FITNESS REVIEWS AND IMAGES: Sculpted

New Exercise and Fitness Review

Bodybuilding.com athlete Samantha Leete has something to admit: “My training right now is kind of kooky,” she says. “I just switched over to a two-a-day program in which I train for strength in the morning and follow that up with a growth-focused hypertrophy session in the afternoon.”

For this fitness model, who has always considered herself an “8-reps-or-higher kind of girl,” the morning sessions have taken some getting used to. “This is the first time I’ve done true strength training, where you work in a super-low rep range and lift heavy enough to only push out 3-5 reps max,” she says. “I was curious how this kind of training would shape my body differently, so I thought, why not test the waters and give it a try?”

Samantha’s morning strength workouts are based on compound movements—things like snatches, power cleans, pull-ups, squats, deadlifts, and push presses. “I alternate between upper and lower body depending on the day, and I pick 3-4 moves and build up to a very heavy weight,” she says. “I can’t get more than 3-4 reps most times, and sometimes I push until I reach my 2-rep max. I take longer breaks between my sets to fully recover, then go at it again.”

While she uses her mornings to try something new, Samantha still lifts to sculpt her muscles in the afternoon. “I stick to a 10-15 rep range and focus on areas I want to bring up—mainly my legs, back, shoulders, and arms,” she says.

A photo posted by Samantha Ann Leete (@samanthaannleete) on Jul 2, 2014 at 10:03pm PDT

Leete still lifts heavy, and adjusts as needed. “If I find myself surpassing that 15-rep mark, I take things up a notch and use a heavier weight,” she adds. This, paired with short, sweet rest periods of no more than 30 seconds, makes her workouts cardiovascular and saves her from endless treadmill plodding.

“These workouts also give me a great pump,” Leete says. “I especially love this arm workout, which is crazy effective for sculpting your bis and tris.”

Seated Concentration Curl

Samantha’s Weekly
Training Split

AM (Strength)

Monday: Upper Body

Tuesday: Lower Body

Wednesday: Off

Thursday: Upper Body

Friday: Lower Body

Saturday: Off

Sunday:Off

PM (Hypertrophy)

Monday: Shoulders

Tuesday: Legs

Wednesday: Off

Thursday: Back

Friday: Arms

Saturday: Off

Sunday:Off

Build Amazing Arms

Whether you’re looking to train for strength or hypertrophy, this is the perfect arm workout. It’s great to do when the gym is super busy and all the machines and cables are occupied. All you need is a set of dumbbells, a small cambered barbell, and a flat bench. With those tools, you’re good to go.

“I recommend warming up for about five minutes with your choice of cardio,” Samantha says. “It’s good to get your blood moving, shake off the day, and settle into the idea of training. I usually opt for a jog on the treadmill. Once you’re warm, set up your little corner and begin.”

E-Leete Tip

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Samantha Leete"s Sculpted Arm Workout!

New Exercise and Fitness Review

A developed back is essential for a well-rounded physique.

With all the focus on arms, abs, and glutes, many women often overlook the importance of building a sculpted back. Mirror muscles are quick to get all the glory, but a developed back is essential for a well-rounded physique. You wouldn’t want one leg to be stronger than the other or one biceps to have a bigger peak; it’s just as important that the back of your body is as developed as the front.

Because it’s composed of so many major muscle groups—including everything from the lats and traps to the delts—the back is a highly intense area to train, which is even more reason to include it in your weekly rotation. Lucky for you, Neon athlete and WBFF fitness diva Ashley Hoffmann has the art of building a sculpted back down to a science.

Building the back is as much about balance as it is about actually lifting. The right amount of horizontal movements combined with vertical movements will fine-tune your physique and bring out the definition you crave.

Here’s Ashley’s workout advice for a body that will make others do a double take when you walk into, around, and out of a room.

1 Don’t Make A Mind-Muscle Mistake

The first mistake most people make when training back is not fully targeting the muscle they’re working by neglecting the mind-muscle connection. “If you can’t feel the contraction in your back, lighten the weight, focus on form, and drive with your elbows,” Ashley explains. “The last thing you want to do is just go through the motion or focus solely on heavy weight.”

If you are lifting too heavy, it’ll be hard to really feel the specific muscles you’re targeting because you’ll be recruiting other muscles to assist. Don’t let your ego get in the way of progress. Very often, getting the best and most challenging back workout actually means dropping 5-10 pounds on the bar.

A photo posted by Ashley Hoffmann WBFF Pro???? (@missashleysarina) on May 2, 2014 at 9:24am PDT

2 Perfect Your Form

Next, take steps to ensure your form is perfect. When you’re training back in general, and specifically training bent-over back exercises, “think chest up and shoulders back, while keeping a small but tight arch in your lower back,” Ashley says.

Failing to maintain this position might also force other muscles to come into action that shouldn’t be assisting the movement, taking the focus off target muscles. Sometimes maintaining good form can be made easier with a few cues and some good imagery.

“Sometimes people think they need to be pulling the weight toward them, so they end up using their biceps to bring most of the weight down and don’t feel much of anything in their back ,” says Ashley. “I like to imagine my hands as hooks, which are helping pull the bar down by driving with my elbows. Think of putting the biceps to ‘sleep’ and you’ll get more out of every back workout.”

3 Squeeze During Every Rep

When training back, Ashley also likes to keep her entire body tight and squeeze at the peak contraction of every rep. If you’re struggling with good form, she emphasizes control and contraction: “If you’re worried about form, lighten the weight up and focus on holding the contraction,” she says. “Squeeze the muscle and control the negative movement as you return to the starting position after each rep.”

A photo posted by Ashley Hoffmann WBFF Pro???? (@missashleysarina) on Jun 16, 2014 at 9:31am PDT

4 Avoid Momentum

A big mistake many people make when training back is letting momentum take over the movement pattern. The minute you’re swinging the weight up or down, even to the smallest degree, is the minute you’re moving away from results.

Using momentum to move the load will simply set you up for injury, not better gains. Momentum often becomes a problem if you’re lifting with your ego. Once again, the best remedy here is to lighten the load and focus on controlling the movement through all portions of the lift. Remember that both the concentric (lifting) and eccentric (lowering) phases count as far as building lean muscle is concerned.

5 Utilize Multiple Implements

Finally, to get the most from every session, attack your back with a variety of implements and movement patterns. For instance, in Ashley’s workout below, you’ll see she uses barbells and dumbbells, as well as her own body weight, in an effort to build a fully functional, aesthetic back. Each mode of resistance training offers unique benefits that will help take your physique and progress further.

A photo posted by Ashley Hoffmann WBFF Pro???? (@missashleysarina) on Feb 2, 2014 at 7:44pm PST

Back to the Front

Don’t ever let your workout grow stagnant. Keep mixing it up and trying new exercises as you make progress. If you’re in need of something new, channel your inner Ashley Hoffmann and take a swing at her favorite back workout.