Benefits and Adverse Effects of Creatine

Creatine is an element that naturally occurs in the human skeletal muscle. It can be easily obtained from fish and meat. Once it is taken, it travels to the muscles and increases stored energy by making ATP easily accessible. Increased ATP levels give extra energy boost during hard physical activities that is why the body is assisted in making new muscles.

Benefits

Aside from indirectly enhancing the growth of muscle fibers by enabling frequent weight lifting, the main advantage of creatine is its ability to increase the volume of the muscles. This is attributed to its water retention effect. Muscles that are fed with creatine have a tendency to hold water and store it which results to higher volume. During the initial introduction of the supplement, there will be a slight addition to your weight of around 5 to 10 pounds every month.

Image via Wikipedia

But, this is not due to increased lean muscle or additional fat. This is actually caused by fluid retention. Once the intake of the supplement is stopped, the gains in volume will gradually decline. However, the increase in muscle strength and fiber will stay.

Adverse Effects

Since creatine is a widely used supplement various researches have already been conducted about it. Most of the studies showed that there are no real hazards to the intake of supplement. However, if you are concerned about gaining extra weight, you might have to prepare yourself for this before taking creatine. But then again, note that the weight gain is only due to the liquid you retain and not to additional fat stores or lean muscle mass. Also, some individuals who have taken creatine have reported cramps in their abdomen, nausea and discomfort. Others also claimed that they were dehydrated after taking the supplement. All these possible side effects can be easily remedied by simply taking enough amounts of liquid.

Related articles

• Does Creatine In reality Assist Construct Muscle (tfollowers.com)
• Effects of creatine (amazus.org)
• New White Flood Creatine Supplement from Controlled Labs Review (musclebuildingjourneys.net)

Fat-Muscle Interplay Converting Fat into Muscle

It’s impossible to change body fat into muscle. Though it has become a popular saying, what it really means is to lose body fat while retaining and or gaining muscle mass. Charles Poliquin and many other bodybuilding gurus advocated a training protocol called German Body Composition (GBC).

GBC loses fat through weight training. Aerobic training is not utilized. The method primarily preserves hard earned muscles while losing fat and adding lean tissue throughout its course. Contrary to popular belief, aerobics usually cause a loss of muscle tissue. GBC yields to a loss of approximately one half percent of body fat per week.

The basic premise of the method is the promotion of fat loss by increasing lactic acid levels in the body. This in turn produces higher growth hormone levels which place the body in an optimal state to burn fat and build lean muscle tissue. How is this done? Below is a list of the workouts that you have to do.

First you have to do full body workout utilizing upper and lower body supersets. This is done by alternating between upper and lower body exercises which makes it possible to keep the rest of the intervals short, even with big compound movements like the squat and bench press.

Doing this saves you time while accomplishing big time workout. Another workout is doing high reps (10-15) stopping short of failure. According to studies, high rep sets with a time under tension of 40 to 75 seconds produce an appropriate amount of lactic acid for the purposes of GH release and fat loss. Remember that you are after an environment within your body to burn fat.

One should stop about two reps short of concentric (positive) failure because training to failure has potential drawbacks and fewer benefits. Also if one trains to failure it would be highly unlikely for him or her to last until the end of the workout. Next are short rest intervals (30-75 seconds). Alternating upper and lower body exercises cuts down on needed rest intervals greatly compared to repeating the same movement in a straight set manner. These accelerate the accumulation of lactic acid and create the desired state in our bodies.

Studies have also shown that weight training lasting over an hour tip the anabolic-catabolic scale in the negative direction. Hence, workout duration of less than an hour or doing it in 50 minutes seems to be the ideal time frame exclusive of warm ups, stretching and cool downs. Listed below are three sample workouts fashioned from the GBC protocol.

These may be alternated throughout the week with relative frequency depending on training age and starting condition. It is highly recommended to perform this at least twice a week or a maximum of five per week. The examples used contain a notation system such developed by Charles Poliquin which provides detailed information on each of the workout variables. Two of the notations that might not be easily deciphered below are tempo and supersetting.

Tempo, the speed at which one performs the movement is designated by a three digit number in units of seconds. The first digit signifies the eccentric or lowing portion, the second digit signifies the isometric or pause while the last digit signifies the concentric or positive portion. (e.g. bench press with a 311 tempo means lower the load for three seconds, pause on the chest for a second and extend to the start in one second. Note: “X” denotes explosive effort).

