Comments on: 7 Exercises to Make You Look and Feel Like a Man

By: ivan

ivan — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:35:08 +0000

Bench, deadlift, squat.

By: David

David — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 01:06:53 +0000

Dead lifts, squats, and military press. Probably the three most effective exercises for their respective muscle groups; unfortunately, also the most dangerous. After over 13 years of lifting I have eliminated all three as the risk of injury versus the benefit is just way too high. I’ve not met an experienced lifter who has used these three exercises as staples that has not ultimately suffered injury from one or even all three, multiple times, including myself. In my opinion, they simply are not worth it.

I have replaced dead lifts and squats with leg press (from which I have never sustained injury nor known anyone who has), and actually get better results. I experimented with hack squats and smith machine squats but the strain on the knees was just too great – the movement does not feel natural at all.

I only do compound exercises where possible. It took me years to get over the addiction to “pump” and to finally realize that “definition” ultimately comes from low body fat percentage (and to some extent – proper form), not from isolation movements. I feel bad for guys at the gym sitting around 12-15% body fat wasting hours doing every isolation exercise they can think of and wondering why they aren’t ripped yet. Diminishing returns from multiple sets and exercises, are, in my experience, far greater than anyone will admit due to their addiction to “pump”, which is nothing more than temporary inflammation of the muscle. Consequently I see very little (if any) benefit in isolation movements unless you’re a bodybuilder and need that extra 2% edge or have a plateau or stubborn muscle group. Even then many early bodybuilders were successful with mostly compound exercises (i.e. Dorian Yates).

That being said, I haven’t found a compound movement to replace military press. I’ve eliminated it, including the dumbbell variation after both me and two of my workout partner sustained multiple injuries and have enough scar tissue around the rotator cuff that a arm rotation looks so choppy it’s comical. Not to mention my father, who now has both his shoulders held in with pins and rubber bands

By: t. chote

t. chote — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 19:11:33 +0000

careful on the deadlifts my friends. they’re great, best single thing you can do; no question. though improper form and heavy weight is a recipe for disaster and once you have back problems they can haunt you forever; be careful and don’t get a big head. try not to go above what you can do for 3-5 reps with good form to leave yourself some room for error. trust me.

By: mack

mack — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:23:53 +0000

This is all stuff I do! I only do compound exercises, no sissy isolation shit! Deadlifts and pushups are my two favorite exercises, but I do a good range of exercises as well. Try this: get 3 weight plates of the same weight and have the at hand.(not in your hand!) Get into a wall sit. Hold for 10-30 seconds then add 1 weight plate. Hold again and continue to add plates in a controlled manner. Once all plates are on legs, remove in a likewise manner. Try for 4-5 sets and your squatting muscles will take a huge beating. Then do 60-100 bodyweight squats and you will have a killer workout. You may want to increase the reps of squats if you are exceptionally strong.

By: Chris V

Chris V — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:25:22 +0000

A favorite of mine is to grab an axe and go drop a few trees out in the back 40 (if you’re lucky enough to have some land). Nothing like the satisfying ‘thud’ of an unwanted pine tree hitting the ground.

By: James

James — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 11:01:40 +0000

I just read the top response. Obviously, nobody should walk into a weight room day one and try to do weighted pullups or max deadlifts. I think that goes without saying. However, in the long run, these are the best exercises that a man can do. I do a minimum of cardio, and do the above exercised regularly. (Crossfitters would call this a “max effort black box.” This, coupled with diet, (paleo diet,) has enabled me to drop 30 pounds, and get very strong and fit, over the course of a couple of year. Yes, once in a while I run, or surf, etc., but it’s not much. It’s mostly olympic lifts, and I am a much better man for it. It’s not the conventional wisdom, but it’s the right thing to do!

By: Lars Von Fingerbang

Lars Von Fingerbang — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:43:32 +0000

Totally what Cody said above – this isn’t Crossfit! Crossfit uses these exercises, but in a different way. This is just good common sense that is all too often overlooked by people who don’t know what they’re doing.

I’m 28, and started my gym days about 18 months ago with the above and some isolation moves like curls and whatnot, and a little bit of cardio. I lost several cm off my waist within a month and almost instantly saw a change in my physique. Having kept it up for 18 months I feel good, look good (gone down 2 jeans sizes without even thinking about my diet) and would whole-heartedly recommend paying attention to this article.

Girls should also get in on this, although perhaps for reps rather than weight – my missus joins me in the weight room and is now the kind of toned beach Goddess I’d dreamed of! Anyone who says “but girls will get all veiny and huge” obviously has no idea whatsoever about training – see crossfit.com for evidence.

By: Tas von Gleichen

Tas von Gleichen — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 20:31:13 +0000

This is as manly as it can get. Unfortunately I am to skinny so I just stick with running.

By: Steven Proto

Steven Proto — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:10:17 +0000

I am flattered to see my Weighted Pull-up video on here. I am a fan of anyone who adds weight to there pull-ups.

Art,
I’ve been adding weight for 5 years never had an injury, to say my form is goofy and will cause injury is inaccurate. If I took of some weight I’m sure my form would improve but I would not have been able to progress from 25 lbs to 186 lbs added to my body weight.

Vic Magary, keep writing!

By: Rocco

Rocco — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:34:54 +0000

What a lot of guys fail to realise when it comes to working out is that if you focus on becoming fitter and stronger, your body naturally takes on an aesthetically pleasing appearance. It doesn’t necessarily work the other way round! We’ve all known guys who look physically imposing but can barely climb a flight of stairs without breathing like a freight train afterwards. Conversely, athletes train in order to maximise physical performance rather than to look good, yet these people have some of the most impressive physiques around. Focus on achieving your physical goals and the cosmetic ones will follow!