said in good will.

Ruby:.....

Jaune:Ruby?

Ruby:Hmm? Oh, sorry I just....it’s nothing.

Jaune:Carmine, does your mother look fine?

Carmine only tilted her head at her father before laying against Ruby’s stomach to ask for head pats, which she got.

Jaune:Yeah, she doesn’t does she? Maybe mommy should tell daddy her woes?

Carmine:Zzzzz

Ruby:What!? I’ve been trying to get her to nap for twenty minutes.

Jaune:Magic touch baby. So, what’s wrong Ruby Rose? Missing the ground work?

Ruby:....Is it bad I do? That regardless of how much I keep falling in love with my girl, I miss grabbing my scythe and dashing into danger?

Jaune:Well it’s been your entire life, and it still is. Having a kid just meant taking a leave of absence.

Ruby:It’s basically been two years almost. I’m a little out of shape, sweatpants have taken over my closet, and my corsets terrify me. I don’t like them terrifying me Jaune. I like them making me look cool and having you blush as I kick grimm butt. The people I save, the joy I helped spread, it was my dream come true. The goal I always wanted.

Jaune:Well I’ll blush at you just when you smile.

Ruby:*squints* I’m being serious over here.

Jaune:I know. So you wanna get back in field. We could switch roles? I have no problem with that.

Ruby:I know, but.....*looks at Carmine*......her in arms never felt so right. I’m gonna go crazy for this kid when I leave and I’ll worry for an entirely different reason!

Jaune:Stuck between two worlds?

Ruby:Unfortunately. Being a mom is a trap. I got so many dreams and so little time.

Jaune:Having regret.

Ruby:Hell no. *cradles Carmine* I wouldn’t trade this moment for anything. I’m kinda scared how much I love her. I wanna keep the world safe for her, but doing that means being away. I....I wonder if this is how my mom felt? As much as I wanna say I can go out as a huntress and comeback to be a good mother, I’ve lived the reality where I know that’s a promise that very well might break. Carmine doesn’t deserve that. Nobody does. I’d never forgive myself if I left you mourning and child.

Tears welled up in her silver eyes and were wept away by Jaune immediately. The knight pressed his forehead against his wife’s forehead and rubbed her hands that held their child.

Jaune:If there’s anything we know for certain it’s that nothing is. Going on missions makes me think about these things too but that’s why I go with people like Weiss, or your dad. They remind me I got someone watching my back. Hehe, hard to think of not seeing you again when Nora shows up with ammo in crates.

Ruby:Why...?

Jaune:Honestly I think it is to break the tension I feel. Our friends make it pretty clear they’re down for anything. I know this might bruise your ego a tad bit, but being known as a living legend doesn’t mean you have to cool all the time. If a mission worries you, get help. If it seems hopeless, reconsider falling back.

Ruby:That’s just-hearing them call my name for help....I can’t ignore it. They call for me to give them hope when they run out.

Jaune:Then I’ll be selfish, and call louder for you to come home. As a hero, the world can have you to a degree, but they don’t get have my wife, or Carmine’s mother. The world will just have to call on another hero. So Ruby, I’m asking you to please, please don’t let your first dream cripple the other? I want you back in the field. I know how much that makes you happy. Huntress Ruby and Mom Ruby are my world too. I mean one made me fall in love and gave me the other. I’d very much like to keep the other around. She’s pretty cool in her own ways.

Ruby:.......Sigh,you’re so evil you know that? Praising, pleading, and comforting all at once. My mind is all jumbled.

Jaune:Sorry about that.

Ruby:No, it’s fine. It’s more than fine. I guess it’s really all on mean then huh? If so then I guess....I’ll tough it a little longer. At least until I think Carmine is big enough to need me less. She’s a very clingy girl.

Jaune:You’ll miss that when she’s a teen.

Ruby:It’s terrible because you’re right. Several more months and in the meantime I can at least get a workout routine started. Who knows, maybe Glynda could babysit? I miss having you as mission partner.

Jaune:That might work. Glynda is probably more qualified to raise a child than us. Let’s be honest.

Ruby:Glynda is more qualified at basically everything. That’s just a fact.

Jaune:Feeling better about everything.

Ruby:Little bit. Thanks. Yet again you prove your leader pep talks have grown stronger.

Jaune:The student as surpassed the teacher .

Ruby:The teacher would like a kiss right now.

Jaune:Ooo how scandalous.

Ruby:*smiles* Shut up you big dummy.

Ruby tilts her head up and kisses her inspiring yet dorky husband. It wasn’t long before she felt a hand between them. Ruby looked down to see her daughter pouting and reaching for Jaune. The girl practically jumped into the man’s arms and swatted Ruby away. Ruby’s jaw dropped as Jaune laughed.

Jaune:Hahaha someone is jealous and wants me all to herself. I guess Carmine isn’t as needy for you as you thought?

Ruby:Unbelievable! He was mine first you know?

Carmine:*sticks tongue out*

Ruby:Ah! This is what I get for pushing you out?

Jaune:Sorry Rubes, the baby has spoken. You have to wait your turn.

Ruby:Carmine, you’re lucky you’re mine. I’m not big on sharing but I’ll make an exception for you.

Jaune:Look at the bright side. You’ll get your turn later on tonight.

Ruby:*red*.....Ffffffff fine....

Jaune:You act like those weren’t your true intentions.

Ruby:Shush!!!

[fandomfluffandfuck]

The stucky fluff was so so so so so cuteeeeee can we get an evanstan continuation if you have it? I love your writing sm💖

Yes! Of course you can have a continuation on evanstan's behalf! Thank you so much!

That stucky fluff ask fill can be found here although this fluff isn't directly connected to that answer lol

This specific Thought was sparred directly from a very interesting conversation I had with @baseballbatbucky that didn't start off fluffy but got there quickly and bounced between fluffy and sexy because... I don't know. We were both feeling chaotic I guess.

The base idea was Chris having some not so safe for work thoughts about Sebastian's body after CA:CW when he got beefy and Seb is just so sick of working out that he stops cold turkey once they wrap.

But-

He doesn't stop eating like he was when he was working out that hard, hitting the gym like a hammer, and giving it his all. So, naturally he ends up gaining a little weight that slowly takes place of his muscle.

He looses ab definition pretty quick because abs are so fucking hard to get and maintain but he also gets a little curve in his belly, his v-line blurs some, his thighs fill out, his butt rounds out- all that. He looks good, comfortable. And not comfortable as in you've let yourself go, comfortable as in you're not spending your entire day stressing over micronutrients and workouts and doing nothing but eating and lifting heavy shit.

His oral fixation feeds (haha) into it some, having him eat a little mindlessly, as does his comfort with Chris and the security of their relationship. He spends a lot of days relaxed and happy and foregoes the gym for a lazy afternoon in the sun, or a lazy afternoon on Chris' lap, or on his couch, or whatever.

And Chris is fascinated by it, he's floored by it really. Chris' habits feed into it too, his own tactile nature comes into play a lot, he's always touching him - stroking, petting, squeezing - exploring the new shape of his body. He's only ever seen Seb slim and fit and then beefy and fit; he's never know him without any definite ab lines, any extra of his waist, or any fluff on him really at all.

It hits him so hard because it's a sign of comfort. Its a sigh of steadiness- its very hard to put on weight and keep if you're in pain and/or uncomfortable and/or not happy. It hits him square in the chest because more weight means MORE boyfriend to love on. And he loves that.

So, yeah, Chris adores it and shows him that through various ways, however-

Ask for fluff and you'll get slightly suggestive fluff:

Sebastian ends up, once more, going to the Evans' family home for dinner with Chris. He chats with Lisa, with Scott, with them all. All the while Chris has his arm around him, his hand rubbing his hip, his thumb stuck through his belt loop, his lips on his cheek or shoulder for a quick peck, or even with his fingers brushing his lips as he wanders back over after just a second away and encourages him to "Seb! You gotta try this!" feeding him some bite of some sweet or whatnot because as much as he thinks he's subtle with his adorable fascination... he's not.

How could he be? Chris feels big and he feels boldly. He feels too much for it to not show right there next to his big heart on his undersized sleeve.

Sometimes the things Chris hands over to him throughout the night are bite size snacks, sometimes they're straight up pieces of candy, and sometimes they're bottles of beer brewed right outside his big, goofy boyfriend's home town. The point is though, with all those sometimes that he's already approaching full by the time that dinner comes around.

And by the time dinner (which is a fully home cooked, delicious dinner by the way) comes and goes Sebastian is no longer approaching full but is very full.

Full enough that pink cheeked and sheepishly smiling as he shoots a look at Chris next to him, he has to undo his belt about three forths of the way through their cheery, homey meal where everyone is telling stories and laughing and purely merry. Chris only winks.

And then joins him. Undoing his own belt about forty minutes later as Lisa straightens up suddenly and proclaims that it's time for dessert despite no one having gotten up to put their dinner plates away yet. Sebastian is certain that they are the only family that would rather stay sitting around a table to keep talking as opposed to moving to the living room to digest and sleep off their meal. Sebastian is also certain that he won't be able to resist dessert.

Dessert is more alcohol - wine this time - homemade pie, and store bought cheesecake because apparently none of the Evans and cheesecake mix well (Chris promises to tell him the story later).

He eats too much dessert and sips his wine.

Chris also eats too much dessert but he keeps sipping his beer rather than helping with the wine.

They tumble back to Chris' room after dessert, tipsy despite all the food in their systems slowing the alcohols effect. And leaning too hard on each other, belts undone, jingling happily below their full stomachs. Scott's cat-calls follow them down the hall, Chris' giggles and middle finger chase them back.

Walking while attached at the hip, his head on his shoulder while Chris has an arm draped lazily around his waist Seb can feel Chris' belly against his side, it's hard, packed with food under his still intact abs while his own is cushioned with the weight he's put on. Chris can't keep his hands to himself because of that apparently.

"Stooopp!" Seb whines, giggling and half heartedly trying to push Chris away as they finally make it back to his bedroom. He does enjoy Chris' hands petting him (it's probably another reason that Anthony unendingly teases him about being a cat who's in love with a puppy somehow) but he doesn't so much like the tickles that are currently beginning to happen. He's too full for that.

With the door shut behind them (but not locked because even that's not a thing in the Evans' household, there's too much casual trust and respectfullness) Sebastian flops down onto the mattress to get away, not so urgently crawling into the center of it. Mindful of his tummy.

Chris smacks a kiss to his cheek, catching right up to him, "stop what?" He asks trying to tease but getting distracted halfway through as he lies down next to him and realizes how nice the cushion of the mattress is, melting into it and mellowing out.

Sebastian just hums, sinking into the bed too.

Chris' fingers find their way to his jaw and trace down to his softer chest, paving through the center of his chest to his rounded stomach and farther down over the curve, thumbing the hem of his shirt where it has ridden up. He gets tired of messing with it after a few long, syrupy seconds and instead toys with the loose cling of his belt and the tight waist of his jeans, "get enough to eat?" He murmurs, soft.

Sebastian turns to look over at him, too sleepy to even raise an eyebrow, instead sighing, "don't think I've ever eaten so much in my life."

Chris smiles fondly, petting his side before patting him right on the tummy, "what about Thanksgiving? Isn't that the whole point?"

Sebastian stretches into the gentle touch of his fingers, enjoying the heat of his body next to him and his warm palm on top of his belly, "it's- that's more of an American thing. My dad, step-dad, did it but," he's too full and sated to shrug, so hopefully Chris can see it in his eyes. He does so he continues, "he wasn't ever an enthusiast with it anyway and mom didn't really care about trying to fit in, y’know?" Chris nods, his eyes sliding shut slowly, "then, when she found out the true origin of it she just... we had a nice dinner on Thanksgiving but not the full thing, y’know? Not all the purposefull excess."

"Makes sense," Chris whispers, huffing amusedly while rolling over so they're face to face not side to side. "Bet you'll eat more if you come home for Thanksgiving this year though."

Sebastian smiled helplessly at his currently very lazy and well fed knight in shining armor.

Chris smiles right back, eyes soft, fingertips even softer as they trace his skin- still exploring.

Sebastians tummy gurgles under those careful, gentle fingertips. His cheeks flush but before he can do anything about it or apologize or shy away Chris' own does the same. Sebastian curls into his man more, figuring their even so who cares. Pushing his nose into Chris' neck Seb giggles his tipsy-ness making his impulsive thought funnier than it should be, "it's like they're talking to each other."

Chris laughs, making a snort of air rush past his temple, "oh my god." He pinches some of the extra fluff on his hip and Sebastian pouts but doesn't feel like squirming away, Chris is warm and radiant and that slice of pie on top of his slice of cheesecake on top of his dinner is starting to hit, slowing him down. Chris complains half heartedly, his laughter gaining even more speed, "nooo, Seb, you can't make me laugh. I might hurl."

Sebastian laughs with him, clutching his stomach too. Trying to tame his own giggles and tamping it down with an all too earnest, "you can't though."

"Why not?" Chris grins, voice wobbling on the edge of laughter still.

"'Cause if you have to throw up that means you'd have to get up." He brushes a kiss to his pulse point, "and I don't want you to go anywhere."

Chris' smile gets impossibly sweeter, "right." His cheeks are red, he's impossibly cute, he drums his fingers over his thicker thigh. His voice dips to a nearly inaudible level, "I see. I guess that settles it then, doesn't it?"

"It does," he agrees.

His fingers tighten on his thigh and Sebastian doesn't mind for a second how he can feel the extra little bit of weight giving way under his fingertips. He feels nothing but beautiful and treasured with Chris.

[fluffnstuffjojos]

Fluffnstuffjojos Masterlist

Started: 05.27.20 Last Updated: 5.29.20 Total Number of Works: 314 

**Notes: If you are sending requests, please make sure to read the rules first. There are characters within the masterlist for which I do not currently write for.

**ITALICS LINKS ARE NSFW OR BORDERLINE** 

Jojo Combo Posts (All Jojos or Multiple Jojos):

**Note these fluctuate between being everyone and only the ones I currently write for based on the date they were written! A mess! I may reorganize some day, but for now, feel free to browse! Mix of headcanons/scenarios 

Longest morning routines 

Thoughts on horror movies

Disney Princes/Princesses

Peppering Josuke/Giorno with Morning Kissies

Facetime Headcanons

Getting Postcards from Traveling s/o

Rainy Day Headcanons

Social Media Headcanons

Modern College Headcanons

Dancing to Smashing Pumpkins (Suggestive NSFW)

Incorporating s/o into Workout Routine 

Josuke and Joots s/o with a stand that manifests while they’re asleep

Falling for a drifter

Jotaro/Josuke/Johnny Reacting to Affectionate s/o

S/o with chronic Nosebleeds

Duckling Imprinting

Joseph/Giorno/Jolyne Insecure s/o

Autistic s/o who hates loud noises/crowds 

Jonathan/Joseph/Jotaro/Josuke Flexing to Impress s/o 

Reacting to a cheating s/o

Butt squeezes

S/o has no sense of direction

Male s/o in a wheelchair 

Talented Baker teaches Jojos how to bake

Reacting to s/o placing a flower crown on their head

Missing and/or trapped s/o

Reacting to s/o getting a grill 

Playing with s/o’s hair as they fall asleep

S/o appreciating Jojo’s bodies 

S/o doing their makeup 

Types of Youtube Channels

S/o decking a trash-talker 

Rescuing s/o who is the “damsel in distress” type 

Reacting to s/o biting them 

Distracting s/o before hitting someone (Gappy style) 

Jotaro/Josuke reacting to s/o blacking out/hitting their head 

S/o who wears crop tops

Wearing Jojo’s clothes and mocking them/posing playfully 

S/o dies, but they are unable to find their body

Crushing on the same gender

How they feel about s/o calling them “Jojo” 

Cop Josuke hunts Mafia Giorno

3-8 comforting s/o with their stand

Jojo Hugs 

Playing dead to prank/scare s/o 

Vines/fave videos  

Indulging in fashion with s/o 

Great-Grandpa Jonathan with kid Josuke 

Contortionist s/o 

Jotaro/Gappy/Josuke s/o kidnapped by enemy stand user 

Fave memes

Serenading their  s/o 

S/o dying without them being able to say goodbye 

catching s/o after they fall 

S/o makes homemade Valentine’s Day chocolate 

Spoiling s/o on Valentine’s Day 

Self-conscious, chubby trans man s/o

Absent Father Comfort 

Giorno/Josuke/Jolyne insomniac s/o 

Taking care of s/o on their period 

Helping trans s/o into their binder

Jotaro/Josuke - s/o dresses like a sukeban/female delinquent  

Boys finding out the girl they’re flirting with is into girls  

Jotaro/Johnny/Gappy s/o steals their hat 

Playfighting with s/o

S/o playing with their hair 

S/o with mental illness(es) 

Squeezing Jojo bobbies (the original is linked here too!) 

Onesies (original is linked as well!) 