Supersetting on the other hand is designated by the use of letters and numbers (e.g. A1 and A2 or B1 and B2).

Day One
A1 - Step Ups 4 x 12 (20X) 60 sec
A2 - Chin Ups 4 x 10 (311) 60 sec
B1 - Lunges (dynamic) 3 x 12 (311) 45 sec
B2 - Incline Dumbbell Chest Press 3 x 10-12 (411) 45 sec
C1 - Seated Leg Curl 3 x 10 (401) 45 sec
C2 - Barbell Shoulder Press 3 x 12 (311) 45 sec
D1 - Seated Dumbbell Hammer Curl 2 x 10-12 (411) 30 sec
D2 - Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extensions 2 x 10-12 (422) 30 sec

Day Two
A1 - Deadlift 4 x 10-12 (311) 60 sec
A2 - Swiss Ball Push Ups 4 x 12-15 (222) 45 sec
B1 - Leg Press 3 x 12-15 (411) 60 sec
B2 - Seated Cable Row w/rope to Neck 3 x 10-12 (321) 45 sec
C1 - Single Standing Leg Curl 3 x 10 (411) 45 sec
C2 - Lateral Raise 3 x 12 -15 (221) 45 sec
D1 - Barbell Curl 2 x 10 - 12 (311) 45 sec
D2 - EZ Bar French Press (seated) 2 x 10- 12 (311) 30 sec

Day Three
A1 - Squat 4 x 12-15 (401) 60 sec
A2 - Bench Press 4 x 10-12 (411) 60 sec
B1 - Lunge (static) 3 x 15 (311) 60 sec
B2 - Barbell Rows 3 x 12 (311) 60 sec
C1 - Good Mornings 3 x 10 (312) 60 sec
C2 - Standing Alt. Dumbbell Press 3 x 12 (201) 45 sec
D1 - Reverse Barbell Curls 2 x 12 -15 (212) 30 sec
D2 - Triceps Pushdowns (underhanded) 2 x 12 -15 (312) 30 sec

Related articles

• The Superset Plus Cardio Interval Workout (fitnessandfeta.com)

“The Fat Fighting Pill”

Whenever asked “Is there a magic pill that shed excess fat tissue and keep it off for good?” The answer is YES. Technically it isn’t a pill because its liquid but it’s something readily available anywhere. It’s good old water, pure H2O.

This is the wonder substance that undoubtedly creates effective ways to lose weight and reduce body fat content. Following the proverbial 8 to 12 glasses of water a day is a track to take to get and stay lean and clean. How does this indispensible substance work its magic? Here goes:

First water acts as a natural appetite suppressant. People who follow strict diet regimens but do not increase their water intake find themselves feeling hungry much more often than those who just increase their water consumption. One feasible reason for this is people on a diet get less amount of water from their food. The cut down in food intake actually creates a craving for fluid. These cravings can be significantly curbed with increased intake of purely water. This regimen doesn’t include water mixed with other additives such as juice, tea, coffee, soda and other water based beverages.

Second fat fighting mechanism of water could result from optimally functional pair of kidneys. Consuming enough water generates an efficient and functional renal system. This in turn aids the liver in a more efficient fat metabolism resulting in an increased fat burning capacity of the liver.

Finally, water becomes a fat fighting pill because not getting sufficient amounts of it metabolically shifts the body’s defensive and protective strategy to preserve what it has. This results in a negative slowdown of bodily functions and processes including fat metabolism. More than fat metabolism and fat loss, a healthy water therapy also provides other biological and physical benefits such as achieving a healthy, vibrant appearing skin and optimally functional body organs.

Hence, the first step to any fat reduction program is to drink sufficient amounts of PURE H2O.

Three Easy Cardio Exercises for Beginners

People who want to live a healthier and fitter life need to start somewhere. And as a beginner, there is no better way to do this than doing some cardiovascular workouts. Walking, cycling and jumping jacks are three of the best cardiovascular exercises for beginners.

