Are you ready to double your muscle mass? A good place to look for the best tricks in building a killer body is to professional athletes. Those pros have access to the most knowledgeable trainers and coaches in the world- their bodies are machines and people invest a ton of money and time 
into making sure they are getting the best workout possible. Below are some of the best tips to really ramp up your muscle routine if you want to get results like the professional athletes get…but without the million dollar contracts (sorry!).
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How did the Red Sox’ Jason Varitek become such a threat on the ball field? Talent, to be sure, but only in tandem with a wicked-hard work ethic. I know, because I’ve seen him in action–not just behind the plate, but at Athletes’ Performance, my training facility in Tempe, Arizona. Jason and some of his teammates work out there in the off-season to build the strength they’ll need for a 162-game schedule, plus several more games in October.
These pros push each other. You should try it, too. A training partner can motivate you, challenge you, and hold you accountable.
• Men who train with a partner bench-press more than those who train alone, according to research from Arizona State University.
• A training partner can watch and correct your form to help protect you from injury.
• Friendly competition keeps workouts fresh and pushes you to elevate your game.
• The pressure to be there for a teammate makes you less likely to skip out on a workout.
First, you need a partner. Approach a friend, coworker, or fellow gym member and propose a realistic training schedule. Even if you can fit in only a couple of sessions a week, it’ll be enough to build the partnership and encourage you to work harder on the other days. Once you’re armed with an extra pair of biceps, incorporate the following partner-assisted exercises into your training routine or perform them as a full-body workout. Consider it spring training for an all-star body.
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To begin…
Get a workout partner! Working out with a friend is a long time proven effective tool for people trying to lose weight, but can also be highly useful when strength training. Pros use training partners for motivation, accountability, and the element of competition really pushes you to do your best- after all, who want to look like a wuss in front of their buddies? Studies even back up this theory by showing that men who work out bench-press more weight than their loner counterparts. Having a gym buddy can also save you from injury as they can spot you and help to correct imperfect posture or incorrect use of the equipment.
We think you should try to turn training into a friendly competition with a group of your friends. Heck, go ahead and put money on it and turn it into a full blown spring training like program. You might be shocked to learn how many of your guy friends you’re actually helping by coordinating a team of gym buddies.
Watch this video about weight lifting with a friend…
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Seated Medicine-Ball Throw
You lie faceup on the floor with your back flat and your knees bent, holding a 6-pound medicine ball. Extend your arms beyond your head so the ball is just above the floor. Your partner sits 5 to 10 feet in front of you with his feet flat on the floor, knees bent, and arms straight overhead so he’s ready to catch your pass.
THE MOVE: Keeping your arms straight, curl your body up and throw the ball to your partner’s hands. Remain in the sitting position. After he catches the ball, he should slowly lower himself to the floor, then explosively throw the ball back to you. Keep your feet planted at all times as you toss the ball back and forth. Aim for two or three sets of eight to 20 repetitions.
GET BETTER: As this becomes easy, add repetitions and sets, use a heavier medicine ball, or sit on a Swiss ball or the front edge of a Bosu Balance Trainer.
Seated Medicine-Ball Rotation
You sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat, and lean back (chest up, stomach tight, spine straight) at a 45-degree angle from the floor. Maintain this angle throughout. Your partner stands on your toes, holding a medicine ball.
THE MOVE: Have your partner lob the ball toward the outside of your left hip. Catch the ball with your arms straight and rotate your torso to the left to nearly touch the ball to the floor. Quickly reverse the motion to throw the ball back to your partner, who should catch it and throw it to your right side. Rotate from side to side with your shoulders, not just your arms. Try two or three sets of eight to 20 repetitions.
Back-Extension Throw
You lie across a 45-degree hyperextension bench, tucking your ankles securely under the footpads. Your thighs should lie flat against the pad in front, leaving you enough room to bend at the waist without restriction. Keep your knees unlocked. Your partner stands a few feet away with a 6-pound medicine ball.
THE MOVE: Have your partner throw the medicine ball just above your head. Catch it, and slowly lower yourself with perfect posture until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Then explosively contract your glutes, hamstrings, and arms to throw the ball underhand back to your partner. Repeat for two or three sets of six to 12 repetitions.
EZ-Curl-Bar Biceps Challenge
You set up an EZ-curl bar or barbell with a weight that challenges both you and your training partner. Your partner stands facing you.
THE MOVE: Perform a set of 10 curls in a 3-0-1 tempo (3 seconds down, no rest, 1 second up). Then, instead of setting the bar down, hand it to your partner so he can do 10 reps. Hand it back and forth for nine repetitions, then eight, and so on. After you work your way down until you’ve each done a single repetition with the bar, place it on the floor, rest for 30 seconds, and try another set. Work up to three sets of this routine.
Kneeling Hamstring Curl
You kneel on a folded towel or a stack of three exercise mats, with your toes pulled toward your shins. Keep your hands in front of your chest. Your partner sits behind you, facing your back, pressing down on your lower legs with his hands.
THE MOVE: Keep your abs tight, chest up, and hips forward so your body forms a straight line from your ears to your knees. Maintain this posture as you lower your torso toward the floor while resisting gravity with your hamstrings and calves. Control the range of motion as far as you can, catch yourself with your hands, then push off the floor to assist your hamstrings and glutes in pulling you back up to the starting position. Repeat for two or three sets of three to 10 repetitions.
GET BETTER: When you’ve mastered this, do it like Varitek: He holds a 25-pound plate on his chest, touches his chest to the floor, then pulls himself back up for three sets of six to eight repetitions.
Leg Circuit Race
You race against the clock and your partner to pump up your legs. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Your partner stands off to the side and waits for his turn.
THE MOVE: Start by doing 20 body-weight squats, lowering your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor, at a rate of one squat per second. Next, perform 10 forward lunges with each leg, then 10 lunges to the side with each leg. (Again, aim for one rep per second.) Finally, do 10 squat jumps–push off explosively so your feet leave the floor at the top of the move. Try to complete this routine in 75 seconds. Do one to three sets, either head-to-head with your partner or alternating sets to see who’s more fit.
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What the above exercises have to offer…
The moves mentioned in this article are meant to take you to the next level. By following this routine, you will really be getting a very well rounded workout that increases strength, performance, stamina- and of course muscle mass!
Are you going to work this tips into your workout?
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