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

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."

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

The Side Effects of Bodybuilding Supplements

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.

Bodybuilding For Teens

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

Diet For Natural Bodybuilding ? Powerful Tips You Can Use Everyday

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. Don't be one of those people who do not prepare their meals in advance.

Here are 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 their 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 affects your body.

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.

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

Best Bodybuilding Supplements for Men

Bodybuilding supplements can prove to be a valuable partner when it comes to bodybuilding for men. There's a wide variety of different bodybuilding supplements for men available everyone. If you're a man, you really have plenty of options to choose from when you're looking for bodybuilding supplements.

Before you go off and throw your money at some expensive bodybuilding supplements you saw in your favorite bodybuilding magazine, do some research first. It's also important to understand that a solid nutritional program is a must-have when it comes to bodybuilding, and no form of bodybuilding supplement can cure or replace a bad diet. Bodybuilding supplements should be used to compliment your already stable diet and bodybuilding routine. The proper bodybuilding supplement will synergize with what you're doing to help you get better and stronger at a faster pace.

You should have a good idea of what kind of physical as well as performance goals you'd like to reach. When you have your bodybuilding goals in mind, it will help you determine what kind of bodybuilding supplement is the best for you.

Are you looking to build more muscle mass? Of course, you won't be able to do this without hard work, persistence, and a decent diet. However, with these kinds of elements in place, the best bodybuilding supplements for you would be products such as creatine, testosterone boosters, as well as amino acids and whey protein.

If your goal is to lose more fat so that you can start building and sculpting more muscle, then this can be easily done with hardwork and a solid regime. The best supplements for you would be fat burning supplements and appetite suppressers. These kind of supplements will help you achieve your fat losing goals.

When you're building muscle mass, don't forget to keep taking your supplements even after you've achieved your desired results. This is recommended because stopping the dosage of supplements may cause some loss in the muscle. Also, be certain that you're keeping up with a healthy diet, you want to keep your body in the best condition possible.

To find the best deals on supplements for men, stick to searching online. The best supplements at the most affordable prices can be found primarily on the internet. Internet retailers have less overhead costs like rent and employees than a traditional supplement store would have, thus you save heavily when it comes to prices of the bodybuidling supplements themselves.

Natalie Aranda writes about health and beauty. She is fascinated about anti-aging supplements. Bodybuilding supplements can prove to be a valuable partner when it comes to bodybuilding for men. There's a wide variety of different bodybuilding supplements for men available everyone. If you're a man, you really have plenty of options to choose from when you're looking for bodybuilding supplements.