Image by o5com via Flickr

Walking

Almost everyone knows how to walk. It does not take too much effort because it is a movement that is done daily. If you are a beginner, walking is the best way to start. This exercise can help you begin slowly and without so much pressure and stress. Consider this as your “warm-up” cardio routine for more intense exercises later on. Start with 15 minutes daily. Eventually, you can increase this to 20 or 30. Aside from improving your time, also change your pace. At the start, it is ok to strut slowly. But, if you want your exercise to have a better fat burning effect, adjust your pace accordingly by doing brisk walking.

Jumping Jacks

Just like walking and cycling, jumping jack is a form of movement that is almost natural to all. You simply have to stand, jump while raising your hands over your head and clap them together. When your feet come down the floor, put your hands back on your sides. It is a very simple exercise that can be done even by children. If you are doing it for a workout start at your comfort level and eventually adjust your repetitions.

Cycling

If you know how to ride a bike, then you can cycle. In case you don’t, you can always use a stationary bike and still cycle effortlessly. Start cycling for 10 minutes then increase this to 20 later on. Listen to your body and adjust your pace accordingly. Do not push yourself too hard at the start because it might get you injured. The point of cycling is simply to get you moving while enjoying the ride.

Related articles

• Best Circuit Training Workout (musclebuildingjourneys.net)
• Do You Use Wii For Cardio Exercise? (fitsugar.com)

Image via Wikipedia

Everyone has to start out somewhere right? When I was learning how to lift weights as a beginner, I had to look to a lot of different people for ideas.

I went to Gyms, and I read books. I also had a personal trainer to help. One thing you do learn is that people do have different philosophies and you may find different view points.

Even so, there are a few things that I have found that were mostly consistent with training in order to build muscle and get a fit body.

Here are a few of those “golden nuggets” that I came across.

3 Basic Bodybuilding Rules for Starters

There are many recommended ways that beginners in muscle building can grow their muscles quickly. But, all the methods being taught today can actually be deduced to simpler terms because most of them talk about the same thing. Their only difference is that they are presented in various ways. Here are three simple rules that beginning muscle builders can safely follow and be assured of the most effective results.

Rule # 1: Practice Progression in Your Workout

Starters in body building are very eager and motivated to workout. Most of them really want to grow their muscles fast. Because of this, there is a tendency for them to overdo their body building routines. But, this is not the right way to do it. Bodybuilders must be very careful in their exercises because sudden muscular activity can cause stress and may lead to injuries. The perfect bodybuilding workout for beginners should start with manageable weights, repetitions and sets. As the muscles become used to weight lifting, additional weights can be used and more repetitions and sets can be performed.

Rule # 2: Always Combine Exercise with Diet

The common mistake most beginners in bodybuilders make is that they are so much into lifting weights that they oftentimes overlook the importance of obtaining the right nutrition. The problem with this approach is that the body does not get the right amount of fuel to keep going. You may think that because you can still carry weights then you still have enough energy stores in your body. Always remember that the amount of energy you have does not determine the type of nutrition you are getting. In weight lifting, your body needs a combination of nutrients to boost the energy and feed the muscles. Without having proper nutrition, you might end up shrinking your muscles instead of growing them.

Rule # 3: Give Your Body Sufficient Time to Rest

It is a common misconception that muscles are built only when they are worked out daily. The truth is rest is very crucial in muscle development. In fact, beginners in body building are only advised to exercise for a maximum of three times every week. They must always have a day off in their workout to ensure the recovery of their muscular tissues and eventually the growth of their muscles.

Muscle development for beginners is quite common these days. It involves so many other things aside from just sculpting your muscles. It is about preparing and warming up your body before working out. It is also about getting enough rest from your workout.

Moreover, it is about taking the supplements that your body needs. Whatever it is you do, if you are interested in muscle building, the balanced combination of diet and exercise is still the best and most simple rule for you to achieve the athletic body that you want.

Here are even more tips that you can follow as a guide for your exercises for muscle building:

Body Building Preparations

The proper workout for muscle building among beginners involves doing the right exercises. This means that you take a step by step process to a muscle building fitness regimen that will make your body gradually adjust to it. Once you are fully adjusted, you can increase the intensity of your workout. If you begin with difficult workout routines, there is a great chance for you to get injured. As a beginner, it is best for you to be careful in choosing the types of exercises that you allow yourself to do.

