Want To Build Big Muscles? Here Is How To Gain Muscles Fast

Want To Build Big Muscles? Here Is How To Gain Muscles Fast

Want to build Big Huge Muscles? Then you must Squat! The Squat will build big muscles on your entire body frame.

1. There are types of people in this world.

First, there are those that make things happen. They calculated and know very sure what they want, then they take action and get it no matter what happens. They single mindedly pursue their ambition and they will ultimately succeed. In bodybuilding, they want to grow big and strong with big huge muscles. They SQUAT and squat and squat again. Have you ever seen anyone who is big, have huge muscles and have a well proportioned body like a Greek god who does not squat? Never.

Then there are those who watch things happen. They will savor the world around them. Then say, we will see what happens next. If it works, well we will decide if we are gonna do it.

These are the majority of the average Joes. They want to grow big muscles and be strong and muscular but are reluctant to make the effort to include the squat in their workout routine. Even if they do, they will do it haphazardly and will give up before they achieve their objectives. Then the excuses will flow. “Squats are too hard on my knees” or “Doing squat will stunt your growth” or “Squats are for my back” or “I just want a well toned body.” Excuses from sour grapes. That is why average joes just remain well… average. We will debunk those excuses later in this article.

Finally there are those that are always saying “Omigosh! What happened?” Needless to say, these people are the ones oblivious to what is happening around them. They will walk leisurely on a treadmill reading a book at the same time when others are raising their heart rates to improve endurance and burn fats.

They are the ones doing dumbbell curls after dumbbell curls when others are doing bench presses, dead lifts and squats. They are the ones who ask the champions why the champs are growing biiger muscles and getting fitter all the time whereas they are at the gym longer, more regular and yet not achieving any result. They will take note of the advises and the next time you see them, they are back to what they were doing. Reading that confounded book on the treadmill. They actually expect changes to take place by doing the same things. How is that possible? Then they will say, “Ah… but you are just lucky to have good genes!” What nonsense!

To build muscles fast and big, you must SQUAT! The squat is often touted as the king of exercise and is grouped together with the dead lift and bench press, collectively called the Big Three for power and muscle mass building. If you want to build big muscles and enjoy a symmetrical physique, you must squat. Period.

In most gym, the squat rack is there collecting dust. Why? Because most people think that their legs will be hidden by their pants. Why bother? How dead wrong they are. Wait till you see them in their shorts or swim wear. You will see Spiderman ..er ..I mean spider legs.

Another reason why people avoid squatting exercises is because the squat work on many major muscles and is grueling work. When you perform squats correctly, you will huff and pant, wheeze, head spinning woozily, see stars, sweat profusely and your entire body will be screaming for you to stop.

Of course the exercise is brutal! You are working out about 75% of your entire muscular structure including your shoulders, traps, back, gluteus, hams, calf, abs and many other synergistic muscles in a single exercise, isn’t that supposed taxed your strength, endurance and your cardio health? Isn’t that the best exercise? Isn’t that why the results from squats will be astounding?

As an added bonus to building big muscles , you will be burning fats like crazy since the squat, given the intensity placed on your body, your metabolism zooms straight up! If your body fat ratio is high, it will help you lose body fat.

And because of the degree of difficulty, squats also force your body to release higher amounts of growth hormone , resulting in new muscle growth in all areas of your body. In addition, squats will cause a spillover effect, enabling you to gain strength in all of your other lifts. Awesome! It just befuddles me why, with all these benefits, people are avoiding squats like a bubonic plague. As for the hard gainers, squat will pack on pounds after pounds of muscle on your entire body! So hard gainers, you must squat to grow big!

If you squat with the correct form, heavy weight and sheer intensity, you will see good results in just weeks. Not just your lower body. Your entire frame will take on a different form. A total body transformation. Guaranteed!

You must know that since squats are performed with heavy weight, so correct form and techniques are critical and cannot be compromised. Anything less, you may sustain serious injury. However, when you adhere to the proper technique, you will be very safe and will enjoy all the benefits that come with the squat. Don’t cheat yourself and substitute squats with leg presses. They are of a different class!

1. Debunking Excuses!

It’s bad for the knees – In fact, it’s on the contrary. Just like the muscle tissue in your body strengthens when exposed to stress, the tendons, ligaments and other connective tissues in your body will also thicken in response to weightlifting. That means, it actually improve knee health when you squat. It also strengthens all the muscles around your knee and thus providing your knees with support when the muscles are strong and less stress is placed on the knees on your day to day activities. I know. I used to suffer from knee pain until I started squatting and now, my knees are in perfect health that I can even play competitive soccer. Knee problems only occur when you squat improperly like resting at the bottom of the movement or letting your knee protrude over your toes.

It’s bad for my back – For the same reasons about strengthening your tissues, squats also exercises your lower back. When done in correct form, it actually builds strong muscles on your lower back and not only correcting you from bad posture that results in a bad back, it may even give you a healthy strong back. Again, it will only hurt your back if done in poor form like bending forward or doing it with a rounded back instead of arching it during the movement.

It will give you high blood pressure and bad for the heart.
Sure, your blood pressure will rise as your heart will beat faster from the exercise. That is only temporary and not dangerous unless you already have those problems in the first place. Other than that you are actually exercising your heart and cardio vascular system to strengthen it. How can that be dangerous? Don’t most exercises elevate heart rate and increase blood flow? Then they should ban the treadmills and close all swimming pools! Do you buy that nonsense?

So, now that you know that squat is the king of bodybuilding exercises, are you the type that makes things happen or are still contend to be wondering what the heck happened?

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3 Keys To Sexy Abs!

3 Keys To Sexy Abs!

There are three basic factors that will help you lose your belly while body building: strength training (which increases resting metabolic rate), cardiovascular exercise (which burns calories), and proper nutrition. Without all three, you can do crunches all day and never get the flat tummy you desire.

Let’s start with cardio. You need to do a cardio exercise you enjoy, 30-45 minutes, 3 or 4 times a week. Running, walking, biking, you pick. Strength training should be performed 2 or 3 times a week. Remember having more muscle mass means you burn more calories during the day. And last but not least, watch what you eat! The stomach is one of the first places bodyfat is stored. So when extra calories are consumed, a “spare tire” appears. Dieting off the fat is absolutely necessary if you want to reveal the muscles of your midsection.