Androgynous GF 

Jonathan raising Joseph 

Jotaro/Johnny mute s/o

Joseph Raising Josuke 

1-4 + Johnny strong/small s/o 

Jonathan/Jotaro/Johnny s/o with anger issues 

Danger-seeking s/o 

Clothes stealing s/o 

S/o has a destructive/intimidating stand 

Getting s/o in the mood (nsfw-ish) 

Assorted Character Combos Grab Bag 

Johnny/Diego/Gappy Confessions Headcanons

Jotaro/Jonathan/Polnareff Painful Period Comfort Scenarios

Jotaro/Kakyoin/Polnareff/Josuke s/o talking in their sleep

Kakyoin/Polnareff/Rohan/Gyro S/o with narcolepsy 

Josuke/Jolyne/Rohan coaxing depressed s/o out of bed

Jotaro/Gyro/Rohan cheering up sad s/o 

Josuke/Giorno/Polnareff 20 Nugget Challenge

Jotaro/Polnareff/Josuke/Okuyasu Slow Dancing with s/o

Jotaro/Polnareff/Josuke/Okuyasu crush suffering from Hanahaki disease

Johnny/Gyro/Jotaro with a s/o who is a saddle bronc rider 

Jonathan/Caesar cuddles/fluff

Caesar and Gappy s/o fears rejection when requesting affection

Jotaro/Josuke - s/o telling him they’re pregnant 

Jonathan/Kakyoin - s/o hates their body 

Female friend asks Josuke/Polnareff for advice on flirting with women

Dio and Jolyne trans s/o 

Jotaro, Polnareff, Josuke, Okuyasu saving s/o from an enemy stand

Jotaro/Joseph/Dio with beautiful s/o 

Jonathan/Josuke/Kakyoin comforting lonely/stressed out s/o 

Okuyaus/Polnareff/Caesar/Jotaro Powderpuff GF 

Jonathan/Dio/Johnny/Gyro first “I love you” from s/o 

Jotaro/Kakyoin/Josuke/Okuyasu motivating s/o to work 

Jonathan/Part 4 Squad being protective

Caesar/Okuyasu/Josuke/Dio Taking s/o shopping 

Jobros Mario kart 

Jonathan/Josuke/Okuyasu/Kakyoin Comfort

Caesar/Polnareff/Josuke/Okuyasu winning the lottery

Jonathan/Josuke/Okuyasu/Polnareff musical roles 

Jotaro/Josuke/Okuyasu kickboxing s/o 

Jonathan holiday headcanons & Okuyasu sex headcanons

Jotaro/Kakyoin/Josuke/Okuyasu Sports/clubs 

Jotaro/Kakyoin/Josuke/Okuyasu with s/o who just applied for college 

“You’re safe now, I’ve got you” Polnareff/Jonathan

“Hey! I was going to eat that!” Joseph/Okuyasu

Cakes for Jonathan/Josuke/Okuyasu/Gyro

Part 1: 

Dio trying to steal/win s/o from Jonathan

Jonathan Joestar

Headcanons: 

Starting a relationship with someone outside of the aristocracy 

Modern headcanons! 

Father and Husband Headcanons

Descendants 

Ghost Jonathan watching over loved one 

Date at the Opera

Scenarios:

Forever and Always (Jonathan contracts Vampirism and s/o vows to stay with him)

Valentine’s Day  

My Immortal  (immortal Jonathan finds his soulmate) 

Happy Honeymoon

Dio Brando:

Headcanons:

Using Rich BOI™ tactics to woo shy s/o 

“Pillarman” s/o who loves being superior/intimidating to him 

Scenarios:

Rather Harshly (Post-snapping at s/o comfort)

Impeccable Tastes (Dio has to feed from s/o) 

A Sense of Belonging (Jealous/Possessive Dio)

Part 2: 

Joseph/Caesar with a fellow Hamon user who is laidback and silly 

Poly Caesar/Joseph swing dancing with s/o

Joseph Joestar:

Headcanons:

Reacting to Holly’s Wedding 

Raising Holly 

Scenarios:

Fierce Protector (Protecting s/o from a BUG) 

Indifferent (Chasing a girl who isn’t Interested)

Caesar Zeppeli:

Scenarios:

“What’s wrong, darling?”  (comforts s/o with depressive episodes (feat. my bad art))

Direct Instruction (S/o teaching him how to play violin)

Part 3: 

Dio and Jotaro Fluff 

Polnareff/Kakyoin Comforting stressed s/o

Poly Jotaro/Kakyoin Comatose S/o post Dio Nonsense™ 

Poly Jotakak Valentine’s Day

Jotaro Kujo: 

Headcanons:

Comforting Anxious/Stresses s/o

Cheating on his s/o (ANGST)

BFF Headcanons

S/o who gets upset when he raises his voice 

Joots being CUTE 

Crushing on a himedere girl 

Tranquil/gentle s/o 

NSFW Joots (Obvi NSFW) 

Mothering s/o taking care of Part 4 squad = Jealous Joots 

small gf 

Jewelry headcanons

Singing in the shower

Pastel s/o

Scenarios:

Forgiveness (Post-Argument Fluff)

Toxic Behavior (Crush is Leery of how Joots treats Women)

Tidepool Gatherings  (Meeting a Mermaid)

Maritime Fun (Boat trip with s/o)

Just Breathe (s/o teaches Joot how to use hamon)

Joots Jr.  (Super smart s/o makes a robot)

The Shape of Water (Joots meets a fishy person) 

Homemade (Homemade birthday cake & kissy) 

Introductions (Jotaro introducing s/o to Part 4 squad) 

Cop a Feel (Accidentally grabs a boobie while helping)

No Place like Home (Takes stand user s/o home after they’re injured) 

Past Scars (Self-Harm Scars Fluff)

“You look so cute when you pout like that”

A Joestar to Die for  (Zeppeli descendant gives their life for Joots)

A Joestar to Die for Aftermath  (Joots loses his cool)

Kakyoin Noriaki:

Headcanons:

s/o appreciating him 

cute relationship headcanons (plus my cursed art)

Fluff headcanons

Scenarios:

Firsts (Male s/o First Kiss)

Spelling Trouble (Honors student Kak falls for delinquent school girl)

Spoiled Rotten Spoiling s/o on Valentine’s Day 

Need a... Dad? s/o is a single mother 

Jean Pierre Polnareff:

Headcanons:

Part 3 and 5 Fluff 

Himedere GF with a hidden vulnerable/lonely side 

Giving s/o a tour of Paris

Part 4: 

Oku seeing Josuke without his hair up for the first time 

Josuke and Okuyasu New Year’s Kisses 

WHOMST is Josuke/Okuyasu checking out with binoculars in the header???

Josuke and Okuyasu antics 

Poly Josuyasu taking care of sick s/o

Josuke/Okuyasu with a s/o who always steals their clothes 

Part 4 Squad with a non-verbal/reserved crush

Part 4 Squad Music Tastes & Bonus oldie but goodie 

Vacations with the boys! 

Boys in a band! 

Famous boys 

Josuke/Okuyasu being Hayato’s big bros 

Boys as firemen

Secret Santa 

Josuke/Okuyasu future careers/relationships/families

Josuke/Okuyasu sharing a crush who likes them both 

Josuke/Okuyasu sharing a crush poly relationship (cont. from original) 

Josuke and Rohan Comforting s/o during a rough time

Part 4 Crew Ideal S/o

Poly Josuyasu and s/o with Mario Party 

Poly Josuyasu with severely injured s/o

Josuke/Josuke’s gf/Okuyasu as a Ron, Hermoine, and Harry trio

Josuke Higashikata:

Headcanons:

Werewolf Josuke and Female s/o

Male Crush

Childhood Friend Mutual Pining

Soulmate AU 

Protecting s/o from catcaller(s) 

Helping/keeping s/o company while their mom is in the hospital

Mutual pining shy crush 

Rural s/o is baffled by Morioh 

Twin Sister

Scenarios:

Waiting Up (Josuke has a late night and you wait on him) 

Hiding a Part of You  (Discovering s/o has a secret stand)

Sting of Betrayal (Forgiving s/o for Betrayal)

“For your eyes only..” (Josuke gets a text (NSFW-ish)

Star Crush Mario Party Confessions with Crush 

Tentative (Hesitant to makeout and ruin the romance)

Missing Something (Comforting s/o grieving a sibling)

Make it all Better (Bad day comfort)

Got Moves (Dancing with a boi)

Mornings Like These (Josuke Fluff)

Taste of your own Medicine (s/o mimics his pomp with their own hair)

Deeper Pain (Can’t protect s/o from grief)

Sound of your Voice (Reading to s/o)

Soft Boy (S/o teasing “delinquent” Josuke for being a big ol’ softie)

"Breathe with me” (Anxiety comfort)

Romance Kinda Guy (First Valentine’s Day date) 

“I had a nightmare” 

Batter Up! (Softball/baseball gf)

Dog Hair (Corgi antics)

Little Helper (Tries to win his ex-wife back with their kid’s help)  

Bloodlines (Crush is Caesar’s grandchild)

Christmas Tree Murder (Josuke knocks over the tree) 

Sunshine (Helping s/o fall asleep after a bad day)

Disinterested (Falling for someone who isn’t interested back) 

Single Father (s/o dies and Josuke raises their daughter) 

Feline Overlord (Cat Hates Josuke) 

“I’m not jealous” 

“You can’t keep doing this.”

“This is, by far, the dumbest thing you’ve ever done” 

PS2 Squared (s/o and Josuke have similar gift ideas) 

Okuyasu Nijimura:

Headcanons:

Foreign s/o 

Wedding/Honeymoon 

Proposal Headcanons

Sweet/shy s/o 

Clingy Oku 

Driving, hugging, anger headcanons

Scenarios:

Getting a Kitten

Fluffy Morning Lovin’ (NSFW AS HECK) 

“Yell, Scream, Cry” (Angst Prompt)

Baked Goods (Baking with the GF) 

Long-Distance (s/o Flies to Morioh to meet for the first time)

“You aren’t dumb, Oku,” (Comfort/fluff)

Fixer Upper (S/o and Oku fix up his house)

Love Letters (Flustered Oku gives male crush a love letter)

Valentine’s Day Korean BBQ 

Meeting the Fam (Bringing home s/o for the first time)

“You’re not falling behind,” 

Entrapment (Rescuing kidnapped s/o) 

“Come ‘ere” (Using his stand with GF (light suggestive nsfw))

Care (Taking care of hurt s/o)

Scatterbrained (So excited he forgets to respond to a confession)

Spirited (Ghost girlfriend )

“You can’t die”/”I’m not losing you again”/”Hold me back!” 

“I may be an idiot, but I’m your idiot” 

Stray Cat Adventures 

Loss (Oku is Missing Keicho)

Rohan Kishibe:

Headcanons:

Flexible/athletic s/o 

Daddy Kink (NSFW) 

Blind s/o

Pianist s/o

Scenarios:

Unique (Comforting s/o insecure over their “cutesy” art)

First Valentine’s Day 

Transgressions (Getting a cat without his permission)

Valued (Receiving expensive gifts)

“It’s a real shame nobody asked for your opinion” 

Part 5: 

Giorno Giovanna:

Headcanons:

Reacting to a member of La Squadra defecting to join them 

Finding a former classmate is a member when he joins the gang 

Don Gio romancing an American Tourist

Raising Kids 

Scenarios:

Surprises (Finding out s/o is pregnant) 

Hanging On (Has twins, but one is in critical condition) 

Young Love (Falling for a younger Passione member) 

Part 6: 

Jolyne Kujo:

Scenarios:

“You look tired” 

Part 7: 

Drunk Johnny and Gyro Headcanons 

Johnny and Gyro on s/o’s birthday 

Gyro/Johnny Christmas/Holidays

Poly Johnny/Gyro/Diego convince s/o horses aren’t scary

Johnny and Diego trans boy Crush

Johnny Joestar:

Headcanons:

Valentine’s Day 

Kissing Headcanons

Scenarios:

Fall for You (Falling for female friend)

Left Behind (S/o leaving him for someone else) 

Jealous Type (Jealous over guys hitting on s/o)

Quality Time  (Fluffyness) 

“I could kiss you right now” 

Gyro Zeppeli:

Headcanons:

Fluff headcanons

Small/strong s/o 

S/o with chronic pain and in a wheelchair 

Scenarios:

Fatherhood (Finding out he’s going to be a dad)

Twists of Fate (Crushing on foreign executioner who hates him!)

Lady and the Tramp (Spaghetti Kiss)

Bundle of Nerves  (Nervous proposal)

Chance Encounter (Pretty Lady at the Bar)

Diego Brando:

Headcanons:

Petting and Feeding him ROCKS 

Show-rider crush

Having his boobies squeezed 

Scenarios:

Sharing is Caring (Sharing a bed with his crush)

It’s a Date (Dinner Date)

Thoughts of the Future (Dinner Date Proposal!!)

Part 8:

Poly Yasuho/Gappy

Gappy (Josuke) Higashikata:

Headcanons:

Falling for Female Crush

Soft spot headcanons

Scenarios:

Fatherhood (Finding out he’s going to be a dad)

[tisfan]

Turn Down for What

Title Turn Down for What Collaborator(s) @tisfan​ / @27dragons​ @monobuu​ Link https://archiveofourown.org/works/23545609 Square Filled Tisfan: U2: Bucky/Tony / 27dragons: K4 - I Regret Nothing / monobuu - just wanted an excuse to draw Bucky in pink speedos Ship/Main Pairing Bucky/Tony Rating - Mature Major Tags/Triggers/Warnings: Meet cute, sexy dancing, revealing clothing Summary Tony’s driving down an unfamiliar road after a very frustrating day when he sees something... unusual. After that, things look up considerably. Word Count 1573

for @buckybarnesbingo​

It had been an utterly lousy day. The new alloy he’d been working on had turned out to be roughly as brittle as an eggshell, rendering it utterly useless. He’d gotten dragged into R&D to baby Team Four through trying to hold their own cocks. He’d rounded a corner too quickly and collided with a messenger hurrying in the opposite direction, which had resulted in him spilling his lunch all over his new suit. Curry stained, damn it.

And to top it all off, the new body armor contract that he’d been working for... had been awarded to fucking Hammertech.

So yeah, he had taken out one of his cars and cranked the music to eleven and was cruising the streets singing along at the top of his lungs, because the only other alternative was to scream in frustration.

On the plus side, he'd been working out of the upstate facility, otherwise he might well be sitting in traffic and screaming. 

Instead, he'd managed to find a nice bit of back road where he could dial everything up to eleven.

Which is why he was pretty sure he hadn't seen what he thought he saw.

A blur of pink and skin and lime green… he wasn't entirely sure that person wasn't entirely naked on the side of the road...

Startled -- apparently there were surprises still to be found on New York’s streets -- he slowed down a little. Enough to try to get a look.

Not naked. But all but. And emphases on the butt part of that sentence, since what Tony was seeing was someone's butt. Wearing a hot pink pair of Speedos. Lime green running shoes, and thick brown hair tied up in a half bun. 

Speedo jogged across the street and then did some very flexible stretches, holding on to a light pole.

He seemed in very good shape. Very bendy.

Tony couldn’t quite help himself; he got to the next intersection and made a U-turn, because Speedo was worth a second look.

And a third, and possibly fourth look as well. He was just coming out of his stretch when Tony got back around. Beautiful, really, with sharp cheekbones and a full mouth and a cleft chin. 

He glanced at the car, squinted, then grinned, dropped his hips and executed a -- perfectly in rhythm with Tony's music -- a Beyonce video worthy pop and swing, arms moving to show off biceps, hips jutting to show off everything else.

Okay, yeah, there was no way Tony was driving on by with that kind of show. He pulled to a stop and rolled the window down, the better to share the music, and let himself ogle. No man dressed like that could possibly not want to be stared at, right?

Speedo gave him a quick look, then continued to dance, lithesome and seductive and absolutely beat perfect. Muscles gleamed in the afternoon sunlight, lined with sweat. He danced all the way around Tony's car, shaking his hips, and ended up back in front.

Where he backed up that ass and treated Tony to an enthusiastic twerk. The music wound down and the dancer gave Tony a little wave with two fingers before jogging off down a side street, backside jiggling the whole way.

For half a second, Tony debated following him, but that would be creepy, right? Even allowing for the fact that the guy was running around public streets with the ugliest shoes Tony had seen since the 80s and a neon banana hammock.

At least his mood had brightened some and the day had not entirely sucked.

He hit the horn twice as he drove by the side street and headed for home.

 The next day was better. And yet, Tony found himself climbing into the car and heading toward that back road.

He told himself that the drive had cleared his thoughts and let him focus better.

He told himself that the cars needed to be driven to keep them in good working order.

He told himself that it was too pretty a day to stay inside.

But he couldn’t deny, as he turned down the street, that he was watching the side of the road for a flash of neon and skin.

The line green shoes were the same, but this time he was wearing some sort of tiger striped compression shorts and a black mesh shirt. When Tony pulled up behind him, he came to an abrupt halt, putting one hand to his ear. Turn down for what?

Tony laughed and cranked his music up, letting the bass thump through his bones like a massage.

The dancer was no less enthused than the day before. Given that he was dancing in running shoes, he still resembled a reject-from-the-80's ballet dancer, his core muscles obvious even through the mesh. He'd produced a pair of sunglasses from somewhere and was using them as a prop. Those bedroom eyes were something else, and the way he could dance without taking his gaze off Tony's face...

Tony was breathing harder, just watching him.

Tony couldn’t resist rolling his window down as the song ended. “You dance like that for all the boys?”

"You were playin' my song," he said, panting for breath. "Yesterday, I mean."

“Yeah? And what about today?”

He shrugged one shoulder, which made his body move enticingly. “You came back for a repeat performance. Wouldn’t want t’ cheat ya.”

“You knew it was me again?” Tony tipped his head, studying the guy. “Not too creepy?”

“I knew it was you,” the man said. “You’re driving a Zenvo ST1. All the horsepower goes to the rear wheels, which makes for a real distinctive engine purr. I could hear ya almost a block away. And that’s not to mention the music.” He winked. “Not too creepy. You start throwing one dollar bills out the window on th’ way by, that might be creepy.”

Tony scoffed. “If I start throwing bills, they’ll be better than ones. Especially for someone as talented as you.”

“Yeah? I’ll tell the troop leader you said so. Recommended, move Barnes out of the chorus line and into a lead role, according to--” He waved a hand at Tony as if for an introduction.

“Tony.” He offered a hand through the window.

“Nice to meet you, Tony,” he said, taking Tony’s hand. “James Barnes, although my friends call me Bucky.”

“Should I ask why they call you that?” Tony wondered. Bucky had a nice hand, firm and not too smooth. A little sweaty, but Tony had interrupted his workout.

“Probably, but not today,” Bucky said. He took a step back, gave Tony that sassy little wave again. “See ya!” 

And there he went again; man, hate it when you leave, love to watch you go.

