3 Muscle Gaining Tips Which Can Make Or Break Your Muscle Building Efforts

If you ever wandered around the net looking for muscle gaining tips, most of what you see has to do with weight lifting. Of course, that's the main thing when it comes to building muscles, but it's far from the only thing. In fact, some people who lift some very heavy loads at the gym fail to develop the lean, ripped, and pumped up body they desire simply because their out of the gym way of life destroys all their efforts at muscle building.

The things you do when you're not lifting weights are just as important as how you workout. Unless you assume the correct lifestyle, you will never develop your full potential muscle mass.

Here are 3 Muscle Gaining Tips:

1. Sleep - Research shows that most of us sleep too little. Lack of sleep can be very unhealthy, but it's beyond doubt devastating for anyone who wants to gain muscle weight. Why? Because our muscles develop in our sleep. That's right! If we don't sleep, we don't allow our muscle tissue to gr! ow, meaning that we're working out for nothing. Not only that, lack of sleep increases the chance of injury. You try sitting at home with a torn muscle or tendon inflammation and see how well that helps you to bulk up. So the 1st muscle building tip is to sleep at least 7 hours each night.

2. Eating a little many times a day - If you really want to add muscle mass, you should forget about eating 3 square meals a day. This archaic custom will not only hold you back in terms of gaining muscle mass, it can also make you fatter than you should be. This is because when we eat 3 meals a day, each meal tends to be a big one (especially if we try to bulk up and need to eat a lot). Our body simply can't handle such a heavy load of food at the same time. What happens is that our body doesn't even use a lot of the macronutrients that our muscle needs and gains fatty deposits. None of which is something you want. So the 2nd muscle gaining tip is to eat 5--6 small meals a day.

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3. Water, water, water - Everyone knows that you need to ea! t a lot in order to gain muscle tissue. Yet many aspiring muscle builders drink too little water each day. Drink between 8 - 12 glasses of water each day (don't go overboard with water to prevent water poisoning). This will keep your body from dehydrating and your overall bodily functions working at top level. So the 3rd muscle building tips is to not forget to drink enough water.

I hope these 3 tips will help you in your quest to build your muscles. Remember, this is a process, not a one time thing. But if you take it seriously, you will improve how you look and feel.

Click here to read more about building muscles tips

To read about the top muscle building programs, click here: Muscle Building Programs Review.

John Davenport writes extensively on diet and fitness issues. His articles have been featured on many in! ternet websites. Click here to read his review of muscle building: How To Gain Muscle Fast.

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Weight Loss Diet

Why the Big Muscle Look is Dead in Hollywood

The Leading Man in Hollywood is Now Slim and Toned, Not Bulky!

Remember back in the 80's when Arnold Schwarzenegger was the big action star? He was huge. He basically brought bodybuilding to the mainstream and influenced an entire generation of young guys to want to get as big and muscular as possible. It started with Conan, then the Terminator, Commando, Predator, Twins, and many more action flicks.

The Big Muscle Look Began to Die in the Late 90's.

You see, although many guys wanted to get as big as possible, women had a different idea of what looked great. They wanted their men to look good in dress clothes as well as with their shirts off. Women are physically attracted to the "GQ" look or lean and slim toned guys, not massive freaky muscular guys. If you ever have seen a soap opera, you will notice that all of the men have average amounts of muscle but with exceptional muscle tone.

1999, the Year Fight Club Came Out, Was The O! fficial Death of the Massive Look

For years during the big muscle era, women kept trying to tell guys that they were more interested in muscle definition and not into the bodybuilder look. Guys didn't really listen until 1999, when Fight Club came out. Brad Pitt finally showed the masses of guys out there that being ultra-lean with a normal build is more bad-ass looking than being huge and bulky. Brad's character, Tyler Durden, was able to get a "hip" funky look, but had amazing muscle definition when he took his shirt off. This is a winning combination with the ladies and all actors are striving for this look.

Since the late 90's, Many Hollywood Actors Have Begun to Slim Down

Remember how big The Rock used to be? He is now MUCH lighter and looks great. What about Mark Wahlberg or Ryan Reynolds? Both of these guys have really slimmed down and have the sleek and toned look instead of being bulky. Same with Matt Damon. More recently Will Smith rea! lly slimmed down for his role in "I am Legend". He had to get ! big and bulky for "Ali", but dropped a lot of that mass and really cleaned up his physique for his newest role.

