17 Super Simple Tips to Lose Weight for LIFE

Something tells us you won’t miss those extra pounds.

This article was written by Diana Kelly and provided by our partners at Prevention.

Studies show that the simpler your diet, the easier it is to stick to over the long haul. Follow these steps

GO ON THE ATTACK FOR A THICK, WIDE BACK

DURATION20 MIN

 

EXERCISES5

 

EQUIPMENTYES

This back workout is unique because it combines high volume training with heavy strength training by utilizing a ladder protocol. Ladders are done by coordinating the repetitions you are performing with the amount of weight you're lifting. For example, when you are lifting a heavy weight, the repetitions are low. As you increase the repetitions for each progressive set, you will continue lowering the weight - all while minimizing the amount of rest you have between sets.

This is the perfect storm for building muscle - longer time under tension, greater mechanical tension, and massive metabolic disruption.

THE WORKOUT

EXERCISE 1A

T-BAR ROWYou'll need: Barbell, V-Handle AttachmentHow to

5sets

 

10reps

 

--rest

1A) and 1B) are supersets and performed back-to-back with no rest. Rest 90 seconds after 1B).

EXERCISE 1B

FACE PULL WITH EXTERNAL ROTATIONYou'll need: Adjustable Cable Machine, Rope AttachmentHow to

5sets

 

12-15reps

 

60 secrest

EXERCISE 2

LAT PULLDOWNYou'll need: Adjustable Cable Machine, Lat Pulldown BarHow to

1sets

 

--reps

 

--rest

Start with heaviest weight you can do for 2 reps. Perform the 2 reps and drop the weight 2 holes in the stack. Perform 4 reps. Drop the weight 2 holes and perform 6 reps, and so on until you hit a 20 rep set.

EXERCISE 3A

PRONE POSTERIOR FLYE

4sets

 

20reps

 

--rest

EXERCISE 3B

DUMBBELL SHRUGYou'll need: DumbbellsHow to

4sets

 

20reps

 

--rest

THE 9/2/1 RULE: A BODYBUILDER'S GUIDE TO FITNESS

Get strategic with your training to achieve optimal results over the long haul

We move faster than ever before from day to day and demand a lot of ourselves in many facets of our lives. It's virtually impossible to maintain a high intensity all of the time. We need to strategically think about when we are going to maintain, surge, and step back. I have noticed this with my clients over

The Workout That Tells Your Office Job to Suck It

Reverse all that sitting damage—no standing desk required.

 

Experts are now saying that sitting is as bad for your health as smoking. Wha!?!?! Yep! One reason for this is the decrease in mobility that comes from sitting more than four hours per day. While the best remedy is to be active and stand more during the day, that's clearly not always possible when you have a day job. We know what's up,

The 5-Minute Ab Workout You Need to Try

Add this core-shredding finisher to the end of your next sweat session

Check out the abs on Andy Speer, winner of Men's Health Next Top Trainer and creator of the new fitness DVD The Anarchy Workout, in the photo above. He keeps his eight-pack chiseled with fast-paced core finishers like the one in this challenge. Link below-

http://bcove.me/4y17jht8

It's 180 reps with no rest. Add it to

Medicine-Ball Exercises That Work the Muscles You're Ignoring

Most guys perform exercises in two ways: front to back, or up and down, says David Jack, owner of ActivPrayer in Phoenix, Arizona, and creator of the Men's Health 60-Day Transformation. “But when you do that, you miss out on working your muscles from other angles,” he says.

Keeping your movements diverse helps you learn how to recruit your entire muscle—instead of just a few fibers—for an exercise, Jack explains. And the more muscle you get involved during your workout, the more you build.

 

(Stop listening to guys at the gym who think they have all the answers. Get the Truth Behind 7 Muscle Myths.)

Enter these two unusual medicine ball moves. "Each of these patterns involves concentric, eccentric, and isometric actions," says Jack. You also continuously speed up, slow down, and switch directions. "So even though you're not lifting heavy weights or getting out of breath, you're working your entire body from head to toe—including your brain."

Learn how to perform the two exercises by watching Jack do them in the video below. “The best part: Instead of looking at the clock and counting down the time, you'll barely notice you're holding a lunge,” he says.