One way to get the most out of your ab exercises is a better form. Follow these few tips during your work-outs. Keep your hands folded across your chest or rest them at your ears. This will ensure your abs do all the work during the exercise. Many people want to put their hands behind their head-don’t- this will only put pressure on your cervical vertebrae. Instead of raising your shoulders towards the ceiling, think about bringing your ribs and pelvis together. You will get a more intense crunch if you concentrate on using only those muscles.

The key behind great abs is your DIET! If you do not lose the fat that covers your muscles while bodybilding you will never be able to show off your six pack. Great Abs is 90% what you eat and 10% exercise. So start burning fat calories and you’ll see your tight abs in no time!

Gina is an ISSA certified personal trainer. She works with her clients in their own homes and offers online fitness training. She writes a weekly fitness article for her local newspaper. Her passion is fitness and helping others reach their fitness goals. She participates in dualthons and 5K races all the way to marathons.

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Six Pack Abs – Get Sexy Looking Abs

Six Pack Abs – Get Sexy Looking Abs

If there is one thing that most people are really looking for when they start to work out, six pack abs are it. This is the ultimate image associated with people who are in shape, and as such, you should not be surprised that most people spend a lot of time working very hard to achieve the perfect abdominal area. While this is not the easiest thing to achieve, it is not impossible. With some work, you should be able to get awesome abs and the six pack you’ve always wanted.

Strength-Training, Cardio And A Low Fat Food Intake Create Enviable Abs

The first thing that you should keep in mind is that no six pack ab workout plan will work for you unless you are definitely going to keep on working your abs out regularly and consistently. Make sure that you do a variety of both upper and lower abdominal exercises so that you develop the full six pack. With some hard work, you should be able to achieve the look you want.

The second thing that you should realize is that these ab workouts will only help you if you incorporate a basic fat burning cardio program for 30-45 minutes, three to four days per week at 75% of your maximum heart rate. And remember that beginners will have to start slowly. After all, it is not physically possible to work off the fat in just one part of your body – you have to workout in order to make yourself leaner overall. Cardio fat burning exercises will help you lose fat instead of just muscle and water weight – which is not something that will happen if you just go on a regular diet.

The third and final point here is that abdominal definition is seriously dependent upon diet. The abs are always the last place on your body to lose fat, thus you will have to be quite strict with your diet and meal plan if you want to have awesome abs – Just remember our little tip: EVERYONE has abs, it’s just that most people have a layer of fat over them. If you want to see them, you need to LOSE the fat!!

The most important tip for a healthy, low fat food intake is to eat smaller, more frequent, nutritionally balanced meals. Divide all your food amongst six small meals per day (eat a complete meal every 3-4 hours) in order to have the food convert to muscle rather than fat. We recommend that you limit flour products like bread and pasta and replace them with complex carbs like brown rice and oatmeal. Cut back on fatty foods and eat lots of high quality (preferably organic) protein like skinless chicken, lean beef and baked or broiled fish. If you follow these basic guidelines you will be well on your way to unleashing your abs within and proudly displaying them on the beach some time soon!

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Are you having trouble building muscle?

Are you having trouble building muscle?

Have you been going to the gym regularly for months and haven’t been able to put on any serious poundage? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s time to take a step back and make some plans. Building muscle is not rocket science. There are four key factors that will mean the difference between building muscle and staying skinny. You have to ask yourself these four questions.

Is my diet optimized for building muscle?
It’s time to get out of the “3 meals per day” mentality. If you want to gain (or lose) weight you need to feed your body whole foods, six times per day. This means splitting your large meals up and eating about once every three hours. Not only is this good for your metabolism, but your body will use the foods instead of storing them as fat.
Your six meals per day should consist of mainly complex carbohydrates and protein. You should aim for at least thirty grams of protein per meal. High protein foods include lean meat, chicken, fish, egg whites, cheese and milk products. Complex carbohydrates are found in brown rice, brown bread and potatoes. Stay away from foods high in salt and sugar.

Should I be using supplements, and when should I be taking them?
If you can afford supplements you should be using them. The basic three you should be considering are protein, carbs and creatine. Whey protein supplements are the fastest known way to deliver quality protein to your muscles. This makes shakes particularly effective after your workouts, when your body is craving protein for muscle re-growth.
There are three key times that supplements should be taken. First thing in the morning, after your workout and before bed. If your diet is up to scratch you shouldn’t need supplements at any other time. Don’t use supplements to replace meals. Supplements are supplements, not meal replacements.

Am I training hard and not smart?
The biggest mistake the new lifters make is thinking that the more they workout the bigger they’ll get. This couldn’t be further from the truth! Two basic rules you must remember when it comes to weight training. First, quality is better than quantity. Second, compound exercises are the kings of building muscle.
Compound exercises require at least two joint movements. Big compound exercises are the squat, bench press, wide grip pull up and seated row. These movements recruit many more muscles fibers to use to move the weight. This means more muscle groups are worked, the exercise is more challenging and the potential for growth is much greater.
Generally you should be doing three compound exercises for one isolation exercise. For example your back/biceps workout might consist of wide grip pull ups, seated row, bent over row and standing bicep curl. You might think this is not enough work for your biceps? Wrong. Your biceps are worked heavily in all over these exercises; the bicep curl just finishes them off.
The length of any training session should not exceed one hour. And you only need to train one muscle group once per week. This means a split routine should only need to be three days per week. In fact, most professional bodybuilders only train four times per week. Remember, it’s quality not quantity.

Do I get enough rest and recovery time?
When you workout you’re not building your muscles, you’re breaking them down. The reason why you looked “pumped up” when you’re in the gym is because your muscle tissue is swollen and damaged. Your muscles actually grow when you are resting. So in simple terms, no rest equals no muscle growth.
So take it easy when you’re not working out. Ease up on the cardio. And make sure you get plenty of sleep. Sleep is the body’s number one time for building muscle. This is also why it’s important to eat before bed, so your body has the fuel to repair muscle in your sleep.

Simple isn’t it?
So you can see that despite what you read in magazines or on the web about building muscle, it’s surprisingly simple. If you get the four aspects I have mentioned in this article right, you will build muscle. If you’ve got any questions, I’m available on the forum on my site. See links in my bio.