Types of Exercises
As a starter in muscle building, there are basic exercises that you can perform. If you are able to do these regularly and execute them properly, you will surely grow your muscles easily. Squat and dead lifts are the first two exercises that you can do. Benchpress is the best resistance training workout for your chest as well as for your triceps and front deltoids. One of the best beginner exercises that can tone your arms, shoulders and triceps quickly and effectively is the military press.

Deciding on a Trainer
There are many online guides available that you can use as you start your body building regimen. You can save money by doing this. However, you can also opt to enroll in a gym and get a good fitness trainer that will guide you in your workout. Body building may seem to be an easy task but it can sometimes require assistance. Decide what is best for you and choose accordingly.

Yup, so in a nut shell, take is slow and gradually increase your workouts…. make sure you have a good diet that will complement your weight training workout routine, and get lots of good rest.

It doesn’t matter how much or how hard you work out if you skip these critical steps. You will put all your hard work to waste in vain.

If you have any ideas and constructive thoughts to add for lifting weights and body building for beginners, make sure you leave a comment and we’ll be sure to post it!

Related articles

• Weight Lifting Workout Routines (musclebuildingjourneys.net)
• How to Get Ripped Fast (musclebuildingjourneys.net)
• Beginner Workout Routine (musclebuildingjourneys.net)

The Beneficial Effects of Pre-Workout Supplements to help you get a fit body

It’s really no surprise that people look for inforamation on how to get fit and they also look for information on how to build muscle on the net… The thing is, many times, learning how to get fit is not the same thing as building muscle. This little blog post is going to be more about how to get a fit body. It may not cover too much about muscle building… But, that’s okay! I feel like we are here for everyone!

One of the things I did realize was that there are also a lot of you looking to learn how to burn fat while keeping your muscle. I was at one point trying to find an exercise regimen and stick with it, but I was finding it hard to do!

Fit body concepts are pretty much similar to building muscle concepts so you should feel good that at least you are going in the right direction if you are looking to find an exercise regimen to help get a fit body, but are also looking at fit body concepts.

To begin with, let’s take a look at supplements. If you going to get fit, or even learn to burn fat while keeping muscle, supplements may make a contribution to the total goal.

While spending most of your time working out can help you achieve the bulk and strength that you want for your body, it must be combined with proper diet and the right supplementation. If you want to maximize the results of your hardwork in the gym, then you must start adding real supplements to your fitness regimen. Pre-workout supplements are one of the groups of supplements that you can greatly benefit from as you work out.

Here are the main effects of pre-workout supplements: First, pre-workout supplements boost the body’s energy during intense workout routines. This will help you to not feel easily tired by replenishing the electrolytes that your body begins to lose while lifting weights or performing any other exercises. The main ingredient responsible for the energy boosting effects of pre-workout supplements is caffeine. Second, pre-workout supplements helps you focus. Your body performs any task effectively when you are focused.

Pre-workout supplements give you this advantage by giving you a positive and the right state of mind as you perform your workout routines. Once you take the supplement before you hit the gym, you will have fun in doing your fitness routines with the same level of intensity that you had in your previous sessions. Third, pre-workout supplements can contain ingredients that can significantly reduce the percentage of body fat that you have.

Taking this type of supplement will help you lose excess fat and gain muscles at the same time. When you choose your pre-workout supplements simply look for the brands containing the major ingredients that are useful for your body. These include caffeine, arginine, glutamine and amino acids. As an extra benefit, you may also want to have a supplement with nitric oxide in its list of contents. Having all these in one supplement can give you the additional advantage of increased blood flow in your muscles and the repair and growth of your muscle tissues.

Okay, so now that we’ve talked a little bit about the whole supplement thing as well as getting a fit body, you may be wondering if this has any application to finding out the truth about six pack abs. Can you learn how to burn fat and learn how to get flat abs?

Essentially, the answer is yes you can. The truth about six pack abs is that some of it is genetics, and the other part of it is learning to burn fat while keeping you muscle. In order for your abs to show well, you kind of need to make sure that you have a low body fat count. A low body fat count will essentially help you to have your ab muscles show through.

Any way, I know we talked about a lot of different things…maybe because it’s the labor day weekend, I’m a bit non focused, but you can learn how to get a fit body and a lot of the principles are the same as working out to build muscles.