 Bucky had practically dared Tony to come back. Tony had never been one to back down from a dare. He could hardly pay attention to the last meeting of the day, wondering if he’d see Bucky again. What Bucky would be wearing with those ridiculous lime shoes. Whatever it was, it was sure to be mouthwatering.

Tony all but flung himself into the car and sped through the streets, slowing down only when he reached that same road.

Bucky pushed away from the wall as soon as Tony drove up. He didn’t look like he’d been out running that day, wearing a set of short denim overalls with black boots and a tank top. He also had knee pads on, and when Tony pulled up, the music cranking, it was obvious why.

His dance moves for that day were exceptionally athletic, involving splits and twists, which weren’t exactly designed for use on a crummy backstreet sidewalk. He had brought out a folding chair for a prop, his legs moving over the back, twisting, and flipping over it like a circus show.

A very sexy, adult circus show, Tony noted.

Tony leaned heavily on his open window frame. “If you’re trying to impress me, then job well done.”

“Technically, I don’t jog on Thursdays, it’s weights day,” Bucky said, sitting backward in his chair and crossing his arms over the back. “But I thought you might be back. An’... I kinda thought if you were. You might want to go grab a coffee or somethin’?”

“Hot as fuck dance moves, an impressive knowledge of cars, and coffee? Be still my heart.” Tony grinned and jerked a thumb at the passenger seat. “Want to hop in?”

Bucky chewed his lip for a moment, then, “Yeah. I mean, I’m not gonna regret this, you don’t… look like a serial killer.” But he was smirking the whole time, so Tony could take it as a joke. 

Tony chuckled. “Neither do you. Come on, let’s grab a coffee. I promise I’ll have you home by curfew.”

Bucky folded up his chair and slid it into the very narrow gap behind the seats. “There’s a good place, two down, three to the left.”

“Two down, three left,” Tony repeated. “My treat, since you were kind enough to provide entertainment?”

“You got it, Baby Driver,” Bucky said, buckling his belt. “Although this is a sweet ride, an’ I feel like I ought to pay you for the privilege.”

“For five blocks? You want a ride, we can go for a ride after we get our coffee. You know, assuming you haven’t decided to regret this.”

“I regret nothing!”  

[ptintoronto]

Here is my Legs (Glutes and Hamstrings) workout.  Each exercise is performed in 3 to 4 sets and 5-12 repetitions.  Lately I am pyramid style with escalating weight each set.  Tempo is controlled - 3 second negatives and 1 second positive. Always exhale during positive/concentric phase of lifts.  For lifting cues and techniques, ask on here or DM.  Check back tomorrow for my Back workout.  As you can see, you do not need a whole lot of equipment and space to get into great shape.  I have not had a gym membership in maybe 4 or 5 years now. I use: an Ironmaster bench @ironmasteruk @ironmasterusa with all the attachments, PowerBlock adjustable dumbbells, a barbell, landmine rotational tool, kettlebells, Lebert Equalizers, stability ball, and strength and resistance bands.  All of this equipment would cost under $3000.  My home gym floor is less than 100 square feet.   Legs and Glutes (Hamstring Focus) 1.       Barbell Deadlifts with Strength Band 2.       Single Leg Deadlifts with Landmine 3.       Side and Curtsy Lunge 4.       Lateral Shuffle with Booty Band 5.       Bridge 6.       Hip Extension on Bench with Ankle Weight 7.       Leg Flexion on Bench If you are interested in personal training, I offer live online personal training and in-person training in Grimsby, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga, and Toronto. Check out my website for all the service offerings.  I am accepting new clients in August. #fitover40 #fitoverforty #homeworkout #onlinepersonaltraining #onlinepersonaltrainer #personaltrainer #personaltraining #fitnesstrainer #personaltrainerhamilton #personaltraineroakville #peronaltrainingtoronto #fitfam #fitness #bodybuilding #strength #workout #getfit #instafit #fitspo #buttworkout #legworkout #sexylegs #sexybutt #legs #butt #glutes #fitnessmotivation #fitnessjourney https://www.instagram.com/p/CRrVM0ysc09/?utm_medium=tumblr

[northshorehealthandfitness]

[caption id="attachment_66182" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Daily Burn[/caption] Forget the thigh gap or even worrying about the size and shape of your legs. It’s strengthening your thighs that really matters. Strong inner thighs — or adductors — help improve core control (they do help make up the five muscles that attach to the pelvis, after all!) and assist in injury prevention. Thanks to their ability to counterbalance external rotation of the hip that comes from the glutes and hamstrings, they keep your knee in a more neutral position too — a benefit that’s extra clutch for runners and cyclists alike. It’s not always so easy to target these pelvis-stabilizing muscles, though. Unless, that is, you snag a pair of gliders. These slippery disks you see in classes or at your gym offer a unique and effective way to strengthen your inner thighs, while dialing up the core-centric benefits. “Adding gliders brings variety to moves that can start to feel redundant,” says Becca Pace, trainer on Daily Burn 365 and Barre Harmony. “The shift in balance and full-body activation is something that adds a nice edge to enhance your weekly workout routine,” Pace says. “Core and stabilizer muscles will also engage more thoroughly as you introduce balance challenges with single-leg work. Plus, gliders are easy to use, take up no space and help with overall body conditioning and function!” So, it’s time to slide right into stronger body benefits with this inner thigh workout from Pace. RELATED: Lower Body Blast: 5 Moves for Your Butt, Hips and Thighs

6 Glider Exercises for a Serious Inner Thigh Workout

Don’t have sliding disks at home? The substitution is simple. Just make sure you’re on a slick surface and grab two small towels. Then mimic these six moves for a solid inner thigh workout, as Pace demonstrates below. Perform each of the inner thigh exercises for eight to 10 reps, taking a 10-second break between sets. Then repeat for two to three rounds. “When doing the lower body exercises, be very aware of the standing foot on the floor. Feel the toes, pinky edge of the foot and weight in the heel,” Pace says. “Always engage the core muscles by drawing the belly button back and 'closing' the ribs.” Not only will your legs feel the heat, but your abdominals and even your shoulders will fire up, too. RELATED: 3 Workout Moves for Seriously Toned Thighs

1. Low Lunge

How to: Start standing with your feet hip-width apart, your right foot on the glider and your left foot planted firmly on the floor (a). Slide your right foot straight back behind you, as you bend your left knee to 90 degrees, knee over your ankle. At the same time, bring arms straight up to shoulder height (b). Driving into the floor of your left heel, slide your right foot forward and come back up to stand (c). Repeat, then switch sides.

2. Mountain Climbers

How to: Start in a high plank position, shoulders over wrists and forming a straight line from shoulders to ankles. Both feet should be on gliders (a). Drive your right knee in toward your chest, then slide it directly back to plank (b). Drive your left knee in toward your chest, then slide it directly back to plank (c). Continue alternating, moving with control and maintaining a strong plank position. RELATED: 5 Plank Variations to Get Hardcore Abs

3. 1st to 2nd Plie Glide

How to: Start standing with feet together, heels touching and toes pointing slightly outward. Right foot on a glider and your left planted firmly on the floor (a). Slide your right foot out a little wider than hip-width and drop your hips down to form a sumo squat position. Shoulders stay over your hips and knees over ankles (b). Push off your right foot and squeeze your thighs together to come back up to stand, bringing your right foot back to touch your left (c). Repeat, then switch sides.

4. Curtsy Lunge

How to: Start standing with your feet hip-width apart, your right foot on the glider and your left foot planted firmly on the floor (a). Slide your right foot back behind you on a diagonal, as you bend your left knee to 90 degrees, knee over your ankle. At the same time, bring arms straight up to shoulder height. Your hips should stay square to the front (b). Driving into the floor of your left heel, slide your right foot forward and come back up to stand (c). Repeat, then switch sides. RELATED: 5 Power Lunges for Killer Glutes

5. Plank Rainbow Leg

How to: Start in a high plank position, shoulders over wrists and forming a straight line from shoulders to ankles. Place your right foot on the glider (a). Slide your right foot forward to the outside of your right hand, keeping both legs straight and maintaining a solid plank position (b). Pause, then slide it back to plank position (c). Repeat, then switch sides.

6. Pike Plank

How to: Start in a high plank position, shoulders over wrists and forming a straight line from shoulders to ankles. Both feet should be on gliders, with legs together (a). Keeping your shoulders over your wrists and legs straight, pike your hips up, using your abs to pull your feet toward your hands (b). Slide both feet back to plank position (c). Repeat. Read More No More Sit-Ups: 7 TRX Moves to Work Your Abs 7 Easy Pilates Moves for a Quick Core Workout 21 Squat Variations So You Never Get Bored

The post The Inner Thigh Workout You Can Do with Gliders appeared first on Life by Daily Burn.

via Fitness – Life by Daily Burn

[sharistonecom]

Celebrity Cosmetic Surgery. Trying to Keep up With Khloé Kardashian

By now, Twitter is used to earth shattering revelations of celebrity cosmetic surgery�� so, when, on May 23rd last,  @superfly sister announced that Khloe Kardashian  is ‘looking different every year.’ the Twitterati jumped in with their thoughts.  Certainly the montage that @superfly sister posted shows a bewildering range of changes  to the hugely famous and endlessly photographed Khloe..

Whilst many fans are enthralled with the antics of this celebrity family, the Kardashian tribe are continuously criticised on Twitter for giving the wrong example to young women.

Twitter posters like  @DoggoneLoverr express succinctly what many others think ‘Why is this family so obsessed with their looks? Sends a bad message to little girls that this is the only thing that matters.’

So let’s ‘timeline’ the startling changes media observers have noted on Khloe.

This is Khloe in 2007

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This is how Khloé looked back in 2007– fresh-faced with delicate features, hardly any makeup and long brown hair. She looked and so different than she does right now. Not a negative thing, most of us evolve with time, right?

” She has naturally got hips but not a very defined waist and boobs of around a C-cup so she’s got more of an oblong form,

However as Khloé’s celebrity starts  to rise, it’s not simply her shape that will change – so will her face including her nose, chin and lips.

She begins off reasonably square-jawed with a wide chin. In this shots she also has a fairly full nose.”

Khloe 2008

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As Keeping Up With The Kardashians becomes a global hit, Khloé is known for being the hilarious, charming sister.

But the fact that at 5ft 10, she has a very different physique to her petite sisters means that initially she felt differentiated from her siblings.

Apparently, there was even a standing joke in the family that she had a different father, rather than being the daughter of late lawyer Robert Kardashian, like Kim and Kourtney.

Later on Khloé also divulged how, around this time, she was humiliated by shop assistants when she went shopping with her sisters and she was told they didn’t have her size. This, I for one, take with a big pinch of salt.

As she began to come out from Kim’s shadow, Khloé landed her own sequel reality show with her eldest sister Kourtney called

She also commenced dating Lakers star  Lamar Odom and after a speedy three-month romance, the pair announced their engagement. With a new TV series and a wedding on her plate, Khloé started to exercise more seriously – up from two days a week to more regular sessions.

She also became a spokesperson for diet product QuickTrim which she declared helped her burn fats faster.Later consumers tried to take legal action against the sisters for $5million dollars on the grounds it didn’t accelerate weight reduction, as stated. Nonetheless, photos this year do show Khloé with a slightly slimmer lower face but it might not have come from Quick Trim.

According to the classical rules of proportion for celebrity cosmetic surgery,  the distance of the hairline to the bridge of the nose should ideally be about one third of the face.  So she could well have had laser hair removal to adjust the forehead/brow area in the same manner as her sister Kim has admitted doing. This would have helped give a more open aspect to her facial features.

Khloe 2013

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Although Kim has always been famous for her legendary bottom, it’s only now that Khloé starts to show a pronounced family similarity – though it’s more likely to be due to an acquaintance with her sister’s cosmetic surgeon. Commenting on Khloé’s bigger bum in The Sun Newspaper , Dr Fulvio Urso-Baiarda an expert on celebrity cosmetic surgery said: ‘ I think she has Brazilian butt lift. It’s most likely fat grafting. ” As the donor site is more probable the waist or tummy of the flanks, what will slim her waist too, producing more of an hour glass appearance.”

However Dr Urso-Baiarda says this would have been a high risk approach as the Brazilian butt lift has the highest fatality rate of any cosmetic operation. To make things clear that not all of transformation was due to celebrity cosmetic surgery,  Khloé also starts to feature her daily workouts on Instagram and Snapchat.

As her relationship to Lamar begins to collapse, due to rumours of infidelity, Khloé has said the gym became her hiding place.She said: ‘I decided to channel my energy into working out.” If I went out with my girlfriends I would be hounded by paparazzi and made to feel more humiliated. The gym was my only refuge.’

Khloe 2015

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With her newly-blonde hair, Khloé gave followers an up-date on her fitness program. She said: “I try to work out like five days a week, it’s a lot but I feel great when I do it.” She also says she has hired a nutritionist who drew up an individualised profile based on the review of fats in her blood, and asked Khloé to cut out yeast, gluten, and dairy.

Khloé pushes home the message that she wishes to think ‘strong and fit ‘when she publishes her book Strong Looks Better Naked which she commemorated with a photoshoot to show off her toned abs.

In addition to admitting she had lip filler this year, Dr Urso-Baiarda says Khloé’s face contour seems to be transforming significantly now. He says: “Something interesting seems to have happened specifically between 2015 and 2016, where Khloé’s cheekbones become more defined and her mid-face less full. ” One possibility is that she had buccal fat pads– (two pouches of fat on her lower side of her face)- removed.” This could have entailed a surgeon making small cuts to the inside of Khloé’s mouth and cheeks to remove them. This can help produce a more sculpted, slimmer look in the hollow part of the cheeks, giving Khloé a more delicate face shape.

Khloe 2019

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From being the sister with the squarest jaw, by now Khloé seems to have acquired the most pointed and defined chin. The most probable reason is non-surgical dermal fillers, which have defined her face and given her a more chiselled appearance. Dr Fulvio Urso-Baiarda says: “By 2019, she has a very crisp, defined jawline. I think that’s most likely been done non surgically. ” Around now, Allergan launched a product that they were heavily marketing for the chin and jawline called Volux. ” It’s a filler which allows for very high projection so you can create very sculpted looks. So I suspect this is Volux or a similar product. ” You can narrow the chin in quite a similar way to the nose, and you can also reduce jowls and tighten the jawline by extending the chin forwards, increasing the cheekbones.” Whatever way Khloé has done it, she now has a face our expert says “has become a very well-defined inverted triangle.” Dr Julian De Silva another expert on celebrity cosmetic surgery,  has also told Fabulous Digital he believes Khloé got this look by adding more to her chin rather than taking it away. ” Before, her chin looked out of balance in her face. After, her chin doesn’t look smaller but it looks more in balance with her face. ” If you have a larger chin there are two ways to address that. ‘ Either you shave down the chin in a surgical procedure or you add volume through fillers in the cheeks and the jawline to address the balance.”

Khloe 2020

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So here we in 2020 Post Covid and the jury is still out on the changing face of Khloe Kardishian.   Insider Mag has also been investigating the mystery behind the changing beauty.

Insider was speaking to  Dr. Arash Moradzadeh, a plastic surgeon based in Beverly Hills, California, and  it does appear Kardashian has had a number of facial procedures.

It’s difficult to pinpoint when exactly she had them done, though he says he can’t imagine lockdown being any kind of obstacle for surgeons, if they received a request from a Kardashian.

“I’m pretty much sure that there’s going to be some doctor out there that for the right price will do whatever someone wants,” Moradzadeh told Insider. “But we don’t really know if she had her procedures done during [lockdowns]. It could have been done at any time. It’s always difficult, especially with that family, to tell what’s real and what’s a filter.”

Our fascination with the Kardashian clan is endless and they have certainly given the green light to a generation of impressionable young ladies to get cosmetic treatments at an early age.   It is no longer a question of ‘holding back the years’ since very few years have passed since first grade.

The post Celebrity Cosmetic Surgery. Trying to Keep up With Khloé Kardashian appeared first on Best Cosmetic Surgeons.

source https://bestcosmeticsurgeons.com/celebrity-cosmetic-surgery-trying-to-keep-up-with-khloe-kardashian/ source https://bestcosmeticsurgeons.tumblr.com/post/623817092729307136

[albertcaldwellne]

Can’t Do a Pull-up Yet? Here’s How to Get it Done

Pull-ups are my favorite exercise of all time.

They work all of the “pull” muscles in your body – your back, biceps, forearms.

They are indicative of your level of fitness – anybody that can do a pull-up is in pretty good shape.

And anybody that can do 10 or more is clearly in great shape.

Lastly, pull-ups make you feel like a badass after doing them.

However, pull-ups are also hard as hell, especially if you’re just getting started. Unlike other exercises that can be completed with just your body weight (like squats, lunges, and push ups), pull-ups and other exercises that strengthen your pull muscles require at least one piece of equipment or something to hang from!

On top of all of that, if you can’t do one yet, how the heck are you supposed to work on them to get better?

I’ve recently received thousands of emails from fellow rebels who are working towards their first pull-up but aren’t there quite yet.

Whether you’re 300 pounds overweight and can’t even look at a pull-up bar without freaking out, or you’re half an inch away from finally being able to do your first pull-up, this article is for you – sorry it took so long for me to write!

Pull-ups are quite the intimidating exercise, but like Optimus Prime has taught us, we can make small changes and improvements over time that will result in the ultimate goal:

One. Freaking. Pull-up. 

It will take a combination of two things to get your chin up over that bar:

Decreasing body fat so you have less weight to pick up!

Increasing strength to pick up your bodyweight and move above the bar!

I realize doing those two things is much easier said than done.

What most people don’t realize is that they spend too much time on the strength part, not realizing that decreasing their body weight is as important and impactful (if not more so!).

Which is why most people never get to do a pull-up!

After all, there’s nothing more frustrating than putting in the effort for months (or years) and not seeing results and getting demoralized. And unfortunately, this is what I see from most people: Lots of well-intentioned but misguided effort in the gym and no changes.