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Scientific Principles For Effective Muscle Gain

Scientific Principles For Effective Muscle Gain

It’s an unfortunate reality that throughout the years there has been a growth of strength training techniques that have no scientific proof to back them up. Have a look at the facts presented in this outline of muscle gain principles and make up your own mind.

Below you will find Scientific Guidelines for strength training that have always been around but are not followed by many training systems these days.

1. Limited Energy Level

A strength-training program should be short and simple as you only have a limited amount of energy per training session.Scientific studies reveal that blood sugar levels (energy) start to deplete after 30 mins, so exercise selection and the time taken to perform them is crucial.What you should be aiming for is stimulating as many muscle fibres in the shortest period of time available.Your blood sugar levels deplete after high intensity training (usually between 20 – 30 minutes) and remember that you need energy to recuperate after the workout.The trick is to give yourself a high intensity workout before your blood sugar level depletes, and then you will have given your body the exercise that it requires to gain the maximum amount of muscle possible.

2. Progressive Overload

Basically this means that when the body is stressed by high intensity training beyond its normal demands, the body will adapt to these new demands of improved strength.When I say “normal demands,” I mean what level of stress/strength your body is used to now.An example: The set that you performed last week using the same technique and weight, your body will now have adapted to. If you stay at this level your muscles will not become stronger or bigger, so this is where the Progressive Overload plays a major part.Once your muscles have adapted to a particular weight then it’ll be time to overload them further (add more weight, speed, repetitions). You’ll need to keep on repeating this process of overload if you want to become stronger.Remember to always use GOOD TECHNIQUE. Technique must never be sacrificed for extra load.Progressive Overload is the main exercise principle you need to be aware of in order to get the results that you’re after with strength training.

The two most important points are:

• Complete your exercise with perfect technique

• Push to total failure when doing a set and overload the weight on the bar progressively. (Overload your targeted muscles to beyond what there used to) 

3. Training Frequency

The sad reality is that the popular high volume type of training that you find in bodybuilding books and magazines (and used by the stars) is irrelevant to the majority of the population and has a shocking failure rate.What is good for Joe Star is probably not good for you. Everybody has different genetics; most of us have poor genetics and are not taking steroids like the stars. The only way the majority of us can make any gains at all is to perform short intense workouts followed by long periods of rest so that we don’t overtrain.

4. Over-Compensation

Many studies conducted around the world have shown clearly that recuperation from strength training requires far more rest time than previously thought. Infrequent, short, high intensity weight training sessions, followed by the required amount of time to recover and become stronger is necessary for you to increase your functional muscle.Here’s what you need to do – allow your body enough recuperation time for over compensation to take place, so that the muscles can adjust to their new strength and growth.

5. Exercise selection for intensity

I can’t stress enough of how exercise selection is absolutely crucial. There are only a few exercises that you really need to perform. These exercises consist of multi-joint movements. These particular exercises are far superior to that of isolation exercises (working 1 muscle group at a time) because you are required to use more muscles from every muscle group.By using these exercises your whole body will be worked hard.

6. Visualization

Over my 20 years in the industry, I’ve noticed that this area is by far the most neglected by mainstream health and fitness professionals…Most books or courses concentrate on the physical side of muscle gain or fat loss and completely neglect the mental side of things.By training your mental state as well as your physical body you can even further progress in muscle growth.

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Healthy Foods To Make Sure You Eat When Dieting

Healthy Foods To Make Sure You Eat When Dieting

A very important part of your weight loss program and effort is your diet. This article will give you some tips on foods that you can eat to help you on your weight loss journey.

Focus on eating lean meats, such as turkey, chicken, and fish. If you eat too many fatty meats, this is both unhealthy and detrimental to your weight loss efforts. You can still eat red meats, but you just need to eat them in moderation and in the right sized portions.

Eat plenty of dark leafy greens such as spinach. These are very nutrient rich and beneficial to your daily diet. They contain plenty of vitamins, and they are great for your digestion system and your weight loss efforts.

Have you ever heard of negative calorie foods? These are the foods that actually help you burn calories and contain absolutely zero calories themselves. Have a pickle!

Nuts and seeds are great snacks for those times when you’re feeling a little hungry. You should be snacking throughout the day anyway, and nuts are very nutritious snacks to have.

You should be eating egg whites, and you should leave out the egg yolks completely. The egg whites are very beneficial to your diet, and they are low-calorie as well as low-fat.

You should definitely be eating plenty of oats and other whole grains. Certain types of oatmeal and breakfast bars are wonderful for morning time and eating whole grains.

Eat plenty of lentils and beans, as they are very high in protein and helpful to many parts of your body. They are an essential part of any balanced diet, and they can easily be included in many different recipes.

Salmon is a very tasty fish when you are looking for something different as far as a meat selection. Some people do not like fish very much, but salmon is very tasty. Give it a try!

Fruits that are rich in fiber, as well as other healthy and fiber-rich foods, are great for your daily diet. Try some apples, as these fruits are great for your body.

If you eat a lot of pasta, it can be unhealthy for you. Instead of eating regular pastas, try eating whole wheat pasta instead. This is a very healthy substitute.

Yogurt in many different forms is a great snack. You can eat healthy and low-fat yogurts in a wide variety of flavors for a snack, or you can have frozen yogurt instead of ice cream. You can enjoy a yogurt and granola snack or a yogurt and fruit parfait. There are so many ways to incorporate yogurt as a daily snack. Plain yogurt is even more healthier for you if you find that you want to eat yogurt regularly in larger quantities.

If you want to start your weight loss journey right away, then knowing what foods to include in your diet is very crucial. The suggestions you have read here in this article should help you in your weight loss efforts.

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Use Superset To Build Big Muscles

Use Superset To Build Big Muscles

If you have been lifting weights for sometime or have been reading bodybuilding magazines and journals, you would have probably heard of super

setting. However, how often have you seen people super setting when weight lifting? If you did, did you notice those guys who were super setting

were almost invariably the bigger boys. If you want to be big, then why didn’t you superset like them since you have seen that super setting can

• help you build big muscles?

What is weight lifting superset? A superset is when you perform two exercises back to back with no rest in between the exercises. There are a few

variations of superset such as, antagonistic muscle superset, pre-exhaustion superset and post exhaustion superset…..etc. We will discuss just

these 3 of the more popular supersets in this article.

