Posts Tagged ‘bodybuilding’
How You Can Build Muscle Fast
I am glad to say that even if you are a hard gainer building muscle fast isn’t as difficult as some would have you think. It’s about training more effectively.
If you want to build muscle fast, her are 5 effective tips for you.
1. Make sure to get enough food and rest
If you want to get serious about building muscle fast, then you need to get serious about what you eat. Building muscle mass is taxing on your body, and you need to make sure it has enough energy to support the new growth. Most guys having trouble gaining muscle fast, is eating way to little food. 5-6 times per day you need to eat a solid meal. And you won’t build a healthy body on junk food, so make sure you eat high quality food.
Giving your body time to recover between workouts is equally important. Building muscle fast is not about working harder, it’s about working smarter. So when you work out you do it with intensity, and then you give your body the time it needs to fully recover before going back to the gym the next time.
2. Never Perform More Than 10 Reps
Doing more than 10 reps per set is emphasizing your slow-twitch muscle fibers which have less opportunity for muscle growth. If you are a hard gainer you need to use the maximal amount of muscle fibers in every set. Always choose your weights knowing that more than 10 reps are keeping you in ’skinny land’. Get into heavy lifting mode, if you really wish to build muscle fast.
3. Reduce Your Workout Time
I you perform more work in less time you have increased your work intensity. The amount of work is the total number of sets, reps and the weight used in your workout. Next time you enter the gym, try to complete your workout in less time. Time your rests and keep them short, and go from exercise to exercise quicker. This can really make your workout feel intense! This is one of the best tips to increase your fitness level and muscle density.
4. Only Do One Exercise Per Muscle Group
You don’t need to mutilate a muscle for an hour to get growth out of it. Your goal is to simply trigger your muscles into growth. Not tire them to death. If your muscles are exposed to a new type of assault/stimulus, your body will start to build new muscle to prepare for future assaults! Therefore, once you have outperformed your last workout in a given exercise, it is time to move onto the next.
5. Do No More Than 3-5 Sets Per Muscle Group
You have to question a hard gainers workout intensity if they do more than 3-5 sets per muscle group. If you are a hard gainer and want to build muscle fast, you have to follow som new rules.
Set 1-2 should be at around 85% of your max intensity. The third set should be around 95% maximal intensity and the fourth and last set at 100% effort. This last 100% effort set contributes the most to growing the muscle. If you do any sets beyond this, it will only take longer to recover and increase the time before you are ready for your next workout. In this last set you should perform at least 1-2 extra reps or 5-10 extra pounds above last workout. You have then sparked your muscles into growth and it’s time to move on.
It is your goal to target a 5% or higher increase in your strength every two weeks. Your bigger muscle groups like the back and thighs, might develop a bit quicker than smaller muscles like triceps and biceps.
You will be building muscle fast if you stick to this progression, and you will be two times as strong in six months!
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Body Building and Creatine - Will it Also Boost Your Energy?
An individual engaged in bodybuilding might ask this: Is there a thing in the market that can boost your performance when working out in the gym? The answer is most definitely affirmative. Creatine is a supplement that could help you achieve results faster. Creatine holds an important function in the world of bodybuilding. Researchers have proven it as a top sport supplement out in the market today. Numerous studies have proven an increase in lean muscle for its users.
It has been proven to add muscle strength to people who use it. According to recent research, Creatine also improves memory and helps the body resist disease.
A person has to understand what Creatine does to the body in order to appreciate its powers. The body can make its own creatine. It is actually produced by the fusion of arginine, methionine, and glycine. For ATP production, supplement such as creatine are helpful for the body. ATP is the energy that fuels our muscles to do our daily activities. A by-product called ADP is formed as ATP has been used up. As a result, this ADP will combine with Creatine. Creatine, however, will lose phosphates to the ADP, making it ATP again. As it give the muscles more ATP, thus providing more power in lifting heavy loads, this process is good for bodybuilders.
You will be able to accomplish more reps in a small period of time. By using Creatine you increase your body strength and it allows your body to sustain the rigours of any intense gym work out and any Body Building.
