For some men, having biceps that literally tear and stretch their t-shirts is an indicator of peak physical fitness.

Unlike the chest and the back, your biceps muscles are one of the main areas of the body that will spend most of the time on show. So naturally, you’re going to want them to look as big and seductive as possible.

That, of course, requires dedicating some serious hours to the gym and lifting weights. You can’t just get by in life building natural muscle from everyday menial tasks like brushing your teeth, throwing a ball, or anything else you can think of doing with your dominant arm, after all.

Fortunately today, with so many fitness experts and high-profile celebrities needing to stay in shape – hello Chris Hemsworth’s superhuman arms – there is literally an entire world of knowledge when it comes to effective bicep workouts.

But as with anything in fitness, there is most definitely a right and a wrong way to do things. Perform bicep exercises correctly, and you’ll see some serious muscle growth in no time at all. However, fail to adhere to proper form and technique, and you could well end up tearing the muscle or just not seeing any muscle growth at all.

Fortunately for you, we’ve put together this definitive list of the top bicep workouts for men to add to their gym program. They make use of various pieces of equipment that should be commonplace in any gym, meaning your quest for bigger arms can finally have an end goal.

Looking for further workout inspiration? Check out our complete guide to workouts for men here.

But first, time for a biology session for the best bicep workouts for men.

What Are The Bicep Muscles?

This probably doesn’t need much explaining, as we’re sure all of you know what the biceps are. The biceps – or biceps brachii – is the large muscle group at the front of your upper arm. Split into two parts – long head and short head – the biceps slot in between the shoulder and the elbow, and both heads actually stem from the scapula. The biceps work across three joints, but their main function is to flex the elbow, in turn supinating (moving) the forearm.

Bicep Workouts With Dumbbells

You may think you already know some of the best bicep workouts to be performed, and that may certainly be true. Some others, however, may not have realised that the biceps are split into two parts, and so wonder why their arms still aren’t busting out of their tops. You need to train both muscle heads equally in order to see some serious growth.

Bicep Curls

Otherwise known as “my first bicep workout”, the bicep curl is the quintessential bicep workout that we’ve likely all performed at some point in time. Whether it be with free weights, groceries, some books or the cat, bicep curls are a surefire way to pack on some muscle.

How to perform this bicep exercise: The most effective way to perform bicep curls is to stand upright with your elbows close to your body and with your hands shoulder-width apart. Taking a dumbbell in each hand, alternate curling each arm at the elbow joint, ensuring you don’t arch your back or swing your arms to complete the rep, and exhaling your breath as you curl, too. When you can’t complete a full rep, it’s time to put the weight down and rest, before completing another set.

Too often guys will swing their arms to help give some extra momentum to complete the rep, but this takes tension away from the bicep muscle itself, thereby doing practically nothing for your gains. If you’re finding you do have to swing your arms to curl the dumbbells fully, you should consider dropping the weight. It’s far better to complete proper, full reps with a lighter weight, than to perform them incorrectly using heavy weight. Leave your ego at the door.

Another common mistake people make is curling their arms far too quickly. With any lift or muscle movement, tempo is key. Moving slowly provides much greater benefits to the muscle group being worked, because it forces that group to hold the load for longer.

Sets: 3 to 4 sets with 8 to 12 reps per set (or per arm, if alternating)
Tempo: 2 seconds up, 2 seconds down

Incline Dumbbell Curl

The incline dumbbell curl is another bicep workout classic and is a great one for torching the longer head of the biceps muscle. Introducing an incline – you’ll need an incline bench – sees your arms having to work against a greater deficit than when you’re standing, meaning they need to work harder.

How to perform: You’ll likely find that you’re not able to lift the same weight with an incline dumbbell curl as when you’re bicep curling standing – whether it’s using dumbbells or performing a barbell curl – which is totally normal. Drop the weight, and you’ll be able to perform the incline dumbbell curl far more effectively.

Set your bench to a 45-degree angle and, as with the standing bicep curls, keep your elbows close to your body. With a dumbbell in each hand, you can opt to either curl both arms at the same time, or alternate. Whichever option you choose, make sure to keep the tempo slow and ensure you fully straighten your arms back to the starting position before completing another curl.

Sets: 3 to 4 sets with 8 to 12 reps per set (or per arm if alternating)
Tempo: 2 seconds up, 2 seconds down

Bicep Workouts For Size

Dumbbell Hammer Curl

As we said earlier, you need to work all areas of the biceps muscle if you want your arms to look thick. Enter, the hammer curl. Performed in the exact same way as a bicep curl, the hammer curl simply sees you rotating the dumbbell onto its side, so you’re holding it in a neutral grip (palms facing inward).

How to perform: Stand in a normal position and take a dumbbell in each hand, and hold them with your palms facing inward. Start with the dumbbells down by your side and then lift them up, bending at the elbow. Make sure you keep your upper arms close to your body at all times, and keep them static, the only movement you want to see is in your forearm.

You only need to lift your arms until your forearm is at a right angle, or slightly higher, and once you do reach the top of the movement, you can hold for a second or two to really feel the tension in your biceps.

Return the dumbbells to the starting position to complete one rep. You can choose to alternate each arm if you wish, but it will probably be easier to curl both arms at the same time.

Sets: 3 to 4 sets with 8 to 12 reps per set
Tempo: 2 seconds up, 2 seconds down

Concentration Curl

Another variation of the bicep curl is the concentration curl, which requires you to, well, concentrate…or at least, look like you are. The concentration curl is a seated movement, because you need to rest your elbow on your knee – and subsequently end up looking like August Rodin’s The Thinker statue. This helps to isolate the biceps muscles, causing it to receive greater levels of tension, and in turn, causing it to become stronger – plus, they’ll give you serious bicep peaks.

How to perform this bicep exercise: To perform the concentration curl, sit on a bench and rest whichever arm you choose on the leg of the same side and let the weight hang down naturally. Then, as with other bicep curl variations, curl the weight up at the elbow, keeping the tempo (and your breathing) slow and controlled. Repeat for the alternate arm.

Sets: 3 to 4 sets with 8 to 10 reps per set
Tempo: 3 seconds up, 1 second won

EZ Bar Curl

A lot of guys may flock to the regular barbell curl to perform some bicep exercises, but the EZ bar is where it’s at. Similar to a barbell, but with kinks in it, otherwise known as an undulating handle (if your gym doesn’t have EZ bars for some reason, then a barbell is still perfectly fine to use). An EZ bar makes it easier to lift heavier loads and can stimulate greater muscle activation in the biceps muscle. Which is what you want.

How to perform: To perform the EZ bar curl, hold it with palms facing up – or with an underhand grip – and with your arms straight down in front of you. Curl the bar from the elbow joint, lifting slowly and keeping your breathing under control. You want to curl until your hands reach your shoulders and squeeze the biceps at the top of the moment. You can hold here for a couple of seconds, while still squeezing, before lowering the bar back down slowly.

Sets: 3 sets with 10 to 12 reps per set
Tempo: 2 seconds up, 2 seconds down

Overhead Cable Curl

One of the most vainglorious biceps exercises for men is the overhead cable curl. This movement requires the use of a cable machine stack, with a handle on either side of your body. If there is a mirror nearby, then it offers the perfect opportunity to really see your biceps shine. Best of all, it’s a great exercise for building up those bicep peaks.

How to perform this bicep exercise: With a cable machine either side of you, set the pulleys to around shoulder height, or one notch above. Attach a D-ring to both pulleys and grab both with an underhand grip. Once in this position, you’ll soon understand why this biceps exercise can also be known as the crucifix curl.

With your weight set (start low so you can suss out how easy or difficult it is) curl your hands towards your ears, bending at the elbow. Your upper arm should stay parallel with the floor during the movement. Once your hands reach your ears, hold for a second or two, before slowly returning to the starting position to complete one rep.