• Antagonistic Muscles Superset

An antagonistic super set is when you exercise opposite muscle group. Although they are opposite muscles, they actually support each muscle

during your movements. For example, when you do dumb bell curls for your biceps, when you lower the dumb bells, your triceps are called into

action as well. Similarly for the negative movement of a bench press, your back is working too like when you are doing the bent over row.

So for example of an antagonistic superset on your, say chest and back day, do a bench press routine then follow up with a bent over row or vice

versa. That will be one superset. Rest for 2-3 minutes and then proceed with the second set and so on. This will work the muscles involved more

deeply than mere straight sets.

• Pre-exhaustion Superset

In a pre-exhaustion superset, you work on the same muscle group with an isolation exercise and then follow up with a compound exercise without

rest in between sets. For example, still on your chest and back day, you work out with dumb bell flyes (chest isolation exercise) then

immediately thereafter with a bench press (chest compound exercise).

By performing with an isolation exercise first (flyes), you pre-exhuast the targeted muscles you are working on, which in this instance are your

pectorals (pecs) and then hit your pecs hard again with a compound movement (bench press) that allows other muscles that are still fresh such as

your deltoids and triceps to assist your pecs in the exercise.

• Post – Exhaustion Superset

Another version of super setting is the post-exhaustion method. It is the exact reverse of the pre-exhaustion. In other words, lift compound

exercise first and then follow up with an isolation exercise for the same muscle group. It will allow you to lift heavier weight for the compound

exercise because your targeted muscle group is not pre-exhausted yet.

Vary each of these various forms of superset every 2 – 3 months and watch your muscles explode with big massive muscle growth.

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Want To Own A Muscular Greek God Body?

Want To Own A Muscular Greek God Body?

If you are clueless at the gym and yet hungry for plain, good ‘ol professional advice to help you on the road to that sculpted physique of a Greek god, fret not! All you have to do is to have a solid commitment, use the knowledge gleaned from this article and you will attain the body you want pronto. But remember to warm up and cool down, as well as stretching before and after each session; Or even better, after each set for better muscle recovery and prevention of injuries.

1. Use Free Weights instead of Machines More Often

Machines will have its uses, but for a start, concentrate on free weights. That means work almost exclusively with barbells and dumb bells. Free weights recruit many stabilizing muscles for balance and control. That means you will work a lot more muscle parts other than the intended ones. That will give rise to little bumps, striations and definitions all over your body instead of one huge lump of muscle on your intended muscle. Because of the extra stimulant created, your muscles grow faster too. Why else do you think all professional body builders almost exclusively use free weights?

1. Compound Exercises Instead Of Isolation Exercises

Use as many compound exercises as possible to your workouts. Compound exercises are exercises that involve 2 or more joint movements. Because they utilize more joints, that means greater muscle mass are involved. Greater muscle mass means heavier weights. Heavier weights means greater muscle gain.

Some excellent compound exercises are the Squat, Deadlift, Chin ups, Dips, Bench press, Barbell Press, Lunges, Bent-Over Barbell Row…etc.

1. Train with Intensity

You must train intensively like a mad man for your muscle to grow. Try to do more reps or add more weight than the previous session or your muscles will think, “Ah… we’ve done that. Nothing new, so no need to grow bigger and stronger.”

Because of this, it is important that every time you train hard, you give your body time to recover as it has suffered strains and actually sustained many small scarring. Your muscles grow when you rest, especially when you sleep and not in the gym. So sleep at least 8 hours a day. Also, do not train everyday or work the same muscle group more than once or twice a week. If your training was vigorous enough, do no more than an hour per session.

Try not to do cardio work on the same day as your weight lifting work. In fact, during the muscle building phase, you should do less cardio work as aerobic exercises burn muscles. You can increase your cardio work when we come to the cutting phase, to lose fats and gain rippling definition.

1. Correct Technique And Form

Everywhere, everyday, you will see people using wrong form and technique when training with weights. This not only compromises your growth, it will also make you susceptible to injuries.

Wrong form occurs usually when people try to lift weights that are too heavy, whether out of vanity or ignorance. As a guide, always lift with strict focus on the muscle you intend to build for that particular exercise. Feel it contract and extend. Lift the weights deliberately and slowly. Never ever swing your weights up especially when doing bicep curls or the military press. Lower the weights slowly, taking about 3 seconds instead of letting gravity pull the weight down. You must fight gravity to stimulate the muscles, if not, half of your effort is going to waste. Another common mistake is when people arch their back when they are doing their bench presses. By arching your back, you are using your spine to press the weight up. Your back must be pressed against the bench at all times for the exercise to be effectively working on your chest! However you MUST arch your back when doing squats and deadlift.

With some exceptions, as a general rule, if you can lift a weight in good form for more than 10 reps, it is too light. Conversely, if you can’t lift it more than 5 times in good form, it is too heavy.

1. To Grow Fast and Huge, You Must Perform Lower Body Exercises!

This is what most people don’t realize. Your lower body makes up 60-70% of your musculature. If you don’t train them, not only will you look spider-legged, your entire body will not grow as quickly and as large. Don’t think that you can hide those skinny legs in your pants! Most people do not train their legs because squats, dead lifts and lunges can be very grueling exercises. But it is precisely because of such intensity that you will produce more growth hormones when you sleep and overall muscular development is stimulated.

1. EAT and EAT Correctly

Losing weight and building muscles cannot happen at the same time although there are methods to do so and will be too technical to describe here. To lose weight, you must have a caloric deficit. To build muscles, you must have more calories, period! So do not be afraid to eat. Have plenty of protein, moderate complex carbs and some good oil like Omega, olive, flaxseed, fish etc., especially immediately after a workout. That is when your body is most nutrient hungry and will absorb whatever you eat very quickly. The longer you delay eating after a workout, the less effective it will be. Even better, take quick absorption protein shakes and high glycemic carbs during this time. The carbs will induce insulin production almost immediately and shuttle the protein to your muscle cells very quickly.

Eat about 2 gm of protein for each kg of your bodyweight or 1 gm per pound of your body weight. Spread your meals evenly throughout the day about 3 hours apart. It is advisable that you have supplementation of Creatine, Protein, Multivitamins and L-Glutamine.