You probably don’t have years to make the mistakes that I did and want to skip this problem, and you just want to start getting results today.

In addition to the free resources below, we also offer 1-on-1 Online Coaching, where you’ll get personalized instruction for your body type and goals, and professional accountability from a Coach on Team Nerd Fitness!

You can schedule a free call with our team to learn more about coaching by clicking on the image below of Christina! She’s one of our coaching clients who went from 0 pull-ups to now doing sets of 10!

But enough of that, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how to get your first pull-up!

A few tips to get started

This should hopefully be obvious, but the more you weigh, the more you have to lift in order to complete a pull-up. If you’re truly serious about completing a pull-up, start by getting your diet under control. I’m a HUGE fan of the Paleo Diet, because I know it works. A few folks have already lost 10+ pounds in just over a week following the Paleo Diet in the Nerd Fitness Academy. As you start to weigh less, you’ll have less weight to pick up and move up over that bar! Got it? Good.

MAKE YOUR BACK EXERCISES A PRIORITY. A lot of people do every other exercise before doing any back-related exercises, if they do any at all.  After warming up properly, your first exercise should always be the stuff that you want to work on the most – in this case it’ll be your back.

The progression below is just a path that I’ve created, but does NOT need to be followed to a T. I give sample sets and reps and when to move up, but if you feel like you can progress sooner or want to try doing full pull-ups sooner than I recommend, that’s OKAY.  This is the slower progression method, where some people will want to do fewer reps and progress to the next levels sooner – that’s okay.

I recommend moving up to the next level when you can do 3 sets of 8 reps of a particular exercise. If you want the accelerated path, move on up as soon as you can do 3 sets of 5 reps.

Almost every exercise below has a video to show you how to do it. Click on the picture or the video below it.

If you want to know how to incorporate the progressions below into a regular training routine, you can put your email address below to download our beginner bodyweight workout! It’s a great way to get strong as you also get better at your pull-ups!

Grab Your Beginner Bodyweight Routine Worksheet. No Gym Required!

Complete this workout at home, no equipment required

Avoid the common mistakes everybody makes when doing bodyweight exercises

Learn how to finally get your first pull-up

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

Level 1: Bent Over Dumbbell Rows

Bent Over Dumbbell Row Video

We’re going to start with these, the most basic of back exercises, in case you’re starting from ABSOLUTELY square one. For these exercises, focus on lifting more and more as you get stronger.  Every OTHER day, pick up a dumbbell that you can lift for three sets of 8 repetitions with a 2-minute break between sets.  As soon as you can do 3 sets of 8 reps, it’s time to move up to a heavier dumbbell.

As soon as you can do dumbbell rows with at least a 25-pound (10kg) dumbbell or heavier, consider moving up to the next level.

If you are a little bit bigger than the average bear, you might want to stick with this step until you lose a little bit more weight and get stronger – maybe go to 35 or 40-pound (18kg) dumbbells.

Level 2: Body Weight Rows

Body Weight Rows Video

Body weight rows are the PERFECT precursor to pull-ups – they work the same muscles, just at a different angle.  You can also make adjustments. You know how I HATE HATE HATE exercise machines? Here, I wholeheartedly recommend the use of a smith machine…but ONLY for rows!  Because you can adjust the height of the bar, you can adjust how difficult the exercise is.  If you’re just getting started, put the bar very high, so you only have to lean back slightly.  If you’re stronger, you can start with a lower bar.

Here’s a whole post I did on body weight rows (also called inverted rows).

My advice:

Clench your butt and keep your abs tight and body straight throughout the exercise.  Focus your mind on PULLING with your arms.

Set the bar at a height where it’s challenging for you to complete 3 sets of 8 reps with two minutes of rest between sets.

As soon as you can complete all 3 sets of 8 reps, lower the bar!

If you need to make the exercise easier, bend your knees and put your feet flat on the ground.  You can drop your hips too to make things easier.

A sample routine that starts with your back exercises

Monday – 3 sets of 8 reps of overhand bodyweight rows

Wednesday – 3 sets of 8 reps of underhand bodyweight rows (hands reversed)

Friday – 3 sets of 8 reps of overhand bodyweight rows

(And then go underhand, overhand, underhand the following week)

As soon as you’re doing bodyweight rows where your body is at a 45-degree angle or lower, you can progress to level 3.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO A BAR FOR INVERTED ROWS: Try using your kitchen table, or move up to Level 3 and progress with caution there.

IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO A GYM OR WANT TO JOIN A GYM, I know they can be intimidating! We have multiple chapters on how to find a gym and get started using the equipment, in our free guide Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. Grab our nerdy guide when you join the Nerd Fitness Rebellion with your email in the box below:

Download our comprehensive guide STRENGTH TRAINING 101!

Everything you need to know about getting strong.

Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.

How to find the right gym and train properly in one.

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

Level 3A: Assisted Pull-Ups

Assisted Pull-ups Video

Personally, I don’t like using the assisted pull-up machine in a gym as it doesn’t give you the full feeling of a pull-up, but it’s certainly better than nothing.

Instead, I recommend doing one of these alternatives:

Assisted Pull-ups with chair – (either one foot or two depending on your needs) – your feet are ONLY there for support, use your upper body as much as possible.

Assisted Pull-ups with exercise band – (you can get different types of exercise bands with different levels of strength).  Put your foot in the exercise band and pull yourself up.

Assisted pull-ups with a partner – (have a friend hold your feet behind you and help you complete each rep).  Have your friend use the least amount of help possible to get you through your workouts.

My advice:

Clench your butt and keep your abs tight throughout the exercise – try not to swing like crazy.

Keep your shoulder blades pinched behind you throughout the movement and focus on PULLING the bar down with your arms.

Use the least amount of assistance that you can handle – as soon as you can do multiple pull-ups with both feet on the chair, switch to just one foot.

If you’re using an exercise band, try to get a few bands of varying tension so you can decrease the resistance as you get stronger.

As soon as you can do 3 sets of 8 with assistance, it’s time to move on up.

A sample level 3 routine:

Monday – Assisted Pull-ups – 3 sets of 8 reps

Wednesday – Body weight rows – 3 sets of 8 reps

Friday – Assisted Chin Ups – 3 sets of 8 reps

Level 3B: Negative Pull-Ups

Now, let’s say you don’t have a rubber band, you don’t have somebody to hold your feet, and you don’t have a chair – you ONLY have a pull-up bar. That’s okay – you can do what we call negatives. When doing a negative, you jump above the bar and try to lower yourself slowly and in control until you’re at the bottom of the movement.  This can be very dangerous if you’re very overweight, which is why I’d recommend moving slowly through steps 1-3A first.

However, once you have a decent amount of back strength, doing negatives is a great way to build arm and back strength.

You can either jump above the pull-up bar, and then begin to lower yourself back down IN CONTROL, or you can hop up on a chair to get above the bar and then lower yourself back down. Again, the name of the game is “in control.”

You don’t need to lower yourself so slowly that one repetition destroys you…lower yourself in a controlled speed – Counting to three during the movement is a good tempo.

Here’s a sample workout using everything up to this point:

Monday – Assisted Chin Ups – 3 sets of 8 repetitions

Wednesday – Body Weight Rows – 3 sets of 8 repetitions

Friday – Negative Pull-ups – 3 sets to failure – capped at 5 repetitions for each set.

For your negative pull-ups, do as many as you can (up to 5 reps) per set – jump and lower yourself in control, then jump right back up and lower yourself.  If you can do 5, wait 2 minutes and then start again.  If you can’t do 5, do as many as you can in control, wait 2 minutes and then start again.

Once you’re doing 3 sets of 5 repetitions on your negative pull-ups, along with your assisted chin-ups and body weight rows…you’re ready.

Level 4 – Chin Ups and Pull-Ups

Pull-up Video

My dear rebel, it’s time.

Depending on your weight, your level of fitness and strength, and how far along you are in these progressions, you might be able to start with more than one pull-up.

For MANY people, especially if you have spent time in the gym in the past working on your biceps (like most guys do), you might find it easier to start with chin ups (with your palms facing toward you) for your first exercise before trying pull-ups (with your palms facing away from you).

I’ve already covered how to do a pull-up/chin-up in another article, so I won’t get into it too much here…just focus on these things:

Pull your shoulder blades back as you’re going through the movement, and focus on pulling the bar down.

Again, keep your butt clenched and your abs tight throughout the movement.

Get your chin above the bar, or it doesn’t count as a full rep.

Do whatever you need to get through the full rep.

If you can only do one rep, try to do at least 3 sets of one rep…after your three sets, add in some negatives to exhaust the muscle.

At this point, here’s a Level 4 routine set up for a week:

Monday – Chin ups – 3 sets for maximums repetitions

Wednesday – Inverted Rows – 3 sets for max repetitions

Friday – Pull-ups – 3 sets for maximum repetitions

Level 5 – Next steps

Once you’re able to do 3 sets of 10 pull-ups or chin-ups, you have a few options:

Continue to get better at doing more reps – 3 sets of 12, 3 sets of 15, 3 sets of 20, etc.

Start doing other types of pull-ups – like wide grip pull-ups (grab the bar WAY out with both hands), side to side pull-ups, uneven pull-ups, etc.

Add weight and do weighted pull-ups or weighted chin-ups.

Personally, my favorite thing to do in a gym is weighted pull-ups; if you’re at this level and interested in doing so, here’s what you need to do:

Get a weight belt. I bought this one  on Amazon and it’s worked out incredibly well for me.  I’ve tried doing the whole “put weights in a backpack” and it certainly works, but the angle of the weights hanging off your back is weird.  With a weight belt, the weight hangs down between your legs (not a euphemism) so it feels more natural.

Add small amounts at a time. Most gyms will have 2.5 lb (roughly 1kg) weights; you might feel stupid putting on a big weight belt and only hanging a tiny weight off it, but you need to start somewhere.

Consistently add more weight. I’ll warm up with two sets of 5 pull-ups with no extra weight, and then do 3 sets of 5 weighted pull-ups.  If I can complete all 3 sets of 5 reps (with my chin over the bar for every rep), I’ll make a note to add 2.5 or 5lbs (1 or 2kg) to my weight belt for the next time.

So, here’s an advanced sample routine for back exercises:

Monday – Weighted Chin Ups – 3 sets of 5 reps

Wednesday – Elevated Feet Body Weight Rows – 3 sets of max repetitions

Friday – Wide Grip Pull-ups – 3 sets of maximum repetition

(The following week, I’d alternate by doing the chin ups without weight, and then doing weighted pull-ups

Don’t Make These Pull-up Mistakes!

My work here is done – it’s now up to you to take care of business.

As you start to get stronger with your pull-ups, it’s important to check in and make sure you’re doing them correctly. 90% of people I see doing pull-ups in a gym are doing them incorrectly!

Here are the 5 big mistakes people make when doing a pull-up:

I want this for you so badly, because in my head there’s no greater exercise than a pull-up. It makes you feel like a badass, you get super strong, and it’s an amazing benchmark and milestone on the path to a leveled up life!

Just ask Christina, who can now do multiple sets of pull-ups – her story is incredible:

Or Bronwyn, who lost 50+ lbs and now does chin-ups with her daughter on her back!

I know you might be overwhelmed right now, and you might be worried you’re gonna spend months without getting results.

Although that happens for many, it’s because they don’t have the right plan (or nutrition) in place!

You can absolutely do this on your own and follow the program above, but if you’re looking for more specific guidance or you want to avoid the guesswork and be told exactly what to do on what days to get to a pull-up on schedule, check out our coaching program!

We’ve helped tons of men and women get their first pull-ups with our 1-on-1 Online coaching program, where our coaches build a program that incorporates pull-ups and fits your busy life!

You can schedule a free call with..

https://ift.tt/2oCDzq1

[neilmillerne]

Can’t Do a Pull-up Yet? Here’s How to Get it Done

Pull-ups are my favorite exercise of all time.

They work all of the “pull” muscles in your body – your back, biceps, forearms.

They are indicative of your level of fitness – anybody that can do a pull-up is in pretty good shape.

And anybody that can do 10 or more is clearly in great shape.

Lastly, pull-ups make you feel like a badass after doing them.

However, pull-ups are also hard as hell, especially if you’re just getting started. Unlike other exercises that can be completed with just your body weight (like squats, lunges, and push ups), pull-ups and other exercises that strengthen your pull muscles require at least one piece of equipment or something to hang from!

On top of all of that, if you can’t do one yet, how the heck are you supposed to work on them to get better?

I’ve recently received thousands of emails from fellow rebels who are working towards their first pull-up but aren’t there quite yet.

Whether you’re 300 pounds overweight and can’t even look at a pull-up bar without freaking out, or you’re half an inch away from finally being able to do your first pull-up, this article is for you – sorry it took so long for me to write!

Pull-ups are quite the intimidating exercise, but like Optimus Prime has taught us, we can make small changes and improvements over time that will result in the ultimate goal:

One. Freaking. Pull-up. 

It will take a combination of two things to get your chin up over that bar:

Decreasing body fat so you have less weight to pick up!

Increasing strength to pick up your bodyweight and move above the bar!

I realize doing those two things is much easier said than done.

What most people don’t realize is that they spend too much time on the strength part, not realizing that decreasing their body weight is as important and impactful (if not more so!).

Which is why most people never get to do a pull-up!

After all, there’s nothing more frustrating than putting in the effort for months (or years) and not seeing results and getting demoralized. And unfortunately, this is what I see from most people: Lots of well-intentioned but misguided effort in the gym and no changes.

You probably don’t have years to make the mistakes that I did and want to skip this problem, and you just want to start getting results today.

In addition to the free resources below, we also offer 1-on-1 Online Coaching, where you’ll get personalized instruction for your body type and goals, and professional accountability from a Coach on Team Nerd Fitness!

You can schedule a free call with our team to learn more about coaching by clicking on the image below of Christina! She’s one of our coaching clients who went from 0 pull-ups to now doing sets of 10!

But enough of that, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how to get your first pull-up!

A few tips to get started

This should hopefully be obvious, but the more you weigh, the more you have to lift in order to complete a pull-up. If you’re truly serious about completing a pull-up, start by getting your diet under control. I’m a HUGE fan of the Paleo Diet, because I know it works. A few folks have already lost 10+ pounds in just over a week following the Paleo Diet in the Nerd Fitness Academy. As you start to weigh less, you’ll have less weight to pick up and move up over that bar! Got it? Good.

MAKE YOUR BACK EXERCISES A PRIORITY. A lot of people do every other exercise before doing any back-related exercises, if they do any at all.  After warming up properly, your first exercise should always be the stuff that you want to work on the most – in this case it’ll be your back.

The progression below is just a path that I’ve created, but does NOT need to be followed to a T. I give sample sets and reps and when to move up, but if you feel like you can progress sooner or want to try doing full pull-ups sooner than I recommend, that’s OKAY.  This is the slower progression method, where some people will want to do fewer reps and progress to the next levels sooner – that’s okay.

I recommend moving up to the next level when you can do 3 sets of 8 reps of a particular exercise. If you want the accelerated path, move on up as soon as you can do 3 sets of 5 reps.

Almost every exercise below has a video to show you how to do it. Click on the picture or the video below it.

If you want to know how to incorporate the progressions below into a regular training routine, you can put your email address below to download our beginner bodyweight workout! It’s a great way to get strong as you also get better at your pull-ups!

Grab Your Beginner Bodyweight Routine Worksheet. No Gym Required!

Complete this workout at home, no equipment required

Avoid the common mistakes everybody makes when doing bodyweight exercises

Learn how to finally get your first pull-up

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

Level 1: Bent Over Dumbbell Rows

Bent Over Dumbbell Row Video

We’re going to start with these, the most basic of back exercises, in case you’re starting from ABSOLUTELY square one. For these exercises, focus on lifting more and more as you get stronger.  Every OTHER day, pick up a dumbbell that you can lift for three sets of 8 repetitions with a 2-minute break between sets.  As soon as you can do 3 sets of 8 reps, it’s time to move up to a heavier dumbbell.

As soon as you can do dumbbell rows with at least a 25-pound (10kg) dumbbell or heavier, consider moving up to the next level.

If you are a little bit bigger than the average bear, you might want to stick with this step until you lose a little bit more weight and get stronger – maybe go to 35 or 40-pound (18kg) dumbbells.

Level 2: Body Weight Rows

Body Weight Rows Video

Body weight rows are the PERFECT precursor to pull-ups – they work the same muscles, just at a different angle.  You can also make adjustments. You know how I HATE HATE HATE exercise machines? Here, I wholeheartedly recommend the use of a smith machine…but ONLY for rows!  Because you can adjust the height of the bar, you can adjust how difficult the exercise is.  If you’re just getting started, put the bar very high, so you only have to lean back slightly.  If you’re stronger, you can start with a lower bar.

Here’s a whole post I did on body weight rows (also called inverted rows).

My advice:

Clench your butt and keep your abs tight and body straight throughout the exercise.  Focus your mind on PULLING with your arms.

Set the bar at a height where it’s challenging for you to complete 3 sets of 8 reps with two minutes of rest between sets.

As soon as you can complete all 3 sets of 8 reps, lower the bar!

If you need to make the exercise easier, bend your knees and put your feet flat on the ground.  You can drop your hips too to make things easier.

A sample routine that starts with your back exercises

Monday – 3 sets of 8 reps of overhand bodyweight rows

Wednesday – 3 sets of 8 reps of underhand bodyweight rows (hands reversed)

Friday – 3 sets of 8 reps of overhand bodyweight rows

(And then go underhand, overhand, underhand the following week)

As soon as you’re doing bodyweight rows where your body is at a 45-degree angle or lower, you can progress to level 3.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO A BAR FOR INVERTED ROWS: Try using your kitchen table, or move up to Level 3 and progress with caution there.

IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO A GYM OR WANT TO JOIN A GYM, I know they can be intimidating! We have multiple chapters on how to find a gym and get started using the equipment, in our free guide Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. Grab our nerdy guide when you join the Nerd Fitness Rebellion with your email in the box below:

Download our comprehensive guide STRENGTH TRAINING 101!

Everything you need to know about getting strong.

Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.

How to find the right gym and train properly in one.

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

Level 3A: Assisted Pull-Ups

Assisted Pull-ups Video

Personally, I don’t like using the assisted pull-up machine in a gym as it doesn’t give you the full feeling of a pull-up, but it’s certainly better than nothing.

Instead, I recommend doing one of these alternatives:

Assisted Pull-ups with chair – (either one foot or two depending on your needs) – your feet are ONLY there for support, use your upper body as much as possible.

Assisted Pull-ups with exercise band – (you can get different types of exercise bands with different levels of strength).  Put your foot in the exercise band and pull yourself up.

Assisted pull-ups with a partner – (have a friend hold your feet behind you and help you complete each rep).  Have your friend use the least amount of help possible to get you through your workouts.

My advice:

Clench your butt and keep your abs tight throughout the exercise – try not to swing like crazy.

Keep your shoulder blades pinched behind you throughout the movement and focus on PULLING the bar down with your arms.

Use the least amount of assistance that you can handle – as soon as you can do multiple pull-ups with both feet on the chair, switch to just one foot.

If you’re using an exercise band, try to get a few bands of varying tension so you can decrease the resistance as you get stronger.

As soon as you can do 3 sets of 8 with assistance, it’s time to move on up.

A sample level 3 routine:

Monday – Assisted Pull-ups – 3 sets of 8 reps

Wednesday – Body weight rows – 3 sets of 8 reps

Friday – Assisted Chin Ups – 3 sets of 8 reps

Level 3B: Negative Pull-Ups

Now, let’s say you don’t have a rubber band, you don’t have somebody to hold your feet, and you don’t have a chair – you ONLY have a pull-up bar. That’s okay – you can do what we call negatives. When doing a negative, you jump above the bar and try to lower yourself slowly and in control until you’re at the bottom of the movement.  This can be very dangerous if you’re very overweight, which is why I’d recommend moving slowly through steps 1-3A first.

However, once you have a decent amount of back strength, doing negatives is a great way to build arm and back strength.

You can either jump above the pull-up bar, and then begin to lower yourself back down IN CONTROL, or you can hop up on a chair to get above the bar and then lower yourself back down. Again, the name of the game is “in control.”

You don’t need to lower yourself so slowly that one repetition destroys you…lower yourself in a controlled speed – Counting to three during the movement is a good tempo.

Here’s a sample workout using everything up to this point:

Monday – Assisted Chin Ups – 3 sets of 8 repetitions

Wednesday – Body Weight Rows – 3 sets of 8 repetitions

Friday – Negative Pull-ups – 3 sets to failure – capped at 5 repetitions for each set.

For your negative pull-ups, do as many as you can (up to 5 reps) per set – jump and lower yourself in control, then jump right back up and lower yourself.  If you can do 5, wait 2 minutes and then start again.  If you can’t do 5, do as many as you can in control, wait 2 minutes and then start again.

Once you’re doing 3 sets of 5 repetitions on your negative pull-ups, along with your assisted chin-ups and body weight rows…you’re ready.

Level 4 – Chin Ups and Pull-Ups

Pull-up Video

My dear rebel, it’s time.

Depending on your weight, your level of fitness and strength, and how far along you are in these progressions, you might be able to start with more than one pull-up.

For MANY people, especially if you have spent time in the gym in the past working on your biceps (like most guys do), you might find it easier to start with chin ups (with your palms facing toward you) for your first exercise before trying pull-ups (with your palms facing away from you).

I’ve already covered how to do a pull-up/chin-up in another article, so I won’t get into it too much here…just focus on these things:

Pull your shoulder blades back as you’re going through the movement, and focus on pulling the bar down.

Again, keep your butt clenched and your abs tight throughout the movement.

Get your chin above the bar, or it doesn’t count as a full rep.

Do whatever you need to get through the full rep.

If you can only do one rep, try to do at least 3 sets of one rep…after your three sets, add in some negatives to exhaust the muscle.

At this point, here’s a Level 4 routine set up for a week:

Monday – Chin ups – 3 sets for maximums repetitions

Wednesday – Inverted Rows – 3 sets for max repetitions

Friday – Pull-ups – 3 sets for maximum repetitions

Level 5 – Next steps

Once you’re able to do 3 sets of 10 pull-ups or chin-ups, you have a few options:

Continue to get better at doing more reps – 3 sets of 12, 3 sets of 15, 3 sets of 20, etc.

Start doing other types of pull-ups – like wide grip pull-ups (grab the bar WAY out with both hands), side to side pull-ups, uneven pull-ups, etc.

Add weight and do weighted pull-ups or weighted chin-ups.

Personally, my favorite thing to do in a gym is weighted pull-ups; if you’re at this level and interested in doing so, here’s what you need to do:

Get a weight belt. I bought this one  on Amazon and it’s worked out incredibly well for me.  I’ve tried doing the whole “put weights in a backpack” and it certainly works, but the angle of the weights hanging off your back is weird.  With a weight belt, the weight hangs down between your legs (not a euphemism) so it feels more natural.

Add small amounts at a time. Most gyms will have 2.5 lb (roughly 1kg) weights; you might feel stupid putting on a big weight belt and only hanging a tiny weight off it, but you need to start somewhere.

Consistently add more weight. I’ll warm up with two sets of 5 pull-ups with no extra weight, and then do 3 sets of 5 weighted pull-ups.  If I can complete all 3 sets of 5 reps (with my chin over the bar for every rep), I’ll make a note to add 2.5 or 5lbs (1 or 2kg) to my weight belt for the next time.

So, here’s an advanced sample routine for back exercises:

Monday – Weighted Chin Ups – 3 sets of 5 reps

Wednesday – Elevated Feet Body Weight Rows – 3 sets of max repetitions

Friday – Wide Grip Pull-ups – 3 sets of maximum repetition

(The following week, I’d alternate by doing the chin ups without weight, and then doing weighted pull-ups

Don’t Make These Pull-up Mistakes!

My work here is done – it’s now up to you to take care of business.

As you start to get stronger with your pull-ups, it’s important to check in and make sure you’re doing them correctly. 90% of people I see doing pull-ups in a gym are doing them incorrectly!

Here are the 5 big mistakes people make when doing a pull-up:

I want this for you so badly, because in my head there’s no greater exercise than a pull-up. It makes you feel like a badass, you get super strong, and it’s an amazing benchmark and milestone on the path to a leveled up life!

Just ask Christina, who can now do multiple sets of pull-ups – her story is incredible:

Or Bronwyn, who lost 50+ lbs and now does chin-ups with her daughter on her back!

I know you might be overwhelmed right now, and you might be worried you’re gonna spend months without getting results.

Although that happens for many, it’s because they don’t have the right plan (or nutrition) in place!

You can absolutely do this on your own and follow the program above, but if you’re looking for more specific guidance or you want to avoid the guesswork and be told exactly what to do on what days to get to a pull-up on schedule, check out our coaching program!

We’ve helped tons of men and women get their first pull-ups with our 1-on-1 Online coaching program, where our coaches build a program that incorporates pull-ups and fits your busy life!

You can schedule a free call with..

https://ift.tt/2oCDzq1

[ruthellisneda]

Can’t Do a Pull-up Yet? Here’s How to Get it Done

Pull-ups are my favorite exercise of all time.

They work all of the “pull” muscles in your body – your back, biceps, forearms.

They are indicative of your level of fitness – anybody that can do a pull-up is in pretty good shape.

And anybody that can do 10 or more is clearly in great shape.

Lastly, pull-ups make you feel like a badass after doing them.

However, pull-ups are also hard as hell, especially if you’re just getting started. Unlike other exercises that can be completed with just your body weight (like squats, lunges, and push ups), pull-ups and other exercises that strengthen your pull muscles require at least one piece of equipment or something to hang from!

On top of all of that, if you can’t do one yet, how the heck are you supposed to work on them to get better?

I’ve recently received thousands of emails from fellow rebels who are working towards their first pull-up but aren’t there quite yet.

Whether you’re 300 pounds overweight and can’t even look at a pull-up bar without freaking out, or you’re half an inch away from finally being able to do your first pull-up, this article is for you – sorry it took so long for me to write!

Pull-ups are quite the intimidating exercise, but like Optimus Prime has taught us, we can make small changes and improvements over time that will result in the ultimate goal:

One. Freaking. Pull-up. 

It will take a combination of two things to get your chin up over that bar:

Decreasing body fat so you have less weight to pick up!

Increasing strength to pick up your bodyweight and move above the bar!

I realize doing those two things is much easier said than done.

What most people don’t realize is that they spend too much time on the strength part, not realizing that decreasing their body weight is as important and impactful (if not more so!).

Which is why most people never get to do a pull-up!

After all, there’s nothing more frustrating than putting in the effort for months (or years) and not seeing results and getting demoralized. And unfortunately, this is what I see from most people: Lots of well-intentioned but misguided effort in the gym and no changes.

You probably don’t have years to make the mistakes that I did and want to skip this problem, and you just want to start getting results today.

In addition to the free resources below, we also offer 1-on-1 Online Coaching, where you’ll get personalized instruction for your body type and goals, and professional accountability from a Coach on Team Nerd Fitness!

You can schedule a free call with our team to learn more about coaching by clicking on the image below of Christina! She’s one of our coaching clients who went from 0 pull-ups to now doing sets of 10!

But enough of that, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how to get your first pull-up!

A few tips to get started

This should hopefully be obvious, but the more you weigh, the more you have to lift in order to complete a pull-up. If you’re truly serious about completing a pull-up, start by getting your diet under control. I’m a HUGE fan of the Paleo Diet, because I know it works. A few folks have already lost 10+ pounds in just over a week following the Paleo Diet in the Nerd Fitness Academy. As you start to weigh less, you’ll have less weight to pick up and move up over that bar! Got it? Good.

MAKE YOUR BACK EXERCISES A PRIORITY. A lot of people do every other exercise before doing any back-related exercises, if they do any at all.  After warming up properly, your first exercise should always be the stuff that you want to work on the most – in this case it’ll be your back.

The progression below is just a path that I’ve created, but does NOT need to be followed to a T. I give sample sets and reps and when to move up, but if you feel like you can progress sooner or want to try doing full pull-ups sooner than I recommend, that’s OKAY.  This is the slower progression method, where some people will want to do fewer reps and progress to the next levels sooner – that’s okay.

I recommend moving up to the next level when you can do 3 sets of 8 reps of a particular exercise. If you want the accelerated path, move on up as soon as you can do 3 sets of 5 reps.

Almost every exercise below has a video to show you how to do it. Click on the picture or the video below it.

If you want to know how to incorporate the progressions below into a regular training routine, you can put your email address below to download our beginner bodyweight workout! It’s a great way to get strong as you also get better at your pull-ups!

Grab Your Beginner Bodyweight Routine Worksheet. No Gym Required!

Complete this workout at home, no equipment required

Avoid the common mistakes everybody makes when doing bodyweight exercises

Learn how to finally get your first pull-up

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

Level 1: Bent Over Dumbbell Rows

Bent Over Dumbbell Row Video

We’re going to start with these, the most basic of back exercises, in case you’re starting from ABSOLUTELY square one. For these exercises, focus on lifting more and more as you get stronger.  Every OTHER day, pick up a dumbbell that you can lift for three sets of 8 repetitions with a 2-minute break between sets.  As soon as you can do 3 sets of 8 reps, it’s time to move up to a heavier dumbbell.

As soon as you can do dumbbell rows with at least a 25-pound (10kg) dumbbell or heavier, consider moving up to the next level.

If you are a little bit bigger than the average bear, you might want to stick with this step until you lose a little bit more weight and get stronger – maybe go to 35 or 40-pound (18kg) dumbbells.

Level 2: Body Weight Rows

Body Weight Rows Video

Body weight rows are the PERFECT precursor to pull-ups – they work the same muscles, just at a different angle.  You can also make adjustments. You know how I HATE HATE HATE exercise machines? Here, I wholeheartedly recommend the use of a smith machine…but ONLY for rows!  Because you can adjust the height of the bar, you can adjust how difficult the exercise is.  If you’re just getting started, put the bar very high, so you only have to lean back slightly.  If you’re stronger, you can start with a lower bar.

Here’s a whole post I did on body weight rows (also called inverted rows).

My advice:

Clench your butt and keep your abs tight and body straight throughout the exercise.  Focus your mind on PULLING with your arms.

Set the bar at a height where it’s challenging for you to complete 3 sets of 8 reps with two minutes of rest between sets.

As soon as you can complete all 3 sets of 8 reps, lower the bar!

If you need to make the exercise easier, bend your knees and put your feet flat on the ground.  You can drop your hips too to make things easier.

A sample routine that starts with your back exercises

Monday – 3 sets of 8 reps of overhand bodyweight rows

Wednesday – 3 sets of 8 reps of underhand bodyweight rows (hands reversed)

Friday – 3 sets of 8 reps of overhand bodyweight rows

(And then go underhand, overhand, underhand the following week)

As soon as you’re doing bodyweight rows where your body is at a 45-degree angle or lower, you can progress to level 3.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO A BAR FOR INVERTED ROWS: Try using your kitchen table, or move up to Level 3 and progress with caution there.

IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO A GYM OR WANT TO JOIN A GYM, I know they can be intimidating! We have multiple chapters on how to find a gym and get started using the equipment, in our free guide Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. Grab our nerdy guide when you join the Nerd Fitness Rebellion with your email in the box below:

Download our comprehensive guide STRENGTH TRAINING 101!

Everything you need to know about getting strong.

Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.

How to find the right gym and train properly in one.

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

Level 3A: Assisted Pull-Ups

Assisted Pull-ups Video

Personally, I don’t like using the assisted pull-up machine in a gym as it doesn’t give you the full feeling of a pull-up, but it’s certainly better than nothing.

Instead, I recommend doing one of these alternatives:

Assisted Pull-ups with chair – (either one foot or two depending on your needs) – your feet are ONLY there for support, use your upper body as much as possible.

Assisted Pull-ups with exercise band – (you can get different types of exercise bands with different levels of strength).  Put your foot in the exercise band and pull yourself up.

Assisted pull-ups with a partner – (have a friend hold your feet behind you and help you complete each rep).  Have your friend use the least amount of help possible to get you through your workouts.

My advice:

Clench your butt and keep your abs tight throughout the exercise – try not to swing like crazy.

Keep your shoulder blades pinched behind you throughout the movement and focus on PULLING the bar down with your arms.

Use the least amount of assistance that you can handle – as soon as you can do multiple pull-ups with both feet on the chair, switch to just one foot.

If you’re using an exercise band, try to get a few bands of varying tension so you can decrease the resistance as you get stronger.

As soon as you can do 3 sets of 8 with assistance, it’s time to move on up.

A sample level 3 routine:

Monday – Assisted Pull-ups – 3 sets of 8 reps

Wednesday – Body weight rows – 3 sets of 8 reps

Friday – Assisted Chin Ups – 3 sets of 8 reps

Level 3B: Negative Pull-Ups

Now, let’s say you don’t have a rubber band, you don’t have somebody to hold your feet, and you don’t have a chair – you ONLY have a pull-up bar. That’s okay – you can do what we call negatives. When doing a negative, you jump above the bar and try to lower yourself slowly and in control until you’re at the bottom of the movement.  This can be very dangerous if you’re very overweight, which is why I’d recommend moving slowly through steps 1-3A first.

However, once you have a decent amount of back strength, doing negatives is a great way to build arm and back strength.

You can either jump above the pull-up bar, and then begin to lower yourself back down IN CONTROL, or you can hop up on a chair to get above the bar and then lower yourself back down. Again, the name of the game is “in control.”

You don’t need to lower yourself so slowly that one repetition destroys you…lower yourself in a controlled speed – Counting to three during the movement is a good tempo.

Here’s a sample workout using everything up to this point:

Monday – Assisted Chin Ups – 3 sets of 8 repetitions

Wednesday – Body Weight Rows – 3 sets of 8 repetitions

Friday – Negative Pull-ups – 3 sets to failure – capped at 5 repetitions for each set.

For your negative pull-ups, do as many as you can (up to 5 reps) per set – jump and lower yourself in control, then jump right back up and lower yourself.  If you can do 5, wait 2 minutes and then start again.  If you can’t do 5, do as many as you can in control, wait 2 minutes and then start again.

Once you’re doing 3 sets of 5 repetitions on your negative pull-ups, along with your assisted chin-ups and body weight rows…you’re ready.

Level 4 – Chin Ups and Pull-Ups

Pull-up Video

My dear rebel, it’s time.

Depending on your weight, your level of fitness and strength, and how far along you are in these progressions, you might be able to start with more than one pull-up.

For MANY people, especially if you have spent time in the gym in the past working on your biceps (like most guys do), you might find it easier to start with chin ups (with your palms facing toward you) for your first exercise before trying pull-ups (with your palms facing away from you).

I’ve already covered how to do a pull-up/chin-up in another article, so I won’t get into it too much here…just focus on these things:

Pull your shoulder blades back as you’re going through the movement, and focus on pulling the bar down.

Again, keep your butt clenched and your abs tight throughout the movement.

Get your chin above the bar, or it doesn’t count as a full rep.

Do whatever you need to get through the full rep.

If you can only do one rep, try to do at least 3 sets of one rep…after your three sets, add in some negatives to exhaust the muscle.

At this point, here’s a Level 4 routine set up for a week:

Monday – Chin ups – 3 sets for maximums repetitions

Wednesday – Inverted Rows – 3 sets for max repetitions

Friday – Pull-ups – 3 sets for maximum repetitions

Level 5 – Next steps

Once you’re able to do 3 sets of 10 pull-ups or chin-ups, you have a few options:

Continue to get better at doing more reps – 3 sets of 12, 3 sets of 15, 3 sets of 20, etc.