Because the overhead cable curl is one that can be used to increase the size your biceps, you’ll want to perform a higher number of reps and for a high number of sets, to enter a hypertrophy state. With this in mind, it’s far better to keep the weight light and manageable, so that you can complete all reps effectively.

Sets: 4 sets with 10 to 12 reps per set
Tempo: 3 seconds curling, 2 second return

Bicep Workouts For Mass

Zottman Curl

The Zottman Curl is one of those bicep exercises that probably gets overlooked far too much. It’s an absolute weapon of a movement and one you should definitely be including in your program because it works all three major parts of the biceps muscle (along with your forearm). Despite it’s confusing sounding name, it’s an incredibly simple movement to master, too.

How to perform: Perform this bicep exercise by standing in the same starting position as a regular bicep curl – arms shoulder width apart and palms facing up – lift the dumbbells in the same way, i.e. curling at the elbow joint and lifting slowly. When you reach the top of the movement, rotate the dumbbells around so that your palms are facing down.

Then, lower the dumbbells in the same slow manner until your arms are straight. It’s important you keep the downward movement slow too, as doing so will ensure your forearms receive some tension too, which will ultimately give you stronger, bulkier arms.

Sets: 3 to 4 sets with 10 to 12 reps per set
Tempo: 3 seconds up, 3 seconds down

Bicep Cable Curl

Moving away from free weights and on to cables, the bicep cable curl is another great variation to add into your routine. A cable machine is particularly effective because they provide constant tension to whichever muscle group you’re working. You can also employ the use of various attachments to help work other areas of the biceps, such as attaching a rope to perform cable hammer curls.

How to perform: To perform the bicep cable curl, make sure you’re using the bar attachment and have the pulley set so that it is by your feet. In a similar fashion to the other bicep curl movements, keep your elbows close to your body and curl the bar upwards, keeping the tempo slow and controlled.

Hold and squeeze the biceps at the top of the movement, before slowly lowering back to the starting position. You may the bicep cable curl slightly harder than a regular barbell curl, and this is because of the aforementioned extra tension.

Sets: 4 sets with 8 to 10 reps per set
Tempo: 3 seconds up, 2 seconds down

Reverse EZ Bar/Barbell Curl

If you really want to improve your grip strength while helping to increase your overall arm size, you need to add some reverse curls into your program. In doing so, this improved grip and strength will allow you to lift heavier weights when performing regular bicep exercises. You can perform reverse curls using either an EZ bar or a straight barbell, but remember, you won’t be able to lift the same as when you’re performing a regular curl movement.

How to perform: To perform reverse curls bicep exercise, stand with your arms shoulder width apart and grab the bar with an overhand grip (if you’re using an EZ bar, grip the downward-sloping parts). Then, curl in a similar way to regular bicep curls.

Keep your elbows close to your body and curl your arms upwards, slowly, until your hands reach your shoulders. Hold and squeeze at the top of the movement before lowering back down to the starting position.

Sets: 3 to 4 sets with 10 to 12 reps per set
Tempo: 2 seconds up, 2 seconds down

Preacher Curl

The preacher curl is another excellent biceps exercise that is well worth adding into your routine, because it pretty much guarantees bigger biceps. Make no mistake, this isn’t a replacement exercise for some of the other must-do biceps exercises on this list, but it’s one that complements them massively.

Unfortunately, you can’t really perform preacher curls without a preacher bench, so you’re going to have to get yourself a gym membership if you don’t have one already. A preacher bench sees your arms angled and isolated at around 45-degrees.

You then have the option of choosing your piece of equipment to perform your bicep curls. You can use dumbbells, an EZ bar or a barbell. As with the incline dumbbell curl, you’ll want to start off with a lighter weight than you’d expect, because of how the bench isolates your arms – you have less leverage and your biceps muscles become the real star of the show.

How to perform: To perform this bicep exercise, sit at the preacher bench so that your armpits are touching the top and holding the weight using an underhand grip. Curl the bar or dumbbells up slowly until your hands reach your shoulders, and then slowly return them to the starting position.

It’s important to keep the rest of your body still and solid during the movement. Some people may find they stand up slightly to help provide some extra momentum, but this does away with all your hard work.

Sets: 3 sets with 8 to 10 reps per set
Tempo: 3 seconds up, 2 seconds down

Chin-Up

So often a test of a man’s strength, the chin-up is an exercise you should really be adding to your workout program. Plus, not only does it work your biceps, but you get the added benefit of working other major upper body muscle groups such as the shoulders and your upper back.

How to perform: Standing facing a chin-up bar or handles, have your palms facing towards you – otherwise known as an underhand grip or supinated grip – and your arms shoulder width apart. Ensure your arms are at full length and pull yourself up. Sounds easy, but it can be easy to do it wrong. Imagine forcing your elbows into the ground and you should find you’ll be putting the most work on the biceps.

Read Next

• Your Arms Will Never Be The Same Again After This ‘Hemsworth Approved’ Bicep Workout
• Hugh Jackman’s New Workout Could Be Your Ticket To Wolverine Arm Strength

The post Best Bicep Workouts For Men 2022 appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Qantas has announced the order of 12 new A350s, helping it bring its ambitious ‘Project Sunrise’ project to fruition. The project, which Qantas announced this morning has been given the green light, involves bringing Australians direct flights to London and New York from Sydney. Qantas said today these flights will launch in 2025.

Qantas also announced a domestic fleet renewal will be taking place from late 2023, including an order for 40 more A321XLRs and A220 aircraft and 94 purchase order rights spread over at least a decade.

Australia’s flagship airline said the new aircraft would have fewer emissions, a smaller running cost and greater passenger comfort than the old aircraft that are going to be retired.

Qantas claims these changes will reshape its international and domestic networks over the next decade and beyond, “improve[ing] journeys for millions of people every year, and create[ing] over 1,000 jobs as well as many career progression opportunities at the national carrier.”

Qantas’ domestic project is called ‘Project Winton.’ It involves a renewal of its narrow body jets. To achieve this, Qantas has ordered 20 Airbus A321XLRs and 20 A220-300s to gradually replace its Boeing 737s and 717s.

The A321XLRs are five metres longer than the outgoing 737s and will be configured to seat 200 people (20 in business, 180 in economy), which is a 15 per cent increase on the old jets (with no reduction in space between seats).

These jets can also fly about 3,000km further than the 737, so they will open up a wider range of direct domestic and short-haul international routes (well hello there, Pacific Islands…).

Qantas says the first of these A321XLRs and A220-300s will start to arrive late next year. The order includes purchase right options for another 94 aircraft for delivery through to at least 2034.

‘Project Winston’ will give passengers more choice of flights at different times of day.

As for Project Sunrise, Qantas has big international plans – and an aircraft order to make them happen. The main news is that 12 Airbus A350-1000s will be ordered to operate non-stop ‘Project Sunrise’ flights from Australia to other cities including New York and London.

Qantas says these aircraft will have cutting edge comfort in every travel class. Qantas also says that services for these jets are scheduled to start by the end of 2025 from Sydney.

The Project Sunrise jets carry 238 passengers across four classes (First, Business, Premium Economy, Economy). And if you are a fan of business class and premium economy, there’s good news: more than 40 per cent of the cabin is dedicated to premium seating.

The primary goal of ‘Project Sunrise,’ however, is reducing how long it takes to get to London and New York.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said: “New types of aircraft make new things possible. That’s what makes today’s announcement so significant for the national carrier and for a country like Australia where air travel is crucial.”

“It’s the last frontier and the final fix for the tyranny of distance.”