Are You "Still" Trying to Get Massive?

Being big and massive is a great way to impress guys in the gym, but won't get you far with women. There is simply a "cheesiness" factor once you get too big. You can't really achieve a hip look and clothes don't fit well. Ever see a professional football player or professional wrestler in a suit? They look stupid. If you want to be more attractive to the opposite sex, then you may reconsider your goal of getting big muscles. Opt for the lean athletic look instead.

About the Author: Rusty Moore is a trainer who gives advice to men and women who want a body that attracts the opposite sex. Don't train to be bulky! Learn the Workout Routines of Hollywood's finest and get lean and sexy instead. Visit his site today...Fitness Black Book

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Calories Weight Loss

Basic Training For Big, Muscular Shoulders

The web is full of armchair "gurus" promising quick and easy paths to bodybuilding success. With stock "inspirational" photos and canned promises to transform your body in a few days, this worthless hype never tells you the stone cold truth that bodybuilding success requires personal commitment and dedicated training.

In this article, I'll give you the basics of how to build big, muscular shoulders naturally with committed and disciplined training. As a preliminary matter, you must understand the muscles that comprise your shoulders. Your shoulders consist mainly of the trapezius and deltoid muscle groups. The trapezius or "traps" are the two large triangular shaped muscles that run across each shoulder from the back of your neck. Your deltoids or "delts" are the thick, triangular shaped muscles that cover your shoulder joints at the top of each arm. Since space is limited, I won't delve into the kinesiology of these muscle groups. But for a truly awesome physique, ! suffice it to say that you certainly need superior trap and deltoid development.

Warming Up

One of the most important elements of any weight lifting activity is preparing your body for the work ahead. Before starting your shoulder workouts you must make sure that you warm up properly. Given the risk of rotator cuff injury, this portion of your shoulder training is absolutely essential. You should warm up by gently stretching and flexing the deeply embedded muscles and tendons you'll use during your shoulder workouts.

I recommend that you warm up with 1 or 2 sets of front and/or rear military presses prior your shoulder training sessions. For each exercise, the weight should be extremely light so as to provide only minimal resistance. A good rule of thumb for your warm up exercises is to use weight that allows you to complete 15 or 20 repetitions with minimal effort.

Even if you're starting your shoulder training after you've trained other body parts,! don't be fooled into thinking that you're already "warmed up"! and tha t your shoulders are ready for an intense workout. Also, make sure that you warm up slowly and with the same attention to proper training technique that you'll use in your work sets. Remember, a few minutes devoted to warming up is time well spent as this preliminary exercise can prevent muscle pain or serious injury.

The Pyramid Principle

When you begin training your shoulders, you'll need to discover how much weight you must lift to stimulate maximum growth. The absolute amount of weight will vary with each exercise according to your strength and endurance levels. Having said this, there are certain shoulder exercises that you shouldn't perform with heavy weight or use for building mass. These exercises include the various front, side and rear lateral raises that put intensely isolated resistance on the anterior, medial and posterior deltoid heads. This intense isolation is very effective for adding shape and muscularity to your shoulders. But due to the risk o! f injury, you should avoid using these exercises as mass builders for your traps and delts. Moderate poundage with strict technique is sufficient to gain strength and shape from the various lateral raises.

To build shoulder mass you should instead do seated front and rear military presses, seated dumbbell presses, seated dumbbell rows, upright rows and, for additional trap development, deadlifts. As a guideline to the relative amount of weight that you should use to stimulate muscle growth, I've found that 70-85 percent of my "one-rep" maximum with proper technique is best for these purposes. In other words, if your one-rep maximum for the seated front military press is 100 pounds, you should initially complete your work sets with weight ranging from 70 to 85 pounds.

During the mass building phase of your shoulder workouts, the "pyramid principle" requires you to progressively increase the amount of weight lifted during your work sets. As you increase the amount! of weight, you decrease the number of repetitions performed i! n each s et. A sample pyramid set for doing seated front military presses with a one-rep maximum of 100 pounds would be the following:

Set #1 - 10 reps x 70 pounds;
Set #2 - 8 reps x 75-80 pounds;
Set #3 - 6 reps x 80-85 pounds;
1-rep maximum - 100 pounds.