Medicine-Ball Split-Squat Flow

Medicine-Ball Side-Lunge Flow

The Most Effective Exercise You Can Do

Build total-body power with four fresh deadlift variations

1 of 5

Beth Bischoff

Raise the Deadlift

Don't let the name intimidate you: "The deadlift is quite possibly the most effective exercise you can do," says Tony Gentilcore, C.S.C.S, cofounder of Cressey Performance in Massachusetts. In addition to targeting your glutes and hamstrings—which are some of your body's most powerful muscles—the deadlift activates your quads, core, back, and shoulders. "It builds muscle from head to toe," says Gentilcore. "Performed correctly, it also reinforces good form for real-world movements, like lifting heavy loads; that makes it a back saver." Customize your results and reach your goals faster with these four variations.

The Cure for Skinny-Fat

If you’re skinny and want to gain weight, your path is straightforward: lift big, eat big. Everyone agrees that it’s okay if you gain a little fat; you can always strip it off once you have the muscle you want.

If you’re heavy and want to lose weight, your path isn’t exactly straightforward— talk to five people, and chances are they’ll tell you five different ways to do it—but they all agree on at least one thing: You have to find

This Might Just Be The Best Total-Body Exercise

 

There are a ton of exercises that will get your blood pumping and muscles working (lookin’ at you squats and push-ups), however, one move stands out above the rest. And while for some (okay, most), it’s also one of the most dreaded.

Enter

3 Key Components for a Tailor-Made Diet

As long as weightlifting has been around, people have asked themselves some version of this question: "How many calories should I eat?" Recommendations might be anything from eating everything in sight, to only eating foods from countries that start with the letter A. The thing with generic recommendations is that, well, they're generic. You'll have to do a bit more than slamming protein shakes to make a meal plan work for you. In order to set up a proper diet, there are building blocks to consider -- most people have them

Why Exercise Helps to Keep You from Getting Sick

Don't ever say you're sick of your workout: Men who exercise frequently are less likely to fall ill than their sedentary counterparts, say researchers at the University of Houston.
Check out this infographic to see how exercise gives your immune system a shot in the arm. Then fight off sickness with these 10 Genius Exercises You Aren't Doing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 WAYS TO BOOST YOUR BULKING PHASE BEFORE YOU CUT

Gain some hard-earned mass with time to spare with these methods.

Does your workout last more than hour? If so, it could be detrimental as you try to build muscle and gain mass. You want to hit your muscles hard while keeping a high intensity in order to stimulate growth. This can be done by keeping these three elements

PREVIOUS STORYUFC STAR CONOR MCGREGOR IMPRESSES ARNOLD AND THE ROCKNEXT STORYREMEMBERING GREG PLITT, 1977-2015

John Cena has been working hard in the gym. He was clanging and banging on Saturday and took to Vine to give fans a tip we can all learn from, saying: "Power is important but power + technique is #unstoppable. Work on weakness and build a better you #nevergiveup #dothework"

"

Cena is a frequent user of Vine, and we cobbled together a little collection of him getting it done in the gym. Off the Vine below, he says: "Anyone who says they're working their ass off, isn't doing squat! #dothework #earnit #nevergiveup"

Cena: "Big results require big ambitions. #DoTheWork #NeverGiveUp"

Cena: "We start 2015 the same way we ended 2014. #DoTheWork #NeverGiveUp #HappyNewYear"

6 TIPS FOR GROWING BIGGER CALVES

Attack this stubborn muscle to add some serious size to your lower legs.

Some people are born into money. Some people are born with amazing intellect. And then there are those that have been blessed with massive calves. Don’t you just hate those people. Maybe hate is too strong a word,

SMALL LIFTS LEAD TO BIG GAINS

Keep the big stuff as the centerpiece of your program but do not neglect the small stuff to optimize structural balance, prevent injuries and attain peak performance

Twenty years ago striped spandex and shiny chrome machines were the most efficient path

FIT IN 15: BEAR CRAWL & FARMER'S CARRY

This primitive workout will leave you exhausted and fully pumped.