Alan Joyce

“Throughout our history, the aircraft we’ve flown have defined the era we’re in. The 707 introduced the jet age, the 747 democratised travel and the A380 brought a completely new level of comfort. The A350 and Project Sunrise will make any city just one flight away from Australia.”

• World’s Longest Non-Stop Flight Is Good News For Sydney Residents
• Qantas Project Sunrise Is Still Happening

The post Qantas Green-Lights Its Most Ambitious Plan Yet appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Keanu Reeves is arguably one of the best actors on the planet. He’s beloved for his iconic roles as Neo in The Matrix tetralogy and as the titular character in the John Wick series.

Considering Reeves is so popular, it’s actually rather surprising that he hasn’t yet appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which is currently the biggest and most successful film franchise in the world.

Although, it looks like Reeves could be soon joining the cast that already boasts heavyweights Chris Hemsworth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Ruffalo and Samuel L. Jackson, just to name a few. Cue, excitement.

According to Giant Freakin Robot, Reeves will appear in an upcoming MCU film – not an MCU series like WandaVision or Moon Knight.

RELATED: How All The MCU Films & Series Connect

Which film, exactly, remains a secret though.

Looking at the list of upcoming MCU films, Reeves could appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, The Marvels, Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantamania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Fantastic Four, Captain America 4, or some other future MCU project that has not yet been announced.

There apparently won’t be any confirmation by Marvel Studios about Reeves’ casting though (similar to how fans were absolutely stunned when Harry Styles appeared as Eros at the end of Eternals as Marvel Studios never announced that Styles had been cast).

Reportedly, Marvel Studios wants to keep Reeves’ involvement in the MCU as secret as possible and will be extra careful to make sure what character the veteran actor is playing (as well as when and in what film he’ll make his debut), is not revealed to the public.

Fingers crossed it’s sooner rather than later.

• Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool May Appear In Doctor Strange 2
• The DCEU Will Never Be As Good As The MCU Unless It Does This…

The post Keanu Reeves Reportedly Cast In ‘Secret’ Marvel Movie appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Looking for a complete guide to chest workouts? Look no further.

With the unofficial international chest day falling on a Monday for both amateur and veteran gym-goers alike, big and distinct chest muscles are the akin to the Holy Grail. Even if you’ve never stepped foot in a gym, you will know of the notorious bench press, one of the most commonly performed chest exercises in any well-rounded gym program.

But, any Tom, Dick and Harry can weigh in with suggestions as to what they think are the best chest exercises to help you get huge. But at the same time, because there are so many, sticking to the ones you believe to work, or forming any sort of routine, can often be easier said than done.

Whether you’re a fitness newbie who simply doesn’t like what they see in the mirror each morning, and is in need of a starting point, or you’re a veteran gym rat who believes they know every chest exercise under the sun, it can always be handy to have some extra guidance.

Which is where we come in. We’ve rounded up the definitive list of chest exercises and chest workouts you need to be integrating into your weekly gym routine if you want any chance of filling out those shirts of yours and being able to have bragging rights over how much you bench.

Looking for further workout inspiration? Check out our complete guide to workouts for men here.

What Are The Chest Muscles?

Officially known as the pectoral muscles – or “pecs” as you would have most likely have heard – are the most prominent muscles on the front of the body that team up with the bones of the upper arm the shoulder.

The pectoral muscles comprise pectoralis major, the larger of the pecs, that is used to help manoeuvre, i.e. flex, extend and rotate, the humerus (the long bone found in the upper arm, for those who skipped biology class). Pectoralis minor, meanwhile, is a smaller muscle that attaches itself to your ribs. This muscle is used to help stabilise your shoulders.

Elsewhere in the anatomy of the chest muscles, you have the pectoral fascia, which as its name suggests, is a thin layer of tissue that covers the pectoralis major and extends round the latissimus dorsi muscle – “lats” – on your back.

These chest muscles and more can all be targeted with various exercises to build up both their size and strength, and a well-rounded chest workout should hit them all, resulting in an enviable set of pecs.

What Are The Main Movements Of The Chest Muscles?

Personal trainer Luke Andrew tells DMARGE, “Functionally speaking, your chest has 3 main movements and if we choose to include these into our training, we can get a deeper contraction and better activation. Try these movements with your right hand and place your left hand on your right chest and see if you can feel these contractions.”

• Flexion of the Arm i.e. bring your right arm from your side up so it parallels with the ground
• Medial Rotation of the Arm i.e. with your arm up, try rotating your arm inwards/medially so your palm goes from facing inside to facing the ground
• Abduction of the Armi.e. now try to bring your arm across your body as if you were performing a cable crossover movement

“You should be able to feel an increase in tension in your chest and hence by sneaking in these functional movements even in small amounts, we’ll be able to get better chest recruitment and make your workouts more functional.”

Best Upper Chest Exercises & Workouts

Incline Bench Press

An incline bench press (on an incline of around 45 degrees) is more effective at targeting the upper chest and front side of the shoulders.

How to perform: Lie down on a flat bench with a barbell set at shoulder height and ensure your hand grip is facing away from you – overhand grip – and with your hands set at wider than shoulder width.

Push yourself into the bench, as opposed to letting your arms do the work. Breathe out as you press both arms up and squeeze your chest as you get to the top before slowly returning back to the starting position. Count to three or four as you lower the bar.

To progress with the bench press, add weight and/or slow down the movement so your muscles are under tension a little longer.

Sets: 3 to 5 with 8 to 10 reps per set
Tempo: 2 seconds pushing up, 2-3 seconds bringing back to starting position.

High Cable Fly

The cable fly is a great chest workout to target your pecs and delts without having to press, adding a new stimulus and variety, ideal for getting results.

How to perform: Using a cable machine, make sure the pulley is up high and ensure the hand stirrups are attached. Take one handle in each hand and outstretch your arms with a slight bend.

Make sure you have a leading foot forward, brace your core and then pull the weight down and across your body, squeezing your chest at the end of the movement. With control, slowly release your arms back to the starting position and repeat.

To progress, simply add more weight.

Sets: 4 to 5 sets with 10 to 12 reps per set
Tempo: Fast, 1 second push out, 2 second return

Kneeling Two Arm Landmine Press

A landmine press is another incredibly effective chest exercise that some may find far easier to perform, since they take away some of the stress associated with other chest workouts.

How to perform: You’ll need to make sure your gym has the right equipment for a landmine press. You’ll need a barbell for starters, and a plate on the floor that can accept one end of the bar. You can attempt them with the bar pushed into a corner, but be careful it doesn’t slip.

Kneel down on one knee, keeping your upper body nice and tall with a neutral spine. Your shoulders and hips should be stacked on top of each other in alignment with the knee that is on the ground.

Place both hands on the end of the barbell, push upwards so the bar is over your head, bracing your core and squeezing your chest together. Not only does the landmine press torch your pecs, it also does wonders for your shoulders and triceps too.

Sets: 3 to 4 sets with 10 to 12 reps per set
Tempo: Consistent controlled tempo, 1 to 2 seconds up, 1 to 2 seconds down

Best Lower Chest Workouts

Low Cable Fly

Similar to the cable fly, the low cable fly sees the same handle attachments brought down to the lowest setting on the cable machine. Using this position and bringing your arms up from this position works the lower chest instead.

How to perform this chest exercise: As mentioned, position the handles at the lowest setting on the machine. Grab one handle in each hand with palms facing forward, and put a leading leg forward.

Push your chest out and lock your shoulders down. Bring your arms up, ensuring to keep your elbows as close to your body as possible. Aim to bring your hands as close to each other as possible, and you want to finish at around mid-chest height, so you squeeze the pecs.

Return your hands to the starting position, inhaling as you do. When you repeat the exercise, exhale as you bring your arms up.