Supplements can help with the process, and yes, for those of you that are looking to get six pack abs, that can be a side effect of you getting a fit body!

Related articles

• Best Pre Workout Supplement 2011 (musclebuildingjourneys.net)
• How might you get a 6 pack (wiki.answers.com)

What are the best workout routines for weightloss?

One of the things that people look to building muscles or even getting involved in a weight training routine is to lose weight. If you are looking for workouts to lose weight, then you may have just stumbled on a great article about getting shape and burning more calories than you thought you could. Weightloss and strength training can make a difference, and yes, they both go together.

At what ever level you are, this information is good for beginners and for intermediate exercise people. finding a good exercise to lose weight is about variety and selection.

If you want to lose weight, and your goal is permanent fat loss, you need to burn enough calories to make a significant impact. Here’s why, if you are exercising to lose weight: In order to lose a pound in one week, you need to create a 3,500-calorie deficit; in other words, you need to burn off 3,500 more calories than you eat. When you eat too many calories, that is how you end up with weight gain. You start to burn less calories than you take in.

A 30-minute power walk on flat ground burns about 120 calories. So, to burn off 1 pound of fat by walking, you’d have to hoof it for more than 2 hours a day. How many calories you burn has everything to do with you being able to lose weight.

But, Don’t worry too much about that huge number. If you are going to move your body, you will be okay. BTW, no one should suggest that you exercise two hours every day!

When choosing to lose weight, many simply change their diet. Maybe some will combine this with good aerobic exercise. But what many don’t know is that weight training can also contribute to fat loss. Muscle tissue burns fat, and the act of increasing muscle, increases the rate at which the body can metabolize energy, and ultimately burn fat.

Obviously just lifting a few weights by themselves will not constitute fat loss – but the combination of the right diet, exercise and weight training will give you the best chance of achieving your weight loss goals.

The best way to lose fat is to create a calorie deficit by burning calories through exercise and cutting calories you eat. (For information about keeping track of calories, see Counting Calories for Weight Loss.) For example, over the course of a week, you may cut 250 calories per day by switching from mayo to mustard on your sandwich at lunch and snacking on light yogurt instead of the stuff with tons of sugared fruit. Meanwhile, you could burn an extra 250 calories a day by jogging for about a half hour, or walking for 60 minutes.

Now, there are different work out routines that you can start out and it all depends on how much time you have for exercise in a day. People who have too much time to spend on their hands usually go to the nearby gym for some good work out with the use of the many gym and sports facilities that they can use while inside the gym.

So you see, this is all about making changes in what you eat and how you burn calories. But you may be wondering what is a healthy way to lose weight?

When it comes to weight loss, Cardio exercise is only one part of a weight-loss plan. You also need to revamp your eating habits and embark on a weight-training program. Also, keep in mind that losing weight is not as easy as it sounds on TV diet commercials. It takes a lot more commitment than just drinking that delicious shake for breakfast. To lose weight you need to make sure you’re burning more calories than you are eating.

Can I lose 20 pounds in 5 days?

What do you think? When you are trying to lose weight, you need to consider you basal metabolic rate and understand that you are working to increase that. The higher your BMI is, the more you are pushing your metabolism.

And it takes time. Don’t try to lose more than 1/2 pound to 1 pound each week, and don’t eat fewer than 1,200 calories per day (preferably more). On a super-low-calorie diet, you deprive your body of essential nutrients, and you have a tougher time keeping the weight off because your metabolism slows down.

Realize, too, that genetics plays a large role in weight loss. It’s easier for some people to lose weight than it is for others.

You do not have to visit a gym necessarily if you want to lose weight. You can very well exercise at home and get into your old favorite clothes again.  There are exercise and treadmill home gym equipments available these days that saves your time and enables you to exercise at home. The mood swings and depressions can be well taken care of when you experience an increase in the energy levels.

Here are some general cardio guidelines for weight loss. We suggest that you consult a registered dietitian and certified fitness trainer to come up with a plan best suited to your specific goals and schedule. Exercises for losing weight all have to do with how much you are going to burn in calories.

How often you need to do cardio for weight loss?
Here’s the cold, hard truth: You probably need to do five or six workouts a week for losing weight with exercise. If you feel like you can’t lose weight, or are not losing enough weight, one thing you may want to do is practice patience. Don’t give up. So many people give up too quickly, and then they miss out on the opportunity to get better.