PREVIOUS STORY7 TIPS FOR FINDING THE RIGHT GYMNEXT STORYBUILD A BATWING BACK

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THE WORKOUT

Primitive movement patterns have been lost to many of us in our modern society. Our prehistoric ancestors moved out of necessity for survival. Through many of the advances of the last two centuries we have lost the need to move; and because of this up until the last couple decades, most people lived sedentary lifestyles. I love that so many people have realized

INSTANT MUSCLE: BUILD A BATWING BACK

HOW TO DO IT:

Two steps to building a bigger set of wings.

1. LIE CHEST DOWN (You may need to incline the bench.) Row the left-hand dumbbell. Now perform five rows on the right arm while holding the isometric.

2. ON YOUR LAST REP of the row, hold the top position and lower your left arm. Now perform rows on the left side while you statically hold up the right arm.

QUICK TIP: Pinch your shoulder blades together at the top of each rep.

DID YOU KNOW?

Making one lat work isometrically keeps it under tension, and when that tension is released it causes a cascade of fresh blood to the muscle that supports a pump and, by association, new growth. Meanwhile, you still get the benefits of training through a full range of motion by performing normal reps in the same set

The batwing row will thicken your back and test your fortitude in one gut-wrenching exercise.

How Often Should You Eat? A New Study Clears Up the Dieting Confusion

The conflicting trends of fasting and eating frequently can be confusing. The first says limit yourself to one or two meals to speed up your metabolism, the second recommends six or more a day to do the same—and there's scientific research to support both!

So in a

Inactivity 'kills more than obesity'

A lack of exercise could be killing twice as many people as obesity in Europe, a 12-year

3 Crunch Variations You've Never Tried For Sculpted Abs

Upgrade the traditional crunch with these new — and super-effective — options. (Artiga Photo/Corbis)

Crunches have received a bad reputation in recent years, with fitness experts pointing out that they don’t offer the functional training that helps you control your body in motion. But this

Get Fit Fast With Jillian Michaels’ Moves

There’s a reason we tapped America’s toughest trainer for your body makeover. She gets results! These seven moves from her new BodyShred program will reshape and shrink you.

Your Plan: Grab an 8-pound weight and do each firmer for the time indicated. Take a 60-second break; repeat three times, six days a week. See a video of all the moves »

Pendulum Lunge -

How Your Cell Phone Is Destroying Your Eyes

Your texting habit isn't doing your peepers any favors.

 

Between your work computer, e-reader, TV, and smart phone, how much screen time do you rack up every day?

5 Lessons from the World's Greatest Soccer Player

We dissect the potent mix of athletic talent and fierce will that won Cristiano Ronaldo his 2nd straight Ballon d'Or

It's been a pretty good year for Cristiano Ronaldo. His Portugal team didn't win the World Cup, but Ronaldo was named the winner of the Ballon d'Or as the world's best soccer player for the second straight year, topping Argentina forward Lionel Messi and German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. And let's not forget that he

3 Crazy Stretches That Will Help Improve Your Squat

You may want to perform these in the privacy of your own home

Squatting a heavy barbell takes a ton of strength in your quads and glutes, but that's only the half of it. "If you're not maintaining or improving your mobility in your joints while you're building up those muscles, your performance will suffer and put you at risk for injury,".

The three major areas you need to monitor are your ankles, knees, and hips. Use these three easy—albeit crazy-looking—stretches to improve your mobility and boost your squat performance.

 

 

Ankles

"If I told you to squat a loaded barbell while standing on your toes, you'd think I'm insane,"

Next Fitness Star Emily Schromm Shares Her Rules for Getting Results: Watch the Video!

 

Emily Schromm nabbed our second-annual The Next Fitness Star title with her sick moves and infectious energy. Test out her ridiculously effective routine, below, and don't miss out on ordering The Next Fitness Star DVD (sold by Women's Health's parent company, Rodale), available now!
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Say hello to the country's hottest new

This Core Exercise Is EVERYTHING

 

 

Join the Women's Health Weekend Challenge to help you meet your fitness goals fast and make your weekend workouts count. Thousands of women already have. Join them, and achieve your fitness goals faster!
Rotating T Extension: If your core routine involves a ton of crunches or holding the plank position forever, it's time to spice things up. This rotating move engages your core, shoulders, lats, upper back, and (bonus!) glutes. So go ahead: Show this exercise some love during your next workout.

SO…ARE YOU IN?!