Sets: 4 to 5 sets with 10 to 12 reps per set
Tempo: Slow, 3 seconds push out, 3 seconds return

Close Grip Barbell Bench Press

Staying with the barbell, a simple movement of hand placement can help target a different area of the upper chest. A close grip bench press is great for focusing on both your triceps and your chest while putting less strain on your shoulders.

How to perform this chest exercise: For this chest workout, stay lying down with your back at an incline, but have your hands just inside shoulder width apart.

Perform the close grip bench press in the same way as the incline bench press, breathe out as you push up, and bring the bar down slowly. Progression can be adding weight or changing the tempo again. You can also add in some tricep extensions depending on how heavy the bar is as well.

Sets: 3 to 5 sets with 8 to 10 reps per set
Tempo: 2 second push up, 2 second return

Neutral One-Arm Cable Fly

It might look great being able to perform cable flys using both arms, and yes, it can be effective. But, performing chest cable fly exercises using just one arm at a time can help to increase size even further, since doing so provides more time under tension for the chest muscles. Paul Roberts, a fitness trainer at Sand and Steel Fitness says “the fly works much better in the single-arm variation because you can angle your body to achieve much more muscle engagement. The short-range of motion and simplicity of this exercise lends itself nicely to long 90-second sets.”

How to perform this chest exercise: Set the cable pulley to around chest height and stand away from it to take up the slack of the cable. Hold the grip attachment in one hand in a neutral grip. Starting with your arm at around a 30-degree around, pull the handle grip across your body until your arm reaches 90-degrees.

Aim to keep your arm straight throughout the duration of the movement and move it slowly so as to maximise the time under tension delivered to the pec major muscles. Once you reach a 90-degree angle, hold and squeeze your chest, before slowly returning the cable to the starting position.

Sets: 4 sets with 8 to 10 reps per arm, per set
Tempo: 3 seconds pull, 3 seconds return.

Decline Bench Press

The decline bench press is one of the three main bench press exercises you can (and should) perform to help target the entire pec area. You should aim to perform a decline bench press in conjunction with a flat bench press and an incline bench press, if possible.

Muscleandfitness.com cites a study conducted by Wayne State College in Nebraska as saying ” both upper and lower-pec fibers are engaged during decline press (-15 degrees) while only upper-pec fibers are engaged during incline press (+30 degrees).” The takeaway? The decline bench press is an absolute must.

How to perform this chest exercise: The best way to perform the decline bench press is to use a decline bench press station at your gym. If your gym doesn’t have a dedicated station, then you can perform a decline dumbbell bench press using just a muscle bench that has a declining angle.

Alternatively, you can lie down on the floor and bend your knees so that your upper body is on the ground. From here, you can perform a decline dumbbell floor press to get similar results.

But, using a decline bench press station, position the bar so that you can reach it easily from the decline position. Add plate weights if necessary. Unrack the bar and slowly lower it down towards your chest so that it is in line with your nipples. Inhale your breath during this portion of the movement.

Next, push the bar back up to the starting position. You don’t necessarily need to lock out your arms, as having a slight bend will maintain tension on the lower chest muscles. If you do lock out your arms, make sure to squeeze your pecs at the top of the movement. Exhale during the push up.

Repeat for the desired number of reps and sets. If you’re goal is to increase strength, perform low reps with higher weight, but for size, perform higher reps with lower weight.

Sets: 4 sets with 5 to 12 reps per set, depending on goal.
Tempo: 3 seconds down, 1 second up.

Best Chest Workouts For Mass

Chest Dip

Chest dips are not only great for working your chest but also your shoulders, upper back and arms. Why? Because as you lower yourself down into the dip, you fight to stabilise your body which maximises the results.

How to perform: Go to the dip station and grab the bar. Make sure your arms are straight with your palms facing inwards. Slowly lower until your elbows are at right angles. Then drive yourself back up. Make sure you tuck in your core so your body stays tight.

To progress, add reps or if you really want to, add some weight in the form of a weighted vest.

Sets: 3 to 4 sets at maximum reps until failure
Tempo: 2 to 3 seconds lowering down, fast 1 second push up

RELATED: The Ultimate Chris Hemsworth Workout Guide

Barbell Bench Press

The one we all know and love, the barbell bench press. Essentially the same as the incline bench press, this classic chest workout sees you lying down on a flat bench, parallel to the ground. There’s a reason it’s so loved, the barbell bench press is perfect for achieving some serious size in your pecs.

How to perform: Grab the barbell with a overhand grip, ensuring your wrists remain straight and your hands are set to wider than shoulder width apart. Keep your shoulders locked down and bring your feet close to the bench to help give you extra stability and driving force.

Lift the bar off the rack, breathe in as you lower it down to your chest so that it is inline with your nipples. Then, forcing your body and feet into the floor, breathe out and push the bar up. Squeeze your chest when you reach the top of the movement, with your elbows locked out.

To process with the bench press, you can either adds more weights to the bar, perform for a higher number of reps, or add in another set.

Sets: 3 to 5 sets with 8 to 10 reps per set
Tempo: 2 second push up, quick 1 second return

Best Dumbbell Chest Workouts

Dumbbell Bench Press

The dumbbell bench press is another chest workout staple. While not a replacement for the barbell bench press – although decidedly more effective – using a pair of dumbbells does have its advantages. Namely, they allow your arms to go through their full range of motion, allowing greater tension to be placed on more of your chest muscles.

How to perform: As with the bar bench press, the dumbbell bench press can be performed lying down flat, on an inline or on a decline. For the purposes of this description, we’ll be going with the lying down flat variant.

Taking a dumbbell in each hand, lie down on the flat bench with your arms out beside you and a slight bend in your elbow. You may be inclined to have your elbows set at a right angle, but a far more effective position is to have your wrists turned to 45-degrees. You can also adopt a neutral grip – palms facing inward – if you wish.

Press the dumbbells up, keeping the movement slow and controlled and using your planted feet for extra stability. Lower the dumbbells back down and past your shoulders, before pressing up again.

You want to aim to move the dumbbells close to each other as you reach the top of the exercise, but don’t let them touch.

Sets: 3 to 5 sets with 10 to 15 reps per set
Tempo: 2 to 3 seconds push up, 2 second return

Dumbbell Flys

The dumbbell fly offers a great alternative to the bench press, although we would recommend you include both in your chest workout routine. The dumbbell fly is a perfect chest exercise to build size, and to help create a defined separation where your pectorals meet your shoulders. One thing to note when performing the dumbbell fly, is that you’ll want to lower the amount of weight compared to what you bench, you just won’t be able to lift it.

How to perform: Lie down flat on a bench – the dumbbell fly can also be performed at an incline – with your feet flat on the ground. Taking a dumbbell in each hand, position them both up in front of you, above your chest, with palms facing each other. Slowly lower your arms out to your sides, ensuring you put a bend in the elbow. Keep lowering until your elbows are in line with your torso – it’s important you don’t overstretch and lower your arms too far.

Engage your chest muscles to bring the dumbbells back to their starting position, ensuring you’re not using your arms instead (a perfectly common mistake).

Sets: 4 sets with 8 to 10 reps per set
Tempo: 3 seconds down, 3 seconds up

Close Grip Dumbbell Chest Press

Also known as the ‘crush press’ the close grip dumbbell chest press is a strength-based chest exercise that targets your chest muscles and even the triceps. Unlike some other dumbbell chest exercises, you should be able to use relatively heavy weights, since you’ll be using virtually all of the chest muscle group to push the dumbbells upwards.

How to perform: Holding a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip (palms facing inwards), lie flat on a bench, keeping the dumbbells close to the centre of your chest. With your shoulders pinched together, push the dumbbells into each other and press them up above you until your arms lock out. When pressing up, use as much explosive power as you can. When you reach the top of the movement, make sure you squeeze your pecs for a second or two.