Yes, you will probably gain weight, but a lot of it will be muscle weight because muscles are heavier than fats. You may also gain some fats because of the extra calories consumed. Don’t worry, it is a happy problem because the more muscles you have, the easier the fats are to shed when you come to the cutting up phase to get those rippling definitions.

Easy isn’t it? Now that you know the facts, the rest is up to your determination.

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Your Weight in Muscle

Your Weight in Muscle

You probably have heard that muscle weighs more than fat. Many people notice a small weight gain when they begin lifting weights consistently. As a general rule, if you lift weights 2 to 3 times a week, you can gain 1 pound of muscle per month for about 6 months. After that, the rate of increase slows down as you start to reach your genetic potential. For the same reason, you will make a lot of progress on weight progression at the beginning, but the longer you lift; your progression will lessen because you are reaching your genetic potential.

Don’t be alarmed at the extra pounds of weight from weight training because it is well worth the effort. For every 3 pounds of muscle you build, research shows you increase your resting metabolic rate by about 7 percent. For example, if your body burns 1,200 calories per day (not counting exercise or any other movement), you would burn an extra 84 calories per day with those 3 extra pounds of muscle.

Many women have a difficult time outgrowing 2-3 pound dumbbell weights, because they are afraid that if they increase the weight they will bulk up. If you are happy with the strength and appearance of your muscles, you can do a maintenance program with 5 pound weights. However, if you want more strength, you could progress to 8 or 10 pound weights and still not bulk up. Using heavier weights can increase muscle size, but it’s highly unlikely that you’ll get bulky. Women don’t naturally have enough of the hormone, testosterone, required to build huge muscles, and even if you could bulk up, you’d have to use significantly heavier weights.

Another option to tone muscle is to increase your repetitions instead of increasing weight. A high-repetition/light-weight program will develop muscle tone and increase strength and endurance without significantly increasing muscle size.

I like to tell my clients to not just go through the motion when lifting weights. I use the word “squeeze” a lot to describe the contraction of the muscle you should be focusing on. Think about the muscle you are working and squeeze or contract it as you are lifting. You will get a lot more benefit for your efforts if you squeeze the muscle on the lift rather than just raising and lowering the weight without focusing on the muscle.

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8 Proven Strategies For Maximum Muscle Gains

8 Proven Strategies For Maximum Muscle Gains

There is so much conflicting information out there when it comes to the topic of body building and building muscle, and sometimes it can be very difficult to know where to start. If you’re an average beginner looking for some basic guidelines to follow in the gym, the following 8 points will start you off on the right track.

1. Train With Weights and Focus On Compound, Free Weight Movements.

If you want to make solid, noteworthy gains in muscle size and strength, you absolutely must train with free weights and focus on basic, compound exercises. A compound exercise is any lift that stimulates more than one muscle group at a time. Examples of these lifts are the squat, dead lift, bench press, chin up, barbell row, overhead press, dip and lunge. Compound movements allow you to handle the most weight and will stimulate the greatest amount of total muscle fibers.

1. Be Prepared To Train Hard.

One of the biggest factors that separates those who make modest gains from those who make serious gains is their level of training intensity. In order to stimulate your muscle fibers to their utmost potential, you must be willing to take every set you perform in the gym to the point of muscular failure.

Muscular Failure: The point at which no further repetitions can be completed using proper form.

Sub-maximal training intensity will leave you with sub-maximal results, plain and simple.

1. Track Your Progress In The Gym From Week To Week.

Our bodies build muscle because of an adaptive response to the environment. When you go to the gym, you break down your muscle fibers by training with weights. Your body senses this as a potential threat to its survival and will react accordingly by rebuilding the damaged fibers larger and stronger in order to protect against any possible future threat. Therefore, in order to make continual gains in muscle size and strength, you must always focus on progressing in the gym from week to week. This could mean performing 1 or 2 more reps for each exercise or adding more weight to the bar. Keep a detailed training log to track your progress as your strength increases over time.

1. Avoid Overtraining.

Overtraining is your number one enemy when it comes to building muscle size and strength. When most people begin a workout program, they are stuck with the misguided notion that more is better. They naturally assume that the more time they spend in the gym, the better results they will achieve. When it comes to building muscle, nothing could be farther from the truth! If you spend too much time in the gym, you will actually take yourself farther away from your goals rather than closer to them. Remember, your muscles do not grow in the gym; they grow out of the gym, while you are resting and eating. Recovery is absolutely vital to the muscle growth process. If you don’t provide your body with the proper recovery time in between workouts, your muscles will never have a chance to grow.

1. Eat More Frequently.

The main area where most people fail miserably on their muscle-building mission is on the all-too important task of proper nutrition. Training with weights is only half of the equation! You break down your muscle fibers in the gym, but if you don’t provide your body with the proper nutrients at the proper times, the muscle growth process will be next to impossible. You should be eating anywhere from 5-7 meals per day, spaced every 2-3 hours in order to keep your body in an anabolic, muscle-building state at all times. Each meal should consist of high quality protein and complex carbohydrates.

1. Increase Your Protein Intake.

Of the 3 major nutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) protein is without a doubt the most important for those who are looking to gain muscle size and strength. Protein is found in literally every single one of the 30 trillion cells that your body is made up of and its main role is to build and repair body tissues. Without sufficient protein intake, it will be physically impossible for your body to synthesize a significant amount of lean muscle mass. If your body were a house, think of protein as the bricks. A general guideline is to consume 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day from high quality sources such as fish, poultry, eggs, beef, milk, peanut butter and cottage cheese.

1. Increase Your Water Intake

If you want a simple, easy and highly effective way to maximize your muscle gains, drinking more water is it. Water plays so many vital roles in the body and its importance cannot be overstated. In fact, your muscles alone are made up of 70% water! Not only will drinking more water cause your muscles to appear fuller and more vascular, but it will also increase your strength as well. Research has shown that merely a 3-4% drop in your body’s water levels can impact muscle contractions by 10-20%! Aim to consume 0.6 ounces for every pound of bodyweight each day for optimal gains.

1. Be Consistent!

Consistency is everything. Those who make the greatest gains in muscular size and strength are the ones who are able to implement the proper techniques on a highly consistent basis. Simply knowing is not enough, you must apply!