If you can't work with 70-85 percent of your one-rep maximum at the beginning of your mass building program, don't worry about it. Just find an amount of weight that challenges you to complete 10, 8 and 6 repetitions and gradually increase the resistance from that point. You don't need to try a one-rep maximum lift in every workout, but this "power-check" allows you to monitor your strength increases and ensure that you're using enough weight during your work sets.

When your one-rep maximum increases or you find that you can do more than 10, 8 or 6 reps as you pyramid through your work sets, then it's time to increase the amount of weight for each of these sets to continue stimulating muscle growth. Th! e pyramid principle is simple and essential to building big, muscular shoulders. You should apply it throughout the mass building phase of your shoulder training efforts.

Mark G. Winston, "The Master Gunslinger," is author of the ground-breaking training manual, "GO For Your GUNS - 7 Simple Secrets to AWESOME ARMS." He has also created GOforyourGUNS.com, a bodybuilding and fitness website dedicated entirely to helping you build big, muscular arms. Mark's forthcoming book will be jammed with workouts and training techniques to help you build the big, muscular arms that you deserve! To learn about the GO For Your GUNS bodybuilding system and get free arm training tips that really work, visit http://www.GOforyourGUNS.com

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Fast Weight Loss

How To Build Big, Muscular Shoulders With Isolation Workout Techniques

When you're out in a muscle tee or tank top, your arms aren't the only body part on display. To look your best, you need well developed shoulders to top off your biceps and triceps. Isolation shoulder training is designed to force the targeted muscle, in this case your deltoids, to perform with minimal assistance from other muscle groups. Seated military presses and dumbbell presses are examples of isolation exercises that, when performed correctly, are very effective for building big, muscular delts.

On the other hand, compound exercises encourage simultaneous and coordinated work between various muscle groups. For example, deadlifts and Olympic lifts like the snatch and clean and jerk illustrate compound weightlifting movements that enlist some power from the shoulders. While these compound movements excel for sport specific conditioning and building overall body strength, isolation training will stimulate maximum growth of the deltoid area.

For example, I r! ecommend seated front and rear military presses for adding mass to the anterior and medial heads of the deltoids. Though these exercises are very effective when done properly, I frequently see beginning bodybuilders wasting valuable gym time doing them incorrectly. The most common mistake with seated military and/or dumbbell presses is jerking the weight overhead by arching the back or raising the hips from the seat. The whole point of sitting with lower back support to do these exercises is to force the shoulders - namely the anterior and medial deltoids - to power the weight upward without help from the rest of the body. Raising the hips and arching the back not only risks hyperextension of the spine or other injury, but it also defeats the exercise's intended effect.

Seated military and dumbbell presses are designed to build massive delts by isolating resistance on these muscles as much as possible with strict training technique. Such technique requires the control! led pressing of the weight overhead with your butt planted fir! mly on t he seat and your lower back pressed safely against a chair back. Jerking the weight overhead with bodyweight assistance deprives the delts of the work they need to grow and simply wastes time.

While no one would purposely waste time with ineffective workouts, many beginning bodybuilders just don't know how to properly perform isolation training for their delts. Additionally, such beginners are notoriously impatient and they often don't understand that building a truly awesome physique is a process, not an event. As a result, too many beginners start out working with poundage that is too heavy to handle without cheating on training technique.

It's true that progressively increasing your weight resistance in the military and dumbbell presses is essential to building big, muscular delts. But you shouldn't try to work with more weight than you can lift naturally and with proper training technique. Remember, you're not in competition with anyone besides yourself when ! it comes to maximizing your bodybuilding potential. And the only person who loses if you cheat on your isolation training technique is you! So don't worry about impressing or keeping up with anybody else - especially if you're just starting out. Use safe amounts of weight with proper technique and you'll soon build the big, muscular shoulders that you deserve.