Slowly bring the dumbbells back down towards your chest, still ensuring you’re pushing the weights into each other as you do so. Lower them down until they touch your chest, and repeat.

Sets: 4 sets with 8 to 10 reps per set
Tempo: 1 second up, 3 seconds down

Best Home Chest Workouts

Push-Ups

Push-Ups are one of the best chest workout exercises, but it can be all too easy to get the form wrong. Common mistakes with push-ups include arching the back, with your torso falling towards the ground. But best of all, because you don’t need any equipment, you can perform them literally anywhere, including at home.

How to perform: To perform an effective push-up, get yourself into a position on the floor with your arms straight and you’re on your toes. Tuck in your pelvis so that your core is braced, keeping your back straight at the same time. If you can do these in front of a mirror to check your form, you’ll soon see the benefit.

Lower your chest to the ground, keeping your elbows close to your body. It’s ok if they flare out a little bit, but you don’t want to end up with them being at right angles to your upper body.

Inhale as you lower yourself, and exhale as you push up to your starting position, when your arms are straight.

Push-ups are incredibly effective at working a multitude of muscles in the upper body, not just the chest, and you can do them practically anywhere since you don’t need any equipment.

Chest Exercise FAQ

Some other helpful DMARGE stories for gym workouts:

• Best Back Workouts
• Best Leg Workouts
• Best Shoulder Workouts
• Best Full Body Workouts

The post Best Chest Workouts 2022: Chest Exercises You Need To Build Huge Pecs appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Wanting to build some serious upper body strength? Then you need to be performing a range of dedicated back workouts and back exercises every week when you hit the gym.

Not only will performing back exercises allow you to lift heavier weights, including for movements that predominantly target the legs or chest, having a strong back will also help to prevent injuries, and if you train it effectively, you’ll eventually end up with the coveted V-shaped upper body.

So, which back workouts should you be including in your gym program? Allow us to run through some of the best back workouts you can perform, t-shirt popping lats await.

Looking for further workout inspiration? Check out our complete guide to workouts for men here.

What Muscles Are In The Back?

We’re not going to go through every single muscle in the back in this section, we’d be here far too long. However, there are 40 muscles made up of 20 pairs. Some muscles are large while others are small, and each has a varying purpose, which can include supporting the trunk, moving the spine, or assisting in moving other limbs.

Put simply, there is a lot to train, but fortunately, there are plenty of back exercises you can carry out to target all of them.

Best Back Workouts

Bent Over Row

Rowing movements of any kind are incredibly beneficial for your back muscles and the bent over row is one of absolute essentials of any back workout routine. This movement will help to target the traps, lats, rhomboids and even the rotator cuff, making it a killer of a back workout.

How to perform this back exercise: You can perform bent over rows with either a barbell or a pair of dumbbells, but using a barbell will help to evenly distribute the tension throughout your back, making it the recommended piece of equipment.

Start with a low weight – bent over rows really are all about getting the technique right first and foremost – and with your barbell loaded up, stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Bend over from your waist – almost as if you waist were a hinge – and have your knees bent slightly. Hold the barbell with your palms facing down and your arms straight and wider than shoulder width, so it is hanging down in front of you.

Lock down your shoulder blades, brace your core, and pull the barbell up towards your sternum. To make it a bit easier, think of pulling your elbows up behind your back, as opposed to pushing them out to the side. Slowly return the barbell to the starting position to complete 1 rep.

If performing the bent over row with dumbbells, you can elect to either row them up at the same time, or to alternate them. However, if you choose to alternate, you could benefit just as much from a single arm bent over row.

Sets: 4 sets with 8 to 10 reps per set
Tempo: Slow and controlled, 3 seconds up, 2 seconds down

Lat Pulldown

One of the best back exercises to build huge back muscles is the lat pulldown. It can be compared to the humble pull-up, but is one that is much easier to perform and gives you the opportunity to progress with the amount of weight you can pull, resulting in huge lats. And it’s huge lats that help you give you a V-shaped physique.

The lat down pull down also helps to work your upper back muscles, and can even target your biceps in the same movement.

But, you can only reap the benefits if you perform it correctly, and many gym-goers fall foul to some common mistakes, such as pulling the bar either too far down, taking tension away from the lats, or leaning back and not targeting them at all.

How to perform this back exercise: Although we’ve just mentioned it’s possible to pull the bar too far down in front of you, the lat pulldown can actually be performed in a number of different ways using various attachments, although some can only be performed if the lat pulldown machine you’re using as individual cables. If it does have individual cables, you can perform single arm lat pulldowns.

But, going on the assumption it doesn’t, we’ll go through some of the best lat pulldown exercises using a single-cable machine.

The first is a wide-grip lat pulldown, which uses the long bar attachment, which you grip with your arms wider than shoulder-width apart, with an overhand grip. Gripping the bar like this helps to fully activate the lats muscles.

Position yourself on the seat with your thighs securely in place underneath the upper pads. Set the weight to your desired amount – start light to get a feel for the movement – pull the bar down until your elbows are roughly in line with your nipples, breathing in as you do so. This places the greatest amount of tension on the muscles.

Pulling the bar much lower takes away that tension, and you gain no benefit. You also want to minimise the amount you lean back when pulling the bar down too, as this also takes tension away from the target muscles. Exhale and slowly return the bar to the starting position.

You can also perform a narrow grip lat pulldown, either by holding the same bar further towards the middle, or by using the two handle attachment. You’ll work the same target muscles, but because your arms are in a stronger position, you should find you can pull more weight.

You could alternatively perform an underhand lat pulldown, which places more focus on your biceps too.

Sets: 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps per set
Tempo: 3 seconds pulling down, two seconds raising up

Single Arm Dumbbell Row

As we said earlier, any rowing movement has serious benefits for building a strong back, and second to the barbell bent over row in terms of effectiveness is the single arm dumbbell row. Introducing dumbbells, as opposed to using a barbell, means each arm has to work harder because the weight isn’t distributed evenly across your back.

This can help you to see if you have any strength imbalances on either side of your back, something that is entirely possible. The single arm row also helps to further target the lats, traps and other back muscles you’re looking to improve. Put simply, you need to introduce it to your back day program.

How to perform this back exercise: You’ll need to arm yourself with a flat weights bench to lean on when performing the single arm row to help stabilise your body. Starting with the lift on your right side, kneel on the bench with your left knee and grab the side of it with your left hand. Bend over so your upper body is parallel to the floor and place your right foot on the ground behind you where you feel secure.

Grab your dumbbell with your right hand, palm facing in, and start with your arm straight. Next, pull the dumbbell up and back towards your hip. Squeeze your back muscles and shoulder blades together at the top of the lift, hold for a second and lower back down to the starting position to complete one rep.

Sets: 3 to 4 sets with 10 to 12 reps per side
Tempo: Two seconds up, one second down

Pull-Ups

Another one of the quintessential back workouts that you can perform almost anywhere are pull-ups. Make no mistake, this is an incredibly difficult back exercise, and one of the hardest bodyweight workouts full stop, but perform it right and be consistent with your training and you’ll gain yourself a huge and strong back.

Unless you already have some serious upper body strength, chances are you won’t be able to perform too many pull-ups in one set. This is perfectly fine. If this is you, you can try some other back exercises to help you work up to nailing the perfect pull-up. These include dead hangs and using an assisted pull-up machine, which gives you a little extra help getting up to the bar.

How to perform this back exercise: To nail perfect pull-ups, jump up and grab the bar with an overhand grip. If your feet are practically touching the floor, you can bend the knees. Hanging with your arms straight, bring your shoulder blades together to lift you up slightly and prime yourself for the next stage of the move.

Now, imagine pulling your elbows into the ground below you, as opposed to pulling yourself up. Squeeze your back muscles as you rise up to the bar, and keep pulling up until your chin is over the bar. Lower yourself back down slowly to a fully extended position, and repeat.