Start doing other types of pull-ups – like wide grip pull-ups (grab the bar WAY out with both hands), side to side pull-ups, uneven pull-ups, etc.

Add weight and do weighted pull-ups or weighted chin-ups.

Personally, my favorite thing to do in a gym is weighted pull-ups; if you’re at this level and interested in doing so, here’s what you need to do:

Get a weight belt. I bought this one  on Amazon and it’s worked out incredibly well for me.  I’ve tried doing the whole “put weights in a backpack” and it certainly works, but the angle of the weights hanging off your back is weird.  With a weight belt, the weight hangs down between your legs (not a euphemism) so it feels more natural.

Add small amounts at a time. Most gyms will have 2.5 lb (roughly 1kg) weights; you might feel stupid putting on a big weight belt and only hanging a tiny weight off it, but you need to start somewhere.

Consistently add more weight. I’ll warm up with two sets of 5 pull-ups with no extra weight, and then do 3 sets of 5 weighted pull-ups.  If I can complete all 3 sets of 5 reps (with my chin over the bar for every rep), I’ll make a note to add 2.5 or 5lbs (1 or 2kg) to my weight belt for the next time.

So, here’s an advanced sample routine for back exercises:

Monday – Weighted Chin Ups – 3 sets of 5 reps

Wednesday – Elevated Feet Body Weight Rows – 3 sets of max repetitions

Friday – Wide Grip Pull-ups – 3 sets of maximum repetition

(The following week, I’d alternate by doing the chin ups without weight, and then doing weighted pull-ups

Don’t Make These Pull-up Mistakes!

My work here is done – it’s now up to you to take care of business.

As you start to get stronger with your pull-ups, it’s important to check in and make sure you’re doing them correctly. 90% of people I see doing pull-ups in a gym are doing them incorrectly!

Here are the 5 big mistakes people make when doing a pull-up:

I want this for you so badly, because in my head there’s no greater exercise than a pull-up. It makes you feel like a badass, you get super strong, and it’s an amazing benchmark and milestone on the path to a leveled up life!

Just ask Christina, who can now do multiple sets of pull-ups – her story is incredible:

Or Bronwyn, who lost 50+ lbs and now does chin-ups with her daughter on her back!

I know you might be overwhelmed right now, and you might be worried you’re gonna spend months without getting results.

Although that happens for many, it’s because they don’t have the right plan (or nutrition) in place!

You can absolutely do this on your own and follow the program above, but if you’re looking for more specific guidance or you want to avoid the guesswork and be told exactly what to do on what days to get to a pull-up on schedule, check out our coaching program!

We’ve helped tons of men and women get their first pull-ups with our 1-on-1 Online coaching program, where our coaches build a program that incorporates pull-ups and fits your busy life!

You can schedule a free call with..

https://ift.tt/2oCDzq1

[ptintoronto]

Here is my Legs (Glutes and Hamstrings) workout.  Each exercise is performed in 3 to 4 sets and 5-12 repetitions.  Lately I am pyramid style with escalating weight each set.  Tempo is controlled - 3 second negatives and 1 second positive. Always exhale during positive/concentric phase of lifts.  For lifting cues and techniques, ask on here or DM.  Check back tomorrow for my Back workout.  As you can see, you do not need a whole lot of equipment and space to get into great shape.  I have not had a gym membership in maybe 4 or 5 years now. I use: an Ironmaster bench with all the attachments, PowerBlock adjustable dumbbells, a barbell, landmine rotational tool, kettlebells, Lebert Equalizers, stability ball, and strength and resistance bands.  All of this equipment would cost under $3000.  My home gym floor is less than 100 square feet.   Legs and Glutes (Hamstring Focus) 1.       Barbell Deadlifts with Strength Band 2.       Single Leg Deadlifts with Landmine 3.       Side and Curtsy Lunge 4.       Hip Abduction with Booty Band 5.       Bridge 6.       Hip Extension on Bench 7.       Leg Flexion on Bench If you are interested in personal training, I offer live online personal training and in-person training in Grimsby, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga, and Toronto. Check out my website for all the service offerings.  I am accepting new clients in August. #homeworkout #onlinepersonaltraining #onlinepersonaltrainer #personaltrainer #personaltraining #fitnesstrainer #fitnesstraining #homepersonaltraining #inhometrainer #personaltraininghamilton #personaltrainerhamilton #personaltraineroakville #personaltrainerburlington #peronaltrainingtoronto #fitfam #fitness #strength #workout #getfit #instafit #fitspo #buttworkout #legworkout #legs #butt #sexybutt #glutes #fitnessmotivation #fitover40 (at Hamilton, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRrSwE8s_uv/?utm_medium=tumblr

[joshuabradleyn]

Can’t Do a Pull-up Yet? Here’s How to Get it Done

Pull-ups are my favorite exercise of all time.

They work all of the “pull” muscles in your body – your back, biceps, forearms.

They are indicative of your level of fitness – anybody that can do a pull-up is in pretty good shape.

And anybody that can do 10 or more is clearly in great shape.

Lastly, pull-ups make you feel like a badass after doing them.

However, pull-ups are also hard as hell, especially if you’re just getting started. Unlike other exercises that can be completed with just your body weight (like squats, lunges, and push ups), pull-ups and other exercises that strengthen your pull muscles require at least one piece of equipment or something to hang from!

On top of all of that, if you can’t do one yet, how the heck are you supposed to work on them to get better?

I’ve recently received thousands of emails from fellow rebels who are working towards their first pull-up but aren’t there quite yet.

Whether you’re 300 pounds overweight and can’t even look at a pull-up bar without freaking out, or you’re half an inch away from finally being able to do your first pull-up, this article is for you – sorry it took so long for me to write!

Pull-ups are quite the intimidating exercise, but like Optimus Prime has taught us, we can make small changes and improvements over time that will result in the ultimate goal:

One. Freaking. Pull-up. 

It will take a combination of two things to get your chin up over that bar:

Decreasing body fat so you have less weight to pick up!

Increasing strength to pick up your bodyweight and move above the bar!

I realize doing those two things is much easier said than done.

What most people don’t realize is that they spend too much time on the strength part, not realizing that decreasing their body weight is as important and impactful (if not more so!).

Which is why most people never get to do a pull-up!

After all, there’s nothing more frustrating than putting in the effort for months (or years) and not seeing results and getting demoralized. And unfortunately, this is what I see from most people: Lots of well-intentioned but misguided effort in the gym and no changes.

You probably don’t have years to make the mistakes that I did and want to skip this problem, and you just want to start getting results today.

In addition to the free resources below, we also offer 1-on-1 Online Coaching, where you’ll get personalized instruction for your body type and goals, and professional accountability from a Coach on Team Nerd Fitness!

You can schedule a free call with our team to learn more about coaching by clicking on the image below of Christina! She’s one of our coaching clients who went from 0 pull-ups to now doing sets of 10!

But enough of that, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how to get your first pull-up!

A few tips to get started

This should hopefully be obvious, but the more you weigh, the more you have to lift in order to complete a pull-up. If you’re truly serious about completing a pull-up, start by getting your diet under control. I’m a HUGE fan of the Paleo Diet, because I know it works. A few folks have already lost 10+ pounds in just over a week following the Paleo Diet in the Nerd Fitness Academy. As you start to weigh less, you’ll have less weight to pick up and move up over that bar! Got it? Good.

MAKE YOUR BACK EXERCISES A PRIORITY. A lot of people do every other exercise before doing any back-related exercises, if they do any at all.  After warming up properly, your first exercise should always be the stuff that you want to work on the most – in this case it’ll be your back.

The progression below is just a path that I’ve created, but does NOT need to be followed to a T. I give sample sets and reps and when to move up, but if you feel like you can progress sooner or want to try doing full pull-ups sooner than I recommend, that’s OKAY.  This is the slower progression method, where some people will want to do fewer reps and progress to the next levels sooner – that’s okay.

I recommend moving up to the next level when you can do 3 sets of 8 reps of a particular exercise. If you want the accelerated path, move on up as soon as you can do 3 sets of 5 reps.

Almost every exercise below has a video to show you how to do it. Click on the picture or the video below it.

If you want to know how to incorporate the progressions below into a regular training routine, you can put your email address below to download our beginner bodyweight workout! It’s a great way to get strong as you also get better at your pull-ups!

Grab Your Beginner Bodyweight Routine Worksheet. No Gym Required!

Complete this workout at home, no equipment required

Avoid the common mistakes everybody makes when doing bodyweight exercises

Learn how to finally get your first pull-up

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

Level 1: Bent Over Dumbbell Rows

Bent Over Dumbbell Row Video

We’re going to start with these, the most basic of back exercises, in case you’re starting from ABSOLUTELY square one. For these exercises, focus on lifting more and more as you get stronger.  Every OTHER day, pick up a dumbbell that you can lift for three sets of 8 repetitions with a 2-minute break between sets.  As soon as you can do 3 sets of 8 reps, it’s time to move up to a heavier dumbbell.

As soon as you can do dumbbell rows with at least a 25-pound (10kg) dumbbell or heavier, consider moving up to the next level.

If you are a little bit bigger than the average bear, you might want to stick with this step until you lose a little bit more weight and get stronger – maybe go to 35 or 40-pound (18kg) dumbbells.

Level 2: Body Weight Rows

Body Weight Rows Video

Body weight rows are the PERFECT precursor to pull-ups – they work the same muscles, just at a different angle.  You can also make adjustments. You know how I HATE HATE HATE exercise machines? Here, I wholeheartedly recommend the use of a smith machine…but ONLY for rows!  Because you can adjust the height of the bar, you can adjust how difficult the exercise is.  If you’re just getting started, put the bar very high, so you only have to lean back slightly.  If you’re stronger, you can start with a lower bar.

Here’s a whole post I did on body weight rows (also called inverted rows).

My advice:

Clench your butt and keep your abs tight and body straight throughout the exercise.  Focus your mind on PULLING with your arms.

Set the bar at a height where it’s challenging for you to complete 3 sets of 8 reps with two minutes of rest between sets.

As soon as you can complete all 3 sets of 8 reps, lower the bar!

If you need to make the exercise easier, bend your knees and put your feet flat on the ground.  You can drop your hips too to make things easier.

A sample routine that starts with your back exercises

Monday – 3 sets of 8 reps of overhand bodyweight rows

Wednesday – 3 sets of 8 reps of underhand bodyweight rows (hands reversed)

Friday – 3 sets of 8 reps of overhand bodyweight rows

(And then go underhand, overhand, underhand the following week)

As soon as you’re doing bodyweight rows where your body is at a 45-degree angle or lower, you can progress to level 3.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO A BAR FOR INVERTED ROWS: Try using your kitchen table, or move up to Level 3 and progress with caution there.

IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO A GYM OR WANT TO JOIN A GYM, I know they can be intimidating! We have multiple chapters on how to find a gym and get started using the equipment, in our free guide Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. Grab our nerdy guide when you join the Nerd Fitness Rebellion with your email in the box below:

Download our comprehensive guide STRENGTH TRAINING 101!

Everything you need to know about getting strong.

Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.

How to find the right gym and train properly in one.

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

Level 3A: Assisted Pull-Ups

Assisted Pull-ups Video

Personally, I don’t like using the assisted pull-up machine in a gym as it doesn’t give you the full feeling of a pull-up, but it’s certainly better than nothing.

Instead, I recommend doing one of these alternatives:

Assisted Pull-ups with chair – (either one foot or two depending on your needs) – your feet are ONLY there for support, use your upper body as much as possible.

Assisted Pull-ups with exercise band – (you can get different types of exercise bands with different levels of strength).  Put your foot in the exercise band and pull yourself up.

Assisted pull-ups with a partner – (have a friend hold your feet behind you and help you complete each rep).  Have your friend use the least amount of help possible to get you through your workouts.

My advice:

Clench your butt and keep your abs tight throughout the exercise – try not to swing like crazy.

Keep your shoulder blades pinched behind you throughout the movement and focus on PULLING the bar down with your arms.

Use the least amount of assistance that you can handle – as soon as you can do multiple pull-ups with both feet on the chair, switch to just one foot.

If you’re using an exercise band, try to get a few bands of varying tension so you can decrease the resistance as you get stronger.

As soon as you can do 3 sets of 8 with assistance, it’s time to move on up.

A sample level 3 routine:

Monday – Assisted Pull-ups – 3 sets of 8 reps

Wednesday – Body weight rows – 3 sets of 8 reps

Friday – Assisted Chin Ups – 3 sets of 8 reps

Level 3B: Negative Pull-Ups

Now, let’s say you don’t have a rubber band, you don’t have somebody to hold your feet, and you don’t have a chair – you ONLY have a pull-up bar. That’s okay – you can do what we call negatives. When doing a negative, you jump above the bar and try to lower yourself slowly and in control until you’re at the bottom of the movement.  This can be very dangerous if you’re very overweight, which is why I’d recommend moving slowly through steps 1-3A first.

However, once you have a decent amount of back strength, doing negatives is a great way to build arm and back strength.

You can either jump above the pull-up bar, and then begin to lower yourself back down IN CONTROL, or you can hop up on a chair to get above the bar and then lower yourself back down. Again, the name of the game is “in control.”

You don’t need to lower yourself so slowly that one repetition destroys you…lower yourself in a controlled speed – Counting to three during the movement is a good tempo.

Here’s a sample workout using everything up to this point:

Monday – Assisted Chin Ups – 3 sets of 8 repetitions

Wednesday – Body Weight Rows – 3 sets of 8 repetitions

Friday – Negative Pull-ups – 3 sets to failure – capped at 5 repetitions for each set.

For your negative pull-ups, do as many as you can (up to 5 reps) per set – jump and lower yourself in control, then jump right back up and lower yourself.  If you can do 5, wait 2 minutes and then start again.  If you can’t do 5, do as many as you can in control, wait 2 minutes and then start again.

Once you’re doing 3 sets of 5 repetitions on your negative pull-ups, along with your assisted chin-ups and body weight rows…you’re ready.

Level 4 – Chin Ups and Pull-Ups

Pull-up Video

My dear rebel, it’s time.

Depending on your weight, your level of fitness and strength, and how far along you are in these progressions, you might be able to start with more than one pull-up.

For MANY people, especially if you have spent time in the gym in the past working on your biceps (like most guys do), you might find it easier to start with chin ups (with your palms facing toward you) for your first exercise before trying pull-ups (with your palms facing away from you).

I’ve already covered how to do a pull-up/chin-up in another article, so I won’t get into it too much here…just focus on these things:

Pull your shoulder blades back as you’re going through the movement, and focus on pulling the bar down.

Again, keep your butt clenched and your abs tight throughout the movement.

Get your chin above the bar, or it doesn’t count as a full rep.

Do whatever you need to get through the full rep.

If you can only do one rep, try to do at least 3 sets of one rep…after your three sets, add in some negatives to exhaust the muscle.

At this point, here’s a Level 4 routine set up for a week:

Monday – Chin ups – 3 sets for maximums repetitions

Wednesday – Inverted Rows – 3 sets for max repetitions

Friday – Pull-ups – 3 sets for maximum repetitions

Level 5 – Next steps

Once you’re able to do 3 sets of 10 pull-ups or chin-ups, you have a few options:

Continue to get better at doing more reps – 3 sets of 12, 3 sets of 15, 3 sets of 20, etc.

Start doing other types of pull-ups – like wide grip pull-ups (grab the bar WAY out with both hands), side to side pull-ups, uneven pull-ups, etc.

Add weight and do weighted pull-ups or weighted chin-ups.

Personally, my favorite thing to do in a gym is weighted pull-ups; if you’re at this level and interested in doing so, here’s what you need to do:

Get a weight belt. I bought this one  on Amazon and it’s worked out incredibly well for me.  I’ve tried doing the whole “put weights in a backpack” and it certainly works, but the angle of the weights hanging off your back is weird.  With a weight belt, the weight hangs down between your legs (not a euphemism) so it feels more natural.

Add small amounts at a time. Most gyms will have 2.5 lb (roughly 1kg) weights; you might feel stupid putting on a big weight belt and only hanging a tiny weight off it, but you need to start somewhere.

Consistently add more weight. I’ll warm up with two sets of 5 pull-ups with no extra weight, and then do 3 sets of 5 weighted pull-ups.  If I can complete all 3 sets of 5 reps (with my chin over the bar for every rep), I’ll make a note to add 2.5 or 5lbs (1 or 2kg) to my weight belt for the next time.

So, here’s an advanced sample routine for back exercises:

Monday – Weighted Chin Ups – 3 sets of 5 reps

Wednesday – Elevated Feet Body Weight Rows – 3 sets of max repetitions

Friday – Wide Grip Pull-ups – 3 sets of maximum repetition

(The following week, I’d alternate by doing the chin ups without weight, and then doing weighted pull-ups

Don’t Make These Pull-up Mistakes!

My work here is done – it’s now up to you to take care of business.

As you start to get stronger with your pull-ups, it’s important to check in and make sure you’re doing them correctly. 90% of people I see doing pull-ups in a gym are doing them incorrectly!

Here are the 5 big mistakes people make when doing a pull-up:

I want this for you so badly, because in my head there’s no greater exercise than a pull-up. It makes you feel like a badass, you get super strong, and it’s an amazing benchmark and milestone on the path to a leveled up life!

Just ask Christina, who can now do multiple sets of pull-ups – her story is incredible:

Or Bronwyn, who lost 50+ lbs and now does chin-ups with her daughter on her back!

I know you might be overwhelmed right now, and you might be worried you’re gonna spend months without getting results.

Although that happens for many, it’s because they don’t have the right plan (or nutrition) in place!

You can absolutely do this on your own and follow the program above, but if you’re looking for more specific guidance or you want to avoid the guesswork and be told exactly what to do on what days to get to a pull-up on schedule, check out our coaching program!

We’ve helped tons of men and women get their first pull-ups with our 1-on-1 Online coaching program, where our coaches build a program that incorporates pull-ups and fits your busy life!

You can schedule a free call with..

https://ift.tt/2oCDzq1

[johnclapperne]

Can’t Do a Pull-up Yet? Here’s How to Get it Done

Pull-ups are my favorite exercise of all time.

They work all of the “pull” muscles in your body – your back, biceps, forearms.

They are indicative of your level of fitness – anybody that can do a pull-up is in pretty good shape.

And anybody that can do 10 or more is clearly in great shape.

Lastly, pull-ups make you feel like a badass after doing them.

However, pull-ups are also hard as hell, especially if you’re just getting started. Unlike other exercises that can be completed with just your body weight (like squats, lunges, and push ups), pull-ups and other exercises that strengthen your pull muscles require at least one piece of equipment or something to hang from!

On top of all of that, if you can’t do one yet, how the heck are you supposed to work on them to get better?

I’ve recently received thousands of emails from fellow rebels who are working towards their first pull-up but aren’t there quite yet.

Whether you’re 300 pounds overweight and can’t even look at a pull-up bar without freaking out, or you’re half an inch away from finally being able to do your first pull-up, this article is for you – sorry it took so long for me to write!

Pull-ups are quite the intimidating exercise, but like Optimus Prime has taught us, we can make small changes and improvements over time that will result in the ultimate goal:

One. Freaking. Pull-up. 

It will take a combination of two things to get your chin up over that bar:

Decreasing body fat so you have less weight to pick up!

Increasing strength to pick up your bodyweight and move above the bar!

I realize doing those two things is much easier said than done.

What most people don’t realize is that they spend too much time on the strength part, not realizing that decreasing their body weight is as important and impactful (if not more so!).

Which is why most people never get to do a pull-up!

After all, there’s nothing more frustrating than putting in the effort for months (or years) and not seeing results and getting demoralized. And unfortunately, this is what I see from most people: Lots of well-intentioned but misguided effort in the gym and no changes.

You probably don’t have years to make the mistakes that I did and want to skip this problem, and you just want to start getting results today.

In addition to the free resources below, we also offer 1-on-1 Online Coaching, where you’ll get personalized instruction for your body type and goals, and professional accountability from a Coach on Team Nerd Fitness!

You can schedule a free call with our team to learn more about coaching by clicking on the image below of Christina! She’s one of our coaching clients who went from 0 pull-ups to now doing sets of 10!

But enough of that, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how to get your first pull-up!

A few tips to get started

This should hopefully be obvious, but the more you weigh, the more you have to lift in order to complete a pull-up. If you’re truly serious about completing a pull-up, start by getting your diet under control. I’m a HUGE fan of the Paleo Diet, because I know it works. A few folks have already lost 10+ pounds in just over a week following the Paleo Diet in the Nerd Fitness Academy. As you start to weigh less, you’ll have less weight to pick up and move up over that bar! Got it? Good.

MAKE YOUR BACK EXERCISES A PRIORITY. A lot of people do every other exercise before doing any back-related exercises, if they do any at all.  After warming up properly, your first exercise should always be the stuff that you want to work on the most – in this case it’ll be your back.

The progression below is just a path that I’ve created, but does NOT need to be followed to a T. I give sample sets and reps and when to move up, but if you feel like you can progress sooner or want to try doing full pull-ups sooner than I recommend, that’s OKAY.  This is the slower progression method, where some people will want to do fewer reps and progress to the next levels sooner – that’s okay.

I recommend moving up to the next level when you can do 3 sets of 8 reps of a particular exercise. If you want the accelerated path, move on up as soon as you can do 3 sets of 5 reps.

Almost every exercise below has a video to show you how to do it. Click on the picture or the video below it.

If you want to know how to incorporate the progressions below into a regular training routine, you can put your email address below to download our beginner bodyweight workout! It’s a great way to get strong as you also get better at your pull-ups!

Grab Your Beginner Bodyweight Routine Worksheet. No Gym Required!

Complete this workout at home, no equipment required

Avoid the common mistakes everybody makes when doing bodyweight exercises

Learn how to finally get your first pull-up

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

Level 1: Bent Over Dumbbell Rows

Bent Over Dumbbell Row Video

We’re going to start with these, the most basic of back exercises, in case you’re starting from ABSOLUTELY square one. For these exercises, focus on lifting more and more as you get stronger.  Every OTHER day, pick up a dumbbell that you can lift for three sets of 8 repetitions with a 2-minute break between sets.  As soon as you can do 3 sets of 8 reps, it’s time to move up to a heavier dumbbell.

As soon as you can do dumbbell rows with at least a 25-pound (10kg) dumbbell or heavier, consider moving up to the next level.

If you are a little bit bigger than the average bear, you might want to stick with this step until you lose a little bit more weight and get stronger – maybe go to 35 or 40-pound (18kg) dumbbells.

Level 2: Body Weight Rows

Body Weight Rows Video

Body weight rows are the PERFECT precursor to pull-ups – they work the same muscles, just at a different angle.  You can also make adjustments. You know how I HATE HATE HATE exercise machines? Here, I wholeheartedly recommend the use of a smith machine…but ONLY for rows!  Because you can adjust the height of the bar, you can adjust how difficult the exercise is.  If you’re just getting started, put the bar very high, so you only have to lean back slightly.  If you’re stronger, you can start with a lower bar.

Here’s a whole post I did on body weight rows (also called inverted rows).

My advice:

Clench your butt and keep your abs tight and body straight throughout the exercise.  Focus your mind on PULLING with your arms.

Set the bar at a height where it’s challenging for you to complete 3 sets of 8 reps with two minutes of rest between sets.

As soon as you can complete all 3 sets of 8 reps, lower the bar!

If you need to make the exercise easier, bend your knees and put your feet flat on the ground.  You can drop your hips too to make things easier.

A sample routine that starts with your back exercises

Monday – 3 sets of 8 reps of overhand bodyweight rows

Wednesday – 3 sets of 8 reps of underhand bodyweight rows (hands reversed)

Friday – 3 sets of 8 reps of overhand bodyweight rows

(And then go underhand, overhand, underhand the following week)

As soon as you’re doing bodyweight rows where your body is at a 45-degree angle or lower, you can progress to level 3.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO A BAR FOR INVERTED ROWS: Try using your kitchen table, or move up to Level 3 and progress with caution there.

IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO A GYM OR WANT TO JOIN A GYM, I know they can be intimidating! We have multiple chapters on how to find a gym and get started using the equipment, in our free guide Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. Grab our nerdy guide when you join the Nerd Fitness Rebellion with your email in the box below:

Download our comprehensive guide STRENGTH TRAINING 101!

Everything you need to know about getting strong.

Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.

How to find the right gym and train properly in one.

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

Level 3A: Assisted Pull-Ups

Assisted Pull-ups Video

Personally, I don’t like using the assisted pull-up machine in a gym as it doesn’t give you the full feeling of a pull-up, but it’s certainly better than nothing.

Instead, I recommend doing one of these alternatives:

Assisted Pull-ups with chair – (either one foot or two depending on your needs) – your feet are ONLY there for support, use your upper body as much as possible.

Assisted Pull-ups with exercise band – (you can get different types of exercise bands with different levels of strength).  Put your foot in the exercise band and pull yourself up.

Assisted pull-ups with a partner – (have a friend hold your feet behind you and help you complete each rep).  Have your friend use the least amount of help possible to get you through your workouts.

My advice:

Clench your butt and keep your abs tight throughout the exercise – try not to swing like crazy.

Keep your shoulder blades pinched behind you throughout the movement and focus on PULLING the bar down with your arms.

Use the least amount of assistance that you can handle – as soon as you can do multiple pull-ups with both feet on the chair, switch to just one foot.

If you’re using an exercise band, try to get a few bands of varying tension so you can decrease the resistance as you get stronger.

As soon as you can do 3 sets of 8 with assistance, it’s time to move on up.

A sample level 3 routine:

Monday – Assisted Pull-ups – 3 sets of 8 reps

Wednesday – Body weight rows – 3 sets of 8 reps

Friday – Assisted Chin Ups – 3 sets of 8 reps

Level 3B: Negative Pull-Ups

Now, let’s say you don’t have a rubber band, you don’t have somebody to hold your feet, and you don’t have a chair – you ONLY have a pull-up bar. That’s okay – you can do what we call negatives. When doing a negative, you jump above the bar and try to lower yourself slowly and in control until you’re at the bottom of the movement.  This can be very dangerous if you’re very overweight, which is why I’d recommend moving slowly through steps 1-3A first.

However, once you have a decent amount of back strength, doing negatives is a great way to build arm and back strength.

You can either jump above the pull-up bar, and then begin to lower yourself back down IN CONTROL, or you can hop up on a chair to get above the bar and then lower yourself back down. Again, the name of the game is “in control.”

You don’t need to lower yourself so slowly that one repetition destroys you…lower yourself in a controlled speed – Counting to three during the movement is a good tempo.

Here’s a sample workout using everything up to this point:

Monday – Assisted Chin Ups – 3 sets of 8 repetitions

Wednesday – Body Weight Rows – 3 sets of 8 repetitions

Friday – Negative Pull-ups – 3 sets to failure – capped at 5 repetitions for each set.

For your negative pull-ups, do as many as you can (up to 5 reps) per set – jump and lower yourself in control, then jump right back up and lower yourself.  If you can do 5, wait 2 minutes and then start again.  If you can’t do 5, do as many as you can in control, wait 2 minutes and then start again.

Once you’re doing 3 sets of 5 repetitions on your negative pull-ups, along with your assisted chin-ups and body weight rows…you’re ready.

Level 4 – Chin Ups and Pull-Ups

Pull-up Video

My dear rebel, it’s time.

Depending on your weight, your level of fitness and strength, and how far along you are in these progressions, you might be able to start with more than one pull-up.

For MANY people, especially if you have spent time in the gym in the past working on your biceps (like most guys do), you might find it easier to start with chin ups (with your palms facing toward you) for your first exercise before trying pull-ups (with your palms facing away from you).

I’ve already covered how to do a pull-up/chin-up in another article, so I won’t get into it too much here…just focus on these things:

Pull your shoulder blades back as you’re going through the movement, and focus on pulling the bar down.

Again, keep your butt clenched and your abs tight throughout the movement.

Get your chin above the bar, or it doesn’t count as a full rep.

Do whatever you need to get through the full rep.

If you can only do one rep, try to do at least 3 sets of one rep…after your three sets, add in some negatives to exhaust the muscle.

At this point, here’s a Level 4 routine set up for a week:

Monday – Chin ups – 3 sets for maximums repetitions

Wednesday – Inverted Rows – 3 sets for max repetitions

Friday – Pull-ups – 3 sets for maximum repetitions

Level 5 – Next steps

Once you’re able to do 3 sets of 10 pull-ups or chin-ups, you have a few options:

Continue to get better at doing more reps – 3 sets of 12, 3 sets of 15, 3 sets of 20, etc.

Start doing other types of pull-ups – like wide grip pull-ups (grab the bar WAY out with both hands), side to side pull-ups, uneven pull-ups, etc.

Add weight and do weighted pull-ups or weighted chin-ups.

Personally, my favorite thing to do in a gym is weighted pull-ups; if you’re at this level and interested in doing so, here’s what you need to do:

Get a weight belt. I bought this one  on Amazon and it’s worked out incredibly well for me.  I’ve tried doing the whole “put weights in a backpack” and it certainly works, but the angle of the weights hanging off your back is weird.  With a weight belt, the weight hangs down between your legs (not a euphemism) so it feels more natural.

Add small amounts at a time. Most gyms will have 2.5 lb (roughly 1kg) weights; you might feel stupid putting on a big weight belt and only hanging a tiny weight off it, but you need to start somewhere.

Consistently add more weight. I’ll warm up with two sets of 5 pull-ups with no extra weight, and then do 3 sets of 5 weighted pull-ups.  If I can complete all 3 sets of 5 reps (with my chin over the bar for every rep), I’ll make a note to add 2.5 or 5lbs (1 or 2kg) to my weight belt for the next time.

So, here’s an advanced sample routine for back exercises:

Monday – Weighted Chin Ups – 3 sets of 5 reps

Wednesday – Elevated Feet Body Weight Rows – 3 sets of max repetitions

Friday – Wide Grip Pull-ups – 3 sets of maximum repetition

(The following week, I’d alternate by doing the chin ups without weight, and then doing weighted pull-ups

Don’t Make These Pull-up Mistakes!

My work here is done – it’s now up to you to take care of business.

As you start to get stronger with your pull-ups, it’s important to check in and make sure you’re doing them correctly. 90% of people I see doing pull-ups in a gym are doing them incorrectly!

Here are the 5 big mistakes people make when doing a pull-up:

I want this for you so badly, because in my head there’s no greater exercise than a pull-up. It makes you feel like a badass, you get super strong, and it’s an amazing benchmark and milestone on the path to a leveled up life!

Just ask Christina, who can now do multiple sets of pull-ups – her story is incredible:

Or Bronwyn, who lost 50+ lbs and now does chin-ups with her daughter on her back!

I know you might be overwhelmed right now, and you might be worried you’re gonna spend months without getting results.

Although that happens for many, it’s because they don’t have the right plan (or nutrition) in place!

You can absolutely do this on your own and follow the program above, but if you’re looking for more specific guidance or you want to avoid the guesswork and be told exactly what to do on what days to get to a pull-up on schedule, check out our coaching program!

We’ve helped tons of men and women get their first pull-ups with our 1-on-1 Online coaching program, where our coaches build a program that incorporates pull-ups and fits your busy life!

You can schedule a free call with..

https://ift.tt/2oCDzq1

[almajonesnjna]

Can’t Do a Pull-up Yet? Here’s How to Get it Done

Pull-ups are my favorite exercise of all time.

They work all of the “pull” muscles in your body – your back, biceps, forearms.

They are indicative of your level of fitness – anybody that can do a pull-up is in pretty good shape.

And anybody that can do 10 or more is clearly in great shape.

Lastly, pull-ups make you feel like a badass after doing them.

However, pull-ups are also hard as hell, especially if you’re just getting started. Unlike other exercises that can be completed with just your body weight (like squats, lunges, and push ups), pull-ups and other exercises that strengthen your pull muscles require at least one piece of equipment or something to hang from!

On top of all of that, if you can’t do one yet, how the heck are you supposed to work on them to get better?

I’ve recently received thousands of emails from fellow rebels who are working towards their first pull-up but aren’t there quite yet.

Whether you’re 300 pounds overweight and can’t even look at a pull-up bar without freaking out, or you’re half an inch away from finally being able to do your first pull-up, this article is for you – sorry it took so long for me to write!

Pull-ups are quite the intimidating exercise, but like Optimus Prime has taught us, we can make small changes and improvements over time that will result in the ultimate goal:

One. Freaking. Pull-up. 

It will take a combination of two things to get your chin up over that bar:

Decreasing body fat so you have less weight to pick up!

Increasing strength to pick up your bodyweight and move above the bar!

I realize doing those two things is much easier said than done.

What most people don’t realize is that they spend too much time on the strength part, not realizing that decreasing their body weight is as important and impactful (if not more so!).

Which is why most people never get to do a pull-up!

After all, there’s nothing more frustrating than putting in the effort for months (or years) and not seeing results and getting demoralized. And unfortunately, this is what I see from most people: Lots of well-intentioned but misguided effort in the gym and no changes.

You probably don’t have years to make the mistakes that I did and want to skip this problem, and you just want to start getting results today.

In addition to the free resources below, we also offer 1-on-1 Online Coaching, where you’ll get personalized instruction for your body type and goals, and professional accountability from a Coach on Team Nerd Fitness!

You can schedule a free call with our team to learn more about coaching by clicking on the image below of Christina! She’s one of our coaching clients who went from 0 pull-ups to now doing sets of 10!

But enough of that, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how to get your first pull-up!

A few tips to get started

This should hopefully be obvious, but the more you weigh, the more you have to lift in order to complete a pull-up. If you’re truly serious about completing a pull-up, start by getting your diet under control. I’m a HUGE fan of the Paleo Diet, because I know it works. A few folks have already lost 10+ pounds in just over a week following the Paleo Diet in the Nerd Fitness Academy. As you start to weigh less, you’ll have less weight to pick up and move up over that bar! Got it? Good.

MAKE YOUR BACK EXERCISES A PRIORITY. A lot of people do every other exercise before doing any back-related exercises, if they do any at all.  After warming up properly, your first exercise should always be the stuff that you want to work on the most – in this case it’ll be your back.

The progression below is just a path that I’ve created, but does NOT need to be followed to a T. I give sample sets and reps and when to move up, but if you feel like you can progress sooner or want to try doing full pull-ups sooner than I recommend, that’s OKAY.  This is the slower progression method, where some people will want to do fewer reps and progress to the next levels sooner – that’s okay.

I recommend moving up to the next level when you can do 3 sets of 8 reps of a particular exercise. If you want the accelerated path, move on up as soon as you can do 3 sets of 5 reps.

Almost every exercise below has a video to show you how to do it. Click on the picture or the video below it.

If you want to know how to incorporate the progressions below into a regular training routine, you can put your email address below to download our beginner bodyweight workout! It’s a great way to get strong as you also get better at your pull-ups!

Grab Your Beginner Bodyweight Routine Worksheet. No Gym Required!

Complete this workout at home, no equipment required

Avoid the common mistakes everybody makes when doing bodyweight exercises

Learn how to finally get your first pull-up

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

Level 1: Bent Over Dumbbell Rows

Bent Over Dumbbell Row Video

We’re going to start with these, the most basic of back exercises, in case you’re starting from ABSOLUTELY square one. For these exercises, focus on lifting more and more as you get stronger.  Every OTHER day, pick up a dumbbell that you can lift for three sets of 8 repetitions with a 2-minute break between sets.  As soon as you can do 3 sets of 8 reps, it’s time to move up to a heavier dumbbell.

As soon as you can do dumbbell rows with at least a 25-pound (10kg) dumbbell or heavier, consider moving up to the next level.

If you are a little bit bigger than the average bear, you might want to stick with this step until you lose a little bit more weight and get stronger – maybe go to 35 or 40-pound (18kg) dumbbells.

Level 2: Body Weight Rows

Body Weight Rows Video

Body weight rows are the PERFECT precursor to pull-ups – they work the same muscles, just at a different angle.  You can also make adjustments. You know how I HATE HATE HATE exercise machines? Here, I wholeheartedly recommend the use of a smith machine…but ONLY for rows!  Because you can adjust the height of the bar, you can adjust how difficult the exercise is.  If you’re just getting started, put the bar very high, so you only have to lean back slightly.  If you’re stronger, you can start with a lower bar.

Here’s a whole post I did on body weight rows (also called inverted rows).

My advice:

Clench your butt and keep your abs tight and body straight throughout the exercise.  Focus your mind on PULLING with your arms.

Set the bar at a height where it’s challenging for you to complete 3 sets of 8 reps with two minutes of rest between sets.

As soon as you can complete all 3 sets of 8 reps, lower the bar!

If you need to make the exercise easier, bend your knees and put your feet flat on the ground.  You can drop your hips too to make things easier.

A sample routine that starts with your back exercises

Monday – 3 sets of 8 reps of overhand bodyweight rows

Wednesday – 3 sets of 8 reps of underhand bodyweight rows (hands reversed)

Friday – 3 sets of 8 reps of overhand bodyweight rows

(And then go underhand, overhand, underhand the following week)

As soon as you’re doing bodyweight rows where your body is at a 45-degree angle or lower, you can progress to level 3.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO A BAR FOR INVERTED ROWS: Try using your kitchen table, or move up to Level 3 and progress with caution there.

IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO A GYM OR WANT TO JOIN A GYM, I know they can be intimidating! We have multiple chapters on how to find a gym and get started using the equipment, in our free guide Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. Grab our nerdy guide when you join the Nerd Fitness Rebellion with your email in the box below:

Download our comprehensive guide STRENGTH TRAINING 101!

Everything you need to know about getting strong.

Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.

How to find the right gym and train properly in one.

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

Level 3A: Assisted Pull-Ups

Assisted Pull-ups Video

Personally, I don’t like using the assisted pull-up machine in a gym as it doesn’t give you the full feeling of a pull-up, but it’s certainly better than nothing.

Instead, I recommend doing one of these alternatives:

Assisted Pull-ups with chair – (either one foot or two depending on your needs) – your feet are ONLY there for support, use your upper body as much as possible.

Assisted Pull-ups with exercise band – (you can get different types of exercise bands with different levels of strength).  Put your foot in the exercise band and pull yourself up.

Assisted pull-ups with a partner – (have a friend hold your feet behind you and help you complete each rep).  Have your friend use the least amount of help possible to get you through your workouts.

My advice:

Clench your butt and keep your abs tight throughout the exercise – try not to swing like crazy.

Keep your shoulder blades pinched behind you throughout the movement and focus on PULLING the bar down with your arms.

Use the least amount of assistance that you can handle – as soon as you can do multiple pull-ups with both feet on the chair, switch to just one foot.

If you’re using an exercise band, try to get a few bands of varying tension so you can decrease the resistance as you get stronger.

As soon as you can do 3 sets of 8 with assistance, it’s time to move on up.

A sample level 3 routine:

Monday – Assisted Pull-ups – 3 sets of 8 reps

Wednesday – Body weight rows – 3 sets of 8 reps

Friday – Assisted Chin Ups – 3 sets of 8 reps

Level 3B: Negative Pull-Ups

Now, let’s say you don’t have a rubber band, you don’t have somebody to hold your feet, and you don’t have a chair – you ONLY have a pull-up bar. That’s okay – you can do what we call negatives. When doing a negative, you jump above the bar and try to lower yourself slowly and in control until you’re at the bottom of the movement.  This can be very dangerous if you’re very overweight, which is why I’d recommend moving slowly through steps 1-3A first.

However, once you have a decent amount of back strength, doing negatives is a great way to build arm and back strength.

You can either jump above the pull-up bar, and then begin to lower yourself back down IN CONTROL, or you can hop up on a chair to get above the bar and then lower yourself back down. Again, the name of the game is “in control.”

You don’t need to lower yourself so slowly that one repetition destroys you…lower yourself in a controlled speed – Counting to three during the movement is a good tempo.

Here’s a sample workout using everything up to this point:

Monday – Assisted Chin Ups – 3 sets of 8 repetitions

Wednesday – Body Weight Rows – 3 sets of 8 repetitions

Friday – Negative Pull-ups – 3 sets to failure – capped at 5 repetitions for each set.

For your negative pull-ups, do as many as you can (up to 5 reps) per set – jump and lower yourself in control, then jump right back up and lower yourself.  If you can do 5, wait 2 minutes and then start again.  If you can’t do 5, do as many as you can in control, wait 2 minutes and then start again.

Once you’re doing 3 sets of 5 repetitions on your negative pull-ups, along with your assisted chin-ups and body weight rows…you’re ready.

Level 4 – Chin Ups and Pull-Ups

Pull-up Video

My dear rebel, it’s time.

Depending on your weight, your level of fitness and strength, and how far along you are in these progressions, you might be able to start with more than one pull-up.

For MANY people, especially if you have spent time in the gym in the past working on your biceps (like most guys do), you might find it easier to start with chin ups (with your palms facing toward you) for your first exercise before trying pull-ups (with your palms facing away from you).

I’ve already covered how to do a pull-up/chin-up in another article, so I won’t get into it too much here…just focus on these things:

Pull your shoulder blades back as you’re going through the movement, and focus on pulling the bar down.

Again, keep your butt clenched and your abs tight throughout the movement.

Get your chin above the bar, or it doesn’t count as a full rep.

Do whatever you need to get through the full rep.

If you can only do one rep, try to do at least 3 sets of one rep…after your three sets, add in some negatives to exhaust the muscle.

At this point, here’s a Level 4 routine set up for a week:

Monday – Chin ups – 3 sets for maximums repetitions

Wednesday – Inverted Rows – 3 sets for max repetitions

Friday – Pull-ups – 3 sets for maximum repetitions

Level 5 – Next steps

Once you’re able to do 3 sets of 10 pull-ups or chin-ups, you have a few options:

Continue to get better at doing more reps – 3 sets of 12, 3 sets of 15, 3 sets of 20, etc.

Start doing other types of pull-ups – like wide grip pull-ups (grab the bar WAY out with both hands), side to side pull-ups, uneven pull-ups, etc.

Add weight and do weighted pull-ups or weighted chin-ups.

Personally, my favorite thing to do in a gym is weighted pull-ups; if you’re at this level and interested in doing so, here’s what you need to do:

Get a weight belt. I bought this one  on Amazon and it’s worked out incredibly well for me.  I’ve tried doing the whole “put weights in a backpack” and it certainly works, but the angle of the weights hanging off your back is weird.  With a weight belt, the weight hangs down between your legs (not a euphemism) so it feels more natural.

Add small amounts at a time. Most gyms will have 2.5 lb (roughly 1kg) weights; you might feel stupid putting on a big weight belt and only hanging a tiny weight off it, but you need to start somewhere.

Consistently add more weight. I’ll warm up with two sets of 5 pull-ups with no extra weight, and then do 3 sets of 5 weighted pull-ups.  If I can complete all 3 sets of 5 reps (with my chin over the bar for every rep), I’ll make a note to add 2.5 or 5lbs (1 or 2kg) to my weight belt for the next time.

So, here’s an advanced sample routine for back exercises:

Monday – Weighted Chin Ups – 3 sets of 5 reps

Wednesday – Elevated Feet Body Weight Rows – 3 sets of max repetitions

Friday – Wide Grip Pull-ups – 3 sets of maximum repetition

(The following week, I’d alternate by doing the chin ups without weight, and then doing weighted pull-ups

Don’t Make These Pull-up Mistakes!

My work here is done – it’s now up to you to take care of business.

As you start to get stronger with your pull-ups, it’s important to check in and make sure you’re doing them correctly. 90% of people I see doing pull-ups in a gym are doing them incorrectly!

Here are the 5 big mistakes people make when doing a pull-up:

I want this for you so badly, because in my head there’s no greater exercise than a pull-up. It makes you feel like a badass, you get super strong, and it’s an amazing benchmark and milestone on the path to a leveled up life!

Just ask Christina, who can now do multiple sets of pull-ups – her story is incredible:

Or Bronwyn, who lost 50+ lbs and now does chin-ups with her daughter on her back!

I know you might be overwhelmed right now, and you might be worried you’re gonna spend months without getting results.

Although that happens for many, it’s because they don’t have the right plan (or nutrition) in place!

You can absolutely do this on your own and follow the program above, but if you’re looking for more specific guidance or you want to avoid the guesswork and be told exactly what to do on what days to get to a pull-up on schedule, check out our coaching program!

We’ve helped tons of men and women get their first pull-ups with our 1-on-1 Online coaching program, where our coaches build a program that incorporates pull-ups and fits your busy life!

You can schedule a free call with..

https://ift.tt/2oCDzq1

[homegymguidelines-blog]

Which equipment you should bye for your home gym?

Want to get fit but do not have access to a gym? Here is the solution. There are countless gym equipments that you can own at your home and use at your own convenience.

Here are 20 such home gym equipments for any person who believes in smart work outs.

1. Cosco CTM-510 Multi-Functional Treadmill:

Running on a treadmill is a great workout and when you have a treadmill that functions in multiple ways, the benefits are bound to increase. This one offers a push up bar, twister, jogger, as well as stepper. With a roller deck and three level manually adjustable incline, this wide-surfaced treadmill is a great way to kick off your fitness mode.

2. Cosco Exercise Bike – CEB – 609 C:

This exercise bike from Cosco is a marvelous addition to your intense cardiovascular workouts. This is a multifunctional bike that comes with comfortable handles, adjustable seat, 470 mm flywheel, and elliptical cycle. The meter allows you to keep track of your pace, duration, calories burnt, and distance you have to cycle.

3. Domyos Dumbbell Set:

These are dumbbells but there are three factors that makes it special – this whole set is convenient, easy to use, and versatile. Plus, you do not need any special trainer to train you to use this. This comes with two 2 kg bars, eight 1kg plates, and four half kilogram plates – making it to a total of 14 kg. A completely adjustable set, it can be used to stretch, strengthen, and tone your chest, back, laterals, shoulder, biceps, triceps, thighs, and core.

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4. Adidas Kettlebells:

Kettlebells are multifunctional gym equipments. They are excellent additions to your cardiovascular as well as strength training workout sessions. Along with improving the flexibility of your body, these home fitness equipments help you in toning your arms, thighs, as well as core. Manufacture from cast-clipped neoprene, these Adidas equipments come with ergonomically shaped handles that helps you in exercising in a more effective and efficient way. Adidas Kettlebells are an ideal addition to your exercising equipment and allow strengthening different muscles with a wide range of exercises. You can pick from 4 kg and 8 kg kettlebells to meet your fitness goals.

5. Co-Fit Anti-Burst Gym Ball:

Gym ball or exercise ball, as it is called more commonly, is a multifunctional fitness equipment that you can use at your convenience. And the good news is that you don’t need a trainer while exercising with this ball. Be it the crunches or push-ups, this Co-Fit home gym equipment is the right choice. This ball offers you a chance to strengthen and tone your legs, arms, chest, and abdomen by using it in innovative ways. Choose from the assorted range of colors available according to the one of your choice.

6. Magic Home Gym Super Bench:

4 workouts in one bench – that is what this is. It comes with a leg curl, shoulder press, abs board, and bench press. In simple words, it is one tool that gives you a whole body workout. Plus, it comes with a DVD that comprises 15-plus high intensity workout ideas. A very safe at-home gym option, it is just two square feet long. Add weight plates to the bench and it becomes your favorite platform for strength training too.

7. Magic Home Gym AB Blaster:

Stimulate, strengthen, and tone your abs by trying out assorted abdominal exercises with this AB Blaster. It can easily be adjusted to perform six various high impact workout poses. The foldable footprint of this equipment is hardly 2 square feet. It has wheeled pods that enables mobility of the equipment as per your requirement. The thick cushion lining the rollers and abs board offer you added comfort, enabling you to work out in a better way.

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8. Aquafit AQ 15 Special Home Gym With 15 Exercises:

This is a 100 pound stack gym from AquaFit that comes with a set of 15 pre-designed exercises. A multifunctional home friendly equipment, it is kind of one-stop solution for all the fitness needs. Be it the bench press or leg extension, a lateral pull down or arm curl, this machine offers them all. To be precise, it is a must own home gym equipment for any fitness freak.

9. Body Sculpture 5 Spring Chest Pull:

Sculpt your upper back, shoulders, and arms while toning and strengthening them up with this chest pull from Body Sculpture. As the name suggests, this home exercise equipment comes with five springs that can be adjusted to meet your upper body fitness requirements. It helps in toning, shaping, and firming your hips, butts, back, abs, as well as arms. And, it weighs just 12.5 kilos. Quite a good deal for its price!

10. Body Sculpture Neoprene Ankle Weight:

Ankle weights are ideal for those who wish to add power to their workouts while burning more calories. A versatile home fitness equipment, it can be used with all your exercise routines. It is a home equipment that you can use to add resistance while performing your favorite abs toning workout. Soft and comfortable, these are easy to wear. Available as pairs, each of these weighs 1 kg and is available in two sizes.

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11. Lonsdale Crawling Machine – LD 528:

This one is a for fitness freak who loves challenges in his/her workout sessions. A multifunctional equipment, it is a safe at home gym device that offers you a combo of cardiovascular and strength workout. A horizontal equipment, its innovative design and flexibility that delivers a whole body workout is sure to get you hooked to fitness.

12. Adidas Skip Rope Set:

Every gym has a skipping rope and this one from Adidas is a good addition to your cardio equipments. This set has two ropes, each 275 cm long. You can use interchange them as per your requirement. What makes this rope more attractive is its provision for adding weights. Yes, you can add 50 grams and 100 grams weight on either side, transforming this simple cardio workout into a high impact cardio-cum-strength exercise.

13. Body Sculpture Resistance Body Trimmer:

You do not have to indulge in long durations of workouts to trim your body. Available in two different sizes, this flexible resistance body trimmer can be adjusted to meet your requirements. Tone and strengthen your chest, arms, and upper abs with this convenient fitness device. Using it judiciously over a period of time is sure to bestow you with a fit, well-trimmed, and toned body. Plus, it can be used anywhere according to your convenience and you can even carry it with you during your travel.

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14. Cosco Small Aerobic Stepper:

Stepper is a good companion if you want to tone your thighs. This Cosco device comes with a non-skid surface, ensuring balance and stability during your entire workout regimen. The height is adjustable as per your requirements. Give your aerobic routine or cardio workout a boost by including this stepper to own a stronger and toned thighs, calf muscles, and hamstrings. This home fitness equipment also helps in burning more calories, thus ensure your transformation from flab to fab in a fluid and interesting way.

15. Domyos Toni’fit Full Body Exerciser:

The name says it all. This home exerciser from Domyos helps in strengthening and toning the entire body muscles. Be it your arms, shoulders, back, pecs, or glutes, you can rely on this. Available in red, black, and brown shades, it is versatile enough to be used by men and women alike as it weighs just 2.7 kg. You have the flexibility to perform more than 10 exercise with this fitness device.

16. Adidas Fitness Mat:

Wondering how a mat made its way into gym equipments? I will tell you the reason. A fitness mat is multifunctional. Along with helping you do floor exercises, a fitness mat enables acts a cushion while you sit on your knees and workout. This particular one from Adidas has a thickness of about 0.8 cm and helps in maintain the balance even while standing and working out. The extra padding on this mat gives you added comfort, at the same time shielding your body parts from sustaining injuries while stretching or working out. Pay the price for the brand name!

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17. Body Sculpture Digital Magnetic Figure Twister:

This Digital Magnetic Figure Twister from Body Sculpture is an easy to use home gym equipment. Along with bestowing you with a slimmer thighs, hips, and waist, it helps you lose the excess flab by improving your circulation levels and thwarting excess fat. It has a LCD monitor that allows you to keep track of the duration and calories you have burnt while working out this machine. It comes with elevated acupuncture heads that helps in easing pain.

18. Co-Fit Ab Roller (With Handle):

Want to turn heads with a toned, well-trimmed body and that too without hitting the gym? The answer is the Ab Roller from Co-Fit. A great workout device to sculpt your abs and chest, it can be used anywhere as per your convenience. The handles of the roller renders that added grip allowing you to complete your regimen in a more efficient way. It is easy to carry and easy to store.

19. Harbinger Ab Straps Deluxe (pair):

The washboard abs of heroines are really tempting, but with these abs straps from Harbinger in your hands, you can also be the proud owner of such luscious tummy. An exercise equipment for home that serves men and women equally, it helps in toning the abs while strengthening it. You can even add various weights to this strap to intensify your workouts. A high intensity workout will result in better flexing of the abs muscles, at the same time improving the resistance of the entire body. You can now put your worries about your sagging tummy at rest. Just buy these straps and use them meticulously. The results will be visible in a few days. While these are priced slightly high, the results they gift you are worth the money spent.

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20. SKLZ Quick Ladder Pro:

Improve your agility at the ease of your home with this Quick Ladder Pro from SKLZ. This is a trainer which will help in improving the coordination of your body movements while keeping track of the rhythm and balance of your workout. A great home device for the athletes, it is a professional gym equipment that can easily be incorporated in your home gym. It comes with a non-skid surface that ensures your safety, while safeguarding you from injuries. It has 15 rungs, which you can place on any flat surface and practice your footwork. Being light in weight, it can be included in your travel fitness bag too. In short, it is ideal for anyone who want to give a special workout for their foot while ensuring body coordination completely.