Mark G. Winston, "The Master Gunslinger," is author of the ground-breaking training manual, "GO For Your GUNS - 7 Simple Secrets to AWESOME ARMS." He has also created GOforyourGUNS.com, a bodybuilding and fitness website dedicated entirely to helping you build big, muscular arms. Mark's forthcoming book will be jammed with workouts and training techniques to help you build the big, muscular arms that you deserve! To learn about the GO For Your GUNS bodybuilding system and get free arm training tips that really work, visit http://www.GOforyourGUNS.com

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Weight Loss

Get Flat Stomach - Learn the Methods

We all feel that it is a lost cause and that it is difficult to get a flat stomach but simple exercises and healthy diet will get you on your way. For starters, get a pen a paper or in todays world your computer and start making a plan. The question you need to ask is whether you are willing to put in effort to get a flat stomach. Unfortunately, with no action your body will not change so be prepared to give yourself some time to help you achieve the body you desire.

Now lets look at ways you can achieve this - firstly it is important to get your diet sorted out.

A balanced diet is very important and it should consist of healthy fats, lean protein and also carbohydrates. Examples of carbs are sweet potatoes, brown rice and also oatmeal. You will get protein by eating fish, chicken and read meat. Eating fruits is good but remember that they also contain natural sugar.

Some basic weight training will also help you get a flat stomach and you should try to m! ake your workouts last between fifteen to thirty minutes. Try not to just concentrate on only weight training although this should also form part of your plan.

Finally you should also take count of the number of calories you consume each day. There is a very simple calculation where you multiple your body weight by twelve. This will give you the number of calories that you eat each day. Pick a day of the week and eat an additional 200 calories. This will speed up your metabolic rate.

What I am saying here is based on the type of food I have recommended. This does not mean you eat unhealthy food.

Remember, to get a flat stomach can be achieved but you will need to put in some effort.

Are you looking for ways to change the shape of your body?

Do you want to know how to get flat stomach then click here

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play games online

How I Built 20-Inch Arms Naturally - And You Can Too

I've learned that when seeking bodybuilding advice, I always gain the most from someone who's actually accomplished whatever it is that I'm trying to do. Any armchair guru can read a book and "talk the talk," but experience counts and I always get the best advice from a teacher who's "walked the walk." When it comes to building massive arms naturally, I've done it - and that means that I'm sharing knowledge with you based on years of personal experience that produced my 20-inch GUNS.

How I Did It

When I first started training my arms, I used 4-week periodization mesocycles in which I changed my arm training workouts about once per month. At the end of each cycle, I would take about 7-10 days off from specifically training my arms with weights so that they could rest during a period which is commonly referred to as "active recovery."

During this active recovery phase, I'd do bodyweight training like triceps pushups, chin ups and other calisthenics that ke! pt my arms active but didn't require them to work as hard as they do during weight training. After the active recovery period, I'd return to the weights with a completely different arm workout for another 4-week mesocycle followed by an active recovery period. Here's a short list of the foundational exercises I used in the early stages of my arm building efforts.

1. EZ Bar Preacher Curls

The preacher bench is a terrific training tool as it forces the biceps to work in relative isolation from the back and shoulders. Preacher curls require strict technique that forces your biceps to provide the leverage needed to lift the weight. The EZ Bar offers both narrow-grip and wide-grip hand positions. Using the narrow-grip position puts primary stress on the outer portion or long head of the biceps. Curling the EZ Bar with a wide grip emphasizes power needed from the inner portion or short head of the biceps. To build balanced muscularity in my biceps, I've been careful t! o use both the narrow and wide grip when doing this exercise.

2. Dumbbell Preacher Curls

Many competitive bodybuilders use this exercise exclusively as a "shaper" during pre-contest training. For me, the dumbbell preacher curl worked as a tremendous mass builder when used in a pyramid cycle. In fact, I used this exercise as a high intensity training movement to simultaneously add size and shape to my biceps. This exercise really helped me to make the mind-body connection so essential to arm-building success.

3. Seated Alternating Dumbbell Curls

This exercise is one of the best biceps builders ever as long as you sit on a bench that has a back rest to prevent torso movement. Too many people do this exercise either standing or sitting on a bench without back support. In order to make sure that your biceps get the most work from this movement you must stabilize your torso so as to prevent any jerking motion. Also, remember to supinate your hands throughout each repetition to stimulate maximum growth for your biceps.