RELATED: Conor McGregor’s Surprisingly Helpful Advice On Nailing The Perfect Pull-Up

Don’t be put off if you only manage a few reps. Pull-ups are a genuinely difficult move. But with some perseverance, you’ll soon be smashing your goals.

Sets: 3 sets to max reps per set
Tempo: Slow and controlled, 3 seconds up, 3 seconds down

Chest Supported Dumbbell Rows

Another fantastic back workout is the chest supported dumbbell row. Similar to the other rowing movements on this list, the addition of the chest support helps to place greater emphasis on the back and even the biceps, resulting in serious muscle growth. It provides much of the same benefit as the bent over barbell row, but because there is extra stabilisation, you minimise the risk of injuring your lower back.

How to perform this back exercise: First, you’ll need to get hold of an incline bench. Set it to around 45-degrees, or slightly higher. Take a dumbbell in each hand and manoeuvre yourself onto the bench so that it takes the weight of your body, with your feet on the ground behind you.

Let your arms hang down in front of you, with your palms facing each other. Lock you shoulder blades down by squeezing them together to prime yourself for the movement, and then row the dumbbells up and back towards your hips.

Lower them back down slowly to complete one rep of the chest supported row.

Sets: 4 sets with 10 to 12 reps per set
Tempo: 2 seconds up, 2 seconds down

Barbell Deadlift

The deadlift is an absolute must-have in pretty much any gym program. Being a compound movement, it has multiple benefits for multiple muscle groups. You may think it’s more of a leg day workout, and that can certainly be the case, but it also has it’s place in any well-rounded back workout program.

As with other compound movements, technique and form are far more important than the amount of weight you load onto the bar. You don’t want to mess the deadlift up, as it has the potential to really cause some damage if performed incorrectly. If you’re adding the deadlift to your back workout program, then you want to aim for a lower number of reps, with a slightly higher weight.

How to perform this back exercise: Load your weight onto the bar and stand with your feet underneath it, shoulder-width apart.

Bend your knees and bend your upper body at the waist, to grab the bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width. Lock down your shoulders so that your back is straight, keeping your neck in line with it by looking down to the ground.

Brace your core, breathe in and pull the bar up, hinging once again at the waist. Power up through the last section of the lift through your legs and push your chest out when you reach the top of the movement and exhale.

Lower the bar back down in the reverse sequence to complete one rep.

Sets: 3 sets with 5 reps per set
Tempo: 2 to 3 seconds up, 2 to 3 seconds down.

T-Bar Row

The T-Bar row is similar to the barbell bent over row, in that you need to bend over slightly when performing the movement. However, you’re able to use a variety of handle attachments, including narrow-grip and wide-grip, which can place greater emphasis on certain muscles in the back: narrow-grip for middle back and wide-grip for the lats, for example.

The T-Bar row also tends to allow you to pull heavier weights compared to the bent over row, and it’s because of this that you should place this back exercise toward the start of your session, since it requires solid form. If you’re fatigued from performing other gruelling back exercises, your form may suffer and you could sustain an injury to your lower back.

How to perform this back exercise: You’ll first need to check your gym has a landmine unit. This is a metal plate on the floor with an arm that you can insert a barbell into. If you can’t find one, then you can use the corner of a room instead, by placing one end of a barbell in the corner and placing some weights on top of the end to keep it weighed down.

With the bar secured, grab yourself a handle attachment, either a narrow-grip or wide-grip, and straddle the bar so that you’re back is to the landmine unit or the corner of the room. Slightly bend your knees and use your hips as a hinge to bend forward to around 45-degrees, making sure your back remains flat.

Load some weight onto the end of the bar and grab the handles of your attachment using a neutral grip (palms facing inwards). Lock down your shoulder blades and pull the bar until the plate weights touch your chest. If you find you’re struggling to bring the bar up high, lower the weight and perform again.

Slowly lower the bar back down and repeat.

Sets: 3 sets with 6 – 10 reps per set (weight dependent)
Tempo: 2 seconds up, 2 seconds down

Seated Cable Row

While it is argued that free weights offer greater benefit over machine weights due to them requiring your body to do all of the stabilisation, there is still much to be said of using machines. The cable machine, in particular, can be used to perform a wide range of exercises and is especially useful when performing back workouts.

The seated cable row is one such back exercise and easily one of the best cable machine back exercises going. This is because resistance is placed upon the back muscles throughout the duration of the movement, and with it, you’ll be targeting your lats, rear delts, along with your biceps and forearms.

How to perform this back exercise: Your gym will need to have a cable machine installed in order to perform this exercise. You may even find it has a dedicated seated cable row machine. If you don’t have this one, just get yourself a bench and set it up in front of the standard cable machine.

Set the pulley to around stomach height when seated and choose the desired weight. With your feet planted on the floor and your torso upright, grab the V-handle attachment (the most common one used, but you can use others to target other areas of the back) with palms facing in.

Keeping your torso upright, pull the handle towards your stomach, forcing your elbows beyond your back. You want to make sure your shoulders stay locked down throughout the movement, and when the handle reaches your stomach, be sure to squeeze your shoulders and upper back muscles as much as possible.

Slowly return the handle back to the starting position and repeat.

One thing to avoid is leaning back with the handle as you pull it towards you. This will completely disengage the tension placed upon the back muscles and render the entire exercise virtually useless.

Some other helpful DMARGE stories for gym workouts:

• Best Chest Workouts
• Best Bicep Workouts
• Best Shoulder Workouts
• Best Leg Workouts
• Best Full Body Workouts

The post Popular Back Workouts 2022 appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Ever since it hit our screens back in 2013, the BBC’s Peaky Blinders crime drama has had us hooked. And not just because of the intriguing storyline or excellent cast, oh no. This popular crime drama has also paved the way for the resurgence of the 1920s gangster look, which has since been interpreted and imitated by guys all around the world.

The captivating series set in Birmingham, England, revolves around the Shelby crime family’s exploits right after the First World War. With the razor-sharp suits and awesome haircuts, it’s no wonder that fashion-forward guys are now looking to Tommy Shelby and his gang for inspiration.

If you’ve seen the show and want to get the Peaky Blinders haircut, then this article will serve as the ultimate guide.

What Is A Peaky Blinders Haircut?

A Peaky Blinders haircut has become quite popular in recent years, thanks to the intriguing series of the same name. Guys are now lining up at the barbershop to get a 1920s Birmingham-inspired look.

While a the term actually refers to the newsboy-style hats the gang wears, in this instance, a Peaky Blinders haircut doesn’t refer to one specific cut – although in most cases, will be a variation of an undercut with a fade – but rather, a series of haircuts sported by actors Cillian Murphy, Paul Anderson, Joe Cole and Tom Hardy, in their respective roles as Tommy, Arthur, and John Shelby, and Alfie Solomons.

The majority of the haircuts featured in the show make use of shaved back and sides, and it is their hair on top that differs between the characters. The most iconic and recognised styles include a slicked back, side part and a French Crop.

Why do all the characters rock such hard, shaved sides? We hear you ask. Well, during the postwar era (in which the show is set), people shaved their heads like this because of lice. The haircut was also popular among gang members since it was practical during street fights (no playground antics of pulling on someone’s hair).

How To Get A Peaky Blinders Haircut?

Imitating any of the haircuts you see on the show is surprisingly simple. First, you need to decide which one stands out for you, or at least best suits your face shape or hair type. Fortunately, the boys all sport haircuts that are pretty unique to each other, the only thing that binds them together is a short back and sides.