You may also want to know just how Creatine should be taken. The following practices are suggestions for how to take creatine. It will be positive for your body no matter what.
Taking up to 5 grams of Creatine per day is one method that is used as a long term regimen.
Another method is to take it on a six day period at 20 grams per day. After the loading days, you’ll add 2-3 grams per day as maintenance.
Many bodybuilders have thought that to have the maximum effect, it is necessary to have a loading phase. With today’s knowledge, you can get top results in half the time. Some studies also show that people who ingest higher doses of Creatine experience gastrointenstinal distress, diarrhea, and, for some, seizures.
Fifteen minutes prior and fifteen minutes after a workout is when Creatine should be consumed for maximum effectiveness. High car beverages are great for body absorption.
Considering using Creatine? Powdered creatine is the most popular type of creatine out there, even though there are other products out there. Make sure that you buy Creatine from Creapure, to ensure the best possible quality. You will be sure that it is a good product when you see your Creatine bottle is labeled Creapure. Creatine ethyl esters is the newest form of this supplement. The product is composed of Creatine along with alcohol and acid. Body tissue can easily absorb this product. You should always read the warning labels on these products. Faster muscle absorbtion means faster, better results. Researchers are still evaluating this product because it is possible that it could cause liver damage.
Most protein drinks will also contain creatine and sugars. Some studies have shown sugar promotes the uptake of Creatine to the muscles. You should drink a carbohydrate drink with your Creatine before and after your exercise routine. The transport of Creatine can be helped by insulin mimicking products. An example of insulin mimicking the product is D-pintol.
The best supplement, which is creatine, is the best thing that anyone can use for energy. Powdered Creatine is a good start, as it does work. The main reason is to cut to the chase and try Creatine for yourself.
More details about how to use Creatine you can find at my blog Arnold Schwarzenegger Bodybuilding.
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Using Muscle Building Supplements The Right Way
Those of us who love to build up our muscles tend to have an unfortunate attitude of wanting to achieve too much, too soon, and our progress, and even our overall health, can suffer as a consequence. To see solid, long lasting results from your efforts, you first need to get the basics in place, and then proceed on in a steady, consistent manner.
The primary purpose of muscle building supplements is to provide the body with the correct balance of nutrients that may be lacking, thus correcting any biochemical imbalances. It’s simply a mistake to think that a supplement or combination of supplements is going to turn an incorrect diet or regime into the right one.
Still, sometimes your body can do with a little assistance, and there are some worthwhile muscle building supplements. It is just a case of finding a diet and regime that is working well for you first. Once you have that established, then adding muscle building supplements into the mix can significantly improve the progress that you make.
With that said, let’s look at what you should be doing to in order to maximize your muscle building sessions:
Water - No, there is no mistake, and I’m not losing my mind, water definitely tops my list as the number one essential to a proper workout regime. Just think, water comprises almost 3/4 of the total muscle tissue. In other words, it is what muscle is mainly made of.
Powdered Proteins - Protein powder is cost-effective while being a super convenient way to add much needed protein and calories to your current dietary program. All you need to do is mix the powder with a little milk or water, et voila, you’re ready to go! If you’re one of those extremely lucky individuals who don’t naturally put on weight, but you want more muscle mass, protein powders are just what you need. The most popular being Whey protein, derived from milk whey.
Minerals & Vitamins - Whilst there are still people who claim that the benefits if multi-mineral or multi-vitamin tablets and supplements are negligible, no-one can claim that they will do you any harm. There are enough supporters of them to give them credibility, and you have nothing to lose by using them, particularly so if you’re following a limited dietary program.
Creatine Monohydrate - This is the most commonly used muscle building supplement. Why is that? Well, put simply, it works! By all means try out other supplements, but always use them as an addition to creatine, not as a replacement for it. The fact that so many fanatical muscle builders use it is evidence enough of its worth.
Visit this product review website to read more about finding the best bodybuilding supplements for your need.