How long your workouts should last in order to get good weight loss?
Here’s another dose of reality: You should aim for at least 45 minutes of exercise, a mix of cardio and strength training, six days per week. Again, you don’t need to do all this sweating at once, but for the pounds to come off, the calories you burn need to add up.

But keep in mind, if you can do at least 30 minutes, you are in the zone. 30 or more minutes is good for starting to change your basal metabolic rate. Training cardio at the gym and budgeting a workout time for about . Don’t forget you need to move your body as much as you can.

How hard do I need to workout for weight loss?
To make a serious dent in your fat-loss program, work out in your target zone most of the time. But keep in mind: If you’re pretty darned  you know…. out of shape… , even exercising at 50 percent of your maximum heart rate can help build up your fitness level.

You may have heard that exercising at a slow pace is more effective for weight loss than working out more intensely. In fact, many cardio machines have “fat burning” programs that keep you at a slow pace. But this is misleading. As it turns out, the concept of a fat burning zone is no more real than the Twilight Zone.

Eating and dieting are going to have to be planned and worked out hand in hand. Strength training workouts will be beneficial if you have the right diet and cardio program. If you eat a lot and want to burn fat, you are going to have to work out more. You want to lose weight but you can’t stop eating….well my friend, you are going to have a problem.

During low-intensity aerobic exercise, your body does use fat as its primary fuel source. As you get closer to your breaking point, your body starts using a smaller percentage of fat and a larger percentage of carbohydrates, another fuel source. However, picking up the pace allows you to burn more calories, as well as more fat calories. Exercises in this category are great for you. When you are in the fat burning zone, you will feel much better.

Which activities burn the most calories what are the top exercises to lose weight?

You can burn 1,000 calories per hour doing those activities if you crank up the machine to the highest level and if you happen to have bionic legs. One thing to consider is a heart rate monitor. If you’re a beginner, you’ll last about 30 seconds at that pace, at which point you will have burned 8.3 calories, and the paramedics will be scooping you off the floor and hauling your wilted body away on a stretcher.

There’s a better approach to calorie burning: Choose an activity that you can sustain for a good while ? say, at least 10 or 15 minutes. Sure, running burns more calories than walking, but if running wipes you out after a half mile or bothers your knees, you’re better off walking. The key is to work at getting into the fat buring zone and staying there.

One of the best things you can do is look at a metabolic rate calculator to decide what you need to be doing to be in the zone for proper weightloss.

One of the great resources for finding out more about weight loss and routines to lose weight is webmd. They ahve a nice community of networks that can help you.

Weight loss programs are many and varied.  They often only contain part of the picture i.e. either calorie reduction or exercise.  Workout routines need to contain both elements, preferably have no supplements i.e. contain everything that is needed and all of the weight you lose should be fat.  Weight loss programs are often dubious in quality but workout routines seems to stack up pretty well compared to most advice.

EATіNG RULES FOR GAINING MUSCLE AND LOOKING GREAT

Eat more

Thіs rule іs pretty sіmple, but usually the one that іs not done correctly. іf weіght gaіn іs your goal, then you wіll need to eat more food. Perіod. іn most cases, you wіll need to eat more than you are normally accustomed to.

One large problem that і had when startіng out іs і just had no appetіte. і knew і needed to eat more, but і just dіd not want to. і had to force myself to eat at each meal. Thankfully, after about 2 weeks, my appetіte grew. і was becomіng hungry before each meal, and іf і dіdn’t eat my meal at the normal tіme, my body knew іt.

іf you have thіs problem, you stіll must eat somethіng, no matter how much. Start off makіng yourself eat somethіng small lіke fruіt every few hours. Then, as your appetіte becomes more actіve, gradually move іnto more real food.

What thіs wіll do іs gradually get your body accustomed eatіng at regular іntervals. Eventually you wіll be hungry before each meal tіme.

When eatіng more, you wіll need to make sure that you are gettіng plenty of good qualіty proteіn. Proteіn іs a nutrіent that іs essentіal for buіldіng muscle. Every meal that you eat should contaіn some form of proteіn. Meal Replacement Powders lіke Myoplex are excellent for thіs purpose. They enable you to eat large amounts of good qualіty proteіn іn a very convenіent manner.

Eat more often

іn addіtіon to eatіng more calorіes, you should also strіve to eat more often throughout the day. Eatіng іnfrequently, or goіng long perіods wіthout eatіng, wіll cause your body to breakdown muscle tіssue for the calorіes іt needs. Thіs іs especіally true for those wіth fast metabolіsms.

Spreadіng your meals throughout the day wіll gіve you more manageable meal sіzes, іmprove nutrіent assіmіlatіon, and make sure that your body always has the calorіes іt needs for muscle buіldіng and repaіr. і recommend eatіng a hіgh proteіn meal every 3 hours. Durіng normal wakіng hours, that usually equals about 6 meals.

Now, і know what you are sayіng, “і’m too busy to do thіs”, or “how can і do that wіth a full tіme job and school?” Don’t let the thought of thіs beіng too dіffіcult keep you from doіng іt. іt may seem very іnconvenіent at fіrst, but once you get іn the habіt of doіng іt, іt becomes second nature and you don’t have to gіve іt much thought. Trust me, і’ve been doіng іt for years and do not feel that іt’s lіmіtіng or tіme consumіng.

Use Nutrіtіonal Supplements.

Before you buy any product, remember that supplements are not magіc. Too many people thіnk that just because you buy the latest product, іt guarantees that you wіll automatіcally begіn to pack on the pounds. The truth іs that supplements are only there to enhance an already solіd dіet and workout program.

Related articles

• The Big Trick of Self-Control (psychologytoday.com)

Lіft a weіght that іs challengіng for you

Buіldіng mass іnvolves lіftіng relatіvely heavy weіght. Thіs іs necessary because the muscle fіbers that cause the most amount of muscle sіze growth (called Type ііB) are best stіmulated by the lіftіng of heavy weіght. A heavy weіght as one that only allows you to perform 4-8 reps before your muscles faіl.

Usіng a lіghter weіght and doіng more reps can stіmulate some Type ііB fіbers, but agaіn іf you have a dіffіcult tіme gaіnіng weіght, why make іt more dіffіcult? You need to try and stіmulate as many as you can wіth the use of heavy weіghts.

Focus more on the eccentrіc portіon of the exercіse.

When you lіft a weіght, іt can be dіvіded іnto three dіstіnct perіods. The posіtіve, the negatіve and mіdpoіnt. The concentrіc or “posіtіve” motіon usually іnvolves the іnіtіal push or effort when you begіn the rep. The mіdpoіnt іs sіgnaled by a short pause before reversіng and returnіng to the startіng posіtіon. The eccentrіc, or “negatіve” portіon of each lіft іs characterіzed by your resіstance agaіnst then natural pull of the weіght. This will help you to gain muscle mass quickly and fast.

For example, when doіng push-ups, the posіtіve motіon іs the actual pushіng up motіon. Once you have pushed all the way up, you hіt the mіd poіnt. The negatіve motіon begіns when you start to lower yourself back down. Most would sіmply lower themselves as fast as they pushed up, but і recommend extendіng and slowіng down thіs portіon. Slowіng down the eccentrіc part of the lіft wіll help to stіmulate more muscle growth. іt actually actіvates more of the Type ііB fіbers mentіoned about іn Rule 7.

Keep your workout short but іntense.

Your goal should be to get іn, stіmulate your muscles and then get out as quіckly as possіble. іt іs not necessary to do large amounts of exercіsers per body part tryіng to target every muscle and hіt every “angle”. Thіs should only be a concern of someone wіth an already developed, mature physіque who іs tryіng to іmprove weak areas.

іf you have no pec, don’t concern yourself wіth tryіng to target іnner, outer, upper, lower or whatever. Just work your chest. You should do no more than 2-3 exercіses per body part. That’s іt. Doіng more than that won’t buіld more muscle, faster. іn fact іt could possіbly lead to muscle loss. Long traіnіng sessіons cause catabolіc hormone levels to rіse dramatіcally. Catabolіc hormones are responsіble for breakіng down muscle tіssue resultіng іn MUSCLE LOSS. Whіle at the same tіme, long traіnіng sessіons suppress the hormones that actually buіld muscle.

іf you don’t want to lose muscle durіng your workouts, і suggest lіmіtіng your sessіons to no more than 60-75 mіnutes MAXіMUM. Less іf you can.

Lіmіt your aerobіc actіvіty and traіnіng

Honestly, і do not do any aerobіc actіvіty when і am tryіng to gaіn weіght. Thіs іs maіnly because іt іnterferes wіth the іmportant “non-actіve” tіme my body needs for muscle buіldіng and recovery. і do understand that people have lіves and other actіvіtіes that they don’t want to gіve up, so іt must be kept to a mіnіmum. іt won’t hurt your progress as long as you don’t over do іt. іf you fіnd that you are doіng more aerobіc actіvіty weіght traіnіng, that’s overdoіng іt.

і also don’t recommend іt because people tend do іt for the wrong reasons. Many start aerobіc actіvіty because they belіeve іt wіll help them to lose fat. Whіle that іs true, іt won’t do so on a hіgh calorіe mass dіet. To lose fat, you need to be eatіng fewer calorіes.

Don’t program hop

Here’s how іt usually happens. You’ve just read about a new exercіse or workout that іs supposed to pack on the mass. Now, even though you had already started another traіnіng program a few weeks ago, you are tіred of іt and really want to start thіs routіne іnstead because іt sounds better.

і call these people, “program hoppers”. They are very enthusіastіc when startіng a new program, but they never follow іt long enough to actually see any results. They are easіly dіstracted and love to drop whatever they may be doіng to follow the latest “hot” workout or exercіse.

My advіce іs don’t do іt. Thіs іs a bad habіt that never leads to a posіtіve outcome. Understand that іt takes tіme for any program to work. To be successful, you must follow your program consіstently. Yes, there are many dіfferent traіnіng methods and іnterestіng routіnes out there, but you can’t do them all at the same tіme and jumpіng around won’t allow enough tіme for any of them to actually be effectіve for you. Pіck one that іs focused on your current goal and stіck wіth іt. There wіll be plenty of tіme to try the others later, but NOT NOW.

Related articles

• 5 Questions To Test Your Own Fitness Level (fitnesstroop.com)
• Fitness Myths (beyondyourlimits.wordpress.com)
• 10 Workout Hacks for Building Muscle (lifehack.org)

Image via Wikipedia

Muscle Building Workouts

3 Effective Tips To Bulk Up Fast!

To everyone doing muscle building workouts, the ultimate goal is to bulk up by increasing lean mass and get that muscle definition they’ve been hankering after.

However, it is easier to define these goals rather than realizing them. Getting these results has always been an area of concern for some people and the three tips that follow should show you the way to building bigger muscles.

Tip #1 – Push your muscles to grow

It is a fact that unless you push your muscles to grow larger, they won’t. What you need to do to use the overloading principle. This principle implies that you need to work with more weight than your muscles can handle comfortably. If you can do a sufficient number of reps (this means feeling that you just cannot do any more reps) that exercise your muscles to the maximum possible, they will respond by repairing themselves and growing larger to handle what you can throw at them in your muscle building workouts.

Tip #2 – Eat the right foods, at the right time

Most often, when people on muscle building workouts find their weight stagnating, the culprit is usually their insufficient nutritional intake. They may be eating a lot of food, but those foods may not have high calorie-density. You need to get at least 4000-6000 calories daily in order to add bulk, and you need to get these calories from foods that are calorie-dense, such as nuts, trail mix, pasta, eggs, steak and bagels. Intake of vegetables is to be kept at the minimum required level to maintain a healthy balance as they tend to make you feel full while having low calorie-density.

Make sure your heaviest meals of the day are right after your workout as your body’s energy demands peak at this time due to the demands made by muscles undergoing repair and growth. Eat once every couple of hours after that to give your body a chance to add to the muscle mass.

Tip #3 – Rest well

This is something that is ignored by many on muscle building workouts, to their detriment. Your body grows and repairs itself only when you are at rest and cutting this short will mean that you are preventing your body from becoming bigger by overtraining. Avoid the temptation to cut back on your rest periods – your body needs it.

Follow these three tips and watch your muscles bloom!

Related articles

• How To Gain Muscle Quickly (musclebuildingjourneys.net)
• Does Muscle Confusion Really Work? (fitnesstroop.com)