! 4. EZ Bar Triceps Extensions

This exercise, also known as "Skull crushers" is great for building thick, dense triceps. For maximum growth, I kept my upper arms in a position perpendicular (90 degrees) to the exercise bench throughout each repetition. This position can sometimes cause elbow strain or discomfort that I avoided by moving my arms slightly forward to lower the resistance angle and reduce stress on my elbows. Making this minor adjustment as needed didn't impede the effectiveness of this exercise, and I still use it as a triceps builder.

5. Seated Triceps Dips

Seated triceps dips are another terrific triceps builder, yet I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen anyone doing them in the gym. Maybe people ignore them because, like triceps pushups, they look too simple to do any good. Well, the proof, as they say, is in the pudding, and seated triceps dips certainly added power and density to my triceps. When I was a beginner, this exer! cise was very effective with my bodyweight alone. But as my tr! aining a nd strength progressed, I added weight by doing these dips with 1 or 2 barbell plates on my lap. The result? T-shirt bustin' GUNS, baby!

6. Single-Arm Triceps Extensions

Though it's possible to build mass with this exercise, the over-head arm position prevented me from using sufficient weight to generate the type of power and mass-building potential available from Skull crushers and seated dips. So I used this exercise primarily as a shaping movement. You should experiment with it in a manner that gives you the best results. Again, I don't recommend using heavy weight with this movement because of the risk of shoulder injury. Consistent use of light-to-moderate weight provided great results for me from this triceps shaper.

For workout variety, I initially changed my workouts by simply doing different exercises for my arms in each successive mesocycle. Simply changing my workouts every 4 weeks with these exercises worked well for the first few months. But I ! soon learned that my mind and body adapted very quickly to any arm training workout and I needed more variety in order to see gains in my arm development.

I then shortened my training periods to 1-2 week microcycles and made other periodic changes to my arm workouts that included creating my own exercise movements and training system [e.g., my signature Piston Curls, Winston Hammer Curls and Machine Gun Curls]. I also developed hundreds of workouts specifically designed to continuously shock and stimulate my arms for constant growth. With this approach, I ultimately built the CANNONS that now burst from my shirtsleeves!

But can you do this? Well, if you've read my other articles on building big, muscular arms, you already know my answer to this question - of course you can! And don't use "bad genetics" as an easy excuse to give up before you even get started. Experiment with different workouts, find a system that works for your body type, and just keep pumping t! hose GUNS. Make sure that you use proper training technique an! d stay m entally focused on success. You must also commit yourself to constantly learning and looking for new workouts that challenge your arms to grow. If I could do it - you can too!

Mark G. Winston, "The Master Gunslinger," is author of the ground-breaking training manual, "GO For Your GUNS - 7 Simple Secrets to AWESOME ARMS." He has also created GOforyourGUNS.com, a bodybuilding and fitness website dedicated entirely to helping you build big, muscular arms. Mark's forthcoming book will be jammed with workouts and training techniques to help you build the big, muscular arms that you deserve! To learn about the GO For Your GUNS bodybuilding system and get free arm training tips that really work, visit http://www.GOforyourGUNS.com

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About Weight Loss Diets

How to Gain the Bodybuilding Workout Routines Effectively

The following article includes relevant information that may root you to re-evaluate what you notion implicit. The most important thing is to learn with an open mind and be willing to modify your perceptive if necessary.

Whether you are looking for a bodybuilding workout routine to prepare for competition or simply one that will help you to reclaim the muscular body of your youth, you will need to find a program that will be tailored to your unique situation and goals. There are plenty of options for resources, from your local gym to Internet sites, but how do you know which routine will work the best for you? Sometimes it can be a matter of trial and error to develop a workout routine that you enjoy and that gives you the desired results. However, there are a few basic guidelines in weight training that will help to get you started.

Beginner Bodybuilders

If you are just beginning a bodybuilding workout routine, your first step should be into your doctor! 's office to ensure that you are healthy enough for this type of workout. Your doctor can also advise you as to the best choices in workout for you. Your next step should be to your local gym or fitness center to find a personal trainer that can help you to tailor a program to your unique needs and goals. You do not have to continue to work with the trainer indefinitely, but a few sessions will ensure that you are working on a good program, and that you are performing the individual exercises properly.

While it may be tempting to jump into a daily workout routