#not only do they directly screw over other nations but they love ''indirectly'' screwing over other nations too and pretending they didn't

[otogariado]

the thing about the US is that their political influence and power is so pervasive it's almost sickening. recently for my humanities class, we watched and analyzed "the act of killing", a 2012 documentary about the indonesian mass killings of 1965-1966 which was, for all intents and purposes, an ethnic cleansing. and yes, the documentary was primarily about indonesian history, their historical and national trauma, and the collective amnesia of what happened. let's not take it away from that. but there's an insidious observation from the documentary that you might miss at first glance about how much influence the US had on that ethnic cleansing. the government supported it, undoubtedly not dissimilar to how they have recently funded israel billions of dollars towards their ethnic cleansing of palestinians. the US has been doing this time and time again, has never once apologized for any of it and taken real accountability, and always manages to wash their hands of any real responsibility for what they have supported. you'd have to be living in such an isolated, privileged vacuum of intentional ignorance if you haven't realized this yet.

[allbeendonebefore]

I was kind of under the impression that this is just a widespread thing in Alberta, especially because of the Angus Reid fractured federation survey (I cant include the link here, but you can Google it, its from January 24th 2019). When got back into Hetalia, I imagined the dynamics kinda changed to this, which would be pretty bad tbh. I hope its not that aggressive in Alberta, I will never be able to go check tho, too expensive :( I loved the bad french btw

i see you guys sending these asks super late at night and i wonder whether any of you sleep - idk where you’re writing from and i may be on the west coast but are you guys ok wherever you are? I just woke up but I have my tea and if I’m not caffeinated now I surely will be as I answer this.

I’m sure I’ve seen the survey you’re speaking of before and before I address it in any specific detail I just want to back up and re frame Why I’m Being Like This in regards to recent events and my orientation towards answering these questions in terms of Hetalia the way I do, because I think it’s the heart of how I answer.

the tldr of it is:

1. I have an opportunity to make interpretations of reality in unexpected and challenging ways, therefore widespread opinions don’t govern anything but my stupid gag comics in the simple sense that if everyone was represented by widespread opinion alone all the time, nothing would change and

2. if i can answer dozens of asks about ralph and oliver hanging out there’s absolutely no reason I can’t answer asks about ralph and jean hanging out, lol.

3. If you’d like a shorter, more concise “vision statement”, I have one on @battle-of-alberta here. (although now I notice the links don’t work on mobile so you’ll have to be on desktop for that one)

I’m assuming this will be long so cut time

(and yes, alas, the bad french is my legacy and I’m afraid it has not improved much although i swear i was an A student when i was actually taking it) (and no please don’t visit now, purely for pandemic reasons, it would be really expensive And you’d have a bad time) (and talking to me is free lmao) (I do not mean to say that you need to have feet on the ground to understand a place at all, i mean, at the moment I don’t lol)

headings because I say a lot

what even is hetalia

At the most basic level, Hetalia is a tool that can be used in a variety of ways. It can be for memorization, current politics at a glance or historical relationships in different settings. I use it for all of these things, of course, I certainly use it a lot in comics that take place in the much more distant past in @athensandspartaadventures. When I was writing that, I was in undergrad and AaSA was a tool to help me pass my exams, I didn’t think of how it might be read or interpreted by people who have lived in or experienced those places these days, or what kind of political and cultural tensions it might reveal. (Not to say that it has gotten me into sticky situations, exactly, but I am more aware of where things like that would arise now).

These days I look back on a lot of my experiences - both in IAMP/Hetalia and just as a person, and I think that if Hetalia is a tool it should be used with some awareness of intention and responsibility. Things in the fandom have changed as it became more mainstream and more well known and I think there’s a definite worry about screwing up or not representing Everything or not pleasing Everybody or not doing it Right. I have a simple, insufferably academic principle.

(That said, yes, you can still do it very wrong if you write a methodology.)

Still, it’s a comfort to me that I’m just doing the things the way I say I’m going to do them, and that is the underpinning of Inspired But Not Constrained By Hetalia. I don’t do things Himaruya’s way, I can’t do things the way IAMP would do them if it were running today because it’s not and things have changed, all I can do is do them how I would do them.

I have hurt people in the past because they sometimes couldn’t tell whether I was writing From an Albertan Perspective or not, and I’ve evoked some preeetty spicy comments over the last decade, and I realized that tone and perspective are something that really shapes how people understand and interact with my work and I’m trying to use that understanding in a conscientious way)

what even is alberta

So when you’re me and you’ve grown up in a province that is the Angriest in the country and the most Misunderstood in the country and the most Entitled in the country and nobody outside of maybe Saskatchewan has a good thing to say about you half the time and maybe you’re tired of that... you get kind of depressed thinking about how every year some kiddo comes on the internet ready to be excited about making or celebrating characters that represent themselves and No Matter Where They Go running into everyone else’s negative impressions first and foremost.

We joke about how everyone hates Toronto, though I’ve always understood it in a teasing way because I’ve never ACTUALLY met someone (outside of our current legislative assembly) who REALLY hates Toronto, but it does feel like I’ve encountered (directly or indirectly) people who do Genuinely hate Alberta and hoo boy is That a strange feeling. I mean, there’s an understanding that BC also ‘hates’ Alberta but half the people in BC are originally from Alberta so it’s a, uh, different feeling.

The story of Alberta from everywhere else is always the story of that Angus Reid article and the memes and comments and listicles that spin out around mainstream media. Alberta is giving too much. Alberta is getting too little. Alberta is too stupid to understand that equalization payments are a good thing actually, and Alberta is too dumb to understand you don’t really need EI if you make enough money in six months to own a house and multiple vehicles Just Because you own a house and multiple vehicles. Alberta is destroying the environment for everybody. Alberta has a huge concentration of white supremacists. Alberta is the Texas of Canada* and has the conservative streak and bible belt to match. Alberta should get annexed by the US. Oh, but Banff! We like Banff, though.

And like I said, politicians use these widespread feelings to stir up the sentiments of people who can’t afford to travel, people who are naturally suspicious of mainstream news, people who have barely even left their hometowns let alone the province and have no other means of validating what they hear, but people who’s emotions are genuinely tied to real feelings of alienation that really exist and HAVE existed for generations. And when the so-called “laurentian elites” in ontario and quebec make fun of them for being uneducated red necks, well, you hit a wasps nest and expected what, exactly?

what even am i doing

And like I’m faced with this question every day I decide to pick up my stylus and badger you all with unsolicited comics: do I want this to continue? Do I want to wear the mask that fits? Do I want to stand aside and say #notallalbertans #notlikeotheralbertans and stand over here on the island** patting myself on the back for not? being? there? Do I say yes, you’re right, and stand aside and watch loud mouth white supremacists co-opt wexiters and let them lead the perception of the province I grew up in just because that is what’s currently happening? Do I acknowledge the widespread sentiment and then pick apart every other province to say Well Actually You’re Equally Problematic Hypocrites, So There?

Obviously I’ve been saying no for a while. I’m perfectly happy to acknowledge the reality and when I draw stupid gag comics like this or this you can tell (hopefully) from my style that it’s tongue and cheek. When I draw less stupid not-gag comics like this or this I am trying to explore the Real Sentiments in a way that doesn’t completely polarize the issue and spin it out of control. I’m more of the opinion that even though Current Sentiments do get in the way that as personifications they 1. have some perspective and as people they 2. have some interest in not throwing out a friendship that was a struggle to build up every time the polls change or some new radical party seizes power. I do a lot of research and I want that to be reflected in my understanding of each characters deep seated beliefs and motivations, but I don’t want to let either the history or the current realities dictate the future if I am going to try to do that myself. 

why even am i doing it for

So like really the heart of the matter is: I am writing what I write for my thirteen year old self. She was the me who moved back to Canada from the United States, who’s first introduction to living there was a hellish surge of nationalism after September 11th. Who’s defense against that was to hide behind a shield of Canada is Better, Actually and who returned to Alberta during the boom years to realize that, oh wait, the rest of the country thinks we’re assholes just like they think the United States is. Who spent her teenage years learning that, boom or bust, the widespread sentiment in and out of the province is just as narrow, shortsighted, self interested, and stubborn as her own fiction of What Canada Was Supposed to be Like. Who learned that propping up that image at the expense of her friendships was not worth it, that propping up that image at the expense of people who are suffering and dying under that image is not worth it. Who found herself rehashing the same sort of gut reaction defensiveness online because the Guilt and Apologizing on behalf of her province compared to others felt Really Heavy for a kid who didn’t have any clue what to do about it and was just there to have fun and learn some stuff.

So I’m writing for anyone else who finds themselves exhausted and saddened by coming online and seeing that the only way that people can imagine Alberta is as an antagonist. I’d like to challenge everyone to start to imagine it better. It’s my little “escape” from reality, and for me it’s much easier to talk to people here where the stakes aren’t as high and the grievances a little less personal.

I’m also writing (in a more secondary way) for everyone who’s ever looked at alberta from afar and wondered What is going On inside your Head and is it always This

(no comment at this time)

as always, I’m here to explain At The Very Least what goes on in My head because at the end of the day, that’s all I can do. And though there are some things that make me angry and emotional, I’m happy to explain why. Happy to answer asks or chat on discord or whatever, any time I have the time. :)

footnotes

*This is just a footnote to say something I didn’t want to interrupt the flow of my comments, but this is an annoyance that me and my Texas Tomodachi share lol

**You’ll notice angry Albertans online have a favourite tactic, and that’s pointing out hypocrisy. They can justify A N y T h I n G by calling another province a hypocrite “so there” (i.e. BC can’t claim to be environmentally conscious because of Victoria’s sewage problem or Site C) - and while I am interested in shattering the image of Alberta vs. the Perfect Rest of Canada a little bit, I feel like it’s a very lazy argument that is used to deflect and not to help. I think it is more useful to unpack the sentiment of Why Alberta Still Feels Taken Advantage of rather than mudslinging, and when the mud starts flying no one seems interested in addressing problems anymore.

[keywestlou]

MORNING STEW #35

Information overwhelming. Coronavirus motivated directly and indirectly. Impossible to provide any semblance of order. Ergo, a Morning Stew!

I have made the decision to remain in as much as possible. The virus concerns me. Eighty four makes me susceptible, especially when tied in with my maladies.

My day yesterday would have been ok because of the Syracuse/Louisville game in the evening. The game was cancelled. The balance of the season cancelled.

Watched TV, read, and dozzed on and off all day.

Media and White House at odds as to what should be done re the virus. Better to rely on TV and the experts rather than the White House. Ineptness leads us in Washington.

Spent a bit of time reading my friend Dot Downs’ Her Soldier of the Queen. Interesting. A U.K./Ireland war tale. Much romance. I can’t wait to see Dot again. She is my age. I want to know where in her early life experiences (if correct) she picked up the love/sex scenes.

What goes around, comes around. Trump screwed China with the trade war. China reciprocated. China’s impact nowhere as harsh as Trump’s hit.

Prior to coronavirus, the U.S. imported most of the raw materials to make pharmaceuticals, especially vaccines, from China. It was reported in yesterday’s Party newspaper that China may cut or reduce their supply of raw meds to the U.S.

Are school administrators losing it?

Last friday, State Police were called to the Union School District in Rimersburg, Pennsylvania, after a “known” juvenile allegedly robbed the school cafeteria of a juice box valued at 80 cents.

Paid leave during the virus crisis under consideration. A good idea!

Problem is where the money is to come from.

Trump proposes a “payroll tax holiday.” He is wrong again. Such a holiday would hurt Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries. It would also inure to the benefit of the rich. It would provide them with more disposable income than the poor.

How long will it take to make up for the recent market losses. History the best indication.

The 1987 Black Monday crash was 508 points. Market lower back then. The 508 points was equal to 22 percent of the market.

Took 2 years to recover.

The Great Depression of 1929 took 20 years to recover. And then only because of World War II which created employment for everyone.

It will take a long time for this market to return.

The American people are afraid. Properly so. Especially when our leader does not seem to know what he is doing.

Our world is closing down around us. Sport seasons and big time frames have been instituted. Some extremely quick. The Big East Tournament an example. The League called an end to the season at the half time of the St. John/Creighton game yesterday.

Sport stadiums, Broadway, political rallies, etc. The lights have gone dark.

Some do not want to recognize the reality of the virus nor the ineptness of Trump. One of the comments to my blog recently read, “Why is everybody trying to hurt him when all he is trying to do is what’s best for the country, not for himself…..The more they try, the more ‘we real people’ can see what a Hoax it really is.”

Signed “Anonymous, ” of course.

Is Steve Bannon or his thinking still involved in U.S. governing? He has been out of the White House for at least 2 years. I recall back in 2017 when he was part of Trump’s staff saying the deconstruction of America was “a daily fight.”

Everytime Trump or one of his cohorts speak of “testing,” the American people are assured “soon.” We are still waiting. When? We will never get a handle on the problem in the U.S. till we know what the numbers are and where.

As the virus becomes more acute, the number needing medical attention rises. We do not have enough hospital beds nor ventilators. Few plans are being made as to what to do. A few areas are making plans to go to tents.

While all this nothing is going on, Trump this morning was attacking Obama via tweeting.

We are still sitting on our asses re testing. Not my fault or yours. Donald’s.

Tell me why New York’s Governor Cuomo has drive through testing going on in New Rochelle. Trump has not implemented the procedure anywhere in the U.S. Where did Cuomo get the test kits? He seems to know more than the President.

Yesterday, Tom Hanks and his wife tested positive for coronavirus. Today, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau’s wife Sophie.

Why is Donald not testing? We know he has had 2-3 contacts.

Perhaps he does not want to know. And, doesn’t care if he infects anyone.

Trump lied several times in his Oval Office report to the nation. The 2 most egregious included testing.

One his statement that all people coming in from Europe were being tested “Heavily tested.” In fact, there was and is no system set up to so test.

The other is that the testing is “going very smoothly.” Of course it is. There is no testing! How can there be any screw-ups?

Dr. Fauci reported yesterday that the system is “a failing…..admit it!”

Another Governor taking the bull by the horns is California’s Newscom. He signed an order to take over California hotels for use of coronavirus patients. Solves the anticipated shortage of hospital beds problem.

New York’s Mayor de Blasio declared a state of emergency for the City yesterday.

Many universities are closing down. Going off line. Beside class room lectures, all activities canceled till April 6.

California finally finished its count. As anticipated, Sanders won. He took in 34 percent of the vote as opposed to Biden’s 27 percent.

Room was found this week for a bit of news re global warming.

Polar ice caps are melting 6 times faster than in the 1990’s. The loss in Greenland and Antarctica is accelerating.

Your cell phone is “dirty.” Possible carrier of the virus. A wipe with a product having 70 percent isopropyl alcohol recommended. Clorox suggested. Wipe easy.

I have been suggesting for 2 years another recession was going to hit. Thought it would last year. I was wrong.

My motivation was two-fold. The banks were playing the same games they did in 2008 and the banks were losing funds.

The Fed saw this happening. They began playing the Repo game. I first reported on Repos 2 months ago.

Banks sometimes do not have enough money. If all depositors wanted their money back at the same time, banks doors would close. There would not be sufficient funds.

The problem especially concerning smaller banks.

To avoid bank defaults, the Fed would lend money today to a bank and the bank would pay the money back tomorrow. Simple. Then the monies were probably reborrowed for another day on the tomorrow.

The amounts were relatively insignificant. In the millions. Then billions.

Beginning to day, in the trillions!

Bigger banks involved. Money needed for longer periods. Twenty four hour rule out the window. Now banks can “borrow” for up to a 3 month period before repaying.

What is happening is no less than a bank bailout. A bailout to Wall Street.

Who bails us out?

South Carolina’s James Clyburn turned the Democratic primary in Biden’s direction. He is an elderly black man. He was there with Martin Luther King Jr. Majority Leader today of the House of Representatives. One of the most respected men in Washington.

An Axios HBO show will be run this sunday at 6 pm.

In a portion of the show already released, Clyburn said, The U.S. “could very well go the way of Germany in the 1930’s.”

I have been saying it for 2 years.

Ian Welsh is a Canadian blogger who I frequently read. In a blog published 3/12 titled Coronavirus Bungling Is What We Voted For, Welsh wrote, “Donald Trump is a blittering idiot and incompetent at the actual mechanics of running a government. This is not to deny his other competencies at bullying and running a campaign, but he’s seriously mentally deficient. He is bungling the Coronavirus response. That’s going to lead to a lot of dead people, including a lot of old people who, forgive me, voted for him.”

Zeroing in on Keys coronavirus cases.  It must safely be assumed they are on the rise. However, not all the sick are being tested.  Actually few.

Bob Eadie is the Director of the Florida Keys Chapter of the Florida Health Department. A full time job. He has held it since 2007. One problem. He is not a doctor. He’s a lawyer.

The past few weeks he has been the politician…..Speaking as Washington and Tallahassee do. Not as a Dr. Fauci.

For example, he claims tests are available. All one has to do is go to a doctor. Then be directed to the Health Department for a test.

The Health Department cannot test everyone. Would result in an “overload.” It would be a “wasting of resources.”

So some tests are being done. How many, we do not know.

The reason we do not know is Eadie cannot tell us till Tallahassee gives him permission.

So much for transparency.

Dana Milbank is the much respected Washington Post columnist. His most recent column was titled: “Got A Medical Question? Ask Dr. Trump!”

Cartoons were big time in my youth…..1930’s and 1940’s. Especially Walt Disney ones.

The Disney ones generally closed with Porky Pig saying: That’s all folks!

I sign off in a similar fashion today…..That’s all folks!

Enjoy your day!

        MORNING STEW #35 was originally published on Key West Lou

[annhens93x]

The Perfect Body Game Plan

Marius Bugge

Let's not kid each other: As much as we hit the gym to feel awesome, live longer, compete with our buddies, relieve stress, and, of course, have a damn good time slinging giant pieces of steel, it doesn’t hurt that working out makes us look damn good, too. Which means that, if you’re a guy seeking to round out your sex appeal, you’re probably more than familiar with all the coveted (admittedly superficial) physical attributes that constitute a “perfect male physique”—the ones even hardcore gym rats have trouble achieving. These include the well-defined arm “horseshoe” (see: Mark Wahlberg in The Fighter), ridiculously chiseled V-cut abs (see: Brad Pitt in Fight Club), and the giant wingspan of a well-carved upper back (see: Hugh Jackman in any film in which he sprouts metallic claws). So, with the help of some of the nation’s best trainers, strength coaches, and strongmen, we’ve laid out in exhaustive detail everything it takes to achieve them. If you’d love a physique even Michelangelo’s David would be envious of, we’d advise you to start here.

1) The Tapered Torso

“You can do all the gym work in the world,” says Zach Even-Esh, founder of New Jersey’s the Underground Strength Gym, “but if your body’s covered by a layer of fat, then nobody will know.”

Which is why getting yourself on a strict, clean diet—with the right balance of proteins, fats, and carbs—is the key to transforming your flabby torso into a perfectly cut, tapered midsection. 

But how do you do it? “The first order of business is to get your math in order, and that means calculating what your overall calorie intake needs to be,” says sports nutritionist and strength coach C.J. Murphy, MFS, owner of Total Performance Sports, in Malden, MA.

So if pure fat loss is your goal, you need to be ingesting roughly eight to 12 calories per pound of your body weight per training day, depending on how active you are and how much fat you need to shed. If you’re already fairly lean and you just want sharper muscular definition, you’re allowed 12 to 15 calories per pound of body weight. (Though, start on the low end and see how it goes.) So if you’re a 200-pound guy looking to get lean, you’re looking at roughly a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet.

And Murphy recommends a simple high-protein carb-cycling program, with which you eat more carbohydrates on your strength-training days and less on days off, creating a caloric deficit that torches fat.

So let’s start with strength-training days.

First, you’ll need lots of lean protein. “That includes anything that swims, runs, or flies,” says Murphy. Meaning: steak, chicken, fish, turkey, and ground beef. Eggs and protein powder are good, too. As a rule of thumb, Murphy calculates meats at 7 grams of protein per ounce. “Different foods have different values, yes, but if you’re eating a wide variety of meats you’ll still be in the ballpark.” All told, that means roughly 1g of protein per pound of body weight (at 4 calories per gram).

Then there are carbs: Yams, sweet and white potatoes, white rice, and fruit are all good carbs to power your workouts. Those carbs should make up 35-45% of your daily calories, calculated at 4 calories per gram.

The remainder of your calories each day can be made up of vegetables and healthy fats, like nuts, nut butters, olive oil, and avocado. (Calculate fats at 9 calories per gram.)

On non-strength-training days, you should cut carbs up to 50% and increase fat to 20-30% of total calories to help fill you up, reduce hunger pangs, and increase your likelihood of sticking to it.

And remember: Timing is important, too.

“Earn your carbs,” says Murphy, who suggests ingesting carbs directly pre-and post-workout. Also, save the bulk of your off-day carbs for the evening, which prevents you from bingeing at night and gives you a little more energy (in the form of stored glycogen) to carry into the next morning. “Carb cycling isn’t the only way to put on lean muscle mass, but it’s the simplest,” Murphy says. “It’s easy, and it’s hard to screw up.”

Marius Bugge

2) Broaden Your Chest

“Nobody likes a chicken chest,” says trainer Murphy, and we can’t argue with him. If you want to project an image of strength and power, a broad, chiseled chest is one of the oldest, most time-honored ways of doing it. But there are better ways to build pecs than the bench press. “The bench does work the chest,” Murphy says, “but it also works a bunch of secondary muscles, like the deltoids and triceps, among others.” With these other exercises added to your once-a-week pec workout, you’ll have a “chest you can balance a beer on” in no time.

Murphy first suggests the highly underrated decline dumbbell press. “It activates more pec fibers than any other exercise,” he says. “It’s almost all pec because the range of motion is so short that your delts and triceps don’t do a ton of work.” The angle also allows you to use heavier weights, which equates to more work and a bigger chest. (Using a weight that allows 10 to 12 reps on your first set, perform five sets, pushing each one until you’re one rep shy of failure.)

Then it’s on to flyes. Murphy advises using bands or chains to put less wear and tear on the shoulders. (When the weight unloads as you go down on chain flyes, your shoulders will be safer at the bottom and you’ll get a more powerful pec contraction at the shoulder.) With bands, you can loop an exercise band around each hand and behind your back before picking up dumbbells. (Do four sets of 15 to 20 reps.) the elbows. Go as far as you can while keeping your back, neck, and upper arms straight and perpendicular to the ground. It’s important to perform the full range of motion if you want better results. Slowly return the weight to the overhead starting position. Then the triceps dip is Bryant’s top choice for hitting this deep-down part of

Finally, “dips are like the squat for the upper body,” says Murphy, “in that they’re a great way to increase pec mass.” They press the muscles fully and also hit stabilizing lats and abs hard when done with proper technique. (Perform 50 dips in as few sets as possible.)

But to really stimulate growth, try suspension trainer flyes, which utilize full-body tension. “Plus, it’s done from an angle that you hardly ever use when doing presses,” Murphy says, “which creates a totally new stimulus that causes your nervous system and muscles to work differently, stimulating growth.”

To do it, ensure that you’re maintaining a strong plank position throughout each flye. Perform 40 total in as few sets as possible, keeping your body at a 45-degree angle.

3) Get Well-Defined V-Cut Abs

Ever since celebrities started showing off those V-shaped cut lines that start below their abs and disappear into their pants, girls have been lusting after them and guys gunning for them. Even if you have six-pack abs, though, the V itself is very hard to sculpt for one simple reason—it’s not a muscle. “The V is formed by the inguinal ligaments,” says New York– based personal trainer Ryan George, “and that’s hard to build.” We all have inguinal ligaments, which originate from the hip and run into the pubic region, but most of us have a layer of fat covering it. “If you really want the V-cut to be prominent,” George says, “more important than anything is eating clean so you can achieve really low body fat.” We’re talking 8%. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that there are exercises that target the obliques and transversus abdominis that can indirectly engage it and cause it to grow more defined.

For this George recommends the cable woodchop because it engages the obliques and is a functional movement; the seated medicine ball trunk rotation, which also targets the obliques and—bonus—can be done anywhere, no machines required; and, finally, the kettlebell windmill, which engages the entire trunk. In the case of the kettlebell windmill, remember to start with a wide straddle stance and aim to touch your toes with your free hand while keeping that kettlebell up to the sky the entire time.

Repeat these three exercises 12 to 15 times, then start the circuit over. Perform three rounds two to three times a week, taking care to rest your core in between to up your chances of carving out your V-cut.

Marius Bugge

4) Get the Triceps Horseshoe

News flash: Biceps may be cool, but triceps actually make up the bulk of the upper arms. Growing big arms and—even more impressive, carving out a detailed triceps horseshoe—means working every part of the muscle. “You need to make sure you hit all three heads of the muscle—long, medial, and lateral,” says Noah Bryant, C.S.C.S. “While you can’t completely isolate them, you can do exercises that emphasize each one.” Add these three moves to your routine as much as twice per week—on chest day and shoulder day.

The first exercise, which hits your triceps’ “long head,” is the EZ-curl bar French press.

To do it, sit on a bench and grasp the EZ-curl bar with a pronated grip. Start with straight arms and the bar directly overhead. Lower the bar by bending at  the elbows. Go as far as you can while keeping your back, neck, and upper arms straight and perpendicular to the ground. It’s important to perform the full range of motion if you want better results. Slowly return the weight to the overhead starting position.

Then the triceps dip is Bryant’s top choice for hitting this deep-down part of  the triceps. Set up on a dip bar as you would for normal dips, only this time you’ll keep your body straight up and down (perpendicular to the ground) and your feet underneath you rather than crossed behind you. Lower yourself until your forearm and upper arm make a 90-degree angle, then push yourself back up.

To hit the lateral head, Bryant suggests straight-bar cable pushdowns. “The lateral head is the one most responsible for the ‘horseshoe’ shape of the triceps,” Bryant says, “and working it is extremely important to get that look.” Any movement that pushes weight down will hit the lateral head, which runs on the outside of the arm, but this is his favorite. Start with the bar about chest level, your elbows in tight to your body, and your upper arms pointing straight down to the ground. Keep your elbows tucked tightly in to your body, and push the bar down while keeping your upper arms static. Feel your triceps moving the weight—and your horseshoe getting more and more cut.

5) Get a Wide Upper Back

A strong, wide upper back doesn’t just look great, says Jeb Stuart Johnston, C.P.T., a Brooklyn-based Strongman. It opens up your shoulders and improves posture. You stand taller and appear more confident.

To get there, Johnston recommends hitting the upper back with some of the same full-body functional movements that are central to Strongman competitions. Loaded carries force every muscle in the body to work together to lift and stabilize heavy odd objects, and much of the load is placed on the upper back. They also provide tremendous cardiovascular benefits. “Any of these would be great as a finisher on back day,” he says, “or try pairing them with sled pulls and car pushes to make your own ‘Strongman Saturday.’ ”

The first is the farmer’s walk, a Strongman staple that works the whole body, developing powerful legs and hips, increased core strength and grip strength, in addition to making your back stronger and more stable. To do it, simply grab the heaviest dumbbells or kettlebells you can comfortably carry (half your body weight in each hand is a good starting point) and do it. “Also, nothing taxes your posterior chain and your lungs quite like sandbag carries for distance,” says Johnston. “Simply pick up your sandbag and walk for as long as you can without dropping it.”

Finally, there’s the snatch-grip deadlift, a deadlift that puts you at a mechanical disadvantage with a wide grip that engages the lats and rear deltoids and keeps them engaged. To do it, set up as you would for a regular deadlift, but take an extra-wide grip on the bar. Always lower in a controlled manner, keeping the back flat through the entirety of the movement.

Marius Bugge

6) Get Bolder Shoulders

Sculpting the perfect V-tape physique starts at the shoulders, which means training your deltoids and traps. “Shoulders that are round and powerful looking give the impression that your body is built for performance,” says Zach Even-Esh. But getting there can be difficult, he contends, especially if you’re doing the same old lifts day in and day out. “The body adapts and doesn’t feel challenged, limiting new muscle growth.” For a fresh set of shoulder exercises, try these three exercises that attack the delts from all angles and build strength and endurance both concentrically and isometrically. (Note: Once a week is plenty.)

First, there’s running the rack side raises, a simple way to overload the deltoids. Start with a light pair of dumbbells and perform three reps of side raises. Go to the next pair of dumbbells for three reps and continue “running the rack,” climbing up in weight until you can no longer perform three reps with perfect form. From there, reverse order and work your way back down the rack to where you started. If you can do more than two sets, Even-Esh says, then you didn’t push hard enough.

Then he suggests the dumbbell overhead carry, which challenges your shoulders, abs, and upper back isometrically. Lock the dumbbells (or kettlebells) overhead with arms completely straight, engage your abs, and walk slowly for 50 feet. Start off with three or four sets at this length, and slowly increase the distance to 75 and 100 feet per set. It’s great for adding size and strength to your shoulders and traps.

Lastly, you should do the dumbbell press 21s, which hit the shoulders through various angles while maintaining constant muscle tension. To do it, perform seven reps at a time from each of these ranges of motion—bottom half, top half, and full range. Start with very light weights, and press seven reps from your shoulders to the midway of full extension. Then press seven reps from midway to full lockout. Then do seven reps of full-range overhead presses. Two or three sets should be enough to blast your shoulders.

Marius Bugge

7) Build Bigger Biceps

They may not be the most functional muscles you need to grow, says Murphy, but that doesn’t mean you don’t want to look great at the beach. Here are three moves to add to your routine twice a week.

The first is the towel pullup. Drape two towels evenly over a pullup bar, take hold of both ends (palms facing each other), and perform pullups. You’ll activate a ton of muscle fibers with this and because the towels are thick and you have to constantly squeeze them, you’ll also smoke your forearms and develop an iron grip. Perform 50 total pullups in as few sets as possible.

“Hammer curls are also an outstanding exercise for biceps growth,” Murphy says. “Everybody focuses on the biceps brachii—or the biceps itself—but the brachialis runs beneath the biceps, and hammer curls work the brachialis in particular. A bigger brachialis pushes the biceps up farther, making them appear bigger.” Working the brachioradialis also increases the size of the forearm, which makes the arm appear more full. Using a weight that allows 10 to 12 reps on your first set, perform five sets in total, pushing each one until you’re one rep shy of failure.

Finally, work in some barbell chain curls. The chains make the lift more difficult at the bottom of the exercise, and lighten as you curl up. This allows you to overload your biceps with more weight. Do five sets of eight to 10 reps.

Marius Bugge

8) Tease Out Your Teardrop

THE VMO, or vastus medialis oblique, is the most impressive leg muscle to define, if only because it’s the only quad muscle visible when you’re rocking boardshorts. Located in your lower quad, a fully developed VMO not only creates a tear-drop-shaped cut just above your knee, but it also acts as an important stabilizer that guards the joint against injury. For his part, trainer Nick Tumminello recommends focusing on exercises that hit the entire quads hard. “If you develop the quads overall,” says the trainer and founder of Performance University, “you’ll get the coveted teardrop.” Mix these exercises into your regularly scheduled leg workouts once a week for a teardrop that would make any pro cyclist jealous.

Start with the leg extension, Tumminello says, “which  complements squats and lunges because it loads the quads in part of the joint range you don’t get from those movements.” When you’re standing at the top of a squat or lunge and your knees are extended, you’re not getting any force through your quads, but the leg-extension machine keeps the tension on through the entire range.

Expert tip: You can work the quads harder by elevating your heels with five-pound plates during squats. Set up as you would for a normal squat, only elevate your heels 1 to 2 inches using weight plates. Bend your knees and lower your body in a controlled manner until your hamstrings touch your calves and your glutes are below your knees, then return to starting position.

9) Grow Your Glutes

To really fill out a pair of jeans with an amazing rear, Toronto-based coach and personal trainer Lee Boyce, C.P.T., put together this stand-alone workout you should add to your routine up to two days a week. Stick with the order described here—from most isolated to most dynamic—so you start with the heavier lifts. That way your body will recruit more fast-twitch fibers, which is key to building strength.

But a few ground rules to ensure you’re doing them right: 1) Always maintain a neutral spine, and don’t round or arch your back; 2) Press through your heels; 3) Make sure your hips are always the pivot point; 4) Start light, and make small progressions.

First: the barbell hip thrust, a building-block exercise that helps train the hip-hinge movement without having to coordinate other joints for an effective workout. To do it, sit on the floor and roll a loaded barbell into your lap. Lie back with your shoulders against a bench, bend your knees, and plant your feet on the floor. Then drive through your heels so you raise your hips off the floor to full extension.

Next: sumo deadlift, a deadlift variation that uses a wider stance—with toes rotated farther out—to better activate the glutes. Be sure to use a narrow grip (inside your legs), push your hips back, and lean slightly forward to grab the barbell. Keep the barbell close to your body as you lower it back down.

Finish with the dumbbell stepup, which works the posterior chain even harder. Start by standing behind a bench that brings your thigh parallel to the floor when your foot is on top. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and step up onto the bench, but leave your trailing leg hanging off. Return to the starting position.

from Muscle and Bodybuilding http://bit.ly/2qTegMl via IFTTT