V Shred. Love him or hate him, whatever your feeling is around this guy, he’s here. And he’s really successful because of his brilliant marketing, an effective workout program, and his diet. Or is he? Today, we’re reviewing a YouTube video posted by V Shred about his meal plan. This video is essentially a breakdown of meal prepping from Mister V Shred himself. If he’s in such great shape, he must be doing something right, right? Well, let’s press play to see what’s what. Truth be told, this video is about meal prepping, not so much about dieting. So we’ll judge it accordingly. V Shred Beginne ..read more

Frustration is committing 8-12 weeks to a “build mass fast” program … only to walk away with no noticeable gains, 2-3 months behind your goals, and a hunch you’ve been conned. You’ll never let that happen again, right? Now, with that fear still lingering, the thought of the Athlean-X Wolverine Beastmode Workout Program promising maximum growth in only 30 days might make you a bit skeptical. And rightfully so. But before you shun this routine as “too good to be true” without giving ‘er a go, let’s quickly review what it’s all about. Let Me Be Honest With You First… What’s up? My name’s Kyle. I ..read more

Key Takeaways It’s estimated that the average deadlift weight for novice lifters is around 173 pounds. There are various factors that’ll influence your deadlift weight standards, including your height, bone length, and core strength. You don’t need to deadlift in order to gain muscle, but it is handy. Whenever you’re asked a question about averages or estimates, all the relevant information should be taken with a grain of salt. How much weight you can move will depend on a host of factors, including your height, core strength, and even bone length. That said, on average, most males can dead ..read more

Beachbody On Demand is home to dozens of streamable workout programs for just about every fitness goal, experience level, and time commitment imaginable. But none of its 40+ programs create a decade-long buzz quite like these three: Tony Horton’s P90X Shaun T’s Insanity Sagi Kalev’s Body Beast Each of these best-selling Beachbody programs sculpts a more aesthetic physique through near-daily high-intensity training. Yet, between these three programs, which is better? Let’s find out! The Background on P90X P90X is Tony Horton’s 2005 Beachbody program, which later inspired his more athletic p ..read more

Key Takeaways If your body fat is <14% and you want to gain muscle, choose Jim Stoppani’s Shortcut to Size. For a body fat of <16% with a goal of building strength, select his Shortcut to the Strength program. When your body fat is >15% with the goal of losing weight, you’re better off with the Shortcut to Shred program. Jim Stoppani might not look like your average fitness or muscle growth expert, but trust me — the guy knows a thing or two. Jim Stoppani, Ph.D., has worked for Bodybuilding.com for years and created quite a few different workout programs, most of which are called ..read more

A good leg workout is a must in your exercise program. Great legs don’t just make the boys (and girls, according to my mother) swoon, but healthy and strong legs will also be vital in your aging process. Planet Fitness offers various exercise machines for you to use other than the regular free weights. Here’s a look at the best leg machines at PF: Best Leg Machines at Planet Fitness Leg Press Machine The leg press machine can be used as an alternative to the regular squat. Despite what folks might want you to believe, you don’t have to squat throughout your fitness journey. You can use the se ..read more

A big ‘ol chest is not something easily gained (insert that one image of Arnold Schwarzenegger here). Training the chest can be done only with machines as, despite what you would’ve heard from your local meathead, you don’t need dumbbells. Here’s how to train your chest at Planet Fitness using machines! Best Chest Machines at Planet Fitness Smith Machine The Smith machine is one of the best machines you can use — period. You have the ability to change the angle of the back, which means the chest press will be able to train the upper, middle, or lower chest! Bonus: You can even train the overh ..read more

Shoulders not only give you presence in a crowd but are also essential for longevity and basically every single function of your arms. Some machines at Planet Fitness are specifically designed for shoulder training, while others can be used for the delts as well as other muscles. Let’s take a look at some of the best ones and how to put them in a workout. Best Shoulder Machines at Planet Fitness Smith Machine Many don’t like the premise of the Smith Machine, seeing as it takes some of the stability out of the equation. While this is true, was the last time you heard someone exclaim, “DAMN! My ..read more

Key Takeaways You don’t need a squat rack in order to squat, as there are many squat rack alternatives (i.e., belt squats, hack squats, and goblet squat variations). Instead, you’ll focus on dumbbell squats and other exercises. Any movement pattern that causes knee and hip flexion can be a squat alternative exercise. What are you supposed to do if you have no squat rack? Dilemma… During COVID, a friend and I loaded our barbells onto fortified bins and stacks of wooden pallets — about as good as we could do at that point. However, there are many alternative squat exercises you can use to dev ..read more

You’ve most likely seen Vince Sant’s videos on YouTube. Or Instagram. Or Facebook. Or even on your fridge. The marketing team over at V Shred are the kind of people you’d hire to overthrow a country. These same people went on to create a supplement line called SCULPT Nation, with products ranging from your typical fat-burning supplements to anti-inflammatory ones. But are they actually any good? In case you didn’t know, Vince Sant — the owner of V Shred — has come under fire from just about everyone in the fitness industry for lying to clients and the public about what he does and how he does ..read more