Building muscle and body bilding in general is a result of the cumulative effect of small steps. Sure, performing 1 extra rep on your bench press will not make a huge difference to your overall results, and neither will consuming a single meal. However, over the long haul, all of those extra reps you perform and all of those small meals you consume will decide your overall success. If you work hard and complete all of your muscle-building tasks in a consistent fashion, all of those individual steps will equate to massive gains in overall size and strength.

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Weight loss diet tips

 Weight loss diet tips

Losing weight

         is not a simple task. Many people who are trying to lose weight have been on various diets and have also tried with every “fad diet” that has been around. It is also important to keep in mind that your weight should be lost slowly. You should not expect miracles overnight which are promised by some fad diets. When you first begin with dieting, you will probably lose more water weight, therefore you may be losing more pounds in the beginning. However, if you are doing it in the right manner, your weight loss will get down to an average 1-2 pounds per week.

Weight loss diet and exercise is the only way to lose weight. There are no short cuts available for losing weight. There is no weight loss diet supplement or no magic exercise that can decrease your weight. The means for losing your weight is proper weight loss diet along with some appropriate exercise techniques.

Everybody possesses a fantastic weight loss diet tip these days. Following are some of the great diet tips for weight loss:

Treat your calorie intake as you would treat your savings account. Let’s say you commit to intake 1800 calories per day to promote weight loss. This means that you possess 1800 calories to spend all over the day. For determining calories read carefully the food labels and then reduce that amount from your calorie bucks. This will be helpful in reducing your total amount of calorie intake.

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Waxing 

Waxing

is basically a method of semi-permanent hair removal which eradicates the hair from the root cause. New hairs will not grow again in the previously waxed area for 2-8 weeks. Most likely any area of the body can be waxed, including face, eyebrows, bikini area, legs, arms, back, feet and abdomen. There are many types of waxing which are suitable for removing unwanted hair. If waxing is carried out regularly for many years, permanent reduction of hair can be achieved. 

Waxing is achieved by spreading a combination of wax thinly over the skin. A paper strip or cloth is then pressed on the top and ripped off with a rapid movement against the hair growth direction. This removes the wax including the hair. Another method which is widely used is hard wax. In this method, the wax is applied a bit thickly and with no cloth or paper strips. The wax after hardens when it cools, thus permitting the easy removal by a therapist without the help of clothes. This waxing method is very helpful to people who have sensitive skin. 

Before any hair removal treatment ensure that you do not bath or shower an hour or so prior to the service. The extra content of water on the surface of the skin in addition to the emulsifying effects of warm water along with soaps may offer the skin irritation or extra sensitivity.

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Back Waxing

Back waxing

  is basically a procedure which makes use of hot wax as a means of achieving hair removal from the back. The process is more or less similar to other types of waxing, in which the hot wax is applied to some portion of the skin and allowed to harden to some extent. Once the hardened wax has been affixed to the hair follicles, the wax is quickly removed from the area. Back waxing can leave the area smooth for several weeks.

The back waxing technique is most commonly used with males who wish to get rid of unwanted hair from the back and the shoulders. Different from shaving and use of depilatory creams, this kind of male hair removal are unable to cut the hair down to the level of the skin. Actually, back waxing removes the hair from the root. The result is that the left over traces of the hair root are below the level of the skin and the back will be left over free of visible hair for 2-4 weeks.

Athletes mostly use back waxing method for achieving a smooth texture to the skin. The waxing is also practical in contact sports, as the presence of hair on the back could generate additional friction during repeated contact at the time of playing and irritate the skin. From this perspective, the use of back waxing helps in minimizing the incidence of rashes and other skin conditions that can adversely impact the performance.

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Male waxing

Male waxing

   is basically a method of male public hair removal. It is believed to have become more acceptable in the 1990s, though the exact number of users is not yet known. Male waxing is popular in the male modeling and body building community. There are many types of wax suitable for removal of hair.

Waxing is done by spreading a combination of wax thinly over the surface of the skin. A paper or cloth strip is then pressed on the top and ripped off with a fast movement against the direction of hair growth. This removes the wax including the dead skin cells and hair, making the skin smoother. Kits of home waxing have become more and more popular over the years.

Men are likely to have curlier, thicker and courser hair as compared to women. So ensuring that you are well informed prior to getting on some serious male waxing, here are a few points that you should consider.

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5 Tips for Weight Loss

1. Make a plan
If you want to lose weight, you need to make a plan for it. Planning involves setting your goals both short term and long term ones. With proper planning, you would be able to have an effective guide on the steps that you want to take, towards losing pounds of weight. Aside from that, it would also keep you motivated.

2. Watch sports
When you watch people playing sports, whether you are going to do it by visiting
stadiums or simply watching them on television, you would see how fit the athletes are. Because of that, you would be inspired more in hitting your fitness goals. Aside from that, you might even be motivated in getting involved with certain types of sports.

3. Maintain proper posture
When you stand or sit down properly, you would not just ensure that you would be able to practice proper breathing techniques. It would also help you look thinner, aside from the fact that it can develop the core muscles of your body. Standing straight would keep
your abdominal muscles tightened, which can develop the strength of your stomach and make you lose weight.

4. Make a list of the disadvantages of gaining more weight
One of the things that can provide you the motivation to lose weight is to make a list of the disadvantages of gaining more. When you gain more weight, you may find it harder to fit into your clothes. Aside from that, it can also put you at risk to certain diseases.
Other disadvantages would include easily becoming fatigue,  not being able to perform certain physical activities, and many more.

5. Get yourself a pet dog
When you go and visit the park, take a look around you, and you will see people with
their pets. One of the things that you can observe is that, most pet owners are not fat.
This is because their pets can increase their daily physical activities, when they walk
them around the neighborhood each day. Aside from that, if you have a pet, you can
play with him all day, without realizing that you are already burning calories.

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Jim Stoppani Breaks Down Amino Spiking

Jim Stoppani breaks down amino spiking.

Through countless reports of now this unethical practice getting general media coverage, Jim Stoppani overviews exactly what amino spiking is and how to tell if your protein is spiked. Jim continues to state: “While some companies just outright lie on the label about how much of their protein powder is actually protein, the more clever ones use a trick known as “nitrogen spiking”. Nitrogen spiking, which is also known as “amino spiking” or “protein spiking,” is a technique that allows supplement companies to put in less protein than what is listed on the label without actually getting caught. And you would be surprised to learn how many companies are doing this. But the problem is that protein powder is so expensive to make these days. So many companies take extreme measures to cut corners to save money on manufacturing protein powders in an effort to make more profit. Nitrogen spiking is a filthy trick. But in this article, I will teach you an easy way to tell if a protein powder is actually nitrogen spiked. Once you know what to look for, you can spot them a mile away. And they are out there!”

Great information for everyone involved with supplements.

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Enhance Your Muscle Mass With These Great Tips!

Enhance Your Muscle Mass With These Great Tips!

Do you see something about yourself that you do not like? Do you dwell on it in a mirror or around bedtime? Narrowing this down to specific goals is a simple way to begin changing how you see yourself. Read on to find out how you can quickly gain muscle.

TIP! Do your research to make sure that you are doing the best muscle exercises to help increase muscle mass. There are many different exercising options that are available to muscle builders, including toning multiple groups of muscles at the same time.

Do not overlook the importance of carbohydrates

Do not overlook the importance of carbohydrates if you are attempting to build muscle. They are essential for more energy during workouts and they supplement protein for muscle mass. Try to get enough carbohydrates to you can get the most from your workouts.

TIP! Always include three core exercises in your routines. These are large muscle group exercises like dead lifts, squats and presses.

In order to build muscles, remember that carbohydrates are very essential, as well. These carbohydrates give you the extra energy your muscles need to build mass. It is recommended that, if you wish to train hard, that you should have three grams of carbohydrates for each pound that you weigh.

TIP! Make certain you eat plenty of protein if your goal is to build muscle. Include a variety of lean proteins and healthy fats in your diet for the best results.

Compound exercises are an excellent way to build muscles to their fullest extent. These exercises use many muscle groups in the same lift. An example is bench pressing, which works not only your chest, but also your triceps and shoulders, in just one exercise.

TIP! If you are having problems staying motivated, you may find it helpful to establish short-terms goals for yourself. Once you have met your goals, reward yourself.

Include an effective number of repetitions in your training session sets. Do at least fifteen lifts while taking a break of less than a minute in between. The lactic acid in your muscles will continue to flow and as a result, muscle growth will be stimulated. You can grow your muscles tremendously by following this advice.

TIP! Unless you include carbohydrates in your daily diet, you will not get the best results from your routine. You need carbohydrates to give your body the energy required for working out.

It may be possible to make yourself appear larger than you do already. That will happen if you focus efforts on the upper back, shoulders and upper chest and train those body parts specifically. A bulkier upper body will make your waist appear smaller by comparison, giving you more impressive proportions.

TIP! Many people make the mistake of increasing their protein consumption as soon as they begin a muscle building regimen. If you are consuming more protein and calories than you are using, then you will gain fat instead of muscle.

Your caloric intake has to be high enough. There are a variety of calculators online that can help you determine your caloric need based on the amount of muscle you wish to gain. Ensure you’re getting your calories through lean meats and carbohydrates, and don’t forget produce to get you the vitamins and minerals you also require.

TIP! You must make sure that your overall daily calorie consumption is adequate. You can find a number of body mass indexes online to help you figure the amount of calories you need to consume to reach your target weight.

An effective bodybuilding workout routine should make you stronger. This will result in a gradual increase in your ability to lift more weight. In the beginning, you should increase your lifting capability about 5 percent every two sessions. If you consistently fall short of this goal, figure out what you might be doing wrong. If you still feel weak from you last workout, you may not have given yourself enough time to recover.

TIP! Know your limits, and push yourself in an exercise to the point at which you hit that limit. You want to try and push yourself to your limit during every set.

A great way to deal with muscles that limit your progress is to use the concept of pre-exhausting. A specific example of this happening is when your biceps conk out on you before your lats when you use the rowing machine. Try performing exercises that allow you to isolate certain muscles in order to avoid having to use the muscles that are keeping you from completing your reps. If you do so, this will make your lats very tired, and our biceps will work right.

TIP! Scheduling your workouts is an important part of working to reach your goals. You should start with two workouts a week and build up to three times when you feel that you have a handle on your routine.

By taking advantage of the advice offered here, you will be more than pleased with the results. You will be pleasantly surprised by the changes in your health, appearance, and self-esteem. The time to make a positive change in the way you live is right now!

TIP! Are you trying to bulk up? If so, your focus needs to be on performing dead lifts, squats, and bench presses. Those are movements that will allow you to achieve fitness more rapidly, and continue to build muscle.

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Tired Of Your Weight Shakes? Try These Tips!

Tired Of Your Weight Shakes? Try These Tips!

Increased muscle mass improves your health a number of ways. It speeds up your metabolism, improves your balance, and makes you look great. Plus, it’s fun! Keep reading to learn how to build muscle and what it may do for you.

TIP! A common problem is the willingness to sacrifice form for speed. Form and technique are extremely important in muscle building and it is always better to go slow and focus on form, rather than speeding through a workout.

A lot of people who exercise end up putting more emphasis on speed

A lot of people who exercise end up putting more emphasis on speed than they should and less emphasis on technique than they should. You’ll always get better results if you complete repetitions slowly and correctly, rather than if you try to get your reps done too fast. Be patient and make sure that your routines are executed in the proper way.

TIP! Focus on the deadlift, the bench press and the squat. These three exercises make up the core of a solid bodybuilding routine for good reason.

Eating meat regularly can help build muscle. Consume 1 gram of meat that is full of protein for each pound that you weigh. That way, you will be able to stockpile protein, and if you have more protein, you will be better able to develop the type of muscles you desire.

TIP! If you are having problems staying motivated, you may find it helpful to establish short-terms goals for yourself. Once you have met your goals, reward yourself.

Lean Proteins

When working to build muscle, make sure you are consuming plenty of protein. Muscles are made from protein, meaning you need to keep levels high so they can rebuild. If you fail to get a sufficient quantity, it will be hard for you to gain muscle mass. You should try to eat lean proteins at least 4 times, but preferably five times each day. Two of your meals and two of your snacks should contain lean proteins, with an extra serving of it in a third meal when possible.

