Body By Jake Ab Scissor

Becoming #1: Beginning Competitive Bodybuilding

2012-01-10T11:17:00.001-08:00

If you are going to put a lot of time, effort, and money into training, you might wish to show off the end results in a bodybuilding fitness competition. These contests are held throughout the country and world and showcase some of the most physically fit bodies known to humankind. There are many levels of competition, so don't worry if you aren't Mr. Universe just yet-you can find a competition that is right for you. Any sort of contest does, however, require a dedication to training, including a healthy diet and lots of exercise.

The first thing you should do when you decide to begin competitive bodybuilding is to find a coach. It will be much easier to break into the competition world if you have someone with a little experience under his or her belt guiding you. With your coach, decide on a training schedule and diet, and choose whether or not you want to take supplements. Natural training is, of course, always best, but you may wish to take vitamins or other supplements to make sure your body is getting the nutrients it needs even if you cut some foods out of your diet.

Next, research some of the events held near you. Local events are a good place to start if you live in a big city. If not, you may have to travel some distance to find events, so plan accordingly. Some competitions have an entry fee, and all have different rules of conduct. In most cases, you will have an orientation session the day or morning before the event, but you need to be well prepared before this to avoid looking like a novice in front of the judges. Before the competition, you should not only train, but also learn to flex while you pose and still look relaxed. You may also want to tan, remove hair, and take other measures to help your body look as lean and sculpted as possible. Your coach, if he or she has participated in competitive bodybuilding, should be able to give you advice in these areas.

After the competition, evaluate your performance, good or bad. Nobody is perfect, but by learning from past mistakes, you can do better at future competitions. Keep your eyes peeled in the staging area-what are other competitors doing to help their performance? As soon as the winners are announced and the applause has died, head to the judges' table. They are the experts and can give you a quick verbal assessment of your body and give you advice for your next competition. Be humble and listen to everything they have to say, both positive and negative. In no time, it will be you in the winner's circle, and you can give advice to the new competitive bodybuilders in your area.

Tom Ambrozewicz is one of the pioneers in using breakthrough audio technology on his web sites. You can read, you can listen to professional narrator reading to you or having MP3 files download and train in gym while you listen. You can check all bodybuilding tips at Ask-How.info now.

Bodybuilding Supplements - The Science Behind A Better Body

2012-01-10T11:15:00.000-08:00

These days, it is very common to use bodybuilding supplements to improve your appearance. With all the scientific research into nutrition, the benefits of supplements for building muscles are becoming more accepted. Maybe you are looking to add supplements to your bodybuilding regime. If so, some knowledge is necessary to prevent you from wasting money as there are numerous bodybuilding supplements and it can be difficult to know exactly where to get started.

Firstly, you need to understand that no amount of bodybuilding supplements will automatically build muscles. No, you're not going to wake up one morning with rippling muscles due to supplements! However, they will work with your current dietary intake to create a process that is more favorable in building muscle. So, with no magic about to happen, you need three things: a nutritious, well-balanced diet, regular workouts, and body-building supplements.

These supplements are often found in different forms like bars, tablets, powders, and shakes. How they get into your system isn't the most important consideration; it's what the bodybuilding supplements consist of that really matters. If you really want to ensure a good regimen, go for all types as each one is most suited to a particular type of supplement.

Understandably, men are the main group marketed for bodybuilding supplements. However, women can also benefit from them, except for possibly the ones that have high amounts of complex carbohydrates. These are often the weight gain bars and shakes and people with a body fat percentage above 10% shouldn't use these.

A healthy woman has about 20% body fat and most men starting body building rarely have body fat below 10%. So, only a highly skilled female bodybuilder should consider the use of these weight gain supplements. Male bodybuilders should use these sparingly to start with also. The reason being is that these weight gain supplements don't work well with beginners because their metabolic rate doesn't have the capacity to utilize the extra carbohydrates and the body ends up storing them as fat.

It's all about lean muscle mass. Bodybuilders should use bodybuilding supplements that are protein based so that more lean muscle mass can be achieved. Protein supplements have no steroidal effect at all as they allow you to gain muscles faster without the need to take six balanced meals per day to get the best nutritional balance.

If you're planning to buy bodybuilding supplements buy in bulk to save yourself some cash and make sure you follow usage directions.

Summary:

Bodybuilding supplements won't magically build you rippling muscles! You need to use them as a supplement to a well-balanced diet and regular exercise. If you're a beginner, stay away from ones with complex carbohydrates unless you need the weight gain.

Brooke Hayles
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Visit {http://www.bodybuildingsupplementsvault.com/} Bodybuilding Supplements Vault now!

Smith Machine Home Gyms - How Fast Can You Say Versatility

2011-10-09T09:21:00.001-07:00

The Smith machine is the most popular of all the gym equipment on the market. This article provides you with information about this exercise equipment. Many people feel that the Smith machine is the best exercise equipment on the market. The reason for this is the versatility of such a machine for targeting most of the muscles in the body during a workout. Combining the use of this machine with dumbbells and free weights can give you a complete body workout.

If you have a good machine it will be counter balanced and easy for you to control. This takes you attention off keeping your balance and allows you to concentrate on the exercises. The smoothness of the movements puts very little strain on your muscles so there is less chance of an injury or strain. If you want to lift weights, this machine enables you to do so without the use of a spotter to help you.

You can do multiple exercises on this machine. Some of these are: squats and lunges for your legs; shoulder press for delts; shrugs for the traps; flat or incline bench press for the chest; bent over rows for the back and close grip bench press for the triceps. Using this machine for your exercise routine helps you to run the full gamut of exercises for the entire body.

You can have your own machine at home if you want would rather exercise at home than at the gym. Even though it would be cheaper to pay a gym membership, having your own piece of equipment allows you to workout at home in private whenever you want.

Check out http://www.1-stop-fitness.com for articles on smith machine home gyms and rowing machines for home.

Stamina Bandflex Home Gym Reviews' - Should I Get A Bowflex Instead?

2011-10-09T09:20:00.000-07:00

An affordable alternative to the Bowflex is the Bandflex Home Gym. The Bandflex Home Gym uses a series of 6 bungee cables with three on each side to give you the resistance you need in your weight training.

You stretch and pull these cables as you lift. A quick snap click lets you change the resistance levels to match your experience level and needs. In comparison to the Bowflex, this home gym seems to have more appealing features for far less money. There are 67 different exercises you can do and it is offers up to 260m pounds of resistance.

The Bandflex Home Gym consists of a multi-position bench, which of course is adjustable and a bench press. It has a lat pulldown for your back and triceps. For your legs, it features a leg curl, a leg press and a leg extension to give a workout for all the muscles.

There is a preacher curl attachment you can use for your biceps and a seated row for your back and shoulders. A simple adjustment of the pin lets you move through the exercises easily. It also takes up much less space and can be folded for easy storage.

The bungee cables of this machine tend to stretch and gradually get too long for then to be of any use to you. This means you will have to purchase replacement cables for the equipment.

OVerall, we do recommend the Bandflex home gym instead of the Bowflex. But, do bear in mind the pointers above and you will be have very satisfied with your purchase.

Check out http://www.1-stop-fitness.com/ for articles on yoga mats 1/4 and olympic weight benches.

Creatine for Bodybuilding

2011-10-09T09:18:00.002-07:00

Creatine is a supplement widely used in the bodybuilding circuit as a substance to enhance muscle growth and promote the functions which are involved in creating more muscle mass. In this article I will explain what creatine is, dispel the myths around the supplement and how it can help you achieve your bodybuilding goals.

Creatine is a naturally occurring substance in the human body and it aids your muscles to work at strength for longer - this is its primary function. Since creatine is found in products like meat, people who eat a lot of meat will generally have a higher concentration of creatine in their muscles than say vegetarians or those whom don't eat much meat.

It is also known that taking creatine in the body as an added substance, such as creatine supplements that bodybuilders take, enhances the strength of the muscles and improves recovery time when the muscle actually grows. This is the reason every competitive bodybuilder uses creatine when bulking and adding muscle mass.

When creatine as a supplement first came out there were many myths circulating about the safety of the substance, with stories of weights crashing down on people and alsorts of similar horror stories - while it isn't known why stories like these were spread they have since been proven to be false and creatine is now considered by most to be a safe supplement, just like protein powder or any other common supplement used in bodybuilding.

Creatine will enhance any strength trainers workout session as it allows you to lift for longer, this means instead of burning out at 3 repetitions of a heavy weight, you could in fact lift for a longer period of time, say 10 seconds, along you to complete a full working set of 8 repetitions, which is regards as the best number of reps to promote muscle growth. Due to the fact you lifted heavier for an adequate number of repetitions, the muscles will now repair and grow larger than they would have been able to previously.

Article by Frank Owen, visit his website on creatine for more information on creatine and how it can improve your physique

Bodybuilding for Your Body Type

2011-10-09T09:18:00.001-07:00

No two human beings are alike, so it should make sense that no two human beings can train the same way either. The key to successful bodybuilding, as any professional will tell you, is to know your body-know your limits and know how your body will respond to certain conditions. That said, to help optimize you bodybuilding workout, evaluate your body type. Everyone in the world falls into one of three categories: ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph. By determining your body category, you can help find the lifestyle that is perfect for you. As always, check with your doctor before changing your diet and workout schedule.

Ectomorphs are people who naturally have little or no fat. Usually, ectomorphs are tall and have longer limbs as well. Because of their build, most ectomorphs opt for endurance sports, like running, but if you fall into this category, you can also become a world-class bodybuilder. To start, ectomorphs need to up their calorie count and eat it more throughout the day in smaller meals. Try to increase your intake by at least 500 calories per day to help you put on the weight. Eating more does not necessarily mean eating anything, so ectomorphs need to have a high calorie but healthy diet to be successful at bodybuilding. Also, if you are an ectomorph, cut most of the cardiovascular activity from your workout and focus purely on intense weight training. Don't overtrain, but get into the gym every 3 or 4 days for a hard full-body workout that targets all muscle groups. It is difficult for ectomorphs to gain muscle mass, but with lots of dedication, it can be done.

Mesomorphs are the people everyone envies. They're the folks you see who eat lots of junk food, yet still have the "perfect" bodies. One trap mesomorphs easily fall into is the mindset that because they can skip workouts or eat pizza without any visible effect, it is having no effect on their bodies at all. This is not true-good genes gave you a good body, but things such as heart disease will effect you just as easily as the next person. Mesomorphs shouldn't have to change the amount of food that they eat, but if you fall into this category, make an effort to eat healthy foods and lots of good carbohydrates. At the gym, you can choose to do a full-body training session, but it will probably be more beneficial to you to target and define muscles in specific areas.

Endomorphs also have no problem gaining muscle mass, but unlike mesomorphs, these people also have no problem gaining weight. Diet control is the key to successful bodybuilding for endomorphs-eat smaller meals spread out throughout the day and cut out the junk food. Also, drink a lot of water and try to stop eating for the day about 3 hours before your bedtime. Endomorphs shouldn't have any problem becoming muscular, but they need to hit the gym for lots of cardiovascular workouts as well-every day if possible. This will help the fat melt from your body so that you can begin to see the muscles you are defining.

Whatever your body type, bodybuilding can be the perfect sport for you. Be sensible about your habits and be dedicated to the sport, and you will find that definition and muscle mass can be accomplished.

Bodybuilding in College: It Can Be Done!

2011-10-09T09:09:00.000-07:00

Transitioning from high school to college is difficult for most people, but bodybuilders may find that being away from their home gym and kitchen is extra tough. The first week or so may be a little intimidating, but bodybuilders can stay successful in college with high levels of dedication and motivation. When you enter college, set your goals for the year and try to motivate yourself to stick to your workout and diet plans.

College meal plans vary, but nothing about college food is good for a bodybuilder. Many colleges offer plans that include three meals a day at most, but your diet will probably call for more meals each day of smaller amounts of food. Don't load up at the cafeteria if that's not what you are used to doing! Instead, invest in a small refrigerator for your dorm room. Set aside some extra money each week for food, and schedule your classes so that you have enough time to eat. Most professors don't mind if you carry a snack to class, so if you must take a class that's during your normal mealtime, have some energy bars or protein shakes on hand as a back up plan. When you do eat in the cafeteria, make healthy meal choices. It's ok to splurge on one or two rewards, such as pizza or ice cream every week, but in general, stick to the foods you would normally eat at home-eggs, grilled chicken, bran cereals, salads, cottage cheese, and the like-even if there's a buffet of other things available.

One of the first things you should do when you get to college is explore the gym and weight facilities. Note the hours of operation-most schools are aware that students have busy schedules, so your gyms will probably open early in the morning and still be open late at night, but get a copy of the schedule so you never have to question the times. If the gym is too small or inconvenient for you schedule-wise, check out the gyms in town to see if any would better suit your needs. Students even get discount memberships at some places.

Lastly, be conscious of your other habits. Continue to get enough sleep even with your new workload, and be aware that activities such as smoking will only have an adverse effect on your health. A big part of college for many students is drinking, and you will probably be faced with this as well. If you are just bodybuilding for the sake of looking and feeling good, a few beers every week won't hurt you as long as you are responsible, but drinking is out of the question for competitive bodybuilders. Not only will it pack on the fat, but drinking will also cause you to lower your levels of testosterone and become dehydrated. Volunteer to be the designated driver instead, and you will find that it is easy to fit in while still maintaining your healthy lifestyle.

Are Home Gyms Really The Best Option For You?

2011-09-07T06:41:00.000-07:00

Busy people don?t have much time for leisure, nor for long trips traveling on the road. Busy people spend most of their time at work and at home. But it doesn?t mean that they should not make any effort to get a good exercise workout. Not when you can have your very own gym at home. In fact, you can have a total workout with just one piece of exercise equipment.

It's your choice, a home gym or a commercial gym. If you watch television, perhaps you've noticed the ads airing from some of the major commercial gyms. They often encourage club memberships saying this ensures you?ll get excellent workout results. Some people, including some famous movie stars, claim that by having a home gym you can actually get better results.

There are several factors that you should look into before choosing between a home gym and a commercial gym. Both have their advantages, as well as disadvantages. In the end, you will still be the one to choose no matter what other people might say.

Money and Time Saver

Traveling to and from the gym consumes time and energy. If you have a home gym, you can save money because you can cut back on you gas costs and you don?t have to pay for monthly club fees or continuous membership dues. When you get home from work, you can rest for a while and then do your exercise at your convenience.

Choose your own work out schedule

It's pretty rare to find any commercial gym that is open day and night. And the truth is it's not everyday that you're in the urge of getting a workout. By having a home gym, you can work out any time of the day or night you choose and regardless of the weather. So even if there is a thunderstorm outside, you can still do your workout inside the house.

Better environment

If you join a commercial gym, you have to bear with all the distractions. It's common to see a number of people in the gym working out. There are those who flex their muscles, while others flaunt their sexy bodies. These distractions can be discouraging, especially if you do want a thorough body workout. And here's the clincher, even if you can't get the workout you like, you will still have to pay for it.

But with having your own home gym, it lets you create your own environment, one that is best for you and your situation. You can play your favorite music or you can watch your favorite TV show/movie while doing your workout. Plus there are people who don?t like to be watched when they exercise. And so they will benefit greatly from using a home gym.

So what do you think? Will you go for a home gym or a commercial gym? Staying at home and doing your workout has its advantages. But there is still one thing. The exercise equipment is very important. Today, you can actually find a single machine which can provide you with the needed workout. There are different brands like Body Craft, Weider, NordicTrack and other home gym machines. Most of them are reasonably priced. Besides, you will only need to buy one or two equipments just once, and you get to use it for many years thereafter. There are even brands which offer a lifetime warranty.

So what are you waiting for? Shop around and find that home gym equipment that you will need.

For more helpful information about using home fitness machines and exercise program methods, simply visit YourFitnessInfo.com where you will discover more tips and advice on elliptical exercise workouts, the best home exercise equipment, exercise bikes and home gym fitness equipment.

Free Pilate's Workout At Home No Gyms, No One One Bothering You and No Problems

2011-09-07T06:37:00.000-07:00

Pilate's have become a main stream form of fitness and exercise. The movements of Pilate's can slim tone, and give you a more flexible body. Invented by Joseph Pilate in the early 1900's the Pilate's movements provide a good exercise routine that combine both physical and mental conditioning.

Once you learn the Pilate's movements you are free. A Pilate's workout at home is very effective. It frees you from gym memberships, buying lots of equipment, and you have the freedom to do the exercises whenever you please.

As you begin your Pilate's at home training you'll find many ways to help you learn. Videos, online classes, and even books on Pilate's are easily available to help you being your Pilate's training.

After just a few sessions of Pilate's you'll begin to see results. If you haven't exercised in a while or even if you're a fitness buff, the Pilate's method will work for you. The main key is to correctly learn the movements and how to perform them.

The Pilate's Dance

Much as a fluid dance, Pilate's movements are designed to flow one to another. Each specific Pilate's exercise should be performed in fluid, non-jerky motions. Sculpting, toning, weight loss, and increased flexibility are all benefits of Pilate's

Pilate movements are gentle and very effective. Each Pilate movement has a name. Here's a sample of a Pilate's exercise:

The Ballerina Arms - sit cross-legged on the floor. Straighten your spine as though you're resting against an imaginary wall. Bend the elbows at ninety degrees. Without hyper-extending take your arms back to connect the shoulder blades. Take the arms down as the shoulder blades slide down your spine. Raise the arms above your head. Return to the starting position.

Pilate's exercises offer many benefits other than simply fitness. They are known to help the alignment of your body. They stretch and strengthen your body. Weight loss is another benefit. In general you will have increased energy levels, and a sense of well being, along with a toned, well tuned body. Many professional sports and fitness trainers incorporate Pilate's with their training.

For the average person Pilate's is a great way to get and stay in shape all from the convenience of your home. It doesn't require great equipment or even a large amount of space.

Study and learn how to perform the movements effectively and you have all you need for a lifetime of Pilate's joy.

Here are some tips for beginner pilate exercise and if you also need some free pilates mat exercises then click on over to Mike Herman's site http://www.ThePilatesSolution.info and find what you need.

Is There A Perfect Bodybuilding Routine?

2011-09-07T06:34:00.000-07:00

Finding the right bodybuilding routine can be a real headache, especially since there are dozens of bodybuilding routines and programs out there to choose from. So how do you know which one is best for you? How do you know that the bodybuilding routines stated in the program brochure really works? And how do you choose the most effective bodybuilding routine? Below is a simple guide for you to choose the bodybuilding routine that suits you best.

The topmost standard in choosing the right bodybuilding routine for you is to see whether or not the program has been tested. Never mind what the brochure says. And never mind what the bodybuilding routine instructor is saying. The most objective way for you to see if a bodybuilding routine is effective or not is by relying on empirical data and experimental results.

A good and well thought out bodybuilding routine discusses all of the following key factors: Goals, training loads, progress monitoring, and recovery periods.

In a bodybuilding routine, the ?just do it and see? attitude will not likely drive any major results. What a bodybuilding routine needs is program that allows progressive training. Guidance on changing your workout loads and periodic progress monitoring is essential to know if the bodybuilding routine you have is working. Regular visits to the weighing scale, size measurements, and one-rep maximums are only the easiest and most direct way to measure your progress with your bodybuilding routine.

Now often, in bodybuilding routines, recovery periods are frequently overlooked. Keep in mind that it is just as important as working out and performing your bodybuilding routine exercises. Your bodybuilding routine plan should cover rest on a regular basis and across the training phases.

The third important question to ask is: Am I the right type of individual to take up this kind of bodybuilding routine? A good bodybuilding routine is one that specifies its target population, age, training level, and effective duration.

Different people have specific needs in a bodybuilding routine. The question to consider is the gender and the age. Some bodybuilding routines might be too taxing for teenagers who have smaller and less developed muscles.

The same thing applies in the training level of a bodybuilding routine. You do not want to train under a bodybuilding routine for novices when you?re a bodybuilding veteran of 10 yrs.

And last, but certainly not the last important thing to consider is the duration of the bodybuilding routine. The program should state for exactly how long you can use the bodybuilding routine before moving on to a higher level.

So if you are serious about achieving your ultimate bodybuilding potential, the guide above should give you a better idea in what to look for in bodybuilding routines.

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Guide To Beginning Bodybuilding

2011-09-07T06:22:00.000-07:00

Stick to Basic Compound Movements

The core of your routine should be made up of exercises that involve the use of a large mass of muscle and the movement of several joints. Those exercises stimulate a lot of muscle and cause your body to release anabolic hormones. That means stuff like Squats, Deadlifts, Bent-Over Rows, Bench Presses, Overhead Presses, Dips, Stiff-Legged Deadlifts and Chin-Ups. These are the ones that will make you grow. If you go filling your routine with single joint exercises such as Lateral Raises and Triceps Kickbacks (because you want to "isolate" this muscle or that) you will only be wasting your valuable time. Put hard work into the compound exercises, on the other hand, and you will be rewarded with the fastest muscle growth possible. And it's not just my experience that proves this, but the experience of thousands of weight trainers throughout the years.

Eat More Good, Nutritious Foods And High-Quality Protein

Weight Trainers need more protein than the normal individual. Each weight training session causes your muscles to be broken down and rebuilt a little stronger than they were before. If you want to progress at the fastest possible rate then you'll need a healthy dose of daily dietary protein to fuel this process. 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day has been shown many times to be an optimum amount. Be sure you get that much, day in, day out.

How do you do that? Eat lots of stuff like eggs, milk, beef, tuna, chicken, cheese, liver, etc. Essentially, if it comes from an animal it's good. Get yourself one of those protein counter booklets at the bookstore or supermarket and pick out some high protein, animal-based foods. Then use these to meet your protein quota. It would also be a good idea for you to buy a protein powder. That's an okay 'supplement', but remember this: There's nothing that protein powder is going to do for you that a steak couldn't do (and probably do better).

But the powder may allow you to mix up convenient shakes and it may turn out to be cheaper. Anything made from whey, milk and/or eggs will do fine.

You also need plenty of healthful fats, such as those found in fish and olive oil, to support and promote growth. You should eat plenty of carbs such as rice, vegetables and pasta, but avoid sugar and products laden with sugar. These 'good' carbs will give you energy to train and also provide your muscles with the energy they need to build yet more muscle.

Another thing, as soon as you get up eat a good breakfast. And that doesn't mean Pop-Tarts and Fruit Loops. Get some of the good carbs, proteins and fats that I spoke of above. After sleeping all night (and, therefore, not eating) your body needs nutrients to grow with. If you deny it that you will hamper your growth. Have some milk, eat some eggs, eat a steak if you want, but get some protein. Add a little oatmeal (it digests slowly and will hold you over until your next meal) and you have a good breakfast shaping up.

And eat some protein before you go to bed. Overnight your body will need protein, so give it some just before you go to sleep. It could be some meat, some cheese, a few hard-boiled eggs or something else solid. Solid proteins, generally, take longer to digest than liquids, giving a steady supply of amino acids to your body - so use them.

If you skimp on your nutrition you will cancel ALL of the growth that you stimulated in the gym. Yes, nutrition is THAT IMPORTANT.

Get A Good Amount of Sleep

Most beginner's don't realize this but let me assure you, sleep is just as important as training and nutrition when it comes to muscle growth. DON'T just skip over this rule and think it isn't that important. Critical repairs are made to the body and nervous system when you sleep. If you skimp on your sleep then you won't recover from your workouts properly and your nervous system won't fire your muscles optimally. Sleep deprivation results in reduced glucose sensitivity of the muscle cells and higher resting cortisol levels. There are reasons why training, nutrition and sleep are considered to be the 'big three' keys to weight training success. PLEASE, treat good, sound sleep as a full ingredient of your weight training program.

Limit Your Workouts To One hour

There are plenty of 'technical' reasons for that but this is not the place to get deeply into it. Let's just say that it's not necessary. Weight training is not an endurance event. If you want endurance go for a jog.

Don't Train More Often Than Three Days Per Week

"But Ronnie Coleman trains 6 times", I can hear you saying. Unless you are very genetically gifted, you do not have the hormone levels to train that often and progress maximally. It's true that some advanced drug-free athletes can train 5-6 times per week but those routines are NOT appropriate for you at this stage. Generally, drug-free strength athletes make their best gains when they spend more days out of the gym than in. Don't believe me? Hey, it's your life, do what you want - but if you don't listen to this you'll regret it. I've been there.

There's no need to train more than 3 days per week at first. Genetically gifted people will just progress faster on that 3-day program. So, if you are genetically gifted, a 3 day per week training program won't hold you back. But if you are not it might make the difference between some gains and no gains.

When you get more advanced you might end up adopting longer routines (though not necessarily), but, for now, anything over an hour means you're loafing around too much or you're doing more work than a beginner's body is likely able to tolerate.

Strive For Perfect Exercise Form

Cheating your reps builds nothing but ego - not muscle. If you have to cheat that means the weight's too heavy for you to lift properly. Cheating does not make a muscle contract harder because you can use heavier weights. A muscle can contract only so hard and that's that. All cheating does is bring other muscles into the movement so that you can use more weight - that's not how to effectively train a muscle. Besides, cheating can be DANGEROUS. Proper form is safe. When you start deviating from proper form you open the door for a potentially serious injury. Even minor injuries can cause you to miss workouts - and that's certainly not an effective way to gain muscle.

Ignore The Guy Next To You

This rule ties in closely with the rule before this but isn't quite the same. Here it is: Don't be insecure. If you're lifting this puny little weight and he's lifting 5 times that amount (or even 100 times) WHO CARES! He's not you, you're not him. Don't start cheating so you can use more weight. If he's using bad form and cheating a lot then that's his mistake. Remember the tortoise and the hare. If you work hard enough, long enough, and never, never, ever quit, you'll get there too - and with proper form.

You have to swallow your ego. I had been training for almost 15 years when I decided to learn the Olympic-style Lifts (the Snatch and Clean and Jerk). I had to go from Squatting 445 pounds to Snatching 65. Do you know how foolish that made me feel (and look). Remember, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Do what's right for your body, not your ego. HAVE PATIENCE!

Genetics Do Make A Difference - But WHO CARES!

Some people will progress much faster than others. Some people will grow into solid chunks of muscle within a few months, while others will have to work for years to get half the gains. I've seen it a thousand times. And it's not just training routine design, effort, desire or diet. If these things were all equal it would still happen. But there's nothing you can do about it - so GET OVER IT. You can only work with what you've got, so do that. I've seen some very genetically gifted people come into the gym and pass my strength and muscle level within 6 months of steady training - and I've been doing this for over 12 years - but I lived. And I'll be in the gym again tomorrow.

Avoid Those Exercise Machines

That means no Shoulder Press machines, Cable Curls, Pec Decks, Biceps machines, etc. If you want to build the most muscle possible, as fast as possible then you will have to lift free weights. Oh sure, there are all kinds of so-called 'scientific' arguments why the machines are better, but, believe me, there are also a lot more sound scientific reasons why free weights are. And I have one reason for you right now: If you spend your time on those machines you will SEVERLY limit your progress. Reason enough for you? I spent YEARS wasting my time - and so have countless others. Don't become one of those people who hits yourself in the head a little (or long) ways down the road and says, "Why didn't I do the free weights in the first place? Look at the time I've wasted!"

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Bully Xtreme Home Gym Review

2011-08-22T03:52:00.000-07:00

If you are into seriously increasing your strength, want bigger muscles or just want that body builders body but don't have a lot of time? The the Bully Xtreme Home Gym is just right for you!

This amazing Bullworker type home gym created by a former U.S. Army Ranger and fitness expert, Frank Sherrill, it's a virtual walk through an easy to use portable muscle building Bullworker type device. A home gym that offers simple and proven methods of burning body fat and building your muscles. The Bully Xtreme Home Gym is not just another marketing hype or expensive home gym. It's truly a revolutionary way to train and get this, with it's unique training system you can get an entire body workout in only 7 minutes a week.

It's a home gym and training program that helps you step by step, build muscle and if you like, also lose weight ? the healthy way.

If you have tried Isometrics, Static Contraction or any bodyweight exercise programs, the Bully Xtreme home gym with it's scientifically proven training system, will increase your muscle building results by 1000%. Reports of Bully Xtreme owners; including myself, of tripling their strength in less than 3 weeks are very common.

The Bully Xtreme home gym also helps you out with losing body fat and cardio fitness. The training system's simple words ring with truth and are written in a lucid style aimed at ?dummies?.

The best part is Frank Sherrill reveals the natural and healthy ways of adding inches of muscle to your arms, shoulders, chest, back and legs, while at the same time developing a ripped 6 pack abs. Without any of the risks associated with free weights.

Using a scientifically proven training system he gives you a paint-by-the-numbers simple, training program and nutrition/fat sucking system.

The Bully Xtreme home gym offers:

* Up to 600 lbs of muscle building resistance

* 82 health club type exercises that can be easily done

* Portable home gym, fits any where and weights less than 5 pounds.

* A complete state of the art training system and muscle building nutrition program

* A proven muscle builder with over 40 years of SUCCESS.

* A full 5 year warranty

The Bully Xtreme training system lets you in on some of the secrets of Natural body builders. There may be many body builders who use steroids to pump up their muscles. Using drugs may work but the side effects are usually not worth it and too dangerous. But if you use the training techniques in Bully Xtreme Muscle Up book, then you will be following the natural way ? no drugs , just pure scientific method of of building muscle and nutrition. So you not only benefit from great looking body but also your body is free from all toxins and drugs that devastate in the long run!

The moment you say bodybuilding, women naturally shy away. The Bully Xtreme home gym can be used by anyone any age. The resistance ranges from 10 to 600 lbs so any one, any age can get muscle building, stomach flatting results! So whether you are a man or a woman, the training program works for both with great results for both genders.