However, having the sides shaved is something we see a lot of on the high street, so opting for this hairstyle won’t cause others to turn their heads in dismay. The main hairstyles chosen for the show are disconnected undercuts, textured crops and short crops, and haircuts with a fringe. Once you know which style you want, you’ll need to make a trip to the barber and invest in some high-shine hair product for the ultimate slick back look.

Thomas Shelby Haircut

The main man Thomas Shelby (portrayed by Cillian Murphy) has one of the most stylish and easily imitable haircuts of the entire gang. Essentially a French crop without the hair on the sides of the head, you would need to ask your barber for a textured crop with high fade (assuming he wasn’t already aware of what a ‘Tommy Shelby’ cut would entail).

Ask Your Barber

Tommy Shelby’s haircut, admittedly, looks best on guys with more elongated faces, however, guys with other shapes can still get a similar cut; the proportions and lengths of the hair will just need to be adapted. Your barber should be able to help you out in this regard.

You will first need to ensure you have length on top, so that your hair is long enough to style in the first place. If you currently rock short hair, then be prepared to play the waiting game. You can still get the back and sides of your hair cut to a shorter length while you go through this process.

Get The Look

When it comes to styling, your main mission is to make sure the hair moves forward from back to front. This can be achieved by using a hairdryer and blowing hot hair from behind. You can then work through a matte styling paste or clay to give your hair some added texture.

Arthur Shelby Haircut

Perhaps an even more iconic character – and look – in the show, is Arthur Shelby. The hotheaded brother (portrayed by Paul Anderson) rocks a disconnected undercut not too dissimilar to that seen on Brad Pitt‘s character in Fury. Both characters choose to slick back the hair on top, a move that has found favour with many modern gentlemen for its rebellious yet sophisticated look.

Ask Your Barber

The main thing you’ll need to imitate Arthur Shelby’s Peaky Blinders haircut is long enough hair on top to sweep to the back of your head. With that taken care of, ask your barber for the disconnected undercut, which will see the sides of your head shaved down to a grade 1 or 0, and completely up the side to where it meets the top.

Get The Look

To achieve Arthur Shelby’s iconic undercut at home, you’ll want to use a hairdryer and a brush to work the hair towards the back of your head and finish with a high shine pomade. Use a little hairspray to hold in place.

John Shelby Haircut

Rounding out the trio of brothers is John Shelby (played by Joe Cole). Like his brothers, John also rocks a disconnected undercut, but to keep things different, he opts for much shorter hair on top. Length-wise, it’s similar to a buzz cut or crew cut and should be short enough so that it is as low maintenance as possible.

Ask Your Barber

Asking your barber for John Shelby’s haircut is relatively simple, and all barber should be able to pull it off. Simply ask for a short back and sides, such as a grade 1 or 2, and ask them not to blend the hair on top of your head. You will, of course, need to have longer hair in order to achieve the contrast effect.

Get The Look

Having some decent length on top is important, as you’ll need to work some product such as a high shine pomade, or even a matte effect styling paste (for a more casual look), to sweep it to one side. This haircut can be copied by almost all guys.

Michael Gray Haircut

The Shelby brothers’ cousin Michael Gray (played by Finn Cole) distances himself from the foul-mouthed clan with a decidedly different haircut. Rather than go for the harsh, disconnected undercut, he instead rocks a rather more sophisticated and timeless side-part hairstyle. 

Ask The Barber

No grade zero clippers needed here. Instead, ask your barber to taper the sides of your head, blending them in with the hair on top so as to create one seamless hairstyle.

Get Your Look

Relatively simple to achieve at home, you’ll want to create the side-part using a comb after jumping out the shower, and using a hairdryer to sweep the larger portion of hair over to one side. You can work some product of your choice through the hair at this stage to hold it in place, or give a light spray of hairspray.

Alfie Solomons Haircut

In Alfie Solomons’ case (played by Tom Hardy), the focus is mostly on his beard rather than his rugged and unkempt Ivy League hairstyle. Although sloppy and unruly, you can turn this look into a modern and masculine using a few small touches and a little grooming.

While beards are currently on-trend, well-groomed and maintained beards are way more appealing than messy and untidy ones.

Ask Your Barber

Whilst you can of course ask your barber to help maintain your beard when you go in for your regular haircut, it is far more simple to look after at home compared to your hair.

However, any barber worth his salt should be trained in the art of beard maintenance, so feel free to add the service on when getting your Shelby haircut.

Get The Look

While you may not want Alfie Solomons’ caveman look, this might inspire you to grow a beard. If you decide to do that, you will need to be committed and have a ton of patience. Unlike a haircut, this is not a one-day thing.

Peaky Blinders Haircut FAQ

Read Next

• Best Short Haircuts For Men
• Popular Men’s Haircuts For 2022

The post Peaky Blinders Haircut 2022: Shelby-Approved appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

If you’re looking for a suburb that’s home to some of the best pubs in Sydney, then it simply has to be Surry Hills. One of the city’s trendiest suburbs, Surry Hills is home to some incredible interpretations of what it means to make a pub. And, while you can certainly find a great range of beers (priorities, right?) the vast majority of Surry Hills pubs bring with them great entertainment and a perfect setting for mid-week or weekend boozing.

So, with so much on offer in a relatively small space, which are the best pubs in Surry Hills you simply have to visit? Allow us to reveal all in this complete guide.

Looking for more of the best pubs in Sydney?

• Best Paddington Pubs
• Best Newtown Pubs
• Best Bondi Pubs

The Clock Hotel

470 Crown Street, Surry Hills, 2010

No visit to Surry Hills would be complete without checking out The Clock Hotel. An iconic pub if ever there was one, The Clock dates back 1869 (although it didn’t take the name of The Clock Hotel until 1969 when the clock was installed), and has occupied its corner positioning and headline status ever since. If you can, you’ll want to grab a table out on the upstairs balcony to enjoy the views of the street below (and let’s be honest, to people watch) but if there’s no space, the sports bar downstairs and courtyard both offer a perfect setting to enjoy beers, wine or whisky.

Dove & Olive

56 Devonshire St, Surry Hills, 2010

This multi-award-winning Surry Hills pub is easily one of the best in the area. There’s so much to shout about; a huge selection of rotating beers on tap, some of the best pub food in Surry Hills and a regular roster of events. It’s a hugely inviting space and tucked away in the slightly quieter side of Surry Hills, but close enough to the action offered up by Sydney CBD. Quite simply a must-visit.

Royal Albert Hotel

140 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills, 2010

If you like beer then you simply have to head to the Royal Albert Hotel. Despite being on the smaller side of pubs in Surry Hills, it has one of the, if not the, largest selection. Through a combination of tap beers and tins, there is quite literally a beer for everyone and you’re guaranteed to find something you’ve never tried before. Those beers can be enjoyed alongside a selection of pies, burgers and curries, making this a truly comfortable place to pull up a pew.

The Keg & Brew

26 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills, 2010

Another Surry Hills pub doing beer proud is The Keg & Brew. With no less than 51 taps pouring various beers across four levels, including a rooftop, it’s another fantastic pub to discover something new. The ground floor bar is where the beer drinkers and hell raisers will likely find themselves spending most of their time, however, as the middle floors are better-suited to those who want to enjoy a great pub feed. Although, with a large-screen TV to be found on the rooftop showing the latest sport, coupled with fresh pizzas being slung out the oven and city views, we know where we’d like to be on a weekend.

Forresters

336 Riley Street, Surry Hills, 2010

Forresters is another Surry Hills pub that has been on the receiving end of a multi-million dollar makeover and the result is nothing short of spectacular. Regulars to Forresters of yesteryear will now find their favourite drinking hole has been sectioned off into four separate areas: the main ground floor pub bar complete with bar snack menu; The Art Room, which gives drinkers a quieter space to sip and savour their brews; Phylli’s to enjoy some food in a bright, welcoming space and an upstairs section for trivia and other events.