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Finding The Right Body Building Routines
Exercise and body building routines will have each person respond individually to the workout. Some of the major aspects that will affect muscle growth are your current strength level, ability to heal or recover, body type and genetics. If you are just starting out or even intermediate you should never model your routine after an advanced or pro bodybuilder. You might risk injuries and overtraining if you jump right into an advanced body building routine, and could end up wanting to give up completely.
Body Building Tips
You should set your goal and objective for body building to be reasonable and realistic. During the first couple of months of working out everyone experiences the biggest advances and body changes. But as your muscles become more used to working out, your progress will start to slow down. A stricter diet and more consistent body building routines are required to keep progressing.
In order to avoid overtraining you should keep your body building routines short but intense, lasting no more than 30 to 45 minutes for each session. You should have no more that 3 or 4 workout days each week, giving you one recovery day between every wokout day. Giving your body enough time to rest is just as important as working out for muscle building.
Focus on Compound Movements
Compound movements are defined as exercises that target different muscle groups at the same time. These are different from the isolation exercises that intermediate and advanced body builders include in their workouts to bring out more definition.
Beginners should start out with free weights that are rather light to get a feel for the proper execution of the exercises and a sense of balance. Dumbbells and barbells should be the core of your workouts.
Recommended exercises
The squat is one of the most important exercises for beginners as well as advanced body builders. It is completely safe if done correctly and can do wonders for your body. The muscle groups involved include the core muscles, abdominals, lower back, the traps, glutes, quads or thighs, hamstrings and parts of the calves. A good starting point is to do 2 sets of 12 - 15 repetitions.
The bench press is another important compound exercise to have in your body building routines. It effectively hits the chest, shoulders or deltoids, triceps and some parts of the forearms and rib cage. Do 2 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions.
Next is the bent-over row which is easiest to do using a barbell, this targets the entire back, rear deltoids, biceps and some parts of the forearms. Also do 2 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions.
There are several other good exercises, such as the military press, the barbell or dumbbell curl, and the lying triceps extension. For each of these 3 exercises, again do 2 sets with 10 - 12 repetitions.
It would be a good idea to add ab crunches to the above exercises, do 2 sets of 12 - 15 repetitions.
Additional Tips
Do some warm-up exercises for 5 to 10 minutes before doing any lifting. A quick jog on the treadmill will suffice. Before each workout set you should do a lighter warm-up set to prepare the muscles and get a feel for the exercise. At the end of your workout do some stretching for 5 - 10 minutes.
You should never use wieghts that are heavier than you can easily complete every set using correct form. Using to heavy weights and bad form can easily cause injury or overtraining. In addition to your body building routines, to keep track of your progress you should definitely keep a training journal. You can slowly add more weight to each exercise as your strength develops.
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Enjoy A Wonderful Muscle Building Strategy
Whether you want to admit it or not, nature and genetics have specifically designed the female body to have more fat accumulations. Women, on average, find it harder to develop a lean, sculpted figure without hours and hours of weight lifting and cardiovascular activities. That is not even counting all of the dieting. But there are bodybuilding programs out there that can help you get the figure that you want. The secret may be Iron Dolls - Female Bodybuilding Secrets. This ebook may have you sculpted and in the best shape of your life in no time.
Iron Dolls - Female Bodybuilding Secrets is an ebook series that is specifically designed with a woman’s body in mind. Created by Karen Sessions, it is based on her experiences trying to develop her bodybuilder figure. It took her twenty years to come up with a program that was designed to help women sculpt their muscles and rid themselves of excess fat. If you look at pictures of Karen Sessions, a.k.a. MsFit in the bodybuilding competitive circuit, then you can see that the woman is indeed toned, muscled and looks exceedingly healthy.
But the real question is whether or not it will work for the average woman. Or, for that matter, does the average woman want a bodybuilder’s physique? This is something that you truly have to take into consideration because the program is demanding and it is exact. You have to follow the diet precisely and you have to follow the workout routine if you want the results that are promised with this ebook. One of the downsides to the Iron Dolls website (www.iron-dolls.com) is that you really have no clue as to what is inside the ebook. You have to order it first. And can you really trust the testimonials presented on the website as being factual? The cost is relatively low so it may not hurt the pocketbook to give this ebook a chance if you truly want to pack on muscle and lose excess fat.
Will Iron Dolls - Female Bodybuilding Secrets instantly give you the body of a professional bodybuilder? No, it could take years to develop that kind of muscular form. And you have to accept that there are going to be setbacks. MsFit makes the claim that anyone can do it but that is a bit of a lie. Not everyone can devote endless hours or will ever have the body that she does. Some will not be able to fight their genetics while others will just not have the willpower to work out everyday. You will have to be the ultimate judge.
As a leading expert in the field of anxiety or panic attacks, Beth Kaminski is always on the lookout for ways to treat panic attacks. Visit her site for more information on treating panic disorder and much more.
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How To Get A Nice Looking Body
Are you tired of wasting money on all of the fad diets and supplements that do not seem to work, or spending endless hours at the gym that do not yield any results? Then rest easy because you are not alone. Many people want to develop leaner, more toned bodies but just do not know how to make it happen. Marc David’s “NoBull Bodybuilding” is an ebook that promises you results. You can get the body you have always dreamed of having.
The “NoBull Bodybuilding” ebook/system is easy to understand and is written quite well. Marc David made the system so that anyone can use it. It doesn’t matter if you are male or female, and age doesn’t matter either. He wants everyone to benefit from his years of knowledge. His claim on his website is that anyone can do it.
So how does this ebook accomplish all of this? He believes it is due to his trials and errors that he has made over the last twenty years. He even gives a sample list of what type of questions will be answered in the book. That is a bit unique because most ebooks on bodybuilding are very generalized. However, he does make the same big claim that most other bodybuilding writers make. His claim is that you will see results in 30 days. But the fine print on that statement is that you have to religiously follow his program and do exactly as the diet plan, workout and supplementary plan entails.
Priced at a reasonable $39.95, you do seem to get quite a lot for your money. And he definitely has plenty of testimonials regarding his system. He even seems to take into account that many people do not know how to use the gym properly and wind up looking like fools their first time there. So as a beginner you might find his system is straightforward enough to teach you what you need to know to get the body you have always dreamt of having.
So can you trust Marc David’s claims? The website is not as flashy as some, yet it seems to be quite straight forward. The “NoBull Bodybuilding” ebook does come at a low price and as mentioned before he does have plenty of testimonials. If you are ready to throw all those fad diets, supplements and workout tapes in the garbage, then you need to check out the website. You can find it at www.nobullbodybuilding.com. It may turn out to be the best purchase of your life. And if it does work for you, then Marc David probably would welcome another testimonial.
Beth Kaminski is the leading expert in the field of treatment for anxiety attacks and cure panic attack cures. For more information on tips to stop these attacks as well as how to deal with panic attacks, visit her site today.
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Build Those Muscles And Stay Fit
Are you tired of going to the gym and standing in line waiting to use weights or an exercise machine? Maybe you do not have the time to spend at the gym but you also cannot afford all of those expensive machines. It can be a real conundrum because you want to get a good workout that will burn fat and build muscle but you do not know how to make it happen. You may want to check out Zack Even-Esh’s “The Ultimate Underground Training Manual” to see if it will work for you.
So how is “The Ultimate Underground Training Manual” so different than other ebooks out on the market these days? Well the truth is that most weight training or bodybuilding ebooks still focus on owning gym equipment or going to the gym itself. This ebook does not do that. One of the most refreshing things about this ebook is the fact that Zack Even-Esh uses items you would find around your house.
Come on now, could it really be that simple? Well, if you actually think about what Zack is saying and then take a look around your backyard, it may actually make sense to you. It is not that hard to walk outside and find a rock and begin lifting it up and down. Now, granted, it may be difficult to find the right tree branch that can support your weight to do pull-ups but even that is not so far fetched as to be impossible. Zach’s techniques are based on sound advice and are quite reasonable. He even takes it a step farther and puts in mixed routines as well as speed routines for those who are getting bored with their workout regime or simply do not have enough time to devote to an hour long workout.
Even though “The Ultimate Underground Training Manual” does still use some barbells and weight lifting equipment, you actually do not need them. That is the whole purpose behind this ebook. You may not get that heavy, muscle bound body of a professional bodybuilder but you will get a toned, fit body that can help enhance your life. Now if you do live in an apartment you may not have bags of sand laying around but you can still use what you can find.
Beth Kaminski is the co-author of Curing Your Anxiety And Panic Attacks which detailed panic attacks help as well as tips on the various medications for panic disorder available at www.anxietydisordercure.com.
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Optimizing Your Nutrition Program - Tips and Strategies
The types of foods you eat and when you eat them are essential for bodybuilding success, but very few athletes really understand what it takes to maintain a healthy nutrition program. Bodybuilders involved in competition often resort to extreme weight loss that leaves them stressed, fatigued and incapable of increasing muscle size and strength later in their careers. Following a good nutritional program designed for an individual is just a matter of recording his food and caloric intake and matching it up against his recommended nutritional needs.
Many misconceptions surround nutrition. Fairly recently, high protein diets have become popular. However, limiting yourself to eat only protein has its downsides. Catherine Jackson in her book “Nutrition for the Recreational Athlete” maintains that a high-protein diet often causes irritability and lowers endurance in an individual. This can be remedied by initially consuming adequate amounts of calories. ou can avoid the pitfalls of poor nutrition by making sure you’re not experiencing any of the following throughout your training program:
Dwindling Strength - Too little protein often results in decreased strength, which can make it very difficult to maintain a consistent workout program. Eating the right types of protein, and not relying solely on protein powders and protein bars to meet your daily requirements is essential for good health. It would be better if you source your protein from organic products such as chicken breasts (or white meat), egg whites and soy-based products.
Being moody and irritable - Moodiness and Irritability is actually brought about by low blood sugar. This can be interpreted as a sign that you’re not eating enough carbohydrates. Not eating enough carbs can also affect your ability to concentrate and focus during your weight training routine, so eat healthy carbs at regular intervals throughout the day to optimize your results. Maintain healthy blood sugar levels by eating whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the day, combined with protein to slow down blood sugar absorption.
Getting sick more often - Getting a cold or catching a flu that doesn’t go away could also be signs of a weakened immune system. Combat this by incorporating different food groups into your diet. Consume foods that are high in B vitamins and minerals such as milk, fish and soybeans.
Decreased speed - A lot of people starve themselves before training. This practice is actually counter productive since you’ll mostly run out of energy in the middle of training. You’ll need to eat some type of carbohydrate at least 1 hour before your training session, if you want to increase your speed.
Lack of motivation - Lack of motivation is a sign of burnout. Make sure you’re eating small meals throughout the day to maintain a steady level of energy. Professional athletes are commonly known to eat mini-meals every 2 to 3 hours. This helps in maintaining a stable blood sugar level needed for training.
Your training efforts would not mean much if you’re not following a sound nutritional plan. A great way to boost your training is to take nutritional supplements, such as Stemulite Fitness Formula. Eating alone is sometimes not enough and so supplements can help make up for any nutritional deficiencies. Consider taking Stemulite to enhance your performance and improve your well-being.
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What Is The Best Muscle Building Supplement
There are many discussions about what are the best body building supplements, of course, different people have different opinions. This is common place, as different people want the body building supplement for many different reasons, that is why there are so many available on the market place. The majority and most common body building supplements include the following, Creatine, Andro, and also Nor-Andro. Many people using these body building supplements have reported extremely positive results and many success stories.
Of course as with anything of this nature, there have been body building exercise supplements that have been not what they reported to be and have a sinister edge to them. Some of the now illegal products are Ephedrine, Ephedra and GHB. There has also been Renutrient, which when once inside the body essentially changed into liquid ecstasy, needless to say this was banned as well.
There is one particular body building supplement that after time and time again has been proven to be one of the best supplements any body builder could use. This particular muscle building supplement, that can also be found naturally, is protein.
The muscle needs the protein in order to grow. When a body builder or any person getting fit lifts weights, the intake of protein then has a stimulating effect on the muscle tissue and acts as the best muscle enhancement supplement that the body could offer. In terms of saving muscle, if one does an massive amount of cardio (either high intensity or low intensity for an extended period of time) the body will burn all its carb stores and then will start burning muscle.
Then when you body starts to use up its carbs that are stored it will not automatically just burn fat, it will also start to burn muscle. The protein body building supplement will then help the body replace any muscle burned away from an intensive workout.
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Starting Body Building
Weight lifting for beginners is basically comprised of compound exercises executed in perfect from while acquiring a healthy diet. I can’t stress this enough, and to work up in weight incrementally.
You can probably lift more than the weight you should begin with, but the key is to do the exercises consistently.
Beginners tend to over-train and get disappointed by slow results, however, remember that body building also requires perseverance and the capability to stick to the plan regardless.
Compound workouts are done for muscle strength and build up, when you have reached the desired level for this, the following workouts would be isolation exercises.
Compound exercises are ones in which at least two joints are used to do the exercise movement, so for chest & triceps, you’ll want to do DIPS or BENCH PRESS, for lats and biceps you’ll want to do PULLUPS or LAT BAR PULL DOWN, for legs… it’s SQUATS and then DEADLIFT (which also hits your lower back).
For your shoulder & triceps, you’ll wan to do MILITARY PRESS, CLEAN & JERKS or SQUAT PRESSES.
CALF WORK, because of the unique nature of that muscle group, requires the intensity of CALF RAISES & DONKEY PRESSES which only work one joint, so they tend to be an isolation exercise.
When you have decided on what exercise types would comprise your workouts, it is time to move on in determining how many repetitions and sets would be needed.
It’s suggested that beginning bodybuilders, for the first two weeks do light weights and high reps to get your muscles primed for the growth phase, so you want to start with 1 or 2 sets and work your way up to 4 or 5 sets of 12 to 15 reps (this includes your warm-up sets).
Then you’ll want to swap out exercises, so if you’ve been doing WEIGHTED DIPS it’s time for BENCH PRESS, and you’ll want to raise the weight maybe 15 or 20% and do less sets and less reps (say 2 or 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps), stay on this course for two weeks, then it’s it time to bring the weight back down and do 4 or 5 sets of 10 to 12 reps for one week, then you can jump up in weight from the heavy phase, but do less reps and sets.
The key element here is to a) switch up the routine so your body has to constantly adapt b) build strength and mass by alternating what intensity of weights you pump. Simply put, you would have to perform one heavy set per week and perform repetitive exercises with light weight for the other days to better burn the fat, develop the muscles and fortify endurance.
Once you’ve been on the compound exercise cycle for about 6 weeks, you can start to slowly work in isolation exercises, these are exercises that use one joint to move the weight.
For example, do the barbell or PREACHER CURL, instead DUMBBELL CURLS. You want to do the FRENCH PRESS instead of ONE-ARM TRICEP PRESSES, LEG EXTENSIONS instead of LEG PRESSES, and so on. By the time you have reached the body form you wanted, you can start trying out some of the more exotic exercise routines. Although it’s nearly impossible to do “spot work,” you can eke out specific gains by alternating your routine and the reps/sets combinations.
For instance, when doing EZ-BAR BICEP CURLS, instead of doing 4 or 5 sets of 12 to 15 reps, do two sets of 21s; 21s for BICEP CURLS are when you do 7 reps of vertical to 90 degrees, then 7 reps of 90 degrees to the full contraction, and then finally 7 reps of the full motion… all without a break. That’s a burn that you won’t forget, and it’s a great way to shock you muscles if you’ve reach a plateau.
Sticking to the exercise regimen – no matter how difficult it is – is the most vital aspect of a successful conclusion to the project.
Also, getting more than enough rest and eating right, actually eating more than ever have before.
Your diet is the most important thing whether you’re first starting out or a seasoned pro. If your diet is right, then you’ll have your biggest gains, if not, it’ll be hard to tell if you’ve worked out at all.
Let me leave you with one more thought. According to some of the best trainers, lifting weight should only be done after mastering bodyweight exercises.
For that reason, you may want to start out doing bodyweight exercises.
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