Do you know how I got attracted to Bully Xtreme Home Gym? The sheer ease of use and the no B.S. style of building muscle of it's creator.

He has achieved so much since his horrific free weight accident in the gym and has created a safe, easy to use, portable home gym that any one can use. And he stands behind it's sale with free personal coaching and motivational support.

Keeping in true spirit of the U. S. Army Rangers, the author offers multiple benefits to buyers of his Bully Xtreme Home Gym. With the the Bully Xtreme home gym you get a free subscription to ?Bully Xtreme Muscle Up Newsletter?, 18 free bonuses, free software to track your results. Whether you want to get huge like a bodybuilder or you just want a "fitness model" type of body , this software walks you threw it. It's easy to use and a great way to motivate yourself too.

What are you waiting for, get the Bully Xtreme Home Gym, The strongest Bullworker type muscle builder on the market to day and start building that body of your dream. I did!

Bert Hern, is an attorney, a purple belt in Gracie Jiu-jitsu and an Isometrics, static Contraction buff. Having used the Bully Xtreme to increase his strength and muscularity he nows take pride in taking his shirt off. To learn more about the Bullworker Bully Xtreme or get a free report here http://www.bullyxtreme.net

Discover The Benefits Of Bodybuilding

2011-08-22T03:50:00.000-07:00

Many people tend to disregard their body conditions. In fact, thousands in the populace in the whole world are obese or malnourish in terms of the standard weight and height set by the health department. In recent studies conducted by the department of health, most food intake of average American contains voluminous fats. Fats are important in giving person energy to work however excess fats are dangerous to health and may cause possible health breakdown.

Exercise and body building is one way of burning fats. When muscles are being worked out and a certain amount of stress at a given time, it reacts in a way that it forms itself in a certain shape. Every form or type of exercise correspond to what part of the body you want to develop. For example, when you want to develop the muscles of your chest, there are several routines that must be done. You may lift dumbbells while lying. There are so many muscles that can be developed in the human body. There are unique ways and routines that are used to develop every muscle in the body.

Simple exercises can build your body. Only that it must be properly executed so the result will be awesome. There are exercises, especially those made for female bodies that does not require too much lifting but focused more on the movements of the body. These exercises are very tiring but are a hundred percent effective fat burners.

There are several benefits that one can get from body building. The very first benefit that you will gain out of body building is the physical development. The development of the physiological aspect of humans can be regarded as a natural occurrence and does not need any further effort to achieve such development. However, due to distorted lifestyles and destroyed environment, the natural development is stagnated or better yet staggered which in some way need a little effort on the side of humans to achieve the physiological development. Here are some of the physiological benefits that human may get from body building:

1. Body building can increase the muscular strength of a person. The strength of a person is very important in everyday living like lifting objects and transferring it to other places.

2. Body building does not only increase muscular strength but as well as the bone and ligament strength.

3. Though exposed to great stresses and strains, body building can add flexibility to the body.

4. Fitness can be improved since discipline is always to be observed. Right food and at the same time right routines of exercise can help improve physical and health fitness.

5. Body building can decrease cholesterol levels. When doing routines or exercising, voluminous fats are burned. There includes bad fats that are not needed by the body.

6. Body building can make the heart healthier. When a person exerts more effort or consumes energy, heart is exercised through the heart beats. When done constantly, the hearts muscles are strengthened.

There are still several benefits that you can get from body building. Holistically, body building cannot just build the muscles but also the rest of the body. Body improvements must not just be focused on one part but also on the whole.

The very benefit that body building can give to humans is far beyond what is seen by the naked eye. A body builder can never be fully built if he has not learned the very basic of body building. The basic is simple; discipline.

Now there is a gallery of powerful information yours for the taking. Decide now to improve your appearance and improve the quality of your life. Click here: Bodybuilding Nutrition Program

Stop Blaming Mom: Genetics and Bodybuilding

2011-08-22T03:47:00.000-07:00

There's always going to be something about your body that you don't like and can't easily change. For average people, its things like eye color or shoe size, but for bodybuilders, its things like narrow shoulders. Instead of obsessing over these details, learn what you can do to optimize your workout to help fix the problem-and then learn to accept your body for what it is.

Of course, most people simply use genetics as an excuse. If your calves are a problem spot, for example, it's easy to say that this is your parents problem area as well and move on to bench presses or crunches. This is exactly what you should not do! If you calves are the problem, you should begin your workout training these muscles and spend longer and more intense time working to improve this area. Instead, studies show that people are simply giving up and moving on to muscle groups where they can easily get results. Stick it out-by training your problem spots, you will see results in the end, even if the gains are smaller than in other areas. Ask for advice from professional bodybuilders and trainers to optimize your workout for the muscles that are troubling you, and be sure to know your limits; overtraining will only add to the problem.

Sometimes, no matter how hard you work, you have to live with the way your body was made. Men, for example, want to have broad shoulders, but you can't physically do a whole lot if your shoulders are narrow. Instead, you can create the illusion that you have broad shoulders. First, tone the area to define your muscles. Then, trick the mind into believing your shoulders are wider by proportioning your body accordingly. For example, lose extra weight in the abdominal area to give yourself the V shape of the traditional Greek modal. Another trait that you cannot change is height. Shorter bodybuilders will always be able to build bigger and better muscles, because their limbs are not as long. Tall guys-you can still build muscle, just remember that you will have to put forth more effort to lift the same amount of weight.

Overall, don't blame genetics for too much. True, you may have a predisposition, but you can still tone and define muscles in your problem areas with a little extra work. In the end, learn to accept the things you cannot change and focus on keeping your body healthy overall.

Your Bodybuilding Exercise Basics

2011-05-30T07:55:00.001-07:00

Do you want to have defined and toned muscles? In order to get the best shape you desire, you have to know and keep a few bodybuilding exercises basics in mind.

Setting up your main goal is the first logical step for you as a bodybuilding beginner. You should be really decided if you want to be a real bodybuilder. Nonetheless there are many benefits you get when you undergo bodybuilding exercise trainings.

In bodybuilding, you may want to look good having a perfect body. Or you may want to physically fit and stay healthy. Just make sure that you do this for yourself and not for anyone else.

Nowadays, a high percentage of bodybuilding exercise programs are in demand because of the many participants that want to get better and look good. You may set specific goals up to what extent you want your body to progress and improve.

For beginners, here are some basic bodybuilding exercise tips to start up your bodybuilding program. Some of these methods are really basic but can help you a lot.

1. You have to first know the basic methods that you will need in bodybuilding exercise. You can start up by increasing the weight and resistance slowly using weight workout machines. It is also advisable that you perform repetitions using more sets of equipments.

2. Move the resistance slower and lessen your rest in between sets and exercises. In this way you can slowly improve on building muscles and progress on your resistance training.

3. For the more advance method, you can perform an isolation bodybuilding exercise and continue with a compound repetitive movement.

4. Perform static holds to increase resistance with the hardest position of the range of your exercise motion. You can do a top position while exercising your leg extension muscles.

5. You may exercise partial rep in weak range position. You may perform a portion of the rep exercise where you are weakest.

6. Perform strip-set. Do this after you are through with your warm up exercises. You may perform three sets of back to back exercises with no rest while starting with the heaviest weight available.

7. Perform the full rep then followed by a half rep with the normal range of movements. You may return to your starting position to start of the next rep on a lat pull down position. Pull the second rep way below and resist weight back up on a half way position then pulling it again back down.

8. If you're main goal is to tighten and tone your muscles, focus heavily on increasing reps. it is also efficient for your muscle toning if you lessen your rest and change the style of your exercise frequently.

As a final advice, the methods and steps mentioned are general and basics only. You may adapt and adjust to a different bodybuilding exercise for your personal goals and experience.

For those who are in an advance bodybuilding exercise, you may challenge yourself to try a different method in 3 to 4 weeks or you may just stay with the basics.

There can nothing be more fulfilling than having a great body. Make sure that you live a healthy lifestyle to maintain that physically fit body. Start a bodybuilding exercise now!

Dave Poon is an accomplished writer who specializes in the latest in Fitness and Health. For more information regarding Body Building Exercise please drop by at http://www.malemusclebodybuilding.com/

Bodybuilding on the Go: Tips for Travelers

2011-05-30T07:53:00.000-07:00

Face it-not everyone has the opportunity to devote 100% of his or her life to bodybuilding. Most people also have a career and family in their lives, which leads to lots of travel between business trips and family vacations. Even if you are in that small percentage of people who can be a full-time bodybuilder, you may want to travel for competition reasons. It's hard to stick to your diet and train during travel, but with a little extra work, you can continue to stay toned even if you travel of a regular basis.

Before you leave, hit the gym. Chances are that wherever you are staying, they do not have a weight room, or they will have limited equipment and irregular operating hours. Cardiovascular exercise is easy to do in most travel situations, but make sure you do an intense weight training session the day before or day that you leave. That way, some of your vacation time will be over your normal resting days anyway. When you get to your destination, check out the gym availability at your hotel.

Eating right during travel is probably going to be your biggest concern. If you're on vacation, its OK to splurge a little, but try to avoid eating excessive junk food and stick to your diet plan as much as possible. When going on long flights, remember that the little package of pretzels or peanuts they give you on the airplane is probably not going to be enough to hold you over until you land, especially since you should be used to eating small meals every few hours. Eat a slightly larger meal than normal right before you leave, and take some snacks with you. Good carry-ons include granola bars, dried fruit, and protein bars or shakes. Also bring your own water-you're likely to get one small glass of juice or water on the plane, but after that, you'll have to pay for whatever you need. Once you arrive, plan enough time to eat another slightly larger meal if necessary.

While on vacation, be smart. Scope out the nearest grocery market and stock up on healthy food options, especially if your hotel room has a microwave and refrigerator. When you go out to eat, remember to do everything in moderation. Cheating a little is fine, but try to stick to baked foods instead of fried foods. You're a bodybuilder, so you know what foods are good for you-stick to the plan and counteract any poor eating habits with extra cardiovascular workouts, such as running in the mornings before you begin your day's activities. By doing this, you can travel without sacrificing the months of hard work you've put in at the gym.

What is the Very Best Home Gym?

2011-02-03T07:48:00.001-08:00

The best home gym will be the one that has all of the equipment you need to reach your fitness goals. As such, there is no one exercise machine or group of machines that is ideal for everyone.

If you have made the decision to purchase exercise equipment for your home, make sure you do your research first. There is a host of information available online, from manufacturer sites to enthusiast sites to forums where consumers who have purchased and used different equipment sound off on the pros and cons.

Fortunately you can find some of the best home gym equipment online, as dozens of top manufacturers offer their wares on their own sites as well as licensed dealer sites. Often online prices will beat those offline, saving you not only the time it takes to visit a sporting goods store but also a good deal of money.

The first step in selecting the best home fitness gyms for your particular situation is to decide what your fitness goals are. Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to gain muscle? Are you looking for a cardiovascular workout or do you just want to lift weights? Determining your fitness goals an important part of the home gym buying process.

Next, figure out how much space you have to dedicate to your home gym. You may have size/weight restrictions to contend with. Once you have made this determination, look for equipment that will fit the space comfortably with room to move around. More importantly, make sure it will fit through your door and into the room where it will be used, otherwise you have a problem.

Finally, before you start your search for the best home gym equipment figure out what your budget is. Although higher cost does not necessarily mean better equipment, the better quality machines will be more costly than the basic units found in bulk item stores and on infomercials. Keep in mind that it will make sense to choose a better unit, as it will last much longer and probably require less maintenance.

When you're ready to start searching, go with well known brands that have been in business for a long time. Avoid the bargain brand home gyms because they usually don't provide a full workout, and they are made of subpar materials that will likely break over time. If you are looking for a strictly cardio workout, go with a treadmill or elliptical machine. If space is tight, opt for an all-in-one home gym like a Bowflex. If you have more room, opt for dumbbells and a couple of machines, perhaps a cable crossover or pulldown machine. Make sure you are able to target all muscle groups to ensure a complete workout.

The best home fitness gym will include all of the machines you need to get the body you want. So first, figure out what you want to achieve, determine your space and budgetary restrictions, and start looking for the best home gym for you.

Michael Browne has been studying the exercise industry for a number of years. He is a contributor to many health sites, including the Best Home Gyms section of http://www.fitness-events.com, which focuses on tips for purchasing equipment for your home gym.

Powerlifting versus Bodybuilding

2011-02-03T07:47:00.001-08:00

Powerlifting is a sport that evolved from bodybuilding, and many of the goals are somewhat the same. You can benefit from the practices of powerlifting if you are involved in bodybuilding and vice versa. The main difference comes from competition-in powerlifting your goal is to move as much weight as possible, while in bodybuilding your goal is to look as big and defined as possible.

Powerlifting competitions have three parts: the squat, the bench press, and the dead weight. You win a competition not based on how big your muscles appear to be, but rather, how much total weight you lifted. Competitors are placed into classes determined by factors such as experience and age, and are asked to lift in each of the three competitions. There's no need to tan, remove hair, or learn poses to be a successful powerlifter; instead, you should focus all your training time on building strength and stamina.

Powerlifters should stick to a healthy diet, just like bodybuilders. It is important to eat enough calories in a day to optimize muscle building, but you should eat the right foods. Stay away from bad carbohydrates, such as potatoes, and bad fats, such as fried foods. Instead, eat lots of pasta, green vegetables, and sources of protein. Depending on your body type, you may to cut back on certain foods to lose weight. Remember that powerlifting, however, is not a measure of body fat or definition, so packing on a few extra pounds won't effect how the judges view you. Losing body fat, though, will promote a healthier lifestyle altogether, and you will be able to feel better in the gym when you are weight training if you cut the junk food out of your diet.

Stick to a regular routine in the gym as well, just as you would when bodybuilding. You still need time off to rest so that your muscles recover and build between workouts. Also consider taking an entire week off every eight to twelve weeks. This method is used by many trainers and is found to be beneficial in most people because it reduces stress, allows your body to breathe, and helps you stay dedicated to your sport.

Overall, power lifting can be both beneficial to your health and rewarding in the competitive sector. Set goals for yourself with each competition and focus on winning against your own goals instead of simply beating the other lifters. By being dedicated to your diet and training and by keeping a positive attitude, you can succeed in the powerlifting world.

Six Unforgivable Bodybuilding Sins Part 1

2011-02-03T07:45:00.000-08:00

If you are a hardgainer or natural bodybuilder, you already know how difficult it is to get sleeve-busting muscles. Learn how to avoid these common unforgivable bodybuilding sins that not even the Pope will excuse!

Unforgivable Bodybuilding Sin #1: Training through the motions instead of training for results

How many times have you gone to the gym and casually lift the same weights; same exercises; same workout order; and same lack of progress? This is called insanity; doing the same thing but expecting a different result. It is also known as training through the motions. Your body is present but your mind is absent. Training through the motions is fine if you are simply interested in stress release and improving your energy levels, but if you are trying to build a body you can be proud of, this won't cut it.

Only results matter, if you expect to see progress.

Consider the analogy of starting your own business. Starting your own business may earn you praise for being a hard worker, disciplined, skillfulness and many other nice compliments but if your business does not make money, the latter perks don't really matter. Whether you agree or not, money is a measurement of whether your hard work, discipline and skillfulness are paying off or not. Lifting more weight, squeezing out more reps in a workout, and completing more work in less time are all signs of measurement.

How to make this sin forgivable?

Stop training through the motions and you will no longer have the illusion that you are improving. Focus on measuring your results and out doing yourself from workout to workout and there will be no doubt that you are moving forward.

Unforgivable Bodybuilding Sin #2: Not keeping a training journal

Not keeping a training journal piggy backs on the last sin. Imagine trying to run your brand new business without keeping records. You have no idea what's coming in or what's going out. You have no idea why you had a bad month. You have no idea why you had a good month. Training is no different.

History has a tendency to repeat itself

If something worked in the past, why would it not work for the future? If something did not work in the past, than most likely it won't work in the future! If you are not tracking what works and what fails, than your training progress is doomed.

Instead of just recording what you did at each workout, start recording the details. If you had a great workout, let's determine why?

Is it from the amount of sleep you got the night before?

Was it a new workout drink you used?

Was it a different time of the day?

Did you warm up or stretch longer?

Did you take an extra day off?

Were you in a better mood?

How to make this sin forgivable?

The more you know, the more control you have of experiencing the same feeling the next workout. On the flip side, if you had a terrible workout, consider all the same factors to prevent it from happening in the future.

Human nature always want to out do itself.

Your natural instincts will strive for improvement. If you know what the numbers were last workout, you will want to out do yourself. You will want to complete your workout in 47 minutes instead of 50 minutes. You will complete all ten reps instead of eight. You will increase your weights 2.5 lbs instead of stay the same.

The numbers don't lie.

A training journal will keep your progress honest and not deceive you. You might feel incredible after a workout and consider that a sign of improvement but than be disappointed when you realize that you were actually weaker meaning no sign of improvement. Treat your training like a business and it will catapult your muscle progress forward.

Unforgivable Bodybuilding Sin #3: Broken focus

Here is how I see many people live life. First you want to open up a restaurant. Next week you want to become a police officer. The week after that you want to go to Vegas to become a professional poker player! You will most likely fail at everything you do because of your broken focus and lack of discipline to finish what you start.

How to make this sin forgivable?

A lack of focus equals a lack of results. Start treating your training the same way you would treat your career. If you change your career, every few weeks, you will inevitably become a jack of all trades, master of none. It will not become a question of if, but a question of when. Your training, to build a jaw dropping physique, is no different.

Pick one training program and stick with it

There are a lot of options and it can be difficult to choose just one. However, look at this has a positive, and make your life simple by choosing just one and stick to it for it's entire program length. Don't start a 12 week strength program and than go back to a bodybuilding style program after three weeks because it wasn't working.

You must trust the author of the program and take responsibility for your decision. Do not consult others about a program someone else has written, they are not the author of the program and will only confuse you. Go straight to the source and consult the author of the program if you require clarification, otherwise execute every single detail as prescribed. Stay completely focused and committed to the program you have chosen and squeezing out every ounce of muscle that it promises.

How to pick the right program

Don't start a high-volume training program if you are not prepared to get extra sleep, spend some extra money on supplements and find extra time in the day to eat more food. Don't start a fat loss program if you don't have the time to do double day workouts as sometimes necessary. Don't pick a bulking program if summer is coming up and you want to be ripped for summer. Bottom line, make sure you know exactly what your program entails and that you will be prepared to invest whatever is involved with the desired outcome.

Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found at http://www.VinceDelMonteFitness.com/

He specializes in teaching skinny guys how to build muscle and gain weight quickly without drugs, supplements and training

What is Your Bodybuilding Body Type?

2010-12-28T04:58:00.002-08:00

Try and name a sport that you can participate in even if you are an old person. Chances are, you will have a hard time naming even one. But if you named bodybuilding, you are dead on right.

Bodybuilding is the art and science of developing the musculature of your body via certain kinds of physical exertion and diet whose end goal is to showcase the body for competitive exhibition. The most popular kind of bodybuilding exercise is weightlifting or weight training.

What makes bodybuilding so appealing is that it is a sport that everyone of any age can participate in. The only requirements are that one be in relatively good physical condition, has access to gym equipment, and can financially afford the lifestyle it demands.

What are the different types of bodybuilding workouts? Well, it depends first on whether your body type is that of an ectomorph, endomorph or mesomorph.

An ectomorph is considered the slow gainer among bodybuilding types. He needs to slow down his hyper metabolism in order to gain muscle size and strength. This means his exercise routine should be severe enough to trigger muscle growth yet short enough to avoid nervous drain.

An endomorph, on the other hand, has a sluggish metabolism. He needs some kind of stimulating exercise every session in order to rev up his metabolism. Also, an endomorph should restrict his calorie intake due to an over-efficient digestive system that makes him gain weight easily.

The luckiest among the body types (as far as bodybuilding is concerned) is the mesomorph. A true mesomorph is able to gain muscle even with little effort on his part. Mesomorphs can be said to be gifted with muscle-building abilities, the Chosen People of bodybuilding.

No one belongs solely to one body type. Most people can be said to be a mixture of the three. However, one body type usually dominates a person?s build so that it is relatively easy to categorize bodybuilders.

Despite one?s body type, there are common techniques to follow when bodybuilding. These are:

Keep a training diary so that you can monitor your progress and determine what you should aim for in the future.
Pay attention when lifting any kind of weight to avoid injury. Carelessness is probably the foremost cause of injuries in bodybuilding.
Choose the types of exercises that can contract as many muscle fibers as possible during one set. This will maximize the effectiveness of the core repetitions which make up most of one?s training.
Warm up properly prior to doing any exercise to prevent injury.
Don?t change the technique of doing any exercise unless you know what you are doing. Experimenting is another cause of injury.
Don?t do those exercises which are known to cause tendon or joint damage.
Good exercise style prevents injury. So keep proper form while exercising.
Learn to distinguish between the pain caused by lactic acid build-up within the muscle, and the pain caused by a serious injury. Mistaking one for the other could cause you to keep exercising despite being injured, thereby worsening the injury. Rest if you are injured.
Practice stretching before working out. This also helps you ward off injuries.

Hopefully, these tips will help you enjoy participating in the sport of bodybuilding

Check out http://www.muscle-guide.com for more great information on building muscle and getting fit.

How To Organize Your Grocery Shopping Experience To Yield Your Optimal Bodybuilding Nutrition, Healthy Snacks, Low Fat Cooking, And A Brand New You

2010-12-28T04:58:00.001-08:00

Been to a grocery store lately?

Does your mouth start to water when you pass aisle after aisle of?.

-Potato chips
-Pop tarts
-Ice cream
-Cookies
-Fresh baked pastries
-Cakes
-Carbonated beverages
-Syrups with high fructose corn syrup

Mmmmm?I can almost taste it right here from my computer.

How does that fit into your fitness plan, or your weight loss diet plan?

Gooey chocolate chip cookies, devil?s food cakes, ultra high sugar cereals?all washed down with your favorite carbonated beverage.

Uh oh, there goes your weight loss diet plan.

Ok, I?m getting off track here?.and so is your fitness plan.

Whatever.

Let?s focus and regroup.

Here?s a challenge for you (pay attention, this is a good start to a weight loss diet plan)?

Next time you go to the grocery store, put 10 healthy things that will help achieve your overall fitness plan and your weight loss diet plan in your cart before you put 1 unhealthy thing.

Yep, you heard right.

It?s not only a challenge, but this should be the way (now and always) you grocery shop for you and your family.

For every 10 things for your fitness plan?.you are allowed 1 ?treat?.

So, for example?you could put things in your cart like:

-Oatmeal
-Assorted fruits and vegetables
-Lean meats (chicken, beef, some kinds of fish, etc.)
-Whole grains
-Low fat yogurt (no sugar added)

Then?..after 10 of these items that help you achieve your weight loss diet plan?.you can go ahead and ?treat? yourself to one of those high calorie, ?fat in the box? cookies??.if you so desire.

But here?s a little secret?

A shocking, little-known, secret that will keep you on your fitness plan like glue?

You think you can handle it?

Ok, here goes?

After you start CONSISTENTLY buying and eating healthier foods?you will no longer be interested in those ?treats??which will eventually do nothing but make you feel bad?but you WILL BE HAPPY about your newly found self-esteem, and your body will be very thankful?it may sound hard to believe right now?but it?s true?.very true.

Why?

Because you are CONSISTENTLY conditioning yourself to eat healthier foods and following your fitness plan and staying on top of your weight loss diet plan?and your body is responding to it?

Better yet, your body is EXPECTING it.

I remember when I was back in college and when I was eating very healthy and working out like a champ, I was following my fitness plan to a ?T??

I was doing this very consistently for a good while?then, one night I went out to dinner with some friends.

Didn?t really think about how I had been eating lately (very healthy) and ordered myself a nice juicy, fatty hamburger and fries.

Well, about a ? hour later, after my stomach kept asking me ?What in the world is this in here???I became very familiar with the bathroom for a little while.

Onward.

Ok, I didn?t tell you that story to make you scared of eating hamburgers, or say that you can never, ever, ever eat anything you want or crave?

But be smart.

Use your common sense.

Follow your fitness plan.

Stay on your weight loss diet plan.

Eating Twinkies will never help you lose the fat off your body.

Neither will the candy bars.

Or the?.

Well, you get the picture.

So?realize that it all STARTS at your local grocer.

And if you follow my advice, you can make sure it doesn?t END on your waistline.

I?ll talk to you soon.

Chris C.

P.S. You think this is the end-all, be-all of fitness and nutritional tips? Well, it?s not even close?just go on over to www.fitnesswithchris.com and look at all of the information I have for you for you to follow and improve your fitness plan.

Chris Callegari, founder of http://www.fitnesswithchris.com is unleashing his real-world exercise, fitness, nutrition, and healthy eating tips to the world, to help support lifestyle changes for any and everyone.

The Secret Ingredients of Bodybuilding Supplement Gakic

2010-12-28T04:56:00.000-08:00

After the successful launch and campaigning of company Muscletech for the new supposed breakthrough supplement Gakic, many questions have been asked as to the products effectiveness, potential side effects and in particular ingredients.

When a supplement promises a benefit so dramatic people inevitably want to know how. In this article I will attempt to discuss the ingredients of Gakic in the hope of demonstrating why the guys at Muscletech might just be more than great marketers.

Firstly to lay it out for you the ingredients of Gakic as stated in the products documentation are:

First and foremost glycine-l-arginine-alpha-ketoisocaproic acid calcium (shortened to Gakic). With the additional ingredients being:

Dextrose, maltodextrin, citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium gluconate, polyvinylprrolidone, natural and artificial flavors (modified food starch, corn syrup solids, gum acacia, silicon dioxide), acesulfame-potassium, sucralose, fd&c red no. 40.

Without getting too complicated with the science of things, I will try to briefly explain how and why these ingredients are effective in performing the suggested tasks.

The benefit of Gakic is stated to be that it helps the body to remove and prevent the build up of fatigue toxins such as Ammonia that cause the body to lose strength and eventually fail towards the end of the workout.

Gakic's main ingredient works as such: The compound glycine-l-arginine-alpha-ketoisocaproic acid calcium as a ketone group has no Ammonia in it as ketone compounds usually do. For this reason when it enters the body and the muscle cells, it scavenges for Ammonia particles with which it can react neutrally to become more chemically stable. What that means is that this compound glycine-l-arginine-alpha-ketoisocaproic acid calcium is pre-disposed to remove in this manner traces of Ammonia from the muscle cells. The acid when enters the body is converted to leucine that carries out the function above as well as glycine and arginine which then are responsible for moving the removed Ammonia through the uric acid system to be eliminated from the body. Further to that the glycine and arginine have further effects. The glycine is also said to give the effect of an insulin stimulator while the arginine is able to increase blood flow to the area effected by the toxins allowing the leucine to ravage even more of the toxins it seeks to eliminate.

This being the function of the main ingredient, the other ingredients of Gakic serve to enhance the extent to which the muscle cells can absorb the substance and hence take their effect.

As you can see the process Gakic undergoes in the body is a complex one. It is mainly for this reason that scientists and users of the product alike seem to be touting its benefits. As for the question of will it work for you, it is up to you to decide.

Gary Stephens is a writer on bodybuilding supplements and currently runs an informational website providing the real information on bodybuilding supplement Gakic, including Gakic Reviews.

For more information please see http://www.gakicreview.com

3 Steps For Maintaining Your Home Gym

2010-11-17T03:25:00.000-08:00

Once you have bought a home gym, it is time to figure out how to start caring for it. Although you may not be entirely sure on how to begin, it's a good idea if you learn. This can be done easily enough with the maintenance manual that you got with this fitness equipment. This manual can be indispensable for those who want to know how to properly care for their equipment. Doing so can keep it from wearing down too soon and help it to last longer as well.

1) For example, one step that may be needed in caring for your home gym is oiling and/or greasing. This may be needed on machines that have gears. This maintenance step is required for these gears not to jam or even break. Make sure you check out your manual as soon as you get your gym equipment, in order to know if this step is necessary in the care of the machine. You will want to know this as soon as possible, so you don't miss doing so and damage your machine unnecessarily. Usually this needs to be done only once a month, but check the manual to see if they recommend how often it should be done with your particular machine.

2) Sometimes the only thing that needs to be done as far as maintenance is concerned is wiping it down. This however is a very important step in caring for your equipment. You should do this at least every time you use the machine. This will prevent sweat and grime building up on the machine and causing damage. Sometimes letting this build up can cause gears to break or work themselves loose, even while you are working out.

3) One last step is to make sure that all the nuts and bolts are kept tightened. This should be a routine check that you do to ensure that they are not coming loose. By letting them get too loose you could risk injury by them coming undone at a most importune time. This may seem like a hassle, but can be well worth the extra time to save you from getting hurt or someone else for that matter.

As you can tell, caring for your home gym equipment involves more than just keeping it clean. You must make sure all the gears are oiled or greased and all the nuts and bolts are kept tightened as well. You can see that keeping up these things can save you money as well as any injuries that could occur. So make sure you read the maintenance manual thoroughly and are aware of what you will need to do to start your maintenance program. You'll be glad you did.

Check out http://www.homegymsreview.com/ for more articles on homegym and home gym equipment sales.

Get Fast Results - Tips to Successful Bodybuilding for Beginners

2010-11-17T03:23:00.000-08:00

With so many ads and free bodybuilding regimen in magazines and the Internet, it is easy to go wrong. DO NOT use the bodybuilding regimen of professional bodybuilders when you start off.

Begin slowly. It is natural to be enthusiastic at this stage. But your body needs only 3 non-consecutive days of workout a week. To be successful, your bodybuilding regimen needs to focus on:

The right kinds of exercises
The right technique
Breathing technique
Diet

Mastering technique is the most important part of a beginner?s routine. If you are doing the right exercise in the wrong way, you are wasting your time. Once you have mastered the technique, you can push your body harder and do the number of recommended reps. This way you can achieve more number of reps without having to worry about injury.

Gaining muscle mass is not just about exercising. This has to be coupled with a bodybuilding diet. Good nutrition is an important part of your muscle building program. You should ideally be having five or six small meals a day. Here are some changes you need to make:

Cut fats
Say ?no? to refined sugar
Take in lots of water
Increase your protein intake

The best time to work out is in the morning, on an empty stomach. Your body needs food after the workout because your last meal would probably have been 8-10 hours before the exercise. So, you should NEVER miss your post workout meal.

Your ideal diet should include potatoes, rice, pasta, lean red meat, egg whites, banana, turkey, cottage cheese and tuna. Natural fats like natural peanut butter, olive oil and flaxseed oil are good because they are rich in monounsaturated fats.

Warm up before you start your bodybuilding exercises. Perform all exercises through their full range of motion. Keep your movements slow and controlled. This will help keep resistance on the muscles. You may need to rest between exercises, especially in the beginning.

There are a number of exercises that you can choose from to build the body of your dreams. For the exercises to work in peak form, you need to cycle the exercises so that all the major muscles receive their fair share of resistance training. Change the sets, switch the order of body parts, choose different exercises and vary the rest time between sets.

Do not start on any supplements right away. The need for supplements comes in only after you hit a plateau ? the stage when you are doing all the right things, but not seeing any results.

While bodybuilding success depends on pushing the limits, never ignore pain. Set small and achievable goals. Do not give up. Remember bodybuilding is not just about exercises, it is a lifestyle in itself.

Bodybuilding is serious business. So, the first thing you have to do is get a physical done. It is absolutely essential to ensure that all your organs are in perfect working order. A healthy heart, liver and kidneys are a must if you dream of body building success. Your hormonal balance also plays a very important part in bodybuilding.

Discover more about bodybuilding for beginners to what to watch out for and tips for female bodybuilders at the bodybuildingzone.info

Gym Workout Bodybuilding Tips

2010-11-17T03:21:00.000-08:00

Gym workout programs can vary dramatically from bodybuilder to bodybuilder. One gym bodybuilding workout for one bodybuilding enthusiast can deliver outstanding results while another gym workout can be a disappointment for another bodybuilder.

After thousands of bodybuilding fitness consulting sessions, and publishing a popular weight training guide, I constantly teach bodybuilders a results proven gym workout routine that builds muscle fast.

All you have to do is follow my 8 Gym Workout Bodybuilding Tips and you will soon see your muscle building results double.

8 Gym Bodybuilding Workout Tips

1. Have a clear weight training routine purpose.

Upon entering the gym it is imperative to have a clear cut bodybuilding routine plan of action. You should know exactly what exercises you will perform, how much weight you will need to lift, and how many reps you must beat. Therefore, your whole bodybuilding routine is 100% planned, set in stone, prior to beginning your gym workout. You must walk into the gym with a definite plan, and purpose.

2. Be in a "warrior" high intensity weight training state of mind.

It is crucial to enter the gym workout focused. I can remember entering the gym and instantly beginning to perspire. I mentally had worked myself up into state of high intensity weight training desire. This is even before I lifted one weight. It is called focus, and anticipation.

Bodybuilding results are only seen when you force yourself to grow. That takes high intensity weight training, as well as ultra high mental focus. Your mind should be totally focused on conquering the next rep. It is important to imagine yourself forcing out that one additional muscle building repetition.

In an effective gym workout, your attitude, and drive will determine your altitude of muscle development.

3. Focus on effective pre- gym workout bodybuilding nutrition.

Make sure you ingest a small amount of complex carbohydrates, and protein approximately 2 hours prior to beginning your gym workout. This will assure you of getting the adequate amounts of energy producing nutrients to expel in your high intensity weight training session.

Another extremely important gym workout tip is to make sure you are properly hydrated with, preferably, water. You should be consuming at least one-half of your bodyweight in ounces each and every day.

Bodybuilding training preparations are similar to space shuttle preparations. Your goal should be to get your system ready for a high intensity weight training blast off.

4. Did you bring your bodybuilding workout log to your gym workout?

One of the biggest mistakes bodybuilders consistently make is neglecting to track their weight lifting progress. Without measuring progress, there generally is little improvement. How do you know what you are suppose to beat if you have no data? How can a department store set sales goals if they don't track sales? It is just absolutely silly seeing bodybuilders completing their gym workouts without recording any data. That what is not measured will not improve.

5. Gym workouts are for training, not socializing.

Remember, you are in the gym to get muscle building results. If you are talking and goofing around, how in the world can you be ultra focused on going to war with the weights? Get your work done, and then socialize if you wish. I tell my clients to stay focused, and don't allow distractions. Focus on conquering that near impossible, muscle growth repetition.

6. Use only proven bodybuilding program principles.

Don't listen to Joe Bodybuilders newest theory on building muscle. Stick to what has been scientifically proven to work. Beware of all the gym chatter floating around. To discover all of the most advanced proven bodybuilding principles visit my muscle building weight training guide presented in digital audio. Bodybuilding Done Right is a how to bodybuilding audio revealing the proven scientific bodybuilding program principle the pros use, but refuse to share.

7. Avoid Overtraining.

Once you have completed your pre-designed 100% high intensity bodybuilding routine, it is time to get out of the gym, and go home and grow. Hold yourself back from doing one extra set. Remember, more is not necessarily better. Stick to your plan. With high intensity weight training you need less volume of work. Any extra basic weight training exercises could be counter productive to your bodybuilding muscle growth.

Get out of the gym, and let your body compensate, and later overcompensate with added fat burning muscle tissue.

Also, make sure your body has fully recovered from the previous gym workout before you train again.

8. Begin the recovery process with optimal bodybuilding nutrition.

You have an hour after your high intensity weight training workout to replenish your glycogen levels, thus, aiding in the muscle building, and recovery process. Take in two parts complex or simple carbohydrates with one part protein. This is an important bodybuilding tip that has been proven to aid in the muscle recovery, and building process. So power your gym workout with these proven tips.

These are 8 important gym workout tips that should be followed. Following these bodybuilding workout tips will do wonders for your weightlifting, muscle building results.

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Jim O'Connor - Exercise Physiologist

9461 Charleville Blvd. #312

Beverly Hills, CA 90212

1-866-935-5967

Discover the newest bodybuilding breakthrough secrets in Exercise Physiologist Jim O'Connor's cutting edge 90 minute bodybuilding audio. He reveals the most effective, efficient bodybuilding tips for maxmimum muscle growth.

Natural Bodybuilding the Key to Endless Growth

2010-10-07T07:55:00.000-07:00

In my 18 years plus in the iron game I am often asked what is the biggest secret to building a championship physique or at least a great body. The answer of course has a multitude of components but it boils down to a few basic truisms.

1. You need a systemized training program that evolves as your body evolves.

2. You need to follow a high quality nutrient dense diet

3. You need heart, discipline and a compelling REASON WHY.

In the first part to this series we will examine the first component the need to follow a systemized training program.

If you want to travel from New York to Los Angeles there are several ways to achieve this and several modes of transportation you can take. First and foremost you need to select the mode of transport such as walking, car, boat, train or airplane. Each mode of transport provides advantages and disadvantages as well as differences in cost as well as time taken to get to the destination.

If you have never made the trip and have no knowledge of the transport systems the best way to get to your destination would be to consult with individuals who have made the journey and select which modality meets your criteria of cost and time invested. Much time on the journey can be saved with planning your trip in advance as well as selecting the most cost effective method of transport. If your goal is to build a strong, well developed physique a little planning before hand can save you a lot of expense and headaches as well as ensuring you get to your destination.

Having the route planned out and the modality of transport is best left to a travel agent someone experienced in getting people to their destination. Likewise in building a great physique consulting with an expert coach will save you a great expense of time and money as well as providing you peace of mind. A great coach will provide you with a systemize scientifically proven training program for without a good program you have almost no chance of building a great physique.

Imagine trying to get from New York to LA without a road map, any mode of transport, or any knowledge of how to get there. As insane as this sounds many individuals that embark on this journey to build a great physique, with this type of mindset which pretty much guarantees failure. Of course there are a few rare individuals who have made the journey by following many trial and error methods to build there physique but in reality no wants to waste years and years following useless routines and getting discouraged. Every great athlete requires a coach to reach there ultimate potential as fast as possible.

The lack of planning and coaching has put bodybuilders at the mercy of slick marketing, pie in the sky supplements, and magazine mysticism that leaves bodybuilders desperate and frustrated. For some reason bodybuilders are so hooked on the "genetics is everything" that they consistently fall prey to giving less then there best effort leading to disillusionment and discouragement. Often times the individual takes steroids and other bodybuilding drugs to compensate for a poor routine found in a magazine or randomly selected exercises performed with terrible form. These individuals also tend to build belief systems that support the use of drugs to build the physique. This mentality is pervasive even at the pro-level and is a cancer to the science of building muscle. Basically once you take the drugs away most people have a terrible physique and an even worse state of physical and mental health.

For the Natural Bodybuilder Endless Growth is not only possible it is a certainty once the individual diligently follows a step-by-step sound training program. The best programs will be geared so the athlete trains the nervous system to handle increasingly challenging demands so that new neural pathways can be developed to build muscle. The body becomes it's function is a great truism so you need to first develop strong neural drives to each muscle group to maximize it's development.

The training routine also needs to take in account the development of muscle in strategic places which is first accomplished in the foundation phase. In the second phase of training particular attention is directed to smaller muscle groups to improve the shape, function and aesthetics of the physique. Usually accompanying this stage is a dietary regimen that strips away body fat to reveal the underlying musculature. This is a critical aspect to fully realize where one's physical development is and where improvements need to be made.

The length of time of each phase depends on the maturity of the nervous system, goals of the individual, and body fat percentages. For most trainees these two stages should compromise approximately 1-3 years depending on how fast the individual responds to training and the continuity of the effort exerted. In reality most people take 3-5 years to get there nervous system to the high levels of training capacity in a given discipline.

Cycling back and forth between Foundation training for the structure and Innervation training for the aesthetics compromises the bulk of these stages until the individual get's down to single digit body fat levels with a significant level of muscle mass. At this point a more complex routine is required as the body's ability to adapt to training has significantly improved (See stages of training Freaky Big Naturally). Stricter attention to nutrition as well as advanced supplementation and serious psychological training is then required to overcome perceived limits in performance. This is where most trainees falter and there physical development halts. Intense effort is required to break past this barrier, and this takes incredible self discipline, and desire (Big Reason Why).

In this third and ongoing stage both foundation and innervation training are performed throughout workout regimens and training reflects constant change to maximize growth and overcome underdeveloped areas. Each month specialization on weak aspects is a must while maintaining or improving strong points. Arnold refers to this stage in Pumping Iron when he discusses how he overcame his weak points and now in order to increase one muscle in size he must change every part of his physique in order to accommodate this change. Of course few people will ever reach Arnold's development but the implications are the same for every trainee when it comes to advanced workout design.

This long term healthy scientific approach to bodybuilding is far superior to training using drugs because without drugs the individual needs to first follow sound training science and sound nutritional advice. By building a solid base to your training and nutrition long term improvement is guaranteed and bodybuilding becomes a long term and continually improving pursuit.

Conversely, bodybuilders who use drugs to build their bodies quickly lose there gains once the drugs stop because of poor training and poor nutrition. Also the psychological dependence on drugs cause many top level Bodybuilders to become so depressed after they stop a cycle that their training and physique quickly degenerate thereafter. This loss of identity and false euphoria that drugs create can often lead to other more serious psychological/sociological problems. Natural bodybuilding is a far superior way to build every aspect of your physique as well as your mind and emotional state. Natural bodybuilding is a compliment to a productive and happy level not a detriment.

Many natural trainees continue to improve late into there life. I have personally witnessed people making gains in their 50's, 60's and even 70's with consistent and applied scientific effort in Natural Bodybuilding. More importantly the long term benefits of Natural Bodybuilding far out weigh any short term illusionary gains that drug use provides...

In the next part of this article we will discuss the second part and most overlooked aspect of training; following a nutrient dense diet. Until then train hard, train smart and most of all train natural.

Wade McNutt http://www.freakybignatural.com is a Natural National Bodybuilding Champion and an IFBB Mr. Universe World Champion. He combined the secrets of Eastern Yoga Masters with, scientific, muscle building to produce a revolutionary new system called Freaky Big Naturally. Learn More at: http://www.freakybignatural.com

Natural Bodybuilding The Key To Endless Growth Part II

2010-10-07T07:52:00.000-07:00

In the first part of this installment we examined how to build a road map to get to your destination. We talked about training the nervous system, innervation of specific body parts for symmetry, and advanced stage training.

In Part II we are going to examine the most common challenge bodybuilders face which is nutrition. Unfortunately there is so much confusion about what to eat, when to eat , how much to eat and on and on that it is almost impossible to sort out what to do. Also eating to grow is very different the eating to get shredded so the key point to remember is that your diet needs to evolve with your physique.

Consistency and self discipline on your eating is two biggest keys to long term success on whatever eating program that you are following. Bodybuilders who are successful always plan ahead and have meals prepared well in advance. If you don't plan out your meals and have them with you at all times you will invariably fail in giving yourself the best possible gains. Hoping that restaurants, or friends or relatives will be serving "bodybuilding food" is unrealistic and leads to frustration as well as no progress.

Almost every person I have every met that could not gain weight or lose weight was simply because they did not prepare there food in advance. It sounds simple, and it is simple but few overlook this critical point. Don't be one of those people who doesn't prepare there meals in advance. In the Freaky Big Naturally training course there is a whole section on food prep to keep you on your eating program. I learned these food preparation and food avoidance skills over years of trial and error. Many people think that it is a matter of will power or won't power but in reality it is simple preparation beforehand.

Here is a few simple rules to remember"

1. Always carry 1-2 meals with you more than you think you will need. This way any delays in your schedule will not throw your eating off.

2. Always eat before you go shopping, to the movies, or to other social occasions where non nutritious food will be served this way you will reduce any cravings for junk.

3. Prepare food in bulk and use Tupperware containers so that you can grab quick meals at any time. Also you will find it takes very little extra time to prepare 10 meals as it does one meal. This savings in time will actually make your life way more efficient and your eating plan easy to stick too.

4. Get off all artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners cause cravings for sugar, mess up your metabolism and brain function, and may have negative effects on your overall health. Cut them out of your diet immediately and switch to Stevia, or Raw Honey for sweetening. NO Diet Sodas.

5. Drink plenty of water each day. Most often dehydration is misinterpreted as hunger. Slug back a liter of water 30 minutes before eating or when you feel hungry and you will see how it curbs appetite significantly.

6. Place nutritious snacks in you car, your office desk at your house basically everywhere that you spend a considerable amount of time. You will quickly develop the habit of eating healthy and junk foods will quickly lose there appeal.

7. Schedule a regular junk food meal once per week. This is a powerful lesson that starts building the will to understand delayed gratification. Every time you have a craving for junk food simply right it down and schedule to eat it on a set day. By the end of the week you can review the list and go eat those foods guilt free. Often times by the junk food day you won't want the food or it won't taste as good as you anticipated. Over time you will develop more control over your cravings and reduce negative guilt associations with food.

This list isn't the be all and end all of eating but it gives you a start to work with.

Keep in mind that your eating program should evolve over time. Your body will naturally adjust from desiring different types of foods depending on a variety of factors such as season, nutrient levels, PH balance of the body, training demands, and conditioning levels to name a few.

Recording how food affects you as biofeedback is critical in understanding the powerful effects of food on your mood and your performance. Review your eating journal regularly so that you become aware of your patterns of eating as well developing awareness of how each food effects your body. Clients are always surprised at how much they can learn about food just by charting there eating patterns for a few months.

One final note is too remember you must master eating and training first before supplements can be effective. So many people try the other way around and wind up frustrated. No supplement can make up for a poor diet or poor training so vow to master these two facets first before wasting money on supplements. Once you master your diet than the right supplement at the right time can do wonders to improve performance but seldom does the supplement deliver when the diet is poor.

In the third part of this installment we will look at having a big reason why. The key to realizing your full physical potential.

Bodybuilding Exercises

2010-09-04T07:17:00.001-07:00

Top 10 Bodybuilding exercises ? back to basics training for ultimate muscle mass

In this age of $5000 strength machines and $8000 treadmills, it may surprise readers to learn that some of the best bodybuilding exercises can be performed for as little as $100! That?s right, you don?t need chrome and glitz to transform your physique. Long before Universal, Nautilus, and Hammer Strength, came on the scene, bodybuilders had been packing on muscle mass by training with good old-fashioned barbells.

The following (in no particular order) are our choices as the top bodybuilding exercises of all time.

Squats

Most authorities consider squats to be the best leg exercise. Period. One set of all out squats will do more for your lower body than 10 sets of leg extensions. Squats are also one of the most natural and basic of all body movements (let?s face it how often do you mimic the leg extension in the run of a day!) and target virtually the entire lower body.

Barbell Bench Press

The barbell bench press can be considered squats for the upper body. No pretty machine comes close to what this basic bodybuilding exercise will do for your torso. Long before the Pec deck started taking up space in gyms, bodybuilders were putting muscle mass on their chest, triceps, and shoulders, by training with barbell presses.

Deadlifts

Although long considered a powerlifting exercise, deadlifts are one of those exercises that often get neglected by bodybuilders because they take a lot of effort to do properly. But deadlifts will build you a set of python-sized spinal erectors as well as bestow on you that ?no neck? look. They?ll also do wonders for your hamstrings and thighs.

Chin-ups

Long before lat pulldowns transformed the way people trained their backs; chin-ups were tops of back bodybuilding exercises. The great thing about chins is that you can do them just about anywhere from a play ground to a basement. Unlike lat pulldowns, chin-ups require you to lift as well as stabilize your body (i.e. keep your body from swaying). This is what makes them so effective.

Barbell rows

If chin-ups widen your back and produce that much-coveted v-taper, barbell rows will give your inner back that dense, thick, meaty look. Unlike the more often substituted T-bar row, barbell rows have none of the balancing removed. You have to lift and balance the weight. There is no pivoting on the floor or being locked in a given plan of motion that may be unnatural for your body.

Seated Barbell Press

This is another oldie but goodie. Training with seated barbell presses will give your shoulders that cannonball look. Seated barbell presses evolved from the old standing press that was so popular with Olympic lifters and bodybuilders in the 1940?s and 1950?s. They?ve stood the test of time and you should be doing them.

Barbell curls

It?s safe to say that the first exercise performed on barbells when they were invented was a barbell curl. No cable or machine curl will come close to what these babies will do for your biceps muscle mass. They?ll also build up a phenomenal set of forearms. So if you want hams hanging from your shoulder joints you must add barbell curls to your bodybuilding exercises.

Lying triceps extensions

Lying triceps extensions, also called skullcrushers, are the triceps equivalent of barbell curls. They?re simple, basic, and will bring those horseshoes out for all to admire. So you can fluff with kickbacks or cable extensions or put some serious meat on your arms with this great bodybuilding exercise!

Push-ups

Push-ups go back even further than barbell exercises. Push-ups are the best bodyweight exercise for building the chest, shoulders, and triceps. By changing the height of the legs you can target different parts of the chest. They can also be done just about anywhere, whether the gym or in a hotel room while on the road. So drop and give me 20!

Crunches

Crunches will strengthen your abdominal core. They?ll also improve your posture and help protect your lower back. Crunches evolved from sit-ups, but unlike sit-ups they place less stress on your lower back and keep the hip flexors from contributing to the exercise. As with push-ups crunches can be done just about anywhere and should be the primary exercise in your abdominal routine.

Bob Howard expert on bodybuilding and steroids. Are you looking for more of his bodybuilding articles? http://www.bodybuildinginformation.com Article ? Bob Howard 5/5/2006

Bodybuilding Routines

2010-04-28T04:50:00.000-07:00

Split bodybuilding routines and workouts

Stop for a minute and think about your current bodybuilding training strategy. In order to achieve maximum results, you should be following a progressive and logical schedule. If you are new to working out you are probably performing a full-body workout. Full-body workouts are excellent for beginners because they are easy to follow and implement. However, their biggest disadvantage is that they only allow you enough time to perform one or two exercises for each muscle group. If you try doing more, you?ll never be able to train the last couple of muscles with any degree of intensity. Of course the way around this is to start doing split routines.

What exactly are split routines? They are a method of training your body to create more intensity. Instead of hitting all the muscle groups in one bodybuilding session, you divide the body into sections, training a couple of muscles each day. While there are plenty of different ways to combine muscle groups, split training has some general guidelines to consider:

Primarily do compound exercises before single-joint ones.

Try to divide the body so you are doing approximately the same amount of muscle mass each day.

Try to limit your workouts to no more than 60 minutes duration.

Modify the exercises in your routine every 4 to 6 weeks.

Change the muscle groupings every 8 to 10 weeks.

The great thing about splitting your bodybuilding program is that each muscle group can be worked with greater intensity. Unlike full body workouts where you?ll need to pace yourself to hit all the muscles, split routines allow you to put maximum effort into training only a couple of muscles. You don?t need to hold back or pace yourself. In addition, you can take more rest days to achieve greater recovery (as in the case of a two-day split workout performed four days a week). The choices are almost endless when it comes to splitting up your workouts. Although no ideal split routine exists, the right split routine for you can be chosen based on factors like your time availability, genetics, exercise experience, and goals. Therefore, how you split your routines depends on preference as much as it does science.

One factor that should never be overlooked is recovery. Rest is an essential component of bodybuilding at any level. Whatever training split you decide on, make sure it allows for rest days in between.

The main benefits of split training versus a full body program include:
? reduced time in the gym
? Less chance of overtraining
? Higher intensity levels
? Sharper concentration
? More energy
? Increased strength

Here are some examples of potential bodybuilding split routines:

Routine 1
Day 1: Legs and arms
Day 2: Chest, Back, and shoulders
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Repeat Day 1
Day 5: Repeat Day 2
Day 6: Rest
Day 7: Rest

Routine 2
Day 1: Chest, Back, Biceps
Day 2: Legs, Shoulders, Triceps
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Repeat Day 1
Day 5: Repeat Day 2
Day 6: Rest
Day 7: Rest

Routine 3
Day 1: Legs
Day 2: Rest
Day 3: Chest and Back
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Shoulders and Arms
Day 6: Rest
Day 7: Rest

Routine 4
Day 1: Legs
Day 2: Rest
Day 3: Chest and Triceps
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Back and Biceps
Day 6: Rest
Day 7: Shoulders
Day 8: Rest

Bob Howard expert on bodybuilding and steroids. Are you looking for more of his bodybuilding articles? http://www.bodybuildinginformation.com Article ? Bob Howard 5/5/2006

Bodybuilding Tip

2010-04-28T04:48:00.000-07:00

Having a healthy and fit body is necessary to survive the stressful lives we have today. Other than that as well, having a healthy body is a thing of beauty and it can earn you many an accolades. To have a body worth dying over, it is not only important to eat right, but also to exercise right. This is why it is necessary for you to know a very effective bodybuilding tip used by professional bodybuilders in order to best make use of the exercises you are doing. Knowing these tips will help you achieve the ideal level of muscle as well as fitness.

Incredible results from bodybuilding training do not go to a person who does only one thing well. However, it goes to those who do everything well and in the proper manner. It is not enough to just work out with great intensity. You also need the right kind of diet and plenty of sleep and rest to actually build your muscles.

The main thing to remember while exercising is that you need to concentrate on what you are doing. Know that you have to do your training properly and think only about that. Don?t let your mind wander off to anything else. Simply keep concentrating on what you are doing and it will automatically show results.

Along with this, you should also learn to manage your time. By managing time properly, you will focus your mind on building the muscles and attaining the desired fitness level in your body. You will also be more organized while exercising. However, don?t overtrain yourself. It?s not going to help. Adjust your training level slowly and steadily.

Another effective tip which not many body builders know is that if you are trying to build muscle, you should eat more fish since fish contains higher amounts of fat. The omega-3 fatty acids present in fishes make the muscle more sensitive to insulin and therefore, they fuel glycogen storage and amino acid entry into muscles while also preserving glutamine stores. This will help you build your muscles.

You should also stop doing aerobic exercises as aerobic exercises have an opposite effect on increasing your muscle mass. Aerobics prevent strength gains and recovery while burning up valuable glycogen. Do remember to stretch properly before, during and after your normal body building routine. Warming up will send the message to your brain that the body is getting ready to exercise and it will also warm-up the muscles and joints, so that in case of injury, they will heal faster.

Diet is a very important part of your body building routine. Until unless you provide the body with the proper nutrients it needs to build those muscles, how will you ever grow them. Therefore, keep a check on what you are eating and also remember that skipping meals or eating fast food or junk food will definitely not help. They will simply add to the weight around your belly or hips.

Overall, maintaining a balance of everything in your life ? exercise, diet, and rest, is the best body building tip anyone can ever offer you. These will actually make a difference to your body building routine. Make sure that you take in the right mix of nutrients, rest plenty, and workout with a new zeal everyday to build that killer body!

Discover how you can avoid crucial muscle-building mistakes & finally build the ripped body you deserve with this free email course. Yours free for visiting www.davincimediaonline.com/musclegain/index.htm

Natural Bodybuilding Tracking Quickly Builds Muscle

2010-04-20T05:10:00.000-07:00

Natural bodybuilding precision is a technique that is sure to maximize muscle gain in the shortest possible time. Some natural bodybuilders even see the results of steroid users by paying very close attention to their training precision. If you are a natural bodybuilder, and want huge results, now is the time to start paying attention to the word precision.

In natural bodybuilding, there leaves very little room for training error. Natural training with precision is crucial for significant muscle achievement. Let's face it, a steroid induced bodybuilder is granted a greater margin of error in training, and nutrition. Steroids aid bodybuilders in recovering faster, and can support longer, more intense bodybuilding training sessions. This enables bodybuilders the liberty to train and eat with less precision, and still reap fantastic muscle development. However, natural bodybuilding athletes must pay very close attention to detail in order to benefit from great muscle building results. Witnessing excellent bodybuilding results can be the difference between performing too many training sets, and not enough intensity.

You most likely ask how you can determine if your natural bodybuilding routine is precisely what it should be in order to achieve massive, steroid-free results. Are you working out with the precise amount of training sets per body part? How about the reps, or rest days between workouts? Is your training intensity significant enough to illicit a natural bodybuilding response?

There is an easy way to find out! If you learn only one thing from this natural bodybuilding article, please let this next tip be it. To determine if your training program is the most effective natural bodybuilding routine, pay close attention to detail by recording, and tracking your bodybuilding workouts.

Being a drug free bodybuilder, and knowing what your numbers are at all times, is being an intelligent bodybuilder. Can you imagine not tracking your checking account balance? What a silly question! Not closely tracking your bodybuilding progress is considered just as silly. Besides overtraining, lack of tracking your progress is the biggest mistake fellow bodybuilders are making.

How can you train with maximum effort and efficiency to improve your musculature if you don't know really where your numbers are? Remember, developing natural muscle is much more challenging, but a sense of precision is gained when you track your progress. Without bodybuilding workout precision, it is like driving a car in a strange place blindfolded.

The results of tracking can assist your natural bodybuilding efforts by making the whole story visible. Tracking will help determine if the amount of rest days between workouts are optimal or not. If your strength is improving with each and every workout, you are getting the precise amount of rest needed for optimal growth. If it is not, your rest days are not optimal. Therefore, tracking can direct your muscle building workouts into a precise science.

As soon as your natural bodybuilding log reveals a few training sessions that show no gains or decreasing strength, you are most certainly overtraining. Training more than is necessary is the worst enemy for any natural bodybuilder. Just remember, your body won't be able to recover from the training stress as rapidly as a steroid induced bodybuilder can. Therefore, if you try to duplicate a steroid aided training program, you will be dead in the water. Your natural muscle building results will definitely suffer. Once again, focusing on a specific program for you, and you only, is a key point to remember. Consider your training log the key to all the information necessary for significant natural bodybuilding gains.

Take a closer look at your training log. If you find you have achieved 10 reps on a particular exercise for two consecutive workouts, you should focus your mind on pumping out the eleventh reps during the next training session. This specific data, if followed, will direct and focus your natural bodybuilding routine into precisely what is necessary for growth.

This valuable data can also serve as a great motivator for achieving your specific goals. I call it training smart. If you know precisely what numbers are needed to accomplish your goal during the next workout, you are more likely to achieve it, thus, overloading your system in order to develop rock hard muscle. Take, for instance, a retail store. If they don't track how much money they made yesterday, how will they stay focused on what they need to beat today?

Prior to entering the gym, successful natural bodybuilders make point of drawing up a mental image of what needs to be accomplished in order to achieve their goal. By keeping a natural bodybuilding training log, you too will have a license to quickly build muscle.

Another excellent tip to achieving natural bodybuilding results is paying attention to the timing of your nutrients. Once again, it is critical for a natural bodybuilder to pay close attention to what is happening on the nutrition side of the natural bodybuilding puzzle. Research suggests it is important to eat carbs, and protein within one hour following a hi-intensity, natural bodybuilding workout. This particular bodybuilding nutrition regimen will help stimulate the muscle building recovery process. Natural bodybuilding buffs also need to pay close attention to the amount of calories they are taking in. Just as training, I also recommend tracking your nutrition regimen.

As you now know, natural bodybuilding results are easily seen if you focus on precise training. By training smart you will reap all the benefits of bodybuilding without steroid side effects. Simply follow my recommendations stated above, and your training will be guaranteed to be the most effective, efficient natural bodybuilding system possible.

*** Attention: Ezine Editors / Website Owners *** Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine, Blog, Autoresponder, or on your website as long as the links, and resource box are not altered in any way.

Jim O'Connor
Exercise Physiologist / The Fitness Promoter
9461 Charleville Blvd. #312
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
1-866-935-5967
www.naturalbodybuildinginfo.com

Jim O'Connor is passionate about promoting natural bodybuilding. He feels steroids are not necessary if training in the most effective manner possible. Visit Natural Bodybuilding Info.com to learn more natural bodybuilding tricks, tips, and secrets.

Women Bodybuilding: Then & Now

2010-04-20T05:08:00.000-07:00

Everyone has either heard of or is familiar with the sport of competitive bodybuilding. The female component, which is known as women bodybuilding, began in the late 1970s as women began to participate in competitions. Now, more than three decades later, women bodybuilding is a large part of the sport and has begun to garner the respect that it has strived for since it?s inception.

Although physique contests for women can actually be documented in the 1960s, they were little more than bikini contests. The first true women bodybuilding competition is regarded as the one held in Canton, Ohio in 1978. Promoted by Henry McGhee, the first United States Women?s National Physique Championship was the first competition where the entrants were judged solely on their muscularity as opposed to how well they looked in swimsuits.

By 1979, more women bodybuilding competitions were being held. The sport, however, did not possess a sanctioning body until 1980. Known as the National Physique Committee, this organization hosted the first women?s nationals and became the top amateur level competition for women bodybuilding in the United States. Additionally, 1980 marked the first Ms. Olympia competition, which is the most honored competition for women bodybuilding professionals.

As the sport continued to grow and increase in overall popularity, competitors found themselves needing to train harder and improve their overall muscular physique. By the 1980s, women bodybuilding was no longer a bikini contest or seeing who could pose in the highest heels. Now, it was becoming a popular sport with championship titles and increasing fan attendance.

With films that have been produced in honor of women bodybuilding competitions, coverage on major television networks and despite some controversies along the way, women bodybuilding has more than proven it?s ability to remain in the ranks of this popular sport. As further proof, the IFBB established a Hall of Fame in 1999, which would honor bodybuilding?s top athletes. To date, 14 women bodybuilding competitors have been inducted. Among them, Carla Dunlap, Cory Everson and Rachel McLish, Bev Francis, Lisa Lyon and Abbye Stockton, Kay Baxter, Diana Dennis, Kike Elomaa, Laura Combes, Lynn Conkwright, Ellen Van Maris, Stacy Bentley and Claudia Wilbourn.

In late 2004, the IFBB introduced a new rule that required women bodybuilding participants decrease their amount of muscularity by 20%, which is now referred to simply as the ?20% rule.? The rule applies to those whose physique requires the decrease. In 2005, another rule was introduced that would abolish the weight class system beginning with the 2005 Ms. Olympia.

In addition to women bodybuilding, there are two additional categories that are closely related and often held as part of the same event. The fitness competition includes a swimsuit round, along with a round that has the entrants judged on their performance in aerobics, dance or gymnastics. The second category is a figure competition, which is a newer format, and has the participants being judged exclusively on their symmetry and muscle tone. This category focuses less on muscle size than does women bodybuilding.

Although women bodybuilding has continued to grow in popularity, the prize money remains significantly less than is awarded to male bodybuilders.

Find more about the different types of aerobic exercise and nutritional supplements and vitamins or read everything about women bodybuilding on http://www.womenbodybuilding.org

Bodybuilding Health

2010-04-07T05:58:00.000-07:00

Bodybuilding and nutrition are the key to a healthy life. With an adequate nutrition and physical exercises, you can perk up your life. It is important to understand that you have to combine bodybuilding and good nutrition in order for them to have effect on your body and to improve your life. Bodybuilding and nutrition go hand in hand. A healthy nutrition will provide you with the energy you need to function properly, and you will certainly need energy if you want to start a bodybuilding program. It is well known that physical exercises and bodybuilding will help you maintain a healthy life. Research had shown that bodybuilding will help prevent cardiovascular illnesses by reducing the body fat in you organism and increasing your muscular mass.

In addition, bodybuilding reduces the aging process and it will increase your confidence. Any one can practice bodybuilding from a teen age to a rather older age. You do not have to be a professional bodybuilder in order to feel the effects of these trainings.Bodybuilding will increase your muscular mass, bone strength and combined with the right nutrition it will increase your energy levels. Being a bodybuilder has many advantages but the most important one is a healthier life achieved by reducing fat and cholesterol levels, stress levels, regulating blood pressure, cleansing the internal organs, and preventing illnesses.

Working out will boost your self-esteem increase your moral help you relax more easily and reduce the stress in your life. Bodybuilding will for sure make you feel better and look better therefore drawing attention to you. Looking great the opposite sex will find you more appealing.Overall bodybuilding will help you improve your life from all points of view.

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Six Keys to Successful Bodybuilding

2010-04-07T05:56:00.000-07:00

To make clear the simplicity of bodybuilding I've arranged a list of six basic keys to successful weight training. They're nothing new and read like the same stuff in any motivational book on the market today. Yet they offer valuable insight and are essential to getting started with your exercise program... and sticking to it.

1. Set a realistic goal - short and long term.

2. Plan an orderly and thorough routine to train the entire body.

3. Make a commitment to stick to your routine for 4-5 weeks - - to begin to see changes and benefits, develop perseverance and create a habit.

4. Enthusiasm for training must be recognized as the main and driving force to perform successfully.

5. Ease into a training program with a wholesome, thoughtful nutritional plan - proper food, order and amount of consumption.

6. Be confident from the beginning that the application of these sound principles will produce the desired results.

GOAL SETTING

Be realistic in your goal setting. It's important from the very beginning and throughout your training to experience victory in each and every workout. Ease into your training with good energy, being careful not to overload yourself and fall victim to mental and physical burnout. Planning to look like Rambo by the end of summer will be frustrating and you may give up your training entirely.

ORDER IN TRAINING

Decide how much time you have to devote to your training - how many hours per day and how many days per week. Based on this schedule, design an orderly and efficient routine that includes only basic exercises. Working your mid-section first, followed by chest, back shoulders, biceps, triceps and legs is always a good rule of thumb. Choose two exercises per bodypart, three to four sets of 8 to 12 reps with a day's rest between muscle groups if you're just getting started.

In organizing an exercise program, keep your eyes and ears open. Scan the Web, magazines and books, visit the gyms and get input from your friends and mentors. An orderly and intelligent training routine is the major tool in achieving your bodybuilding goals.

COMMITMENT

We now come to commitment, the Big Power Switch of our mental mechanism to see if we have the juice to crank over the engine and keep it running. Commitment is your personal promise - your word of honor - to realize your challenge and is vital in aspiration. The naturally occurring ingredients of commitment are consistency, persistence and determination. These gut disciplines engaged with patience and faith set you in positive motion toward your muscular goals.

ENTHUSIASM

Each workout is a unique and separate experience unto itself. Events of the day, mood, energy levels and tensions effect every performance differently. Gather up as much enthusiasm as possible before each workout so you enter the gym with energy and a positive attitude. Your training must not become drudgery or a chore that has to be done. This is negative energy, producing negative results and must be willfully resisted.

PACE AND ATTITUDE

Keep your workouts tight and efficient, leaving no room for boredom or idle thought. You should quickly develop a mature training attitude allowing no interruptions in the flow of exercise from start to finish. This is not to suggest that you hurry in your training. A hurried attitude produces anxiety, nervousness and agitation, resulting in negative performance and loss of concentration. Quite the opposite, here I encourage a steady lean on your training - setting a vigorous pace that reflects excitement, confidence and determination.

Become totally involved with each workout, each set and each rep. Focus on the performance of the exercise, the muscles involved and the feelings that result. Look for your particular groove and sense the burn. Training form is your priority and practice makes perfect. Learn to lift weights smoothly, sacrificing the poundage used to gain quality in your performance. Don't be anxious to overload your body and struggle to lift more than you can handle. This will create poor style and result in disappointment. These register as failures and drain your resources.

These oh-so-basics points will determine the success of your new exercise program.

Mr. Universe Dave Draper's free motivational email columns will educate and inspire you in your workout efforts. Success awaits you at his site, http://www.davedraper.com , where you'll also find workout routines and advice, an active discussion forum and, of course, a hefty instructional blog.

5 Strategies For Getting Started In Bodybuilding

2010-03-22T05:35:00.000-07:00

Bodybuilding is not just a sport; it is an investment in your body and your life. If you think it is as simple as getting in a few reps at the gym every now and then, you?ll be sadly mistaken when you can?t see results or you begin to injury yourself. Instead of putting yourself through that torture, make sure that you know what to do and how to do it in bodybuilding first. Here are some tips to getting started with bodybuilding.

* Find A Great Gym. While you can purchase a membership to many gyms, that doesn?t mean that it is a good one. If you are serious about bodybuilding, you?ll need more than just a standard gym offering yoga. You need a gym that is packed with the equipment that you need and all of which is in good solid working condition.

* Find A Trainer. The best way to bulk up is to use a professional trainer. If you can afford the investment, interview a few people and find the one that challenges and motivates you the best. Sure, you know what needs done and you know you can do it by yourself, but when you use a professional, you?ll see results faster and safer.

* Safety is necessary no matter what. While you want to push yourself for the next set of reps or you want to go just a little longer, you need to realize that too much can tear muscles, and possibly injure them permanently. This is destructive of what you are trying to do. Develop a personal plan, hopefully with the help of a professional, to help you reach your bodybuilding goals.

* Eat right. Not only do you need to eat a good amount of food, but it is also important to eat the right foods. Your body will crave meats and proteins as it builds muscle. If you don?t give it good stuff, though, you?ll hinder its ability to expand and grow.

* Dedicate yourself. Not only is it enough to get to the gym, work with the trainer and eat right, but you?ll also need to make sure that you are 110% motivated and dedicated to becoming the bodybuilder that you want to be.

Successful bodybuilding can only come from hard work.

Marcus Thompson is an editor at HealthyLifeAdvice.com where you can find more articles about fitness and exercise.

Bodybuilding: Volume Manipulation - Overtraining for Over-Growth

2010-03-22T05:34:00.001-07:00

"How often should I go to the gym"? This is one question that always comes up in consultation with individuals seeking improvements in size OR strength. Unfortunately the answer is far from simple, and even the recommendations from various strength coaches can be completely opposite depending on the philosophy of the training advisor.

One may suggest that training frequency be reduced in order to allow increased recovery and sufficient muscular adaptation following a training stimulus. Increased rest may also be planned to prevent OR avoid a training plateau (when performance no longer improves despite administration of a training stimulus). The opposing view is to increase the training frequency in order to apply a greater stimulus to the muscle and demand a greater level of adaptation. Therefore, basing a workout design solely on training volume is not optimal.

Certainly, it is important to design the program with sufficient rest and recovery intervals so that the optimal training adaptations will be obtained from the effort given in the weight room. In fact, at the end of a training session, an individual is gets weaker throughout the workout. It is the recovery period between training sessions where tissue adaptation occurs and enables the individual to return stronger and bigger for the next training session.

The training volume of each individual workout can also be manipulated to allow for greater recovery OR an increased training stimulus. A reduction in the amount of sets OR repetitions will decrease the volume in a given training session. In contrast, performing additional sets is the best manner to increase the overall training volume of a workout.

Training intensity is the final variable that can be manipulated in the training prescription. It may in fact be the most important factor in determining the neuromuscular response. As a detailed description of the adaptations to different training loads is an article in itself, let us generally consider high-intensity (>90% 1 RM) loads as most effective in training the nervous system and moderate-intensity (70-90% 1 RM) loads most effective in stimulating hypertrophy of the muscle fibres. An individual that has been lifting consistently at a single intensity most certainly would benefit by varying the load for a short-duration training phase (i.e. 3-6 weeks).

Lifters stuck at a plateau may need to consider alternative & novel program designs to elicit further gains in performance. A "novel" training routine could be followed for a short period (2-4 weeks) and would stress the neuromuscular system in a manner that it is not accustomed.

This may promote adaptations in the neuromuscular system that could enhance immediate performance OR future training sessions. Each of the above variables can be manipulated within a single training program to help achieve maximal results in the gym.

I theorize that a period of overstress followed by a period of reduced training volume and frequency will result in even greater adaptations than normally occur with regular training frequencies and recovery intervals. The program is based on "tapering" strategies used by elite athletes prior to important competitions.

Tapering is defined as periods of high-intensity training followed by a brief "unloading" phase. In theory this may enable complete neuromuscular adaptation to the training stimulus and allows for rest and recovery prior to competition.

The basic concept of the following program design is similar to the "tapering" concept as the trainee reduces the training volume in order to allow for maximal adaptation (whether it be muscle growth OR maximal strength development).

WEEK 1

This week should be characterized by 6 full training sessions. A typical "bodybuilder" routine of a 3-day split, perhaps as legs, chest & back, and shoulders & arms would be performed. The split would be repeated twice and followed by a rest day. The intensity (weight OR load) is moderate (8-12 RM) and the volume is high. Exercises would be predominantly single-joint to isolate the particular muscles.

WEEK 2

Total training frequency is reduced by 1 session (~20%) and the training frequency of each body part is cut in half to a single session per week. Again, a typical "bodybuilder" routine is performed. The training split would be changed to 1 body part per day, for example, chest, legs, back, shoulders, and arms. The training intensity in this week would be higher (6-8 RM) for the entire program. Total weekly training volume is lower due to the reduced frequency BUT/ daily volume is greater per muscle group due to the isolated training routine.

WEEK 3

Four training days (2 total upper-body & 2 lower-body workouts). The intensity of this week should be slightly reduced from Week 2 for 1 of the 2 workouts per body split. For example, on Monday, a very intense lower-body workout (6-8 RM) may be performed, while a moderate intensity lower-body workout (10-12 RM) may be done on Thursday. Multi-joint exercises should be performed to recruit many muscle groups to compensate for the lack of isolation exercises. In fact, no direct work should be performed for the shoulders OR arms unless time permits at the end of the upper-body training day.

WEEK 4

A return to high-intensity training (6 RM) offset by the lowest frequency and volume of training over the course of the program. Three training sessions should be performed this week, in a similar split to WEEK 1. Allow for a full day of rest between each training session to provide the optimal recovery period. This program borrows from scientific principles but also is based on several theories of recovery. It is merely a suggested training routine that is extremely safe and may prove to be extremely successful in developing strength and mass. However, slight variations in the program may prove to be more successful between individuals. For example, a lifter may respond better to different lengths for each training phase. For example, some trainees may have greater success lifting in the high-volume phase for up to 3 week before entering a reduced-volume phase.

As well, one of the attractive attributes of the program is its flexibility. It should appeal to individuals that have varying levels of life commitments. For example higher volume phases OR increased training frequencies could be scheduled during relaxed times of a student's semester and then "tapering" weeks could be planned around exams to take advantage of an increased recovery time. Businessmen may consider overtraining prior to a business trip OR vacation.

It is important to maintain a distinction between tapering and detraining. Tapering permits the optimal adaptation to a stimulus while detraining indicates a loss in performance due to the removal of a training stimulus. It is important to reduce training stress only far enough that adaptation is allowed to occur at maximal levels, and not so that the organism returns to a pre-training state due to lack of stress.

It is important to determine exactly what length to time should be devoted to applying overtraining and how long should be committed to recovery emphasis. The length of the recovery period may depend on the training intensity just prior to the reduced frequency phase. As a rule, the final stage should be maximal intensity and the lowest volume.

The training program is certainly advanced in both theory and in the demands it makes of the trainee. It is not recommended that a lifter with less than 6 months lifting experience attempt this program. Certainly the first week of high-volume training at a high frequency will test the recovery system of even many advanced lifters.

The program was meant to provide a variation in the training stimulus, something that is generally recommended to occur frequently in an individual's resistance training regimen. The risk of injury in this training program is minimal provided proper exercise technique is followed. In fact, a study at McMaster University where subjects trained 6 days per week for 8 straight weeks resulted in only minimal minor overuse complaints.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men?s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Bodybuilding: Building a Standout in the Crowd Chest

2010-03-22T05:32:00.000-07:00

Since the beginning of bodybuilding time, men have wanted to build a chest that enters the room a good 2 seconds before the rest of their body. They want a chest that stands out and commands attention, a chest that steps up and sticks out. A broad chest that women seek to lay their head upon.

And ladies too, seek a beautiful chest, one that accents their natural assets. But they also want their chest to be sleek and feminine like the rest of their physique at the same time.

Well, achieving either of those goals is easily attainable with a thorough chest routine. And add a few expert tips and tricks into your overall plan, and you?ll have the chest of your dreams without the shoulder injuries of your nightmares.

Shoulder injuries have always been the rain on the chest training parade. Injuries are often due to overtraining, improper form, or simply not applying a back training ying to the chest training yang.

So when you do this routine, it will train your entire upper, upper body. By that I mean your chest, your rear delts, the rhomboids between your shoulder blades, your traps, and your rotator cuff muscles. From your ribs to your collarbone, at both the front and back of your body, your muscles will be exhausted, but trained to just the right level of exhaustion.

With just the right volume, but without overloading the shoulder joint, we are going to use basic chest exercises, but with a twist in a few cases, to make the most of the least. By training with supersets, you?ll get in and out of the gym if you do only the 6 exercises below. Talk about a beautiful chest fast.

While the full program offers the optimal volume for mega-chest-mass, I?ve included some substitutions for women that are a little concerned with adding too much mass too fast to their chests. So make sure to read training substitutions, included below the workout, so you can customize the program to your goals.

I?ve also included a summary of the methods, and a bonus instant chest building technique you probably never think of, after the workout. As well, a complete set of exercise descriptions is included at the end of the article.

THE UGN STANDOUT-IN-THE-CROWD CHEST workout

Superset 1:
Rest 60 seconds between exercises. Rest 90 seconds before repeating the superset.
A1) DB Flat Chest Press (4 sets x 6 reps) Tempo: 3-0-1
A2) Barbell Row or Seated Wide-grip Row (4x8) 2-0-1
Superset 2:
Do not rest between exercises. Rest 60 seconds before repeating the superset.
B1) DB Incline Press (3x8) 2-0-1
B2) DB Chest Fly (3x10) 3-0-1

Superset 3:
Do not rest between exercises. Rest 60 seconds before repeating the superset.
C1) Medium-grip Bench Press (3x12) 2-0-1

C2) DB External Rotation (3x10) 2-0-1
Female exercise substitutions:

Do only 2 sets of each exercise.
For exercise A1), substitute the maximum number of pushups you can do in place of the DB Flat Chest Press.

How to Instantly Increase Your Chest Size

This is something that everyone should be doing, several times per day. If you work at a computer, you should be trying to hold this position all of the time.

Here?s what to do:

In a seated or standing position, hold your arms down by your side. Externally rotate your shoulders so that your palms are now facing forward. Use the muscles between your shoulder blades to bring your shoulder blades together. Squeeze extra hard and pull your shoulders back by contracting your rear delts. At the same time, try to pull your shoulders down (you might feel a stretch running along your neck between your shoulders and your ears ? the more stretch you feel, the more you need to work on holding this position). This should pull your shoulders back and pop your chest out at least two inches. You should feel tension between your shoulder blades as your muscles work to hold that position. You might also feel a stretch in your chest. Now hold this proud posture as much as you can all day and when standing around in the clubs or in line at the grocery store. Trust me, someone will notice!

Exercise Descriptions

DB Flat Bench Press

Hold the dumbbells above your chest with your palms turned toward your feet. Lower the dumbbells to chest level. Press the dumbbells straight up above the chest. BB Row

Stand with your torso bent and parallel to the floor. Contract your glutes, brace your abs and keep your spine in a neutral position. Keep the lower back in a neutral position and your knees slightly bent. Grasp the barbell with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Row the barbell to the abdomen and bring your shoulder blades together. Slowly lower to the starting position and repeat. Do NOT round your lower back. Wide-grip Seated Row

Use a long bar and take a greater than shoulder-width overhand grip. Keep your arms and back straight, knees slightly bent. Row the handle back as far as possible bringing your shoulder blades together. DB Incline Press

Lie on a bench with the backrest inclined at 45 degrees. Hold the dumbbells above your chest with your palms turned toward your feet. Lower the dumbbells to chest level. Press the dumbbells straight up above the chest. DB Fly

Lie flat on your back on a bench and hold the dumbbells with your palms turned towards your body (palms will face each other). Maintain a slight bend in your elbows at all times. Slowly begin to lower the dumbbells out to your side until your elbows reach shoulder level. Don?t lower the dumbbells any further. At this point, squeeze your chest and bring the dumbbells up and in to the start position under control.

Medium-Grip Bench Press

Keep your feet flat on the floor, legs bent, and upper back flat against the bench. Grip the bar half-way between shoulder-width and your normal bench press grip. Keep the elbows close to the sides to emphasize the triceps. Have your spotter help you take the bar from the rack. Keeping your elbows close to your sides, lower the bar straight down to the bottom of your chest. Pause briefly and then press the bar back up above the chest in a straight line. DB External Rotation

Sit on a flat bench holding a light dumbbell (start with 5lbs). Bend your right knee and place your right foot on the end of the bench. Rest your right elbow on the top of your right knee and hold the DB in the bottom position. Slowly, using the small muscles of your rotator cuff, externally rotate the DB up and back until it is in the finish position (your forearm is perpendicular to your body at the top of the movement).

Bodybuilding Hypnosis: Mind Over Muscle

2010-03-03T00:05:00.001-08:00

Those rugged individuals who pursue bodybuilding and other strength related sports are known to be a group bordering on the fanatical-and they often cross over that boundary. Whether it is a new diet or exercise regimen, they are always on the lookout for whatever will give them the extra edge. Bodybuilding hypnosis is another tool that can have considerable potency.

Contrary to the image of hypnotism in funny stage shows or scary movies, a hypnotized person does not become unconscious or out of control. Rather it is a relaxed state of awareness where an individual learns to better activate his full mental and physical potential.

Clinical hypnosis is often used to help people successfully overcome fear, pain, lack of confidence, stress and unwanted habits. There are also three primary areas where hypnosis can help the bodybuilder as well, these being relaxation, breaking past barriers and maintaining focus.

Relaxation. As every strength athlete knows, muscle is actually built during the resting phase. Exercise that progressively increases in intensity places stress on the muscle fibers. During rest the body adapts by making them larger and stronger in preparation for future challenges. Although regular exercise is a great stress-buster, it is a rare individual who can relax deeply and completely at will. A lack of sleep and rest interferes with the hormonal system?s ability to respond to stress; dampening energy, immunity and yes, muscular development. Hypnosis has a well deserved reputation for helping people to develop deep relaxation skills.

Breaking past barriers. Are the limits on your potential solely physical or is there a mental aspect involved as well? Sports history tells us the story of Sir Roger Bannister, the first human to run a mile in under four minutes. Prior to that, many ?experts? proclaimed that this feat was impossible and possibly life-threatening. What is most interesting is that after Bannister smashed that barrier, several other runners followed suit soon after. Nothing had changed about them physically. Rather the collective belief system of those athletes had undergone a transformation for the better. Hypnosis enables you to overcome self-imposed limitations. Maybe your potential is greater than you have suspected?

Increasing focus. It has been noted that successful people are usually both confident and intently focused on what they truly want. The word ?confident? itself is derived from the Latin for ?with faith.? If you can persistently focus on a compelling goal image, your behaviors will unconsciously change in order to turn that picture into reality. Most people lack focus and are vague as to what they want out of life or from their training routine for that matter. As a result their efforts tend to be scattered and inconsistent. Is it that you want greater size, strength or definition? A few minutes spent every day relaxing and focusing on your desired outcomes will pay handsome dividends.

If mind over matter is possible, certainly mind over muscle is as well and should be considered when putting together a well-rounded training program.

James Malone is a Certified Hypnotist from Point Pleasant, New Jersey and is also the publisher of the wildly popular Creative Calm Online Newsletter. He realizes that you would probably kick sand in his face (and deservedly so) if he were to suggest that hypnosis could replace proper diet and exercise when it comes to building your ideal physique. But what if it gave you an added 5% edge in your performance over the next year, would you be interested? You may wish to learn more about his Mind Over Muscle Audio Program.

Wholesale Bodybuilding Supplements

2010-03-02T23:58:00.000-08:00

If you are serious about building a better body, the advantages of buying wholesale supplements are hard to deny. But with an abundance of products on the shelves, it can often be hard to distinguish a good supplement from a potentially harmful one. So, how can you buy the best wholesale bodybuilding supplements with peace of mind? Let?s examine some of the nutritional compounds that every good supplement should have.

Creatine

Creatine has been proven to enhance results among serious bodybuilders. This amino acid is naturally produced in the liver and kidneys, and when taken in a supplement form increases strength and stamina in athletes. As with any nutritional supplement, you should only take the recommended dosage of creatine, but for fast results this compound fits the bill.

Whey Protein

Bodybuilders have long appreciated the value of protein in achieving muscle gains. The benefit of whey protein is in building and repairing muscle tissue at a much faster rate than protein alone. This allows bodybuilders to work out harder and longer, in turn producing results in a quicker amount of time.

L-Glutamine

This amino acid serves to carry nitrogen to muscle cells, and also helps in storing glycogen within the muscles. In addition, it is also vital in transporting certain wastes to the kidney. This can help fight off some of the immunity disruption caused by bodybuilding. All in all, this compound should be a staple in any serious bodybuilder?s supplement.

Cheapest Isn?t Always Best

Now that we have discussed some of the crucial supplements, let?s turn our attention towards price. Granted, cost probably plays a large factor in the wholesale bodybuilding supplements you purchase. After all, the very fact that you are buying wholesale implies that you are receiving a large discount. And while that may be true, you should still be buying from reputable dealers, who carry only the top brands in the business. This way, you can be sure that the supplements you are taking are both cost-effective as well as safe.

Here?s To Your Health

By keeping these tips in mind, you should now know what to look for in order to buy the best wholesale bodybuilding supplements. Just remember to keep it simple: Always buy smart, and always buy safe.

Dean Iggo is the webmaster of VitaminSupplementReview.com which reviews a number of different supplements including the best bodybuilding supplements, weight loss supplements and more...

How Do I Start Bodybuilding?

2010-02-17T00:17:00.000-08:00

Do you want to become a world class bodybuilder? Do you want to create a spectacular body and win competitions because of it? Are you ready to take the next step towards the body of your dreams? Are you asking yourself ?how do I start bodybuilding???

In order to start bodybuilding you need more than just some weights, a protein supplement, and the time to work out. There is a lot more to bodybuilding than just simply lifting weights and eating protein rich foods.

Bodybuilding is a career and like most careers you have to be willing to invest a large amount of time and energy into it. Most bodybuilder spend the better part of 5-6 hours at the gym 5 days a week. They also spend time registering for competitions and making sure their bodies get the necessary food to grow.

Most bodybuilders don?t start out with their own trainer, but eventually they will hire one. In order to become a bodybuilder you are going to need a solid workout routine, the desire to succeed no matter what, and the right combination of nutrition and supplements.

You could try to put this all together on your own, but you will just end up frustrated and confused. You need to start by consulting your doctor about your new workout and eating habits. Your doctor will be able to give you some advice on what to do, but then you will need to do some research.

You need to know what supplements bodybuilders are taking and why. You want to find out their secrets to their exercise routines and the reasons they use them. You also need to find out what they do for recovery and how they work out when a competition gets closer.

These are the things you will need to start bodybuilding. It is a journey and will take some time and serious dedication, but you can achieve your goals if you set your mind to it.

Do you want to become a bodybuilder and want to know the secrets of the most successful body builders in the world? Learn all the things you need to know to become a body builder at the following website:

http://www.ready-repair-my-credit.com/muscle.htm

Bodybuilding: Big Calves Without High Rep Sets

2010-02-17T00:16:00.001-08:00

"Get big calves with only 10 sets of 20 repetitions every other day". Just imagine the amount of time required for that program! Unfortunately many calf-training articles preach ridiculously high-repetition sets and training frequencies in comparison to routines for most other muscles. Granted, the calves are a difficult muscle group to increase in muscle mass, BUT/ there is no evidence to support the notion that the muscles respond better to high-repetition and light load training.

Alternatively, some people completely neglect the calves in their training routines. Obviously this is not the way to go either. The calves are a very large and strong muscle group and are important in bodybuilding and many athletic events. If you improve your calf strength you will be stronger in other standing leg exercises such as the lunge, squat, and step-up. Furthermore, the large muscle mass of this muscle group makes it essential to include in any metabolic-weightlifting programs designed to increase the metabolism and reduce body fat. Everyone in the gym will benefit by giving the calves some work!

The calf area is composed of two muscles, the underlying soleus and the prominent gastrocnemius (it is the gastrocnemius that most people traditionally identify as the "calf" muscle). Muscle biopsies of these muscles reveal both to be generally higher in T-I or "slow-twitch" (ST) muscle fibers. The gastrocnemius averages ~60% ST fibers and the soleus ~75% ST fibers in comparison to the 50% ST fiber composition of the vastus lateralis (quadriceps) or 30-40% ST composition in the triceps brachii.

These differences in NO way support calf-training programs to require the extreme workout prescriptions presently recommended by other trainers. Fast-twitch fibers have repeatedly been shown to have a greater potential to hypertrophy (get bigger) and the best way to recruit the FT fibers is with a high-intensity load. As well, the gastrocnemius can hardly be considered a slow-twitch muscle as only about 60% of its fibers are ST and in elite sprinters the ST proportion may be as low as 25%!

Calf training, like strength training and bodybuilding for any other muscle group, requires the correct application of basic strength training principles in order to add muscle mass to the area. The basic function of the "calf" is to plantar flex the ankle (raise the heels off the ground and support the body weight on the balls of the feet), so we simply must overload it in this position.

"Overload" is the most important concept: you must demand more of your muscles than they are regularly accustomed to and in response the muscle will adapt by growing and becoming stronger.

The problem is that most athletes and bodybuilders forget the overload principle and end up failing in their calf training attempts by continuing to train with countless repetitions and an intensity that is too low. Remember that muscle growth occurs in response to the intensity of the stimulus imposed. More specifically, the muscle grows in response to lifting a heavy load for a sufficient number of repetitions. I therefore suggest the number of repetitions be reduced and the magnitude of the weight increased. The muscle fibers are not going to respond and grow if the load is too light!

As far as calf-training exercises go, don't concentrate on the seated calf raise. This does not provide the optimal stimulus for the gastrocnemius, but rather for the smaller, deeper soleus muscle. You want your calf exercises to require plantar flexion with only a slight bend at the knee joint. This will ensure the optimal recruitment of the larger and more prominent gastrocnemius.

Let's take a look at a "high-intensity, moderate-volume" training program...You will be sore for a couple of days after this workout, BUT/ more importantly, your calf muscles will be stimulated for growth not endurance!

Single-leg calf-raise

* hold DB in hand and support yourself with other hand

* perform on platform and allow heal to drop as far as possible

* do 3 sets of 6-8 repetitions for each leg with no rest between sets

Leg press calf-raise

* place only the balls of the feet on the bottom end of the leg press platform

* contract the calf muscles to plantar flex the ankle

* do a set using a weight that allows 10 repetitions, then quickly remove 20% of the weight and perform another set to failure (X), then quickly remove 10% percent of that weight and perform the third "drop-set" to failure (X)

* rest 1-2 minutes

* repeat for a second "drop-set"

Eccentric machine calf-raise

* use either a standing OR angled calf-raise machine (OR continue to use the leg press)

* set the pin at weight that can be comfortably lifted with both legs

* perform the concentric phase with both legs (plantar flex the ankles), BUT/ use only one leg to lower the weight to the starting position

* alternate between legs and perform 6 eccentric reps for each side

* quickly reduce the weight by 10% and perform 6 more eccentric reps for each side

* continue for a third set if desired (yeah right!)

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Fitness, Men's Health, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men?s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Bodybuilding and Nutrition

2010-02-17T00:15:00.000-08:00

Nutrition is one if not the most important element in bodybuilding. This is the source for your body?s energy, muscle regeneration and muscle growth that is the purpose of bodybuilding. Without a proper nutrition and diet, a level of performance cannot be reached and the progress will be immaterial.We will now focus on what are some of good bodybuilding nutrition?s basics. Improve your body?s growth and metabolism with frequent but smaller feedings. An increase in metabolism means that your body will burn fat.

Another reason for having more frequent meals a day is the following. If not fed for about four hours straight, the body will start feeding in muscular tissue and believing this is the start of a starvation period, it will start to accumulate calories and fat. This is surely not something you would want when you are trying to become a successful bodybuilder. Letting the body get used to a fixed calorie level, will lead to a plateau and your muscle development and growth will stagnate. What you have to do in order to avoid this situation is cycle the calorie levels for example five days of high levels of calories followed by two with a low calorie level for those seeking muscle growth. If you are looking to burn fat and gain muscle mass at the same time, just do the opposite with five days of low calorie content meals.

What you are aiming for is a very good balance between the necessary nutrients that your body requires. If you find you have a deficit in one area, even out you vitamin and mineral levels with the help of vitamin and food supplements. Also, balance your meals to contain the right amount of carbohydrates, protein and a lower level of fats. There are many ways that you can create your meals to best suit your purpose, but always remember to include these three nutrients or else the results of your program will fail to appear.

bodybuilding, diet, body building | body building interviews

Cutting Exercises: A Bodybuilding Myth?

2010-02-03T00:13:00.002-08:00

One of the most common goals of fitness enthusiasts is to have low levels of body fat covering their hard-earned muscles. Whether the individual is an athlete that wants to look good in and out of uniform or a fitness instructor that wants to have ?toned? arms, everyone is looking for the most effective exercises to reach their goals.

There is certainly no shortage of opinions when it comes to training programs and exercises that trainers and magazines seem to promote to reach these goals, so it is understandable that many bodybuilders and gym-goers can be overwhelmed by information. But what really confuses me is the claim made by gym employees and fitness authors that certain resistance training exercises are for definition and ?cutting up?.

Believe it or not, but no strength coach or exercise physiologist has been able to prove that one exercise rather than others can promote more ?definition? or ?toning?! Can someone explain how leg extensions are a better exercise for muscle definition than squats? This article will dispel these myths and will reveal the best exercises for meeting the goals of increased muscle definition, which is the correct term for ?toning?, ?cutting up? or ?getting ripped?. In fact, let?s just eliminate ?toning? from our vocabulary all together.

First a little background for those without a long history of weight training experience. Bodybuilders (that includes any man or woman that is seeking to improve their body?s appearance!) traditionally perform a number of exercises for a body part during a single resistance training session. For example, in a chest workout one might start with bench presses, move to incline dumbbell press, and finish with dumbbell flyes or the pec-deck.

Now according to many personal trainers and fitness magazines, the rationale behind this type of program is that the pressing exercises are best for strength and mass development and the pec-deck would provide for definition. Also, people believe that these ?definition? exercises should be emphasized in order to develop a ?ripped? body (that is, low levels of body fat). Unfortunately, it seems bodybuilders and fitness buffs alike have been led astray, and the end result is a poorly planned program that does not lead to the desired results.

Next we need a brief, yet simplistic, review of human anatomy and physiology to reason why these ?cutting? exercises (i.e. pec-deck) do not do the job. For our purposes there are 2 components determining body composition, muscle and fat. For most people it is the amount of fat that is the limiting factor for them in the development of muscular definition and not the ?quality? of their muscle. If an overweight individual were to be stripped of all their fat, they too would have muscle definition.

On the other hand, a skinny individual can increase their muscle definition by lifting weights and increasing muscle hypertrophy (growth). The body cannot tell the difference between exercises! It responds according to the demands applied to the body. If you lift weights the muscle will grow so that it is stronger and can lift the weight easier the next time. If you eat too much and do not exercise, the energy is deposited as fat and your muscle definition will be lost. It is a very simple equation!

The pec-deck can still be incorporated into workout designs, but it is not the best exercise for promoting a better body composition. In fact, this isolation exercise recruits only the chest muscles and ignores the triceps and deltoids, unlike the previously mentioned presses. And remember that more muscles result in greater energy expenditure and a greater overall training stimulus.

Another myth that seems to propagate is that sets performed for a very high number of repetitions are most effective for ?cutting up?. Refer back to the basic anatomical principle that the body?s appearance is determined by the amounts of both muscle and fat, and most importantly that low levels of body fat are necessary for muscle definition. Using a lightweight to do a huge number of repetitions might not ?show off? your muscles better than using a moderate weight and performing a moderate number of repetitions.

Why not? Because there would likely be no difference in the amount of total calories burned between the two workouts provided each performed a similar exercise volume in the workout. The greater number of repetitions in the one workout would be offset by the greater intensity (weight) used in the other workout. However, a heavier weight will stimulate more muscle growth. More muscle results in a faster metabolism and theoretically greater energy expenditure at rest. So over the long haul the more intense (heavier lifting) workout may be the optimal choice for reducing body fat. In addition, larger muscles are easier to see!

Okay, so what is going to bring you the results (i.e. definition) that you want? Keep the exercises basic and intense (i.e. moderate to heavy weight). Most bodybuilders are better off to do 4-5 sets of bench and incline presses (for a total of 8-10 sets) rather than including 3 sets of pec-deck in the traditional manner. The volume of exercise will be the same but the difficulty of exercise will be harder and the cumulative effects will greater.

Aerobic exercise is not essential for low levels of body fat but can certainly promote greater cardiovascular fitness and help prevent excessive weight gain. Interval training has now been shown in 2 studies to be more effective than slow cardio.

So stick with multi-muscle strength exercises and interval training to burn more calories out of the gym. It really adds up to more calorie burn and less body fat. That is a far better approach than relying on cutting exercises.

And finally, make the proper dietary changes to promote muscle gains and body fat reductions. Nutrition is the #1 factor for fat loss. If you don't have good nutrition, no exercise program will help you lose fat. In the end you will be healthier and will achieve superior muscle definition!

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men?s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

5 Noticeable Benefits that You can Get Out of Bodybuilding

2010-02-03T00:13:00.001-08:00

The Benefits of Bodybuilding

When taking up bodybuilding for the first time, you may notice some benefits after a few months. You may feel more energetic and seem to have more self-confidence. You will have the resolve to complete task that seemed impossible just a few months ago. Below is just a short list of the many benefits that can be gained by taking up bodybuilding.

Increased Strength

When you take up bodybuilding, you will start to carry weights to build up your muscles. Your muscle strength also increases as you steadily increase the poundage. As a result of the stress placed on your muscles, they become more efficient and stronger. An increase in strength also helps prevent muscle atrophy as you become older. Muscle atrophy is defined as the wasting or loss of muscle tissue that results from disease or the lack of use.

Prevent injuries

Having stronger muscles will lead to a better control of your reflexes, balance and body coordination. You can perform daily more efficiently and effectively. Having stronger muscles, bones and tendons that is provided by taking up bodybuilding, will lessen the risks of injuries.

Helps Control Your Weight

When you take up bodybuilding either to put on mass or to lose weight, you will be following a proper diet. You will avoid junk foods and foods that are high on sugar and calories. When training regularly, you will increase your metabolic rate. This will cause your body to burn more calories throughout the day.

Improves Appearance

One of the most noticeable effects of bodybuilding is that your appearance will change for the better. As you train regularly, you will notice that your muscles will become bigger and more defined. After a few months, people around you will start making comments, as they will be able to see the marked changes in you. Your posture, the way you walk will all change for the better, as you will feel more confidant of your body.

Strengthens Bones

Osteoporosis is a disease where bones become brittle. This usually happens when you grow older. Bodybuilding delays the onset of this symptom. This is because, when you carry weights, stress is placed on your bones. This causes the bones to become stronger.

In conclusion, this is just a few of the many benefits that can be derived from taking up bodybuilding. To find out more on how to get started without spending months on instructions and guides that do not work, visit the link below now

Mathiwanen is a amatuer bodybuilder and contributor of bodybuilding articles in general. Visit his website to learn how to get started on bodybuilding without the need of a steep learning curve.

Click on this link to find out more

Bodybuilding: Is Time-Under-Tension Important for Muscle Growth?

2010-02-03T00:11:00.000-08:00

The term "Time-under-tension" (TUT) is really hot in the bodybuilding, athletic consulting, and fitness industries. It refers to the amount of time per rep (or set, or exercise, or workout) that the muscle is under tension. For example, if an athlete takes 4 seconds to perform a biceps curl, it is said that the TUT was 4 seconds. If someone performs 100 repetitions, then the workout TUT was 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

Many people want to know, "What is the best TUT for growth?"

A really good question, but unfortunately, you will not find any peer-reviewed research on the optimal time under tension. All TUT claims are merely anecdotal and have simply been promoted by popular strength coaches, leading to this belief. At present, no one, not even the most experienced exercise physiologist truly can prove what is the optimal TUT for growth, let alone prove the exact mechanism that controls muscle hypertrophy. Is it training to failure, an optimal TUT, an optimal resistance, or a specific number of reps that gives you the greatest muscle growth from training?

Unfortunately, none of the TUT schemes, nor any other bodybuilding method, has been proven to be more effective than others in a research setting. Muscle growth is merely an adaptation to the correct intensity and volume of work. Your muscle responds to the demand (training) by adapting (growing) so that the next time you ask your muscle to lift that same weight, it will have an easier time doing so. Almost all programs will work, and that is why anyone and everyone can write training articles, provided it has some common sense behind.

However, having said all that, strength coaches, bodybuilders, and researchers are obviously on the right track with TUT philosophies. Muscle tension is undoubtedly one of the most important factors in muscle growth. After all, if you train too lightly and with too many reps, your body will adapt by increasing endurance properties...and muscle growth may actually be the last thing your body will do in preparation for the next training session. Basically, this is why endurance exercise doesn't cause growth. Muscle doesn't need to get bigger to have better endurance.

Using extremely heavy weights that allow only 1-2 repetitions per set or performing a few explosive repetitions may not provide enough tension for muscle growth. Therefore, if muscle mass is your goal, sets lasting only 5-10 seconds are probably not going to be optimal for gains. On the other hand, you don't want to go too light, because performing 100 reps with the 5 lb dumbbells is not likely to prove effective either, even though this represents a huge TUT.

DO YOUR MUSCLES EVEN DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN TUT & REPS?

The answer is probably no, your muscles don't distinguish between time under tension or the number of reps. Muscles simply respond to the demands imposed on the body. If the exercise demands the muscle to grow bigger in preparation for the next session, then that is what will happen, regardless of exercise choice.

The fact is that a lot of guys go in the gym, lift hard, and get big without giving the slightest thought to TUT. General recommendations for "hypertrophy training" are 8-12 reps per set, with multiple sets per exercise, and multiple exercises per body part. The debate over the best training program is endless. What is the optimal training frequency? How often should you train a body part?

The number of training questions is infinite, as the precise knowledge is limited, despite the success of top-level bodybuilders and athletes. The lack of uncertainty regarding TUT and almost all training parameters gives good anecdotal evidence that people should constantly be varying their programs (after 3-4 weeks or when gains begin to slow down or disappear). Don't get hung up on one specific TUT. You can get growth on sets shorter and longer than just one specific time period.

So, there are no scientific conclusions, only theories. You are better off seeking research that shows significant muscle growth with a certain number of reps, and then extrapolate a TUT...because you will find very little, if any, science that controls the speed of repetition. However, even repetition data is scarce.

On a related note, you must remember not to look at TUT as an isolated factor in growth...You can train in the perfect rep range with the perfect intensity, but if you neglect adequate nutrition (i.e. a calorie surplus), then you can forget about growing. In contrast, if you eat 5000kcal a day, you will grow no matter how you train. Same with rest...you shouldn't neglect it.

In closing, think of muscle growth this way...does the construction worker worry about "Time under tension"? NO! He simply carries as many bricks as he can handle. Then next week, after he has grown bigger and stronger, he carries more bricks...week in and week out...plus he eats big. According to Men's Health consultant Michael Mejia, "The bottom line is that there is TONS of great information out there, but often we make this stuff out to be rocket science when it really isn't."

Women's Bodybuilding

2010-02-03T00:10:00.000-08:00

Our society is seeing a revolution in health and wellness. Thanks to smart diet choices and fitness regimes, men and women are enjoying newfound strength and vitality. It's important to note however, that women may need to follow a different exercise routine than their male counterparts.

Women's bodybuilding is very different than men's. The best way to understand these differences is to learn about the complex biology that is unique to women's bodies. To be successful at bodybuilding, a woman should know what exercises, diets and supplements are best suited to her particular needs.

Trainers suggest that if a woman is serious about bodybuilding, she should choose bodybuilding minerals, vitamins and supplements that are formulated especially for women. Formulations for men are not the best choice for a woman who is involved in bodybuilding. Steroids for instance, while dangerous for men, can cause particularly disturbing side effects in women. In the sport of women's bodybuilding, many women are taking steroids and as a result, getting way too much testosterone in they systems. These women are growing more hair than normal on their faces and bodies. Increased aggression and mood swings are other consequences of steroid use. These drugs do little to benefit a woman's bodybuilding efforts, and the side effects will only cause harm in the long run.

Other supplement options for women include creatine. While using creatine will not make you huge, it will help your bodybuilding routine result in a good healthy physique. If considering creatine, choose a formulation made just for women. Men's creatine supplements do not work well with a woman's body and can cause excess water retention. In addition to helping add bulk, creatine can give you the energy to keep up with your bodybuilding routine.

Women's bodybuilding offers many options. You need to find out what's available, and learn which one is best for your health and lifestyle. Try to avoid chemical formulations that will cause harmful side effects. If you are taking up women's bodybuilding it's to stay healthy, so it only makes sense to avoid substances that can be unhealthy. Of course, you should always talk to your doctor before starting any intense physical training, and especially before taking women's bodybuilding supplements.

Dorothy Williams is a writer for several web sites, on recreation tips and hobbies and recreation themes.

Simple Tips for Starting Competitive Bodybuilding

2010-01-30T03:18:00.000-08:00

As a bodybuilder you should be aiming to enter into the competitive bodybuilding area and show off your body in a bodybuilding fitness competition, especially given the amount of time, effort and money you are putting into your training. Competitive bodybuilding fitness competitions take place all over the world and display some of the finest, athletic bodies on the planet.

Each competition has numerous categories and levels, so even if you are still a novice you can still find a competition that is at your level. However, if you are going to enter you?re going to have to put in a lot of training before hand, so you?ll need lots of self discipline and dedication in terms of actually getting down the gym and training and also your diet.

If you are serious about taking up competitive bodybuilding you should really try to find your self a training partner and coach. As having the guidance and support of an experienced coach and the support from a training partner will definitely help improve your chances of success in the competitive bodybuilding arena. You and your coach need to determine your training programme, your diet and what competitions or events you want to train up to compete in. Also you need to decide whether you are going to be a ?natural? bodybuilder or whether you will use performance enhancing supplements such as steroids. The natural route is best for your body, but there is no reason why you shouldn?t supplement your diet with essential vitamins and nutrients to help optimum growth and repair of your muscles, especially if you have to eliminate some foods from your diet to lose weight.

The next step is to put some time into investigate and find local competitive bodybuilding competitions near to home, as they are a great place to ?dip your toe? in and get started. If you can?t find any locally you might have to travel to further a field to find competitions, so you?ll need to schedule this into your training plans.

Competitive bodybuilding and fitness competitions often vary in terms of the price to enter and the competition rules and regulations, so make sure you do your research carefully. Usually you?ll have a tour or guide the day before or on the morning of the event, so the more prepared you are, the more professional you will appear to the other competitors and judges.

Prior to the event, make sure that you have covered and mastered in training all the poses that you need to be able to do for the competition, and learn how to tense up your muscles for each pose while appearing relaxed. Other things you might want to do or take into consideration are tanning and removing excess hair and anything else that might improve your chances of winning. Ask your coach for advice on this or ask other bodybuilders you have met through your training.

Once you?ve done the competition, critically assess how well you have done, both positives and negatives, if you try and learn from your mistakes you?ll continually increase you chances of winning in future events. See what the other competitors are doing and ask them questions too. You should also try and speak to the judges after the event to get their opinion on how you did and get some tips for your next competition. Listen carefully to all their hints and tips and sooner than you think you?ll be the one winning all the prizes!

Do you want to learn how to pack on massive muscle, melt away fat and get the body of your dreams? If so, get your hands on free bodybuilding tips for beginner bodybuilders by clicking the following link: http://teenbodybuildingtips.info/

A Beginners Guide to Bodybuilding - The Basics

2010-01-30T03:16:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest mistakes many people do when they are starting out in bodybuilding is to fail to do any research and so they don?t see the results they want, so if you?re reading this you?re a step ahead of the game. A failure to see results causes serious frustration and many people stop training, so do your research first.

You need to learn the most effective and efficient methods to build muscle, burn fat and tone your body, plus learning how to live a healthy lifestyle is essential especially in terms of your nutrition.

One of the first things you need to do before you start any new training program or exercise regime is to get in touch with your doctor and get a full check up. If you are in your teens, a young adult or have had any health problems in the past this is especially important. Also your doctor should be able to give you advice about training programs, your diet and do general checks to ensure your body is in good order. Plus your doctor may be able to recommend good gyms to join.

As a beginner bodybuilder you should make a concerted effort too learn as much about your body and bodybuilding as possible, as it?ll help you in your efforts to get that perfect body if you know what you?re training and why you?re doing it. A good way to get started is to do train your entire body first by working the largest muscle groups, and then focus on specific areas that you want to tone and define. So don?t just go down the gym every day and do a few hundred sit ups and expect to get a six pack, it won?t happen. Don?t forget to warm up before and after you session and stretch thoroughly to encourage muscle growth, keep you flexible and avoid injury.

If you don?t eat healthy you won?t build the quantity of muscle you could do otherwise and you?ll never get the definition you want. Self discipline is essential. You also should speak to a nutritionist and learn the difference between good fats and carbs and bad fats and carbs; also you need to identify the optimum amount of protein you need in you diet.

When you are training make sure that you drink plenty of water to ward off dehydration. If you eat the correct foods and live a healthy lifestyle, such as not smoking, not drinking and ensuring you get enough sleep, you?ll maximize all your training efforts significantly.

Finally speak to other gym goers and find a coach to teach you how to use the equipment properly and to design you a personalized training program to optimize you efforts. If there?re professional bodybuilders at your gym, speak to them and ask them about how they did it. Follow your training program carefully to avoid overtraining and learn your body?s limits so you don?t injure yourself. If you eat and live healthy and stick to your training program you?ll have the lean and toned body you desire in no time.

Treat The Cellulite On Your Body Through Bodybuilding

2010-01-30T03:14:00.000-08:00

Over 10 years ago, I was a competitive bodybuilder. Needless to say, I could not have any cellulite when I was in those competitions. There were a number of things that I did to achieve that body. Weight training and using my secret weapon, the power of the mind (mind/body connection) played a huge role in getting me into competitive shape. I'm very happy to say that I won some of those competitions. Below is a short explanation on weight training for cellulite and the mind/body connection.

1- Weight Training: This is obvious but a very important point to make to many women out there that are afraid to lift weight for fear of bulking up. If you are a women that really has a tendency to add muscle weight easily, then you may want to keep the weights that you use for your lower body on the lighter side and increase the repetitions. I want to emphasize that most women do not add muscle easily due to hormones. The advantage to having muscle weight in your cellulite prone areas is that the additional muscle will press up against your skin so that it isn't loose. Also, muscle is more metabolically demanding which means you burn more muscle even at rest when you have additional muscle weight.

If you are new to weight training, be sure to start out slowly. There are many methods and techniques, but basically, you choose a body part and focus on working the muscles in that area. An example of that would be your hamstrings. Your hamstrings are located on the back of your upper leg, which is an area where many women have cellulite. If you were working the hamstrings in a gym setting, here is an example (one of many) of how you would work this body part.

Hamstring Curls: Most gyms have a machine or 2 for this. Usually, you lay on your stomach and hook the back of your ankles onto a rolled pad. Taking great care to keep your buttocks down on the machine, you slowly lift the pad up with your ankles and then slowly lower them. When you get to the bottom, don't let the weight stack touch and then slowly lift up again as far as your range of motion will let you. Breath out as you lift up and inhale on the way down.

If you are at home you can simulate this exercise by doing this movement with ankle weights on and laying on the floor on your stomach or over an exercise ball.

Depending on your level, do 1-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions. You should feel a burn but not pain on the last 2 repetitions.

Weighted Lunges: Hold dumbbells at your sides near your hips. Pick a weight that you can handle for 8-12 repetitions. Slowly step forward keeping your shoulders back. When that forward foot touches ground, let both knees bend keeping your weight evenly distributed over both feet. Take care that you let your knees bend very gently. Next, step that forward foot back into place as you straighten your legs up. Alternate your legs for 8-12 repetitions for each leg. Do 1-3 sets. Breath out as you step forward.

2- My Secret Weapon: I used my secret weapon, the power of my mind the entire time that I trained for my competitions. While I was exercising I would picture my muscles and body forming exactly the way I wanted them to be. At night, before I went to sleep, I would picture myself on stage looking the way I wanted to and winning. You too can have a beautiful body by using the power of meditation and visualization.

Renee Feldman MA, founder of http://www.cellulitetips.com is an Exercise Physiologist and Certified Personal Trainer. One of the first personal trainers in the United States, Renee is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine which is the Gold Standard in fitness. Her vast experience ranges from competitve bodybuilding, where she won state wide championships to professional dancing. She has used her education and experience working in Corporate fitness centers, Health Clubs, Y.M.C.A.'s and J.C.C.'s. Renee has an incredibly well developed and diverse background in Meditation and Guided Visualization which she has used to coach her clients for the last 12 years. She also lectures and presents information on fitness, wellness and the mind/body connection. She successfully demonstrated her cellulite reduction methods on television. Her widely popular Cellulite Tip website has been helping women worldwide change their bodies. She is most excited about her new line of videos that can be accessed at http://www.thenotimefitnessvideos.com

Fast Muscle Growth - Bodybuilding 101 What They Don't Teach In Muscle School

2010-01-30T03:06:00.000-08:00

Are you working out like a madman or mad person, to be P.C. and still not getting the results you want? Then the answer may be found in this article. So take a moment to read these quick steps you can take to GUARANTEE your muscle growth.

Do you want to be bigger, stronger, faster, and have more endurance?

If that's what you want then consuming more protein in your daily diet may be the ticket to accomplishing your goals.

Secret To Fast Muscle Growth I've heard from hundreds of clients, fellow Rangers and Bodybuilding buddies that they desire to get bigger, stronger, faster and have more endurance.

Often, when I propose that the solution may be just as simple as eating more protein, many get dismayed and feel that I'm giving them a blown-off response.

But the simple truth is that most athletes don't eat nearly enough protein to help them recover from their training, much less grow bigger and stronger.

Why is protein so important for me as an athlete and bodybuilder?

Of the three macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats) protein is the only one which contains nitrogen. Nitrogen is necessary to muscle growth. Consuming sufficient protein can help keep you in a "positive nitrogen balance" meaning that your body is retaining more nitrogen than it is excreting.

Being in a positive nitrogen balance is indicative that you are in an anabolic (tissue building) state. That means you are in a position to build bigger, stronger muscles.

The best times to consume your proteins are:

First thing in the morning upon awakening, to stop the catabolism (tissue breakdown) that results after several hours of sleeping, and jump start your body into an anabolic (tissue building) stage. The best protein for this meal is a complete protein such as scrambled egg whites or a protein shake containing a multi-blend of proteins. Be sure to also consume some carbohydrates with your protein, such as oatmeal or whole grain cereal.
Every 3-4 hours thereafter as part of a complete meal. Giving your body protein every 3-4 hours promotes a positive nitrogen balance and will ensure that your muscles are supplied with the nutrients they need to grow. Remember to wait at least 1-1.5 hours after a meal to train.
The best proteins to consume during your daily meals are lean chicken, fish, or turkey or a protein shake. These proteins are broken down and absorbed slowly over a period of hours, providing long lasting nourishment to your muscles.
Pre-exercise meal. Using proteins that are mostly isolates will digest the fastest. Take a high quality whey protein isolate about 30-60 minutes prior to exercise to allow for proper digestion. Take in 30-60 grams, along with a piece of fruit such as a banana.
Directly after your training. Within 30 minutes of training you should consume 75-100 grams of carbohydrates in the form of potatoes, whole grain bread with jam, bananas, rice, or whole grain cereal with skim milk. You need this to raise blood sugar levels in your body.
This sugar will be deposited in the cells of your muscles and liver. The insulin released by your body in response to the carbohydrates will promote the uptake of amino acids into muscles as well.
For this meal, you should consume 40-60 grams of a high quality whey protein isolate. Unlike protein blends which take hours to digest Whey Protein is digested very quickly (within 30-45 minutes) so that your body can begin post workout muscle repair right away.
Then, one hour later, have a complete whole food meal consisting of a protein such as chicken, turkey or fish, along with a complex carbohydrate such as sweet potatoes, rice and beans, or whole grain rice.
Right before bedtime. Using a protein with a high casein content will allow for absorption over an extended time period and help stabilize your insulin through out the night. This should allow you to sleep better through the night. A light protein will provide time-release amino acids that your body can use to repair and build muscle all night long. Take in between 30-60 grams, depending on your duration of sleep and ability to digest protein.

Follow these shortcut steps and quickly build a muscular body.

Frank Sherrill is a former U.S. Army Ranger, martial arts expert and the creator of the Bully Xtreme Portable Home Gym which offers up to 600 lbs of resistance and 82 muscle pumping exercises. Frank has written hundreds of articles about Isometric Exercise, Static Contraction and the Bullworker. Learn how to build your body and turbo-charge your metabolism without drugs, using his little know secrets by visiting Bullworker . To receive Frank's free muscle building report and free monthly newsletter, visit www.bullyxtreme.net

A Beginners Guide To Bodybuilding ? The Basics

2010-01-20T02:32:00.000-08:00

As a beginner to bodybuilding there are few basics you need to know before you head off head first down the gym to start training to ensure that you maximize the effects of your work outs and minimize the risks of injury.

One of the biggest mistakes many people do when they are starting out in bodybuilding is to fail to do any research and so they don?t see the results they want, so if you?re reading this you?re a step ahead of the game. A failure to see results causes serious frustration and many people stop training, so do your research first.

You need to learn the most effective and efficient methods to build muscle, burn fat and tone your body, plus learning how to live a healthy lifestyle is essential especially in terms of your nutrition.

One of the first things you need to do before you start any new training program or exercise regime is to get in touch with your doctor and get a full check up. If you are in your teens, a young adult or have had any health problems in the past this is especially important. Also your doctor should be able to give you advice about training programs, your diet and do general checks to ensure your body is in good order. Plus your doctor may be able to recommend good gyms to join.

As a beginner bodybuilder you should make a concerted effort too learn as much about your body and bodybuilding as possible, as it?ll help you in your efforts to get that perfect body if you know what you?re training and why you?re doing it. A good way to get started is to do train your entire body first by working the largest muscle groups, and then focus on specific areas that you want to tone and define. So don?t just go down the gym every day and do a few hundred sit ups and expect to get a six pack, it won?t happen. Don?t forget to warm up before and after you session and stretch thoroughly to encourage muscle growth, keep you flexible and avoid injury.

If you don?t eat healthy you won?t build the quantity of muscle you could do otherwise and you?ll never get the definition you want. Self discipline is essential. You also should speak to a nutritionist and learn the difference between good fats and carbs and bad fats and carbs; also you need to identify the optimum amount of protein you need in you diet.

When you are training make sure that you drink plenty of water to ward off dehydration. If you eat the correct foods and live a healthy lifestyle, such as not smoking, not drinking and ensuring you get enough sleep, you?ll maximize all your training efforts significantly.

Finally speak to other gym goers and find a coach to teach you how to use the equipment properly and to design you a personalized training program to optimize you efforts. If there?re professional bodybuilders at your gym, speak to them and ask them about how they did it. Follow your training program carefully to avoid overtraining and learn your body?s limits so you don?t injure yourself. If you eat and live healthy and stick to your training program you?ll have the lean and toned body you desire in no time.

Newbie's guide to developing strength and size in bodybuilding.

2010-01-20T02:31:00.000-08:00

Most neophytes don't know how to get started in bodybuilding they spend many years doing the wrong things before they learn what exactly the right things are. In this article I will address one of the mistakes the newbie's make and give a simple antidote to the problem of developing strength and size as a bodybuilder.

I think before we go any further its important to understand that strength training for a bodybuilder is not the same as for other athletes. A bodybuilder must develop strength while building muscle size, shape and endurance, and on many occasions these goals are exclusive of each other. So let's start this discussion with how to choose the correct weight.

What does your trainer mean when he says light weight or moderate or heavy? How do you know by the weight what rep count you should use? I try to simplify this all too confusing problem in just a few lines.

Everyone get confused about what is heavy weight, what is moderate weight and what is light weight. I will try clear this up for you right now. Heavy weight is any amount that is so heavy that on your first set you can only complete 6 to 8 reps. I think it goes to reason that on your second and third set you will not be able to complete as many.

Moderate weight is any amount that is so heavy that on your first set you can only complete 8- 12 reps. Of course less on the following sets Light weight is any amount that is so heavy that on your first set you can only complete 15-25 reps

Now there is one more thing that I want to address that is strength. understand this, just because you are getting bigger does not mean you are getting stronger; however, if you are getting stronger you are getting bigger even if you can't see the size increase! Finally, train to get stronger, but not for strength, if you understand the principles of the Progressive Resistance System this will make more sense

The four days per week workout The four days per week is called a split routine, because the body is split into four sections Unlike a lot of trainers I think there is a relationship between growth and total amount of sets completed in a week's time. On the three day routine you had 9 set for chest, back and quads, and six set for shoulders. In this routine the weekly sets will range between 12 and 16 per body part.

In no way do I advocate the High Intensity Training (HIT) methods that you'll find in all over the internet. I don't deny how well it works; I just feel much of the injury throughout my career has come as a result of working out with too much intensity. Age and wisdom has taught me to the never to even advocate the negative or forced reps for any reason I personally call them injury reps! But let move on to what I think will work.

Some important things to understand about this routine

1. Workouts are never longer than 1 hour! Never!

2. Dips are done with no weight, except "bench dips" if you have a partner

3. "Max" represents the most you can do correctly( never do forced reps)

4. Unless I specify dumbbells, use only barbell

5. shoulder press are done to the front of the chest not behind the neck See article my article on shoulder injuries

6. Lat pull downs are done at shoulder width never wider and only to the front of the chest.

7. Seated row are done either on a seated row machine or on seated on a low cable row machine. If doing them on a low cable row machine lean forward only enough to full extend your arms keep lower back arched. Never let the shoulders roll forward for that "extra stretch"

8. Barbell curls are done in smoothly never jerky or fast.

9. Leg press are done with full range of motion your calf should touch your hamstring at the stretched position.

10. Leg curls should be contracted until heel touches you butt.

11. Seated calf raises this exercise is harder than it appears. Calf should get a full stretch at the bottom of the movement, and completely contracted at the top.

12. Warm up and cool down with about 10 t 15 minutes of stationary bike or ski machine ( I only do low or no impact aerobics, never run, never stairs,)

13. Stretch only after you have completed the workout and only for the muscles worked that day.

Workout 1 Monday

Dips 4 set of 8-12 reps Bench press 4 set of 8-12 reps Dumbbell Shoulder Press 4 set of 8-12 reps Shoulder Shrugs 4 set of 8-12 reps

Workout 2 Tuesday

Pull Ups 4sets of 6-8 Reps Lat pull downs 4 sets of 8-12 reps Seated Rows 4 sets of 8-12 reps Seated Calf Raises 4 sets of 15-25 reps

Workout 3 Thursday (after one day rest)

Hack Squats 4 sets of 15-25 reps Leg Press 4sets of 15-25 reps Leg Curls 4 sets of 8-12 reps Standing Calf Raises 4 sets of 15-25 reps

Workout 4 Friday

Barbell Curls 3 sets of 8-12 reps Dumbbell Curls 3 sets of 8-12 reps Bench Dips 4 sets of 8-12 Reps Close Grip Bench Press 4 sets of 8-12 reps

Troy Pearsall has over 25 years of bodybuilding experience. 15 years as a competitive bodybuilder 15 years as a personal trainer and 10 years as a trainer of competitive bodybuilders. He has other successes in other areas but his first love is teaching the sport of bodybuilding. for mor information go to http://www.fire-iron-online.com

The Most Shocking Bodybuilding Myths Finally Revealed

2010-01-09T03:04:00.000-08:00

The bodybuilding and fitness industry has the highest number of myths out there, even some of the 'professionals' are under the influence of myths. Knowing what stuff is true and what is false can be critical to achieving great results and staying injury free. This article should hopefully educate you and you'll be one of the few people that know the truth.

1.The workouts of professional bodybuilders are the best ? You want to become massive and ripped, so it makes sense to follow Mr. Olympia's routine...right? Wrong, Pro-bodybuilders are on a lot of steroids, therefor their bodies are capable of recovering faster from the workouts they do. If you or me did their workout for a while, we'd probably just over train and injure ourselves. Pro's also have many years of experience, meaning their bodies are capable of going through such vigorous workouts so often.

2.There is one, and one only perfect workout plan for everyone ? Some magazines or articles may try to say that there's only one workout that produces the greatest results for everyone. Funny thing is, I see hundreds of different perfect workouts! Everybody is different, a workout that works for you may not work for me, and so on. This is why it's important to educate yourself so you can make a workout thats 'perfect' for you. If you're a real beginner, you can get an experienced trainer to make a program designed exclusively for you.

3.(eg. Protein) supplement ABC is 500% more effective then (eg. Protein) supplement XYZ ? There are many supplement companies out on the market today, with a huge range of different brands available, its hard for consumers to choose one product over another. Thats why supplement companies say negative things about each others products to get a sale from you. They exaggerate the statistics by a long, long shot. At the end of the day, the difference between supplement companies is minimal in the single percentages. Unless the supplement company you buy from is your neighbor, who mixes the ingredients in his basement, its very unlikely that there's a 500% difference between the different big name companies.

4.You need to exercise to burn fat ? Nobody gains body fat because of a lack of exercise. You gain body fat if you eat more calories then you burn. For example; If your daily caloric requirement is 3000 calories, you only need to consumer 3000 calories that day.

If you consume more then 3000 calories you will gain fat.

If you consumer less then 3000 calories you will lose fat.

If you combine exercise to a good diet you will burn more calories, resulting in you losing fat faster.

James Penn is an expert at planning fitness training programs and especially abdominal routines. You can learn exactly what he teaches for free at http://www.firmupyourabs.com including abdominal workouts and abdominal exercises to help you lose abdominal fat.

Bodybuilding Venue Tips

2010-01-09T03:03:00.000-08:00

When considering a full bodybuilding routine, you need to consider first few important points to make sure that you?ll be able to put full focus and attention to your goal of gaining weight and increasing your body appearance. Above everything else, it?s always necessary to check the place where you?ll be spending your bodybuilding training moments.

First, you need to think about the venue where you can conduct your bodybuilding exercises. It has to be where you feel most comfortable in executing exercise routines. Commercial gyms are one place where you can take advantage of the different gym equipment. You probably won?t have any problem in executing ideal exercises on gyms since there are also expert trainers around the gym ready to help incase you need assistance. Another thing that you need to consider is if the training in a commercial gym is within your budget or not. Otherwise, it?s better to stick to home gym training.

Home gym training is ideal for those who don?t want to wait in line before gym equipment becomes available. As long as you have weight lift equipments like dumbbells, barbells, squat stands and a good and solid bench, you can train very well similar to those who train in the gym. Also, the main benefit is that you gain what you need for your body to gain inexpensively.

Another thing is that, with home gym training, you can train anytime you like or whenever you?re available. Just be sure you don?t train much otherwise, it will defeat the whole point of proper bodybuilding.

When bodybuilding at home, you will need to think about the training level you need to accomplish because there?s no one else who can lift the barbells just incase it ended up trapping your neck. You will need to think and impose about serious training precautions for a safer bodybuilding routine.

Shareen Aguilar is a writer for http://www.body-building-book.com which has Bodybuilding guide and other free fitness Books.

What Is The Best Home Gym

2010-01-09T03:02:00.000-08:00

When it comes to choosing home gyms, you may find yourself with many different decisions to make and not sure where to start. Choosing home gyms involve many different aspects to check out, this is true, but it is actually quite simple to pick one for you and your needs. There are a few main things that you should check out before you choose a gym. Focusing just on these will help simplify the search process.

First and foremost you will want to determine how much space you have for the home gym, before you begin choosing home gyms. This is because there are different gyms that will fit in different amounts of space. Some home gyms will fold up and fit just about anywhere, while some have tons of equipment and require a lot of space. Once you have decided on the size you can use for your home gym, you will have narrowed down what you can buy. Then it is just up to you to choose from among those that will work with the space that you have.

Getting recommendations from friends, family and even your doctor will help you when choosing home gyms. That way you will have a few ideas of certain gyms to check out. This should narrow your search down even further. Make sure you let your doctor know exactly what your goals are and they should be able to recommend some equipment that will work with your personal goals and needs. Also make sure you ask friends and family members that have had some of the same goals as you, in order to pick some equipment that will work with yours as well.

Lastly when it comes to choosing home gyms, you will need to set up a budget. This will let you to further narrow down the equipment that you are looking at. Once you determine how much you can spend, you should be down to one or two choices. Make sure you thoroughly check out the equipment before you buy. Ask if you can try out the equipment as well. Sometimes a local gym may have similar equipment and you can use it there to see if you like how it works with you and your needs.

Choosing home gyms doesn't need to be complicated. Taking some of these simple things and keeping them in mind while you shop should make it quite simple. Once you find the home gym you need, you will be well on your way to a healthier life and all the looking will have been worth it.

Check out http://www.homegymsreview.com for more articles on marcy home gyms and discount home gym.

Bodybuilding Power Drinks

2009-12-29T05:24:00.000-08:00

In bodybuilding, much of the body?s energy and strength is used. After the hard work, the body needs rest. A time to recover helps the body to regain lost energy and fuel. It is important also for the body to have sufficient power for the next set of training, to be able to meet the required performance.

That is why power drinks play a vital role for supplying needed and sufficient amount of performance out of the body at a given time. At the same time, when the body is all worn out, power drinks can also help in repairing damaged cells in the body. There are assorted power drinks available at the markets, some are even promoted commercially to gain more popularity but then they can all be equally expensive too.

If you want to personalize your power drink or if you want to make sure what ingredients are in the power drinks you take in, you can make your own blend to meet what your body needs for a specific bodybuilding training set. There are many protein power drinks that you can blend and mix. Protein power drinks add muscle to the drink and it also contains carbohydrates, calcium, riboflavin and of course, protein.

Below are samples of protein power drinks:

Milk and Honey

2 tbsp unflavored protein powder
2 tbsp honey
1 ? cups milk

Prepare the ingredients and mix unflavored protein powder, honey into 1 ? cups milk and then sprinkle it with nutmeg or cinnamon.

Banana Smoothie

1 cup milk
1 large frozen banana
2 tbsp vanilla flavored protein powder
1 tbsp honey

Simply mix all the ingredients together in a blender and transfer contents into glass when ready.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake

1 cup milk
1 scoop chocolate ice cream
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 egg

Put all the ingredients together in a blender and serve when done.

Shareen Aguilar is a writer for http://www.body-building-book.com which has Bodybuilding guide and other free fitness Books.

Adapt Your Bodybuilding Routines for Your Body Type

2009-12-29T05:23:00.000-08:00

It's fairly obvious that no two humans beings are exactly the same, thus it should come as no surprise that different people need to train in different ways and have different bodybuilding routines. One of the primary factors that will help you become a successful bodybuilder is to understand your own body, to realize what your limits are and to appreciate how your body will react under stress. Therefore in order to make the most of your bodybuilding routines and workouts you must know your body type and understand how it will affect your training.

Scientists have developed a body type classification system based on a number of factors and everybody falls into one of the following three categories (you may fall in-between, as these are quite generalized): endomorph, mesomorph and ectomorph. Once you have established your body type, you can them adjust your bodybuilding routine, training program and lifestyle accordingly. You should also speak to your doctor to get their advice before you start training and to get a check up.

The first category we shall look at is the endomorph body type. Endomorphs usually find it really quite easy to gain muscle mass, but also they find it very easy to put on weight. Thus having a great deal of self discipline is required to control your diet if you?re to be a successful bodybuilder. A great tip for endomorphs is to eat 6 small meals at regular intervals throughout the day to ward off hunger and snacking on junk food. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and don?t eat anything for at least a few hours before going to bed to facilitate fat loss. Endomorphs tend not to have too much difficultly putting on muscle mass, however if you want good definition in your muscles you?ll need to do plenty of cardiovascular training such as running. Doing this should increase your muscular definition by burning off excess fat. If you can, do your cardio training after your weights to burn off even more fat.

The next category we shall look at is the ectomorph body type. These are people who are generally tall, thin and have long arms and legs; they naturally have virtually no fat. Most ectomorphs often find themselves in endurance sports such as x-country running or athletics (high jump), however they can and do also become professional bodybuilders. The main thing that ectomorphs need to do is to start eating more of the right healthy foods, thus increasing the calorie intake to put on weight and build muscle. They should focus on weight training as opposed to cardio vascular training and train to failure so you can?t lift the last weight of a set. Make sure that you?re lifting weights at least 3-4 days a week, with a rest day between sessions to allow optimum recovery and muscle growth.

The final category are the mesomorphs, which fall in between the other two categories and are often the envy of the other two body types, as mesomorphs find it easy to build muscle and keep off fat. However, this can often lead to a false sense of security as having this mindset leads to missed training sessions, which eventually catches up with them. If you are a mesomorph just starting bodybuilding, don?t change the amount you eat, but eat healthier and make sure you are eating enough protein to facilitate muscle growth. Mix up your training sessions to incorporate both full body work out sessions and those to target specific muscle groups to improve definition.

It doesn't matter what your body type is if you want to be a successful bodybuilder, just adjust your training routines and your eating habits accordingly. Be dedicated and passionate and you will achieve your goals.

Do you know that obesity increases your risk of getting cancer by one third? Don't be get caught out! Learn quick and easy tips and techniques to melt away fat, build muscle and get the body of your dreams right now. Get your hands on free bodybuilding training tips for beginner bodybuilders by clicking the following link: http://teenbodybuildingtips.info/

Natural Bodybuilding

2009-12-21T04:18:00.001-08:00

You've seen the pictures in bodybuilding magazine. Photos of men and women with so many muscles, they hardly look like men and women anymore. Of course it's natural to want to work out and feel your best, but there's certainly nothing natural about the state of these individuals.

If you wish to take up bodybuilding, but would prefer a natural approach, there are options available to you. Finding the best bodybuilding program for you is of the utmost importance. Before you commit to any kind of bodybuilding, you need to do your homework and find out as much as you can about the various types and aspects. Natural bodybuilding is a great alternative that's growing in popularity.

The obvious side effects of steroid use have many people turning to natural bodybuilding. This alternative program does not allow steroid use, or any kind of bodybuilding supplements that can potentially harm your system and case irreparable damage to your body. With natural bodybuilding, everything you take is derived from natural products.

Natural bodybuilding is effective. In fact, it's so effective that there are natural bodybuilding competitions all over the country, with more happening every year. The natural bodybuilding program is gaining in popularity, because it only makes sense to keep your body healthy while you're trying to get healthy. So many other competitions put the health of the competitors behind their overall appearance.

With natural bodybuilding, you will keep your body working the way it should be, while still packing on the muscle.

Search online for natural bodybuilding trainers, clubs, programs and championships. A good selection of natural body building supplements and vitamins, formulated to help increase energy and retain vitality, are available in stores and on the Internet. Check with your doctor and decide which of these products can enhance your natural bodybuilding routine.

Begin your natural bodybuilding regime today, and be healthy while you get healthy.

Charles Jackson is a writer for several well-known web sites, on recreation and sports and hobbies and recreation topics.

Bodybuilding And Fat Loss - How Do We Speed Up The Process?

2009-12-21T04:17:00.001-08:00

Fat loss is essential in any weight loss and fitness program. No only will you lose the unwanted pounds, but you will also tone and strengthen your muscles.

When you experience fat loss with your fitness and weight loss program, you will not only notice that you are losing weight, but you will also lose inches. The basic element in any weigh loss program is exercise. In order for it to be effective, you should exercise at least 20 minutes five times a week. This does not necessarily mean that you should have a vigorous workout, but walking and jogging can really add to your routine, if you do these types of exercises on alternate days.

In addition to exercising, which is the number one tip for weight loss, there are several other things you can do.

* pump iron lift weights, even if they are hand or ankle weights while you are exercising. These increase the resistance on the muscles and help to tone them up.

* keep a food diary this helps you to see where your extra calories and coming from and helps you to better regulate your diet.

* stay focused on the fat loss you want to achieve there will be times when you get discouraged, but you have to keep encouraging yourself to stick to the program you have set for yourself. find out what causes you to overeat many people overeat to compensate for stress in their lives.

Learn other coping techniques that keeps you from regaining the fat you lose.

* get support join a gym or a weight loss program, such as Weight Watchers, for example. Even having a friend to work out with helps to keep you focused on your goal.

* watch the portions of food you eat cutting down on calories results in the loss of fat. If you eat calorie rich foods try switching to snacks that do not contain calories and have lots of protein.

* slow weight loss is good do not try to lose all of your unwanted fat in a short period of time. A healthy weight loss is about 2 pounds per week and you may even have weeks where you do not lose any weight.

* slow down when you are eating. Eating fast helps to put on pounds and eating slowly fills you up faster.

* water is essential drink lots of water at least 8 10 glasses per day. This helps to flush the fat out of your system.

Check out http://www.1-stop-fitness.com/ for articles on eliptical trainer reviews and smith machine home gyms.

Natural Bodybuilding Muscle Training - Does It Still Exist In Today's Age Of Steroids?

2009-12-21T04:16:00.001-08:00

Maybe you are interested in knowing what natural bodybuilding is all about. This page will help you decide if this is for you.

Natural bodybuilding has emerged as a way of distancing bodybuilding from the many reports of drug use and steroids to help people have the prefect body. This involves strengthening your body through exercise and diet and not relying on extras such as drugs to help you make rapid gains.

This practice relies solely on exercise as a natural way of toning up the muscles of the body through strength and weight training as the athletes of long ago did. It also combines this exercise routine with a healthy diet to help increase the body metabolism to burn fat. This method helps people lose weight and become fit.

Those who follow a natural method of bodybuilding use natural dietary supplements to help with their diet.

These products contain all natural ingredients that the body needs, such as whey protein and proteins and minerals that are naturally found in the body. They also need to supplement the essential nutrients that the body loses through intensive workouts.

Using this method of bodybuilding, means that people are more informed about the needs of the body. When the body is fit and healthy, the chances of illness and injuries are less, therefore the long term benefits of having a strong toned body cannot be underestimated.

Those who are fit and exercise on a daily basis tend to look better and feel better about themselves. They are also better able to cope with lifes stresses and tend to live longer.

Check out http://www.1-stop-fitness.com/ for articles on best home gyms and cheap weight benches.

How To Properly Diet For A Bodybuilding Contest

2009-12-21T04:15:00.000-08:00

Although you may NOT ever compete, most will find this helpful and take some information from it and incorporate it into your own diet when you decide to cut down for whatever reason.

This diet isn?t specifically designed for anyone in particular; this isn?t even the diet that I follow, but a variation of it. Its simply a skeletal structure of a bodybuilding diet.

NOTE: This is for the natural competitor

Depending on your body fat percentage and your body type you generally want to give yourself about 10-15 weeks out to start your diet. I have been very blessed and only have to diet roughly 10 weeks out. Its not rare to see some competitors start dieting as far as 22 weeks out from a show, to help reserve muscle. Also a note on the sodium load, its a risky endeavor but I have found it to be a very beneficial tool if used properly, however I would NOT recommend a sodium load on your first couple shows.

For the sake of argument we?ll do a 12 week diet.

Weeks 12-10 You want to start your diet by eliminating all kinds of crappy foods and only take in clean foods, such as beef, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, milk, protein shakes, rice, potatoes, pasta, fruit, vegetables, etc. Your water intake should also be increased to a gallon to gallon/half.

Cardio work should be started gradually, roughly about 20 minutes 3 times a week. Targeted heart rate should be between 150-170BPM for 20 minutes. Not jump on the bike for 20 minutes and realize your HR was only in the targeted zone for 11 minutes. Make sure its 20 minutes.

Supplementation: A good assistance in fat loss, as everyone knows is ECA stack or a good weight loss supplement on the market. I benefited nicely from the ephedra or Hydroxycut. I don?t believe in appetite suppressants as you should be eating and anything that is going to curb your appetite is no good. Especially for a critical diet like this. So, a 200mg of caffeine and 25mg of Ephedrine and 300mg of aspirin 3-4 times a day on empty stomach is recommended.

Week 9

Diet is starting to get a little tighter and you?re now starting to play around with your ratio?s c/p/f. A typical day will look something like this:

-Oatmeal (25-35 grams of carbs)
-Zero -low carb protein shake (40 grams)

-5 egg whites or can of tuna (I hate tuna so I have eggs)
-Any veggie, salad, broccoli, carrots, etc.

-2 chicken breasts
-1 plain baked potato

-Protein shake (40 grams) low carb

-Pork, steak, chicken, beef, etc
-Veggies and/or rice (brown)

-Casein whey protein

Cardio: It?s kicked up to 30 minutes 4 times a week and its done before breakfast. Target HR is the same as it was before.

Supplementation: same

Week 8-6: Tightening the diet

Diet: Start eliminating most of the starches. Start taking in more veggies. You are now taking in more lean meats, fish, etc.

Cardio: Is kicked up to 6 times a week for 30 minutes before breakfast or after workout.

Supplementation is same

You should definitely start seeing more definition and can start evaluating your diet based on how you look. If you?re holding too much water, start upping the water and you may even want to start sodium loading at this point. Its still far enough out from a show to play around with sodium in your diet. If the carbs are too high or your body isn?t burning up the carbs as you thought, start cutting the carbs a little more.

Week 5-4 What are some of the better types of carbs for me to eat? What Low GI and High GI? Well, the low GI carbs have nearly zero effect on your blood sugars. Foods like broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, etc will have low GI levels. For the high GI, It is more of an impact on your blood sugars obviously. I am not certain but there is a myth that the low and high GI foods had to do with digestion. I think that is false. Anyways any other foods high in GI are all that I had listed.

Diet: As strict as its going to get from here on out. Carbs are extremely low. I usually target about 20 per meal with about 6 meals in a day. Protein is still kept high about 1.5 for 1lb of BW. Fats are now at an all time low of 20-30 a day. How does one get only 20-30 grams of fats in a day. Well, if you?re monitoring your meats, fish, etc and making sure they are nearly fat free you can control your fat intake by eating nuts (polyunsaturated); almonds are a fan favorite?about 5 or 6 almonds a meal should do the trick.

Different types of fats FYI:

Saturated fats: found primarily in foods coming from animals and some veggies as well, those are saturated veggie fats that are in bakery goods and nondairy milk or cream products. When you?re doing your shopping you can see the saturated fats that are solid in room temp. This is the most harmful fat to any diet

Polyunsaturated Fats - these are the fats you want to take in for a contest. They are found in almonds, fish, and various oils.

Monounsaturated - pretty much the same as the poly as they both reduce cholesterol levels but they aren?t as effective as the poly?s. This fat is found in olives, cashews, avocado and other various oils that stem from plants.

Trans Fats - This is the veggie want be butter shit they use to extend the life of a shelved food, these increase cholesterol levels.

Fats are important in a diet, during a critical diet such as this they help to lube the joints during resistance training. You?re going to find a lot of achy bones and ligaments and soreness you?re not used to because of this diet. I know I did. So the fats help with the joints

Cardio: is now everyday for 30 minutes before breakfast or after workout.

Posing is also 3-4 times a week but you guys don?t need to do that.

Supplementation: You want to start taking in potassium to prevent the cramping. Also along with your multi you should have more C and B6 as well. Glutamine is upped from 10 grams a day to 15-20.

Week 3-2

Diet: Increased sodium, put it on everything?Even drop a little in your protein shake. Load load load. Water should be 1.5-2 gallons. Carbs are now under 100 a day, mostly taken in the morning and protein is still 1.5 to a pound. Fats are kept at 20-30.

Cardio is now 40 minutes 7 days a week.

Workout: should be light and reps should be high (10-15)

Posing: 5 times a week for at least 30 minutes

Supplementation: same

Day 14-7

Diet: Carbs are now between 50-80. Protein is the same and water is 2 gallons a day. Sodium is still loading. Fats 20-30 grams

Cardio: same

Supplementation: potassium, calcium, multi, C, B6, ECA, milk thistle.

Day 7-4

Carbs are extremely low, preparing for the carb load the last 72 hours. Sodium is now cut out completely and water is increased to 2.5 gallons.

Cardio is the same:

Workout: very light, minimal. Your energy should be so low that you?re doing 2 sets per isolated movement. No compound movements concentrate on pulling out muscles. Start to control the muscle?your primary workout should be posing anyways and controlling each muscle.

Supplementation: POTASSIUM! POTASSIUM! POTASSIUM! It?s high because the cramping is a SOB!

Day 3-1

Diet: 400-500 grams of Carbs, Clean clean clean. Rice, potato, rice cakes, etc. I eat baby food because of the vit. and potassium in them and I can eat them all day long. Water is cut completely. Fats are same, protein is same..maybe drop it depending on how you?re feeling.

Stay away from the gym

pose pose pose pose.

Supplementation: Diuretics, anything and everything. Get that water out of you!!!

Day of Show:

Moderate carbs, go on feeling. If you need energy for the pre-judge then eat some chocolate or rice cakes?sip some pedialyte to prevent complete dehydration and cramping.

For a first time competitor; the entire battle is against yourself. We all want to win the show or place decently, first overcome the battle of getting to know what your body is all about and how it can respond positively to a diet such as this first.

Again, most of you don?t have the intentions of competing, however maybe some have thought about it but never knew how to properly prepare. I hope that this will not only encourage you but at least help you diet for anything else. Keep in mind that this is a strict bodybuilding diet (although some are A LOT stricter) and you can take little info from here to construct a diet suitable for your own goals.

Articles such as this about health, nutrition and weightloss can all be found at http://www.crazyfilesandthings.com Other great articles can be found like this at the website. If you have any great articles to submit, please don't hesitate to either email them to webmaster@crazyfilesandthings.com or visit our site and submit them there.

Do Bodybuilding Supplements Really Work - Yes, They Do!

2009-12-07T05:09:00.000-08:00

Bodybuilding enthusiasts and athletes have been using bodybuilding supplements since time immemorial.

Whether you are a beginner or a pro, you can use bodybuilding supplements so long as you know what you?re using and your objective behind using that supplement. All bodybuilders take protein supplements, creatine being a huge favorite and with good reason.

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound that supplies energy to our muscles. Bodybuilders supplement their creatine intake by consuming creatine monohydrate which is the best source of creatine compared to anything else in terms of purity and per-weight-of-material. Benefits of creatine include dramatic improvement in lean muscle mass in as little as two weeks; improvement in recovery rates with respect to muscle fatigue, and better performance in high intensity exercises. Creatine gives you bigger and better muscles.

Another popular supplement that delivers awesome benefits to bodybuilders is glutamine. L-Glutamine is an amino acid that is found in abundance in the muscle tissue. It can be safely consumed all year round. It plays a key role in cell voluminizing, anti catabolizing, and overall muscle maintenance. Glutamine helps in the process of generating Human Growth Hormone, which is necessary for muscle growth and metabolizing body fat. However its primary aim is that of promoting a positive nitrogen balance and muscle maintenance. Moreover, it is also required by the immune system to prevent sickness.

Proteins are amongst the most popular bodybuilding supplements available; this is because protein is the most elementary building block of our muscles. Ideally, we need 1-2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. Protein supplements are either low-carb or weight gainers.

Whey protein is easy to digest and is a popular post-workout supplement. Casein is recommended as a bed-time supplement as it can take anywhere between 2-7 hours to digest. Egg protein is the cheapest and most easily available form of protein. Vegetarians have soy to turn to. There are protein supplements available in the market that are a combination of soy-egg-casein-whey protein. These proteins are a handy for an anytime intake and they offer a staggered rate of protein absorption.

Pro-hormones or natural testosterone boosters are important for gaining lean muscle mass improving muscular strength and muscle size. 4-androstenediol or 4-AD is an anabolic prohormone booster. It is converted into testosterone in the liver. It is a pre-training supplement that helps weightlifters and bodybuilders to exert themselves to the maximum. Pro-hormones help bodybuilders by increasing the oxygen supply to the muscles, quickening muscle recovery, and reducing muscle loss.

Nitric oxide helps to increase the blood flow to muscles and is therefore of importance to bodybuilders who use it to deliver a greater amount of nutrients to their muscles, especially when the muscles are stressed.

Growth Hormones aid in tissue growth, tissue repair, fat loss, muscle gain, and boosting energy levels. They are also known anti-ageing agents. In short, growth hormones are crucial for bodybuilders. What adds to their importance as a bodybuilding supplement is the fact that the body?s capacity to produce them naturally decreases after the age of 30.

Mansi Aggarwal recommends that you visit for Bodybuilding Supplements.

Bodybuilding Nutrition - A sound bodybuilding Diet Plan

2009-12-07T05:08:00.000-08:00

Beginning a new nutrition program is never easy, especially for beginners. If you are looking to learn how to structure your diet for building muscle and adding mass then follow the following proven principles of proven success.

Bodybuilding nutrition does not have to be a chore as many people think of it. You certainly do not have to starve! A bodybuilding diet plan is very healthy, and includes all of the major food groups, making it a complete nutrition solution that you can incorporate into your lifestyle. A sound nutrition plan has to include all of the essentials for health but muscle growth as well.

Therefore, a bodybuilding diet plan has to be higher in protein and healthy fats than most other diets. It?s also higher in energy potent carbohydrates and uses much different types of foods than most people consume in their normal daily eating habits. Bodybuilding diets do not include most of junk foods and unhealthy treats such as candy full of simple sugars, fried foods, white flour products and alcohol. If you want to follow a healthy lifestyle then you certainly must minimize your consumption of these unhealthy treats.

Here?s a sample bodybuilding diet plan that will work very well for pretty much anyone who is looking to add muscle mass. Depending on your weight and body fat levels, you may need to increase of decrease the amounts of foods consumed.

Meal 1: 6 egg whites, 1 yolk 2 slices low fat cheese, 3oz oatmeal, 1 apple or banana, 1 cup of low fat milk.

Meal 2: 6oz tuna in water, 1 whole wheat bagel, 1 tablespoon low fat mayo, 1 tomato.

Meal 3: 8oz grilled chicken breast, 2 baked potatoes, 2 cups salad, low fat dressing.

Meal 4: 4oz turkey breast, 2 slices whole wheat toast, 2 slices low fat cheese, 1 cup of low fat milk.

Meal 5: 8oz grilled steak, 1.5 cups brown rice, 2 cups salad or steamed vegetables, 2 tablespoons olive oil for dressing.

Meal 6: 6 egg whites, 1 yolk, Half cup oatmeal, 1 cup low fat milk.

You can also include a daily multivitamin supplement to ensure you are getting all of the essential micronutrients needed for proper muscle growth and recovery.

This diet plan will provide you with all essential proteins for muscle building, carbohydrates for ample energy & glycogen replenishment and healthy fats for additional calories. Try to space meals three hours apart and always remembers to drink plenty of water throughout the day.

Kostas Marangopoulos is a natural bodybuilder, nutrition consultant, freelance writer and editor-in-chief of http://www.BodybuildingApplied.com, one of the best natural bodybuilding websites on the net. His educational background includes a Master?s degree and he is also a certified personal trainer (CPT) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Kostas? educational and informative bodybuilding articles have been featured on hundreds of leading websites including http://www.NaturalMuscleBuilding.com

The Side Effects of Bodybuilding Supplements

2009-12-07T05:07:00.000-08:00

Many body builders turn to discount bodybuilding supplements in order to achieve more noticeable results in a shorter amount of time. In addition, supplements can help to maintain energy levels so that workouts can be longer and more effective. However, both brand name and discount supplements can cause side effects, which should be considered before starting a supplement regimen.

One of the most popular bodybuilding supplements is creatine. Creatine monohydrate is used to increase muscle fullness and body mass. It also helps in shortening the recovery time after an intense workout. Creatine can cause your muscles to retain water, which can lead to dehydration in some people. Also, there might be up to a five pound weight gain during the first week. There are no major known side effects of taking creatine, but some people experience gas, bloating or diarrhea during the first few weeks of use.

Glutamine is taken by those who are doing frequent intense workouts. It is an amino acid that occurs naturally in your muscles, and it also works to help maintain your immune system. It can become depleted through diet or hard workouts, and a supplement can help to keep up immune response. There have been no reported side effects.

Andro supplements have received a lot of negative press as androstenedione is banned at the Olympics. However, andro supplements are not illegal and many believe they help build muscle mass and strength. Andro supplements cause an increase in female sex hormones. When taken by men, it can cause breast growth as well as a decreased sex drive. It also increases the risk of heart disease.

Caffeine is used to burn fat in a way that discourages fatigue. It can increase concentration and some feel it helps with motivation. It also has an effect on muscle contraction. It can be easy to take too much caffeine because many people also drink soda, coffee, or eat chocolate while taking the supplements. If too much caffeine is consumed, side effects include heart palpitations, nervousness, irritability, dehydration and diarrhea.

As with any type of medication or vitamin, you should make yourself aware of the possible side effects of the drug to determine whether the benefits of taking it outweigh any negative outcomes. While many supplements do not have any side effects, some have side effects which should make you think twice before purchasing them. All it takes is a little bit of research and you should be able to take supplements without having to worry about any unwanted results.

Natalie Aranda writes about health. Many body builders turn to discount bodybuilding supplements in order to achieve more noticeable results in a shorter amount of time. In addition, supplements can help to maintain energy levels so that workouts can be longer and more effective. However, both brand name and discount supplements can cause side effects, which should be considered before starting a supplement regimen.

Ingredients of Bodybuilding Supplements

2009-11-28T03:24:00.000-08:00

With the number of discount bodybuilding supplements available to the public now, it can be confusing to know which supplements are the best for your particular goals. One way to help choose a supplement is by considering the ingredients.

Creatine is a common ingredient found in discount supplements. It exists naturally in your body and can be found in foods such as tuna and red meat. However, you can?t get the creatine amounts you need simply by eating more of these foods, because they are also high in saturated fats. Creatine based products help give your muscles energy. It is especially effective in providing energy for muscle movements that are quick, making it ideal to help increase the efficiency of your workouts. If you have just started taking creatine, you will notice that it helps you put on weight rapidly, especially during the first month.

L-Glutamine is another popular ingredient in bodybuilding supplements. Glutamine is a naturally occurring amino acid found in your muscles. During training, glutamine levels drop dramatically, and it can take almost a week for them to return to the levels that they were prior to the workout. L-Glutamine supplements work to stop this depletion. Glutamine also plays a role in maintaining the immune system and the health of the small intestine. Because it is so often depleted by bodybuilders, they are more susceptible to illness. Taking a glutamine supplement can not only help maintain muscle mass, but can also help to keep you healthy.

Ribose is another naturally occurring ingredient that helps with muscle energy. Supplementing with ribose will help you recover quicker from intense workouts, allowing you the opportunity to make rapid improvement. Ribose is taken in large doses initially in a process called ?loading.?

These are only a few of the active ingredients that you might find in supplements. Most supplements also have some sort of flavoring that makes them more pleasant to take. When selecting a supplement, you will need to do a careful evaluation of what you are hoping to gain by taking it. You should investigate whether the particular ingredients bring with them any side effects and determine whether the benefits outweigh any negatives. Many gyms or body building associations have trainers who can provide guidance on which are the best supplements to take. With a little bit of research, you should be on your way to increased muscle mass and optimal performance.

Natalie Aranda writes about health and fitness. With the number of discount bodybuilding supplements available to the public now, it can be confusing to know which supplements are the best for your particular goals. One way to help choose a supplement is by considering the ingredients. Creatine is a common ingredient found in discount supplements. It exists naturally in your body and can be found in foods such as tuna and red meat.

The Facts and Myths about Bodybuilding Supplements

2009-11-28T03:23:00.000-08:00

Bodybuilding supplements are widely used to increase muscle mass, reduce recovery time after an intense workout, and to make workouts more beneficial. However, there are many misconceptions about bodybuilding supplements. Here are some common myths and facts.

Myth: Bodybuilding supplements are dangerous.
Fact: Most bodybuilding supplements are not dangerous at all when the correct dose is taken.

Myth: Bodybuilding supplements are illegal.
Fact: While there are some organizations, such as the Olympic Games, who have banned certain bodybuilding supplements, they are not illegal. They are available for purchase online and in retail stores.

Myth: Bodybuilding supplements will allow you to become physically fit without working out.
Fact: Bodybuilding supplements are meant to work in conjunction with a rigorous exercise program. Taken alone, they are unlikely to produce any positive results.

Myth: Bodybuilding supplements have a lot of side effects.
Fact: Most bodybuilding supplements include ingredients which occur naturally in the body. Because of this, there are very few side effects associated with taking bodybuilding supplements. The most common side effect is upset stomach and diarrhea. Most side effects go away within a few weeks. There are some supplements which have more serious side effects, but most supplements do not.

Myth: Bodybuilding supplements are very expensive.
Fact: You can easily find discount bodybuilding supplements which will allow you to purchase the same product at a substantial discount. Discount supplements are exactly the same as their higher priced counterparts.

Myth: All bodybuilding supplements are steroids.
Fact: Most bodybuilding supplements have nothing to do with steroids. Most are naturally occurring substances, such as amino acids.

Myth: Bodybuilding supplements do not work.
Fact: Many people find that supplements greatly enhance their workouts, cause them to have rapid results, help them put on muscle mass, and reduce recovery time after workouts. While no supplement will work for everyone, most people will find an improvement in their bodies after using supplements for about a month.

Many people do not understand bodybuilding supplements and the benefits they can bring to the athlete who is serious about increasing their level of performance. Most supplements have little or no side effects, and can be purchased without a substantial cost. Before starting any workout program or starting a supplement, it is a good idea to meet with your doctor and discuss any concerns you might have. After getting the green light from your doctor, your success will only be limited by the amount of work you put into building your body into top shape.

Natalie Aranda writes about health. Bodybuilding supplements are widely used to increase muscle mass, reduce recovery time after an intense workout, and to make workouts more beneficial. However, there are many misconceptions about bodybuilding supplements. Here are some common myths and facts. You can easily find discount bodybuilding supplements which will allow you to purchase the same product at a substantial discount. Discount supplements are exactly the same as their higher priced counterparts.

Bodybuilding Training or Powerlifting Training?

2009-11-28T03:22:00.000-08:00

The sport of powerlifting is one that was spawned from bodybuilding training as many of the desired outcomes are essentially the same for both sports. The techniques and practices in bodybuilding training and powerlifting training can benefit each other, however the major difference is in the competitions which powerlifters and bodybuilders enter. As a bodybuilder the aim is to look as big and as defined as possible, whereas in powerlifting the aim is to lift as much weight as possible.

If you want to enter powerlifting competitions you?ll have to compete over three sections, the squat, the bench press and the dead lift. The winner of the competition unlike bodybuilding is no based on how good you muscles look but how much weight you can lift in total. If you enter a competition you?ll be put in a certain category or class depending on a number of factors such as age and experience. You don?t have to worry about your body?s aesthetics as you do in bodybuilding, so you can focus 100% on training your strength instead.

Like bodybuilding, powerlifters still need to eat well balanced healthy diets incorporating plenty of protein and enough calories to ensure optimum muscle growth. Avoid fried foods, fast foods and other sources of bad fats and bad carbohydrates. Try and eat plenty of vegetables, pasta and high protein sources such as turkey and chicken. Don?t forget that powerlifting is not about having the lowest body fat percentage or having the highest muscular definition, so you don?t have to worry about a bit of extra fat.

If you want to power lift you need to follow a strict training program as you would if you were training to be a bodybuilder. Make sure that you schedule rest days into your training program to allow your body and muscles to grow and repair between training sessions. Many serious powerlifters and bodybuilders often take a rest week, every twelve weeks or so to reduce stress and allow the body to rest and recover which will enable you to keep training harder and longer and give you a chance to properly reassess your goals and training routine.

Like any sport, you need to set goals and have a detailed training program as a power lifter to keep you focused and on track. Reassess your goals often; stay positive and dedicated and you?ll be winning competitions in no time.

Do you want to learn how to pack on massive muscle, melt away fat and get the body of your dreams? If so, get your hands on free bodybuilding training tips for beginner bodybuilders by clicking the following link: http://teenbodybuildingtips.info/

4 Bodybuilding Exercise Tips To Really Pump You Up

2009-11-11T02:51:00.000-08:00

You only need two types of bodybuilding exercises to craft a really effective routine. Efficiency is a thing of beauty, unless you actually prefer to spend half your life at the gym, breathing sweaty air, and getting frustrated when you don't get results. Use your brain before your brawn, and you'll work smarter and see success sooner.

Bodybuilding Exercise Tip #1:

Know your muscles. This doesn't mean giving them cute little nicknames, this means knowing the size and function of each muscle. What kind of bodybuilding exercise will work each muscle? You want to create a physique of evenly developed muscles, and still be able to put your arms down by your sides.

Bodybuilding Exercise Tip #2:

OK - pop quiz. What will give out first, your triceps or your chest?

When you're doing bench presses, what starts to hurt first? Your poor little triceps! By the time you can bench enough to exhaust your chest, your triceps are shot.

The solution? Use isolation bodybuilding exercises first. These, by definition, isolate individual muscles and work them hard. If you isolate a larger muscle and work it thoroughly, it evens the playing field when you move on to a bodybuilding exercise that uses a group of muscles.

Bodybuilding Exercise Tip #3:

After you've put your larger muscles through the paces, it's time to let the smaller fellas join in. Bring in the compound bodybuilding exercises, the ones that use groups of muscles. Take the simple push-up for example: Wrist, forearm, biceps, shoulders, core, and chest all working together. Since some of the muscles involved are smaller than others, they normally fatigue more quickly. If you've isolated the larger muscles first, the push-up becomes a much more efficient bodybuilding exercise, because your whole body gets exhausted at about the same time.

Bodybuilding Exercise Tip #4:

Let it rest! The two sides of the coin are smart exercises and rest. They're both necessary to getting the results you want.

Using efficient isolation and compound bodybuilding exercises, you've got the work side covered. You'll get a more valuable workout in less time. But, it's all in vain if you don't allow for sufficient rest for your muscles afterward. Since muscle growth takes place during the recovery period, as your body knits itself back together, you can't interrupt that process by working those muscles again too soon. Give your muscle groups a full week to recover.

Half the battle in bodybuilding is having good information. Good info lets you create a good plan for your diet, bodybuilding exercises, and rest periods. Follow a good plan, and you'll get the results you want.

The "Muscle Nerd", Jeff Anderson, is a world-renowned fitness consultant and author, most noted for his cutting edge research in natural bodybuilding and fat loss. Discover the secrets to transforming YOUR body today at: http://www.musclenerdfitness.com

How To Get The Best Out Of Your New Bodybuilding Program.

2009-11-11T02:43:00.000-08:00

Not everybody who enrolls into a body building program becomes a bodybuilder. This is because it takes a tremendous amount of patience, commitment, effort and discipline in order to be successful. Many take up the challenge of undergoing a bodybuilding program just to whitle their time away, or to look good for a speacile event.

Commitment Should Equal Effort to Succeed in a BodyBuilding Program

Looking good for a date is definitely not the right motivation to start a new bodybuilding program. You can get motivated to go for a week, for a month, maybe even a little longer, but this will never be enough for succeeding. In order to succeed, you will need iron determination and long hard hours in the gym. It is by no means fun to enroll in a bodybuilding program. Hence, if you are looking for glamour and fun, forget this.

What will you get out of a bodybuilding program? You will learn self disaplen. You cannot miss a night of exercise; you cannot splurge at your cousin?s wedding. You can forget about doing things on impulse. What you eat counts, what you drink counts, and it counts how much you sleep and when you sleep.

There is a fad among women to enroll for body building programs nowadays. This is not a sporadic happening. In fact, women took to this sport so seriously that today there are global championships held for women as well. Women seem to like the hardships this type of training involves.

In fact, women body builders look sexier in spite of what people may think. Women look great because their body is trained to enhance their natural beauty. However, once women take to a bodybuilding program, it should be understood that this is a lifetime commitment. Women being more prone to gain weight will suffer greatly if they leave practicing their workouts.

When you choose your program, ensure that you go to a reputable gym with trainers that know what they are doing. The number of people already enrolled and word-of-mouth recommendations and praise can judge the reputation of a gym. With proper determination, great results can be achieved.

If you are looking for a Bodybuilding product you should stop by the best Bodybuilding product review site.

Bodybuilding Beginners Guide

2009-11-11T02:40:00.000-08:00

Bodybuilding as an exercise really entails a great deal of personal determination. This is because of the fact that even just showing up at a gym can be intimidating for a beginner. So haven identified this area of challenge for bodybuilders, we decided to outline some vital tips to help you get started with the right frame of mind. Provided below are some tips that can help you get into body building, and into your first fitness club:

1- Seek Advice - There is really no sense in trying to learn everything yourself when starting out. Take some time to talk to others who are more experienced, and learn what you can from them. When using new equipment or a new exercise it is also always a good idea to talk to someone, to ensure that you don't get injured.

2- Set Goals - Set goals that are attainable. Out of reach goals only set you up for failure. Take it one-step at a time, and enjoy/celebrate your success all the way up the ladder. Whether it's another 10pounds to your bench press or just making it to the gym 3 days a week, you need to set goals, otherwise it's easy for your workout to get pushed aside when life gets busy.

3- Diet - It is very important to ensure that your diet and eating is keeping up with your exercise. This doesn't just mean eating more, it means eating better. Think of your body as an automobile. The more you drive a car, the more fuel you need to put into it. You need to ensure that you are putting the proper amount of fuel in your car as well, to ensure that it will drive consistently and perform to specification.

4- Sleep - Just as important as sleep, when working out for the first time it is portent to ensure that your body is getting the rest that it needs. This will usually be more than what you were taking before!

5- Visualize Success - It's important to see yourself succeeding before you even begin working out. This winning mind set will take you to new levels in your training and will set yourself up for success!

If you can abide by the set rules above and work hard enough, you will surely achieve great result by developing both mentally and physically.

Chidike Okereke is a researcher in bodybuilding and proper maintenance of the physical body posture through training and exercise. And has been an adviser and trainer for some years now. For questions, information and quality recommendations please, visit the links below:

http://www.musclemass.net.ms

http://www.healthwise.net.ms

Bodybuilding Tips

2009-11-03T04:01:00.000-08:00

Working out is a great way to reduce stress and increase your confidence. A general rule is to train 3 - 5 times per week, and keep your sessions under an hour. Here are a few tips that have helped me in my early days of bodybuilding.

Tip #1 1.5g per LB

Protein intake is important when it comes to building muscle mass. A good rule is 1- 1.5g per LB you weigh. So if your weight is 160LB, then you would need 160g of protein each day. You can get your protein from eggs, cottage cheese, fish, red meat, and poultry. Protein powders are ideal to.

Tip #2 Eat a lot

Good choices are rice, white potatoes, cereals, whole grain breads, muffins, and pasta. Eat several vegetables too. You'll need to eat many meals, upwards of 6 meals per day. Drink lots of water.

Tip #3 Use negatives

For most of the time lower the weight at a two-to four second count. This is an effective way to stimulate muscle growth instead of just dropping the weight on the lowering, or eccentric part of an exercise.

Tip # 4 Change your workout order

Change your workout order and rep range every two weeks or every week. This will force your body to adapt to new things.

Tip #5 Recovery

Recovery is critical to success. Make sure you get 7 to 8 hours of sleep. After a workout, your body's stores of glycogen are depleted. Carbohydrate rich foods are the best way to replenish your glycogen stores. Consume within 40 minutes after your workout.

Body Full Workout and The Secrets To Bodybuilding And The Ab Best Workout For Both Men and Women!

2009-11-03T03:56:00.000-08:00

In these increasingly modern times where men's sports almost always have its female counterpart, female bodybuilding is experiencing a crisis when it comes to a body full workout. Where before female bodybuilding was bodybuilding in its purest form, now it is gradually giving way to the sports' old adversary which is femininity.

A body full workout and ab best workout in bodybuilding is a sport that combines weigh lifting, good diet, and rest to be effective. Primarily designed as a male-only pursuit, bodybuilding in women soon gained momentum in the 1980s when female bodybuilding competitions began occurring in various regions of the world.

Female bodybuilding began with Lisa Lyon who was a UCLA graduate and a student of the Japanese martial arts called 'Kendo.' She had a typical dancer's physique, slender and graceful, which by today's female bodybuilding standards would have been deemed laughable. At the encouragement of Arnold Schwarzenegger who was the world's most famous bodybuilding icon, Lisa Lyon entered and won the first World Women's Bodybuilding Championship. Bev Francis was bigger, bulkier, and more muscular than any other female bodybuilding athlete of her time. Her appearance set the trend in female bodybuilding as other athletes strived hard to achieve the level of physique Ms. Francis acquired.

In answer to the fan's reactions, IFBB set the standards of female bodybuilding back to the time of Ms. McLish. This new branch in female bodybuilding became known as fitness competition.

As opposed to female bodybuilding which was more hardcore, fitness competition with a body full workout and an ab best workout is now female bodybuilding like where bodybuilders were fit and toned without the muscle bulk. Now there is much focus on the abs. But this controversial new development in female bodybuilding has set many tongues wagging, especially in feminist organizations and women in power lifting, bodybuilding, and strength training circles.

Male Bodybuilding Secrets

If anything, male bodybuilding is a more refined form of weightlifting for it takes into heart the ideology of aesthetic body shape, abs, tone, and mass.

For some, male bodybuilding is a sport. In male bodybuilding, there are only four parameters to keep in mind and that is:

1. Nutrition

2. Recuperation

3. Supplementation

4. Exercise

For the best results in male bodybuilding, abs and a body full workout, one must adapt the best training regimen. Good nutrition and supplementation are the keys to male bodybuilding. A common thought that any male bodybuilding fan knows is that if you're not growing, then you're not eating enough.

Male bodybuilding also focuses much not only in nutrition and exercise but in recuperation as well. This is very important to remember.

The HIT Male Bodybuilding System!

HIT stands for Highly Intensive Training and this is the prime system adapted by most male bodybuilding aficionados. It is incidentally the most taxing but the most effective male bodybuilding program out there.

The HIT male bodybuilding system centers around highly intense and infrequent workouts with emphasis on compound movements and progression. Muscle hypertrophy. The HIT system of male bodybuilding takes advantage of this tendency of the muscles to rebuild itself once broken down. Intensive male bodybuilding training increases the extent of the break down of the muscle and thus increase muscle gains from a body full workout.

Nutrition - The Six Food Groups for Bodybuilding Success

2009-11-03T03:49:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows that nutrition is about the most important element in the scheme of things for a bodybuilder. The quality and quantity of the food that you eat - and the times that you choose to eat it - makes a significant difference in the way that you look, feel and develop. Food is also crucial to energy in the gym, and is often the unnamed culprit in a bad workout session.

But barring sticking with cans of tuna and cooked yams, or chicken breasts and brown rice, nutrition can be a mystery to a lot of newbies and seasoned competitors alike. Most stick with just a few staples in order to simplify, but it may not be serving their every need - either in the gym or up on the stage.

The 6 Food Groups

Usually, nutritional bibles will show a pyramid with grains/cereals, proteins, dairy and fruits and vegetables as the 4 food groups. For bodybuilders, it's a bit different and probably looks more like this: Meats/ ProteinsCereals/ GrainsVegetablesFruitDairy ProductsOils/ NutsA bodybuilder's food intake for peak performance and peak condition should include something from each of these groups, but the ratios are greatly skewed from what is typically espoused by nutrition bibles.

Ratios are approximately:

Off Season: 40% Meats/ Proteins10% Grains/ Cereals20% Vegetables (Starchy and unstarchy) 10% Fruit10% Dairy10% Oils/ NutsPre-Contest: 40% Meats/ Proteins5% Grains/ Cereals30% Vegetables (10% starchy and 20% unstarchy, leafy green vegetables)30% Oils/ NutsFruits typically are cut out in the last 5 or 6 weeks. As long as vitamin supplementation occurs, it's not an appreciable deficit.

Typically, we are told that 60% of our diets should come from carbs, 20% from protein and 20% from fat. But let's face it... eating like this is a sure-fire recipe for bodybuilding failure! Following the above plan is much more likely to create the kind of physique you want, and provide the energy you need to succeed in the gym and up on the stage.

Calories - Do they Count?

In this age of low carb diets (and bodybuilders have been cycling carbs for much longer than it's been in fashion) it's easy to think that calories don't count! But, in fact, they do. Don't ignore calories - it's one of the biggest mistakes that a bodybuilder can make! That means, don't ignore the fact that what you take in, carb-free/ carb-light or not, still counts. Sure, it counts much more when you include complex carbs back into the picture during an off season phase, but calories count anytime. Fail to count them and you set yourself up for bad habits that spill over into the off season.

Get in the habit of counting calories during a pre-contest phase, and you'll probably be fine. Once you add starchy vegetables, such as potatoes and additional grains, such as rice, you won't go astray.

For a 200 pound bodybuilder, here's how calories should look:

Off season (growth): 3000 Off season (maint.): 2500 Pre-contest (fat loss): 1800

Eating Quality and Quantity in the Off Season

Off season and mass building aren't synonymous with Burger King or McDonald's. Occasionally, this kind of food is okay, but in general, they are not their own food group and are not the best quality food to feed your body.

It merits mentioning that eating a large quantity of calories during an off season phase is crucial to success. But it should also be mentioned that the quantity must also include quality. Simply shoveling 3000 calories of any kind of food into your mouth isn't the way to address mass building.

Think of feeding your body in the same way you would a new home project. Do you want linoleum in your kitchen, or ceramic tile? Would you build your home with recycled lumber and expect it to last for 30 years, or would you be better off using brand new lumber? Would you want to use sandpaper on your roof, or wood shake or ceramic tile? These are all important decisions in what your final product looks like, and how enduring it will be.

Think of food and feeding your body during a mass phase in the same way. Eat steak, chicken, and other quality protein, good carbs like potatoes, yams, oatmeal, and fats such as olive oil and nuts. Just eat more of it than you would during a pre-contest phase.

Dane Fletcher is the world's foremost training authority. He writes exclusively for GetAnabolics.com, a leading online provider of testosterone and creatine. For more information, please visit http://www.GetAnabolics.com.

How to Have a Perfect Body with Ripfast Bodybuilding Products

2009-10-14T04:30:00.000-07:00

There is no wonder Ripfast Company has so many loyal customers all over the world. Ripfast bodybuilding products are the solution to many problems and difficulties in the bodybuilding process. In many cases the workouts for achieving a great body and muscle mass end up in long recovery periods and therefore less outstanding results. In other cases the problem in the way of developing the desirable muscle mass is the reached plateau, almost impossible to avoid or to surpass. To these and many more similar problems that occur in the bodybuilding process Ripfast Company has the answers and the effective solution.

Unlike some counterfeit bodybuilding products that promises great results with no work, Ripfast products points out the great importance of daily exercise and workouts. Consistency is the key word that should define the day of a Ripfast consumer, as the product only will not bring the desired results. Besides, the ingredients of Ripfast products will help the customer to sustain serious efforts and to improve their quality.

Ripfast bodybuilding products work in a special way: although they do not contain forbidden or illegal ingredients, they "mimic" effects of anabolic pharmaceuticals. In addition, Ripfast supplements are hormone-free products, increasing energy and power of the body. The recover process after hard workouts is not so long if using Ripfast products and overall performance is increased.

Rapid absorption of Ripfast products and rapid results are the main advantages of these bodybuilding supplements without mentioning the lack of any side effects so common in cases of unreliable products. The result in the mood and performance after using Ripfast supplements is to be noticed only after 48 hours. The Ripfast customers describe a feeling of freshness and capacity of getting to work, a special power and stamina. There is one small step from this state of mind and body to achieving a spectacular body with carvings and shapes so desirable nowadays.

Ripfast Company offers several categories of products helpful in the bodybuilding process, be it the case of supplements that contain legal amounts of testosterone, products that contain whey proteins or creatine. There are Ripfast products available for almost any type of problem. One of the most famous Ripfast products is Diuretix, responsible for water management in the body, especially water contained subcutaneous. Reducing the water beneath the skin's surface is helpful in achieving exquisite cuts and vascularity. If this Ripfast product is combined with others the fat loss process can be increased, leading to the increase of the muscle mass growth as well.

Another revolutionary Ripfast bodybuilding supplement is Testo Intelligence Stack SS1, famous for influencing the activity of myostatin gene responsible for muscle mass growth and fat loss in the body. This outstanding Ripfast product is very successful among the connoisseurs of bodybuilding performance. The mentioned processes are boosted with the help of a unique combination of ingredients based on researches and studies. There is another reason for the huge popularity of Ripfast products and this is the case of availability of some supplements in 5 to 8 delicious flavors whipped cream style. This aspect makes Ripfast bodybuilding supplements special and unique, giving the possibility of combining the pleasant with the useful. These aspects offered by Ripfast Company will help achieving a perfect body and an exquisite performance.

Ripfast - The greatest bodybuilding company in the world. Take Ripfast products to build muscle and acheive your bodybuilding goals fast.

Body Rhythms and Future of Bodybuilding

2009-10-14T04:29:00.000-07:00

The future of bodybuilding may not be in the weight room of your local gym, but in a researcher's laboratory. Scientists are listening to your body rhythms to help you enhance your performance tomorrow.

There are a few body rhythms affecting our bodies. Seasonal rhythms are felt at a specific time of year. We've all had "spring fever" and some of us get seasonal affective disorder, which causes depression during the shortened days of winter. Infradian rhythms last longer than a twenty-four hour cycle. The menstruation in women is a perfect example. Then there's the Circadian rhythm, which follows a twenty-four hour cycle such as wakefulness and sleep.

Scientists are studying these rhythms. That research will eventually help bodybuilders to enhance their performance. You see, our biological clocks take their cue from the environment and the pulse of our planet as day turns to night and winter becomes spring. This internal clock is also affected by our genetic make-up, age, and gender influencing how our bodies change from morning to night. It affects our blood pressure, body fat, weight, blood flow, as well as other vital functions.

As night turns to day our bodies react. Heart rates quicken and blood pressure increases all in anticipation of increased physical activity. All these functions are regulated by our biological clocks located in the brain, and these biological rhythms are genetically programmed into our cells, tissues, and organs.

In the future, when we have a deeper understanding of these rhythms, we will eventually be able to take advantage of our biorhythms to improve our workouts and retain excellent health.

There are a handful of researchers looking into body rhythms and its affect on bodybuilding. T Reilly studied the influence of circadian rhythms on exercise. He's noted that the effects of these rhythms on body temperature, cortical arousal, endocrine factors, and muscular peak torque are all enhanced in the PM hours. Therefore, his studies show that greater training loads would be better tolerated in the evening than morning.

However, the jury is still out on this one. Are you a morning or night person? Humans have individual differences in the timing of their behaviors that determine their circadian typology. Some people prefer daytime activities--the morning person. Others prefer the nightlife--evening person. At one extreme is the lark and the other end the owl.

Most of us fit someplace in between. The lark/owl differ in sleep-wake patterns and biological rhythms as well as preferences for physical and mental activities. Morning people prefer to rise between 5 AM and 7 AM and retire between 9 PM and 11 PM. Evening people prefer to wake up later than their morning brothers. You'll catch them in the kitchen for breakfast around 9 AM to 11 AM and they don't crash for the night until 11 PM to 3 AM. Naturally, this difference in sleep cycle affects training schedules.

Various hormones produced by our bodies are affected by circadian rhythms. For example, testosterone (T) and cortisol (C) exhibit circadian rhythm with peak concentrations in the morning and reduced concentrations in the evening and while we sleep. Researchers are discovering that bodybuilders can maximize optimal training responses if they can alter the hormonal environment, for hormonal events play a significant role in signaling the cellular remodeling process of skeletal muscle protein.

Here's where things get really technical. Anabolic hormones, hormones, which stimulate muscle growth, such as T and growth hormones, regulate protein synthesis. Catabolic hormones, on the other hand, such as C, regulate protein degradation. The balance between these anabolic/catabolic hormones influences protein turnover. The net result of this complex process is muscle mass.

Circadian time structures on hormonal events can depend greatly on an individual's morning-evening preference. Researchers Stephen P. Bird and Kyle M. Tarpenning at Charles Sturt University, Australia investigated the influence of circadian rhythms on hormonal responses to heavy resistance exercises in bodybuilders. They used two different exercise periods on separate occasions, 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM. They wanted to see how hormones responded to a specific weight lifting session.

Bird and Tarpenning formed two groups of weight lifters based on their morning or evening preferences. The morning group showed a reduction of C levels during their exercise period finishing 47% below their pre-exercise value. In contrast, C levels for the evening group increased by as much as 32%. Since C has a catabolic role in the breaking down of tissue, body builders have an invested interest in its potential as a tissue break down agent. Also, an increase in T indicates tissue growth or anabolism.

Bird and Tarpenning compared the AM resistance-training group to the PM group and reported a significant increase in post exercise T/C ratio. They concluded that this ratio in monitoring overall anabolic/catabolic status may affect the growth of muscle mass.

In the future, when there is a deeper understanding of the effect of hormones on our bodies in relation to our body rhythms we could possibly harness this information to mold ourselves into godlike. One little pill at night and we wake up looking like Mr. Universe without pumping an ounce of iron. But until that day happens, back to the weight room.

About the Author: Dane Fletcher is the world's foremost training authority. He writes exclusively for GetAnabolics.com, a leading online provider of clenbuterol and creatine. For more information, please visit http://www.GetAnabolics.com.

Bodybuilding Videos

2009-10-14T04:26:00.000-07:00

If you are looking to become bigger, you need to train big. You should train 3-5 times a week and keep your work out sessions as short as possible. Try to not let them run over an hour. Try to only work out on one muscle group per week or every 5 days. Never do two larger muscle groups while working out on the same day. The bigger muscle groups consist of your chest, back, and upper legs. Here is a idea of how to schedule your week:

3 Day Week:

Monday: Chest, triceps, calves

Wednesday: Back, biceps, shoulders

Friday: Thighs

4 Day Week:

Monday: Chest, calves

Tuesday: Back, triceps

Thursday: Thighs

Friday: Shoulders, biceps

5 Day Week:

Monday: Chest

Tuesday: Back

Wednesday: Thighs

Friday: Shoulders

Saturday: Arms

In the previous example schedules, you may have noticed that no 2 large muscle groups were done on the same day. While excersizing, do bulk movements. Like bench press, shoulder press, rows, squats, and deadlifts to start off your workout. Make sure you do your biggest muscle first also. As far as volume and intensity goes, they are very related. The more volume you have, the less intensity there is, and vice versa. If you are training high intensity, you would likely be doing 6-10 reps and 5-8 sets per body part. (More sets may be needed for the bigger muscles while less are needed for the samller ones)
What is the sense of working out without a equally balanced diet to fit your lifestyle?

Nutrition: The majority of younger aged people have very fast metabolism.

Being young most of you probably have fast metabolisms. If you are looking to gain mass, then here is the key word: EAT! Eat, and do a lot of it. At least every 2 hours if you are able to and at least a total of 6 meals a day. Each meal you eat should contain approximately 17% of your daily intake requirements for protein and carbs. So, here?s what you have to do to gain mass: EAT. We?re talking every 2 hours if possible, but at least 6 meals a day. Each meal should contain about 17% of your daily requirements for protein and carbs. If you are really serious about bulking up you should do more research to create your perfect eating schedule to gain the correct amount of mass to bulk.

Some people also use protein shakes (Ie. Whey) while they are working out because it is meant to help you bulk up and many people find that getting a lot of protein is key to bulking up but just eating more may do the trick for some people. Not everyone is meant to bulk up, depending on your body shape you may be better off to cut instead. Just think if that is what you want to look like or not.

http://www.bodybuildingvideos.net provides free bodybuilding videos on how to do the right bicep curls etc, and other amusing videos.

Myths Of Bodybuilding That Fooled Most People

2009-10-07T02:36:00.000-07:00

We have compiled a list of myths that even fooled most veterans that has been working out for years in the gym!

? If you stop working out, your muscles will turn to fat.

Muscle and fat are two different things and they cannot from one to another because they are completely two different types of tissue. The myth probably started because some former weight lifters continue to eat more even though they have already stop weight lifting. Their muscle could also shrink from long disuse.

? Look for the one with the highest amount of protein serving when choosing a protein supplement.

A protein supplement that has 50 grams of protein per serving may sounds more because it has a bigger measuring scoop or the serving suggestion may require more than one scoop. Look carefully at the serving suggestion label when buying a protein supplement.

? The longer I train in the gym, the more muscle I?ll gain.

When you train in the gym for a long time, your body hits a catabolic state and it would lead to a plateau. A plateau is an inability to progress in training and it would last for months. A training session of 45 minutes to 1 hour would be ideal.

? I should seek training advice from a pro bodybuilder.

Many bodybuilders are big because of genetics and hard work. They may not have the correct scientific explanation as to how they got that way. People with the right genetics would train and diet incorrectly and still grow big. You should seek gym instructors or trained professionals.

? The more you sweat the more fat you lose.

The amount of sweat does not necessarily reflect how hard you are working because some may sweat a lot due to heavy body weight, poor conditioning or heredity. Exercising in hot weather will make you sweat a lot and it looks like you have lost weight immediately but that lost weight is almost consisted of water in your body. The weights will return when you replenish your fluids by drinking after the workout.

? No pain, no gain?

It should never be painful and if it is, you are likely injured from overtraining. When you over train, you would experience physiological and mental stress as well as other health problems.

Sean Nalewanyj is an experienced bodybuilder that has been training for many years and is a writer at http://www.gainmusclenow.info

Bodybuilding Myths Aren?t A Wise Choice

2009-10-07T02:35:00.000-07:00

Bodybuilding can be a fun way to lose weight, stay in shape and develop muscles. It also doesn?t cause any pressure on the bodybuilder in terms of time because the recuperation period itself is as important as the process of exercising done in the gym or for some, at home gym.

Though there are tons of different thoughts about training in the gym and staying fit and in shape, among these talks could completely come from a circulation of well, ?mere talks?; no more, no less. This is one part of bodybuilding training you should watch out for because not everything you hear could be accurate. Some may have completely gone out of hand and entirely wrong and you as the bodybuilder, who wants nothing but for everything to go right on the course of your training, hangs on every single word from that veteran bodybuilder in the gym.

You?ve been warned. Never rely on the gym talks you hear from just anybody. Gym myths don?t only waste your precious time daily but it delays the development duration of the muscles as well, causing you one step farther from your goals of getting the desirable form you always wanted.

These myths can run from strenuous training, diet and nutrition to steroids. This generation has been blessed enough with all the comforts of technology so it?s better for you to take advantage of the internet and other resources for your own research.

An extremely incorrect bodybuilding myth tells something about intensive weightlifting doesn?t work out your heart in any way. Strength training alone given with short rest duration already increases the heartbeat to over a hundred beats per minute! A slight miscalculation and misinterpretation of the exercises that you can and cannot do could cause a great difference not only on your muscular system but also throughout your cardiovascular system. Keep in mind that it?s not only the muscles which get developed during bodybuilding training but everything else in your body is works too. Before taking any chances, make sure that it isn?t the last one. Be healthy both in the mind and body.

Shareen Aguilar is a writer for http://www.body-building-book.com which has Bodybuilding guide and other free fitness Books.

Bodybuilding For Teens

2009-10-07T02:32:00.000-07:00

Bodybuilding can be a very healthy and rewarding activity for teenagers for a number of reasons aside from the obvious physical benefits. However, due to their youth and the natural changes occurring in their bodies, parents often wonder if the training regimen of a teenager needs to vary drastically from that of an adult?

Most of the dangers relating to teenage bodybuilding actually have more to do with the ?teenage? portion of the equation. No one, other than teenagers, would argue with the fact that teenagers can behave impulsively and can be prone to ignoring the precautions and rules they find themselves faced with. Obviously, this doesn?t apply to all teenagers, but it is something that needs to be taken into consideration.

There has been a longstanding belief that heavy weightlifting can actually stunt the growth of bones. The basis of the belief is that heavy weight lifting can speed up growth plate closure, prematurely stopping the bone growth. This has been suggested, but not proven, but weight lifting at an early age certainly hasn?t stunted the growth of the many professional athletes who started young. However, they may be exceptions to the rule and the jury is technically still out with no definitive proof in either camp.

Regardless, the danger is only really associated with heavy duty lifting and only occurs prior to a teenager reaching full developmental maturity. Though it obviously varies from teenager to teenager, the average age of full developmental maturity is 15 and very few teenagers under that age are pumping heavy iron.

A teenager shouldn?t try to simply emulate the workout routines of the adults that he or she may see at the gym. The odds are that any adult worth emulating in the gym has been training for years and has vast amounts of experience and training, which the teenager is lacking.

While trainers are a good idea for everyone, they are especially important for teenagers. Bad habits in weight training can lead to serious injuries and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission states 12% of the annual accidents involving weightlifting equipment involved children between the ages of 5 and 14, and 35% involved people aged 15 ? 24.

A good trainer will help a teenager develop the proper form, which is critical to avoiding injury. A trainer can also help reign in a teen who, in excitement and immature reasoning, may try to use weights that are simply too heavy.

Another danger for teenagers is the disturbing trend towards supplement overuse. Again, this can attributed to a lack of intellectual maturity and experience, but teenagers seem especially prone to sucking into the mythology that supplements are a magic key to building muscles and looking better.

Despite what they may believe about their own thinking capacity, teenagers are especially receptive to advertisements and magazine hype. The fact that a majority of bodybuilding magazines are owned and published by companies who also produce supplements isn?t widely known. Obviously, these companies are going to use the magazines they produce to push the products they produce?so don?t believe everything you read.

Realistically, teenagers are under no greater risk than adults while working out as long as it is done properly and intelligently. The key to ensuring that it?s done this way is adult supervision and guidance.

Gray Rollins writes for MuscleProgram.com. Learn about teenage bodybuilding by visiting us. Also, check out our muscle building program review

Beginning Bodybuilding - Questions/Answers

2009-09-25T05:40:00.001-07:00

If you are new to bodybuilding, everything can be very overwhelming. The problem is if you ask a 100 people how to get started, you will get 100 different answers. I will try to answer some of the basic questions everyone asks:

Should I Join A Gym Or Workout At Home?

If you have access to a gym, this is definitely the best choice. There are too many distractions in a home. If you are a very discipline person, then working out at home may be an option. For the average person, home workouts do not last.

Once you decide where you are going to workout, you have to decide on a time of day that works best for your schedule. Try to pick a time that you know will have the least distractions. If you have a family and kids, try to get to the gym before work. Or see if you can get in a workout at lunch. Whatever you chose, just be consistent with your workouts.

An added benefit to joining a gym is you can work with a personal trainer and have a personalize workout routine setup for your body type. If you decide to workout at home, there are plenty of books and magazines that can help you setup a workout routine.

What kind of workout routine should I follow?

If you are just starting out, I would start out with a routine that hits each body part once a week:

Day 1: Chest/Back/Biceps

Chest:
Dumbbell Bench Press ? One warm-up set of 15 reps followed by 3 sets of 12 reps.
Incline Bench Press ? Three sets of 12 reps.
Dumbell Flyes ? Three sets of 15 reps.

Back:
Lat Pulldowns To The Front ? One warm-up set of 15 reps followed by 3 sets of 12 reps.
One Arm Dumbell Row ? Three sets of 12 reps.
Low Cable row ? Three sets of 12 to 15 reps.

Biceps:
Straight Bar or EZ Bar Curls ? Three sets of 12 to 15 reps.
Alternating Seated Dumbbell Curls ? Three sets of 12 to 15 reps.

Day 2: Cardio

Half hour on the treadmill or elliptical trainer.

Day 3: Shoulders/Triceps/Abs:

Shoulders:
DB Should Press - One warm-up set of 15 reps followed by 3 sets of 12 reps.
Lateral Raises ? Three sets of 12 to 15 reps.

Triceps:
Cable Pushdowns - Three sets of 12 to 15 reps.
EZ Bar Skull Crushers - Three sets of 12 reps.

Abs:
Crunches ? Three sets of 20 to 30 reps.

Day 4: Cardio

Half hour on the treadmill or elliptical trainer.

Day 5: Quadriceps/ Hamstrings/Calves

Quads:
Leg Press - One warm-up set of 15 reps followed by 3 sets of 12 reps.
Squats - One warm-up set of 12-15 reps followed by 3 sets of 12 reps.
Alternating DB Lunge - Three sets of 12 to 15 reps.

Hamstrings:
DB Stiff Leg Deadlift - One warm-up set of 15 reps followed by 3 sets of 12 reps.

Calves:
Standing or seated Calf Raises - One warm-up set of 15 reps followed by 4 sets of 15-20 reps.

Day 6: Optional Cardio

Half hour on the treadmill, elliptical trainer or fast walk.

Try to keep a journal of your workouts (including weights and times). This will help you keep track of your progress. Following the workout for a few months increasing the weights whenever you can. Try to keep strict form to avoid injury.

Should I use nutritional supplements?

Definitely! When you workout, you are breaking your muscle down. Your body requires nutrients to build the muscle back up. Building muscle is 10% working out and 90% nutrients/rest. You build your muscle when you are resting.

If I have to pick the top bodybuilding supplements, it would be in this order:

a)Multi Vitamin ? Make sure your body has all the necessary nutrients, antioxidants and minerals to build muscle.

b)Whey Protein ? Try to make sure you eat at least 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight if you are following a workout routine.

c)Creatine ? Try for 5 grams of creatine a day. If you have a sensitive stomach, try Kre-Alkalyn.

d)Water ? Water is not a supplement?but it is very important. Drinking lots of water keeps the muscles full and helps flush your body of toxins.

With the supplements listed above, also make sure you stick to healthy foods like oatmeal, egg whites, tuna, chicken, brown rice, vegetables, etc. If you need to cheat, do so in moderation. Try to stay away from processed foods, sugar and alcohol.

Eating small meals 5-6 times a day is more beneficial then 3 meals a day. It keeps your muscles fueled throughout the day.

By following the advice above, you will be well on your way to develop the body you dreamed about. The key to bodybuilding is consistency. If you stay consistent, you will succeed!

Warren Kuhl is the owner of http:www.suppsearch.com. SuppSearch.com offers bodybuilding supplement reviews and nutritional supplement price comparisons.

Bodybuilding Supplements-What You Should Know Before You Take Them.

2009-09-25T05:39:00.000-07:00

Everybody needs a different amount of nutrients in their diets. These nutrients include vitamins, minerals and proteins. The body needs these nutrients every day in order to function correctly and to defend itself from various kinds of diseases. Sometimes a balanced diet is not sufficient enough to fulfill all of your body's needs, especially when it needs an extra boost of energy like in the case of bodybuilding. There are many different kinds of nutritional supplements that are available to help with bodybuilding and they are becoming increasingly popular these days. They are all useful for people who want to build strong muscles and want to improve their overall muscular physique. Some of them are NO2 supplements, Hi Protien Supplements and Weightlifting supplements.

Bodybuilding supplements are usually composed of a blend of some vitamins, minerals and natural energy vitalizing substances. These substances are useful to promote the growth of muscles and tissues that have been broken down from hard workouts. Fat burning pills are another important supplement in this category and they help to speed up the process of metabolism in order to release energy. Bodybuilding supplements are sometimes referred to as energy boosters or mass builders. NO2 supplements help to bring the bodies blood flow and oxygen to the worked out areas at a greater pace insuring that the body is able to recuperate faster. NO2 supplements also give you that ?pumped? up feeling long after your workouts are over.

Creatine is also a kind of bodybuilding supplement. Creatine will not only assist you in exercising longer but will also help in quicker restoration of strength after program sets.

Normally a nutritional supplement like Creatine is made by combining several different substances that work better and faster when combined than individual substances. Creatine enhancers are used to increase its effectiveness. Creatine phosphate is the energized form of creatine and functions as an energy storage reserve. Supplements rich in nitric oxide (NO2) also work well as bodybuilding supplements. They usually come in the form of tablets and capsules, but some are also available in liquid form.

When exercising it is possible that you will cause damage to your joints. Unfortunately, like the wearing of tires on a car, the connective tissue that cushions our bones will continue to wear out as we get older. There are certain supplements that are capable of preventing joint injury. They usually consist of Chondroitin sulfate and Glucosamine and sulfate. Glucosamine is an amino sugar derived from the chitin of shellfish and is used by the body to support healthy joint structures. Chondroitin complements Glucosamine and works synergistically to provide optimal nutritional support..

Muscle building and energy boosting drinks are readily available are very easy to consume and equally effective. Although there is no real alternative to eating a proper balanced diet, sometimes due to a lack of time we are not able to include all the natural nutrients in our everyday meals. To address this deficiency, you can take nutritional supplements. Testosterone boosters, growth hormones and a blend of herbs and vitamins just to name a few are also very effective bodybuilding supplements

Meal replacement supplements are normally found in the form of powdered material and more commonly known as meal replacement powder or MRP. These are rich in protein and fatty acids, so that they can provide the necessary energy boost required by the body. MRP can be mixed in water or milk before consuming. They also have RTD or Ready To Drink versions which are readily available and are more for the ?on the go? type person. .They This way they are easier to take and provide the instant energy boost needed just like energy boosting drinks. MRP is recommended for bodybuilders who require large quantities of a Hi Protien Supplement to keep them in an anabolic state.

Nutrition bars, commonly known as meal bars or protein bars are also important to mention when considering body building supplements. Before using any kind of nutrition bars, don't forget to consult a health expert because sometimes these bars contain additives that might be harmful to some people. If you are on any other medication to treat a disease, for example if you are an insulin-dependent diabetic patient then you should always ask your doctor before consuming any type of nutritional supplements. Hi Protien bars can be eaten just before working out to give your body some extra pre-workout energy.

Some natural substances like probiotics are also used in bodybuilding nutritional supplements. These are healthy bacteria that are naturally found in the digestive system, these help with the proper digestion of food. Eating a prescribed amount of these supplements daily helps to speed up the digestive process. If you don't know where to start then you can search for bodybuilding supplements on the Internet including fat burning pills and energy boosting supplements, but make sure you talk to your Doctor before you consume any of these supplements.

A healthy diet and exercise program will ensure that you live a healthier and longer life. Always remember to research any nutritional supplement and talk to your doctor before taking anything. How you take care of yourself today

Christopher DiCicco is the owner of the online Nutritional Supplements Store Flexhealthnutrition.com and has been involved with health and nutrition for over 20 years. www.Flexhealthnutrition.com

Weider Home Gym - A Great Fitness Machine

2009-09-16T06:48:00.000-07:00

Buying a Weider home gym means buying an excellent fitness product at half the cost of other exercise machines. Weider makes sturdy, excellent fitness equipment for a low cost. Their equipment is built as well as commercial equipment is, but it is created for home use, which results in lower costs. Weider home gyms have been the name in home gym fitness centers for years. There are a number of excellent pieces of equipment Weider makes to meet your fitness vision.

Weider Pro 9635 Home Gym

This fine piece of Weider exercise equipment has everything you need to develop your major muscle groups. Its eight stations include a bench press, butterfly arms, a leg developer, a high and low pulley system, a military press, a leg press, and a vertical knee raise. It has three hundred and sixty pounds of maximum resistance, and durable vinyl cushioning that will last the life of the center.

Weider Boxing Gym

This complete Weider home gym offers a great workout with a number of boxing features for added dimension. Boxing can provide you with health benefits you may have previously overlooked like hand-eye coordination, response time, and extra muscle tone. Boxing can also be a great way to work on your self-defense techniques in our increasingly dangerously society. This complete system has a forty pound punching bag, a speed bag, a chest press, a leg developer, butterfly arms, and a low pulley. Whew, talk about a complete system. It's patented plate loader system helps speed your workout up to get you out of the gym and enjoying your life.

Weider Pro 2200 Strength Trainer

This model offers a compact presentation with everything you might need in a home fitness gym including high and low pulleys, a chest press, padded butterfly arms, lat bar, padded leg developer, and an ankle strap. This Weider product, like most, also features an exercise chart to help you begin building your ideal workout.

Dean Iggo is the webmaster of a home gym website providing reviews of the best proform treadmills and fitness equipment including, treadmills, ellipticals and dumbbells from top brands including Proform, Precor, Total Gym, Smooth, Weider and more.

When To Take Bodybuilding Supplements

2009-09-11T05:03:00.001-07:00

Supplement timing

There are lots of supplements now available for bodybuilding to help add more muscle or to get stronger and to recover faster. As the number of supplements that one can use and afford gets greater and people have to figure out when the best time to take various supplements is and what amount to achieve the greatest affect so that the money you spend is spent wisely and you get the greatest gains in the shortest amount of time.

To look at what supplements you should take during the day there are some key times of day that supplementation is based around these are early morning, pre-workout, post-workout and before sleep.

In the morning you have been asleep and without food for about eight hours and you have to prepare for the day you haven?t had any food and your body is running low on fuel.

Pre Workout-This is the time before you hit the gym and put your muscles under stress to stimulate them to grow. What you take before hand can help improve your workout performance thus generating a stronger stimulus for muscle growth.

Post Workout- After you have worked out your body starts to go into recovery mode after the stress that has been put on it, you need to make sure that you body doesn?t slide into a catabolic state causing you to start to lose muscle mass. This is the time to kick start your body into a phase of growth.

Before sleep- You are preparing for sleep, sleep is when your body does a lot of recovery and growth. Levels of growth hormone rise during sleep and muscle growth occurs at this stage certain supplements are needed to help maintain the growth.

Some supplements are more important than others, there is some debate about which supplements are ranked more important but there is general agreement that protein is the most important followed by creatine then following those are arginine, tribulus, glutamine and BCAAs. There are other supplements available the ones I have mentioned here are some of the most popular ones. You may want to experiment to see what works best for you but here is a schedule of these supplements if you had access to all of these you may want to experiment to see which combinations work best for you.

Here is a schedule that you could follow if you were using these six supplements
Morning
40 Grams of Protein
2-3 Grams of Arginine
This is needed to supply the body with protein and amino acids after 8 hours fasting this will help prevent any muscle breakdown. The Arginine help dilate blood vessels when exercising and helps boost levels of growth hormone

Pre Workout
3-5 Grams of Creatine
20 Grams of Protein
40 Grams of Carbohydrate.
5 Grams BCAA
Creatine is taken pre workout to help boost strength and endurance with the whey protein as well and the carbohydrate to provide energy. During exercise you body may turn to amino acids for fuel BCAAs stop the body from turning to muscle tissue for fuel and may also stimulate faster fat burning.

Post Workout
3-5 Grams of Creatine
40 Grams of Protein
40 Grams of Carbohydrate.
5 Grams BCAA
The body is under stress and needs to start to recover the protein is utilized by the body to help repair muscle tissue and the carbohydrate help replenish energy levels from exercise. The creatine helps improve strength and endurance. BCAAs also provide fuel for recovering muscle as they are readily absorbed into the bloodstream.

Sleep Time
40 grams of Protein
2-3 grams of Arginine
Before you go to sleep you need to endure your body has adequate protein for 8 hours, carbohydrate is avoided at this time to prevent it being converted to fat. The Arginine helps boost growth hormone levels during sleep.

This should hopefully serve as a guide to then is the best time to take certain supplements you may want to experiment with different amounts or adding other supplements and you don?t have to use all the ones listed here. Just one or two at the roper times can help with your progress and it is still essential to have a good diet and to weight train proper supplements aid you they will not do all the work.

Graeme Muir has an interest in weight training and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and improving performance through supplementation, go to GRMProducts for a range of supplements available and further articles.

Using Supplements To Enhance Your Bodybuilding

2009-09-11T05:01:00.000-07:00

For attaining peak performance in body building it is imperative that the bodybuilder uses the right nutritional supplements.

Supplements play a big part in male body building diet programs because our diets often do no contain the necessary vitamins and nutrients our bodies require to for increased muscle mass and fat loss at the same time.

Luckily for the bodybuilder, the nutritional supplement industry now provides more pills and more powders than ever before.

With a choice of chemical-based and natural supplements, it is always wise to place preference on the many natural body building supplements available today. Not only do they help to speed up the muscle building process, they are also more in harmony with the body than their chemical counterparts.

Natural bodybuilding supplements play a vital role because they feed the body with the nutrients required for muscle growth. These nutrients are not necessarily present, in the required quantities, in the staple diets that have reduced nutritional value due to cooking.

One must choose body building supplements wisely, because there are supplements that are very dangerous if not used properly or if used in incorrect quantities. Furthermore, the right time, with food, with water, and avoidance if you have certain medical conditions are also important considerations.

Some supplements are made to protect muscles and joints against injury, some are used when you want to put on weight, others improve your circulation, plus a host of other supplements for very specific applications and benefits. You must pay attention to each body building supplement that you plan on taking to ensure that there will not be interaction between supplements that could affect your health.

If you are unsure, then it is wise not take a body building nutritional supplement. Alternatively, ask your doctor or pharmacist about the supplement in question.

You need to finalize your diet and supplements only after a professional has evaluated your body weight and height so that the person can recommend the best combination of supplements for maximum fat loss and maximum muscle gain.

The goal of bodybuilding as a sport is to improve your health while providing you with an enviable physique that is attained through long hours of training and strict diets. The correct supplements will help maintain your health by feeding your body with vitamins and the nutrients that are missing from your daily diet.

For more information on bodybuilding visit InformationAttendant.com, where you can also find a selection of information and knowledge with RSS feeds for syndication.

A Primer On Bodybuilding Techniques

2009-09-04T06:52:00.000-07:00

There are certain steps that a bodybuilder must follow when doing weight training. These techniques almost always include improved form to make the exercising harder as opposed to easier.

There are many different bodybuilding techniques can you can use to improve your physique. These include pyramids, negatives, drop sets, twenty-ones, giant steps, partial reps, and forced reps. These are all wonderful techniques to be used according to your requirements.

Using the technique of constant tension without reaching the locking point is very effective in some exercises. Full contraction plus full range stretch is important, which means the bodybuilder must perform every rep of every exercise at the full range of motion.

A bodybuilding technique that enables the bodybuilder to thoroughly work out a single muscle group is called the giant set. The giant set consists of three different exercises performed successively, focusing on a specific muscle. This can be done for every muscle but one must use it sparingly on the back.

Drop sets are a good way to round off a workout for specific muscles. They give you a pumped-up feeling in the muscles and consume the last bit of energy left in the muscles.

Twenty-ones is a technique that works every area of the muscle as opposed to a single range.

Another good technique is constantly thinking "maintain tension," while you intentionally increase the tension on the muscles while doing the rep.

Other bodybuilding technique that you can use super sets that are good for exercising a particular range of muscles, completely exhausting the muscle fibers, and working two separate groups of muscle.

Slowing down with your reps can also help. Slow repetition is often more effective repetition, because this small change in technique can help improve form as well as boost muscular development.

You can employ any one of the many bodybuilding techniques. You need to vary your technique frequently so that your muscles do not get used to a particular exercise.

For more information on bodybuilding visit InformationAttendant.com, where you can also find a selection of information and knowledge with RSS feeds for syndication.