The post Best Surry Hills Pubs 2022 appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Have you ever wondered why people your age seem so much hotter on flights?

Everyone from Popsugar to Cosmopolitan to Reddit to (most recently) the satirical paper The Betoota Advocate (who wrote: “A local woman has today faced a conundrum many people have experienced while waiting at an airport – is that person hot or are they just my age?”) has picked up on this ‘airport hot’ phenomenon.

In fact, in a feat David Attenborough would be proud of, many people have taken to the Internet to ask why they find people hotter on flights than they would do back on the ground (see: “Why Guys Are Hotter While Travelling” and “Why Are There More Attractive People At The Airport“).

Samantha Jayne, a dating expert and relationship advisor on The Bachelor, recently shared with DMARGE why this is. She said a large part of why you find people more attractive in transit is because of the element of mystery.

“I think it is possible for some people to find people the same age attractive in an airport due to the element of mystery,” Samantha told DMARGE.

“The mind loves to imagine and fantasize about the possibility and when you are travelling it’s a time when you are actually being present.”

Samantha Jayne, relationship advisor to The Bachelor

“Being present helps you notice the things you wouldn’t normally notice. Maybe you’re intrigued about where the person is going, what they do for work, whether the trip is for business or pleasure, and you wonder what is their final destination? Is it the same as yours?”

Samantha added: “Maybe they are dressed well and you can’t help but notice their sense of style and you make assumptions about their incredible life or lifestyle.”

“When we are in transit, particularly at the airport we tend to be more so in holiday mode if we are travelling for adventure.”

Samantha Jayne, relationship advisor to The Bachelor

Likewise: “If it’s a work trip confidence is probably also high because, let’s face it, if you are being flown around for work, you’re in a good position and you’re kicking goals.”

Now you know why you find people more attractive on flights and in airports, you might be interested to know how to test whether they are ‘genuine hot’ or just ‘airport hot.’

Unfortunate there’s no easy way to tell. As Samantha told us: “I think this one comes down to how you are feeling on the day. Ask yourself: are you feeling bored, low, and looking for attention from someone else who seems to have no flaws (and you want to live in a fantasy land), or are you having a good day you feel good and you are genuinely intrigued?”

“I guess it’s a bit like the old beer goggle scenario.”

Samantha Jayne, relationship advisor to The Bachelor

Samantha added: “You could also see if they take off their mask, or if their eyes are overly made up with makeup – could be a red flag they are trying to hide something! At the end of the day, you are the only one that knows what hot is to you.”

To do your best to look ‘airport hot’ yourself, grooming is key, and “breath mints are better and more discreet than chewing gum” Samantha told DMARGE.

Samantha also said: “Wear a good deodorant and a fresh fragrance but not too much; you don’t want to be overbearing.”

Once that’s sorted: “Wear clothes that are comfortable yet flattering. You don’t want to look like you’re out to party in a club, you want to look very smart, casual, and stylish.”

Finally: “have good body language, strong upright posture, make eye contact with strangers, and smile.”

Oh and apparently it’s not a good look to travel with a supermarket shopping bag: “Look organized and have nice clean and quality luggage; nothing worse than lugging around a green coles bag. Not a good look.”

Not to mention, in this day and age, you will probably be wearing a mask. So “wear a clean mask that is flattering” Samantha told us.

“Some of the masks out there are terrible and can make you look like you have no chin or nose. Check your side profile to see what it looks like and if need be, groom your brows ever so subtly because with a mask your eyes will stand out.”

Then, for the icing on the cake, Samantha says you could “carry an interesting book that is inspiring” which can “make you look more intelligent and is a great conversation starter.”

As for starting a conversation with someone in an airport or on a flight, this is a great way to ruin the mystique you have built around each other.

But if you must (hey, some people end up getting married after meeting on flights) Samantha says, as you should always, “Observe their responsiveness,” be respectful and read the tea leaves, and don’t be annoying or persistent if they are not interested in chatting, as a plane is a hell of a place to feel like you’re stuck talking to a creep.

“Are they overly chatty then keep it going, if they are making long pauses match them. Don’t show too much interest but just enough to get them interested and intrigued.”

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The post ‘Airport Hot’: Why People Seem More Attractive On Flights appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

There is a glaring coincidence in the superyacht world you’ve probably overlooked. That coincidence? All the big name superyacht hangouts – think Monaco, George Town (Cayman Islands), Hamilton (Bermuda), Malta – are tax havens.

That’s right: superyacht owners aren’t stupid (at least when it comes to money, anyway). They know (or they learn, after years of trial and error) how to minimise their tax and how to reduce the frequency with which they rub up against bureaucracy.

As Nomad Capitalist, a company that offers “holistic strategies to help successful entrepreneurs and investors legally reduce their tax bill, create a Plan B, and grow their wealth globally” explains, many boat owners register their yachts in places like the Cayman Islands to avoid the strong tax system and regulations of the United States.

It’s not just the Cayman Islands. Panama is another favourite and is actually the largest ship registry in the world. With its favourable registration policies, Panama has over 9,000 ships registered to it and claims 22% of the world market share, according to a 2021 webpage published by the Panamanian government.

There are also rules and regulations superyacht owners look out for when it comes to registering their vessells with non-Western countries. Some countries, for instance, require superyacht owners to employ a certain percentage of local crew. For this reason, many superyacht owners gravitate to ‘middle ground’ havens like Panama or the Cayman Islands or Gibraltar, which have favourable tax laws, but aren’t too strict on telling you what to do with your boat.

Superyacht owners also, while not wanting to register their yachts (often) in big-name EU countries like Spain, Italy, France or the UK, or in the USA (due to how expensive it is), still want to register their yachts in countries respected by the EU and the US, so as to reduce their liability to detention and inspections.

Because of this, Nomad Capitalist explains, “a large majority of yachts are flagged in British Overseas Territories, known as the ‘Red Ensign Group’ — including Bermuda, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man.”

And wouldn’t you know it: company tax is set at 0% in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, the Cayman Islands, and Bermuda.

Another country popular with superyacht owners is The Netherlands. That’s right: there’s a reason we keep seeing 300ft superyachts slipping through pancake thin Dutch canals. There’s also, presumably a reason why Jeff Bezos chose to get work done on his superyacht in Alblasserdam (although, full disclosure, we don’t know which flag Bezos’ yacht flies for).

The Netherlands is popular with superyacht owners because its registration process is one of the quickest and easiest in the world. As Nomad Capitalist explains: “One of the main advantages of the Netherlands is that you can be registered under the Dutch flag in as little as three days. That is why Holland is typically preferred over countries like Italy, France, and Spain where there is a longboat registration process in addition to high registration fees.”

“A lot of yacht owners solve this problem by registering under the Dutch flag,” Nomad Capitalist explains. “Taxes and registration requirements in the Netherlands are minimal, allowing the whole process to be completed in three days, assuming you meet the necessary criteria.”

“Boat owners do not have to be of Dutch nationality, nor do they have to have a residence in the country. The only documents you must have are an ID card or passport and you must provide proof of ownership of your boat. Because so little documentation is needed, renewing your yacht registration is also a fairly simple process.”

Nomad Capitalist

Other ports superyacht owners tend to gravitate towards (again, due to their unintrusive attitude to tax and rules) include Liberia, Cyprus, The British Virgin Islands, The Marshall Islands and Malta.

According to a 2018 report, Russia is also building a tax-free zone near Shanghai, so keep an eye out for that too.

Superyacht owners also are known for exploiting an art loophole, filling their yachts with priceless objects worth hundreds of millions of dollars and then (in some cases) accidentally damaging that art. But that’s a story for another day…

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The post Tax Loophole Every Superyacht Owner Loves To Exploit appeared first on DMARGE Australia.