TIP! Eating plenty of protein is highly beneficial towards the building of muscles. Use protein supplements and drink protein shakes to help ensure you get as much protein as you need.

You also need lots of carbs when building muscles. Carbohydrates provide the fuel that your body is going to use during your muscle-building exercises. If you are short of them, your body will derive energy from the protein in your diet instead of using it to grow muscle tissue. Eat enough carbohydrates so that your body can function, and you will be able to make it through your workouts.

TIP! Compound exercises are an easy way for you to get consistent muscle growth in all areas of your body. These exercises use many muscle groups in the same lift.

Making short-term goals, attaining them, and then rewarding yourself for doing so, can be a great motivator. Since it will take quite some time to gain muscle, you must remain motivated. Set rewards which will reinforce healthy weight training behavior. For instance, get a massage; they increase the body’s blood flow and assist you in recovering on your off days.

TIP! If you want to get toned, then use lower weights and more reps and sets. Do fifteen lifts before taking a one minute break.

Though creatine is safe for use when trying to build muscle mass, there are precautions you must be aware of. Stay away from these supplements if your kidney is not healthy. Creatine has also been associated with muscle cramps, heart arrhythmia and muscle compartment syndrome. Teenagers are particularly affected. Be sure that you are using these supplements exactly as they are recommended.

TIP! After you workout, stretch to help your muscles recover better. If you are younger than forty years old, you should be capable of maintaining each stretch for half a minute.

Use as many sets and repetitions as possible in each training session. Do fifteen lifts at minimum, and take a small break between. This constant effort keeps your lactic acids pumping, increasing muscle growth. By consistently focusing your routine this way, you maximize the effects of your muscle development.

TIP! Try to make it seem like you’re bigger than you really are. Increase the size of the muscles around your chest and legs.

Hopefully this article has provided you with a great number of helpful tips and tricks you can implement into your healthy lifestyle. Establishing a muscle-building program can not only improve your body, it can boost your self-esteem and confidence, too. Stay committed to your routine, and you will soon see and feel the results.

TIP! Although an increased protein intake can help build muscle, all too many people jack their consumption up sky-high the moment they start their muscle-building routine. This can cause excess calories to accumulate.

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Professional Muscle Building Tips You Should Know

Professional Muscle Building Tips You Should Know

What is your bodybuilding routine? This can be tough to answer. Many people build muscle themselves, and while they can, it can be frustrating. If you read this article, you may learn some advice that can help you out.

TIP! Always look for new ways to exercise your body and build muscle. Different exercises target different things; some may work on muscle building or toning.

Warming up correctly is vital when it comes to increasing your muscle mass. The process of increasing muscle mass subjects your muscles to increased stress, which increases the probability of injury. Warming up is the best way to prevent these injuries. Warm up with five or ten minutes of light exercise, then work into your heavier lifting with 3 to 4 warm-up sets.

TIP! You have to make sure that you always warm up if you are trying to build your muscle mass. When your muscles get stronger, they will experience a lot of additional stress that can make them prone to injury.

If you consume meat, it will help you build your muscles.

If you consume meat, it will help you build your muscles. Eat 1 gram of meat per pound of body weight. When you properly fuel your body with the amount of protein it needs, you help your muscles grow. This can give you the strength and appearance you’re looking for.

TIP! A diet rich in lean protein is your best friend when you are trying to build muscle. Protein is the basic element for building muscles.

Keep the “big three” exercises in mind when developing your routine. These body-building exercises include dead-lifts, bench presses and squats. These exercises make you bulkier as well as helping to condition your body and increase strength. Vary these exercises regularly.

TIP! Mix up your routine. If a workout routine becomes mundane and boring, you are less likely to stick to it.

Compound exercises are an excellent way to build muscles to their fullest extent. These types of exercises utilize many different muscle groups in one lift. A great example of a compound move is a shoulder press from a squat position, which works the legs and shoulders simultaneously.

TIP! Eat well enough on days that you want to build muscle. You want to add calories about sixty minutes before you plan to lift to give them time to be absorbed and available for your body to use.

If you are trying to build up muscle mass, be sure to get plenty of protein in your diet. Protein is essential to the maintenance and growth of muscle; working out without eating protein can result in loss of muscle. Depending on your body weight, each day you may require 1 gram of protein.

TIP! In order to ensure that you achieve the best muscle growth possible, it is very important that you do compound exercises. These are exercises that use several different muscle groups to perform a single lift.

When you do workout try your best to train muscles that are opposing, so do things like train your back with your chest or your hamstrings with your quads. This practice alternates the stress placed on the two groups, so that one rests while the other one works. This is beneficial because the intensity of your workouts is easily increased with increasing the time you spend building muscles at the gym.

TIP! Eat lots of protein to grow muscle. Protein is essential to building muscle, and not eating enough protein can actually make you lose muscle mass.

Muscle development does not mean that you need to get completely ripped. Different bodybuilding routines will sculpt your body in different ways. If your goal is to build bigger muscles, you should consider adding a dietary supplement in addition to your workout plan.

TIP! To get the most from your workouts, figure out your limit and go beyond it, not stopping until you are totally wiped out. With every set that you do, try to push your body until you can not lift even one more pound.

You must know your limits, but you shouldn’t stop doing a set until you’ve lifted as much as you can. For every set, push to continue until you cannot continue with a single additional rep. If you must, lower your set length.

TIP! Incorporate plyometric exercises into your muscle-building routine. This type of exercise develops the fast twitch fibers of your muscle, which stimulates muscle growth.

Incorporate plyometric exercises into your muscle-building routine. When you complete these exercises you help stimulate muscle growth by developing muscle fibers that are fast-twitch. Plyometrics are similar to ballistic movements since they involve acceleration. For example, when you do plyometric push-ups, let your hands come off the floor, propelling your body upward.

TIP! You can cheat a little as you lift. Getting in a few more reps by putting a certain portion of your body to work is a good way to ramp up your exercises.

Effective methods are necessary to make muscles big and strong. Use the tips from this article to ensure success at muscle development. With knowledge, dedication and the proper techniques, you can achieve your muscle building goals.

TIP! The best exercises for increasing your muscle bulk are those that utilize the large muscle groups. Those are movements that will allow you to achieve fitness more rapidly, and continue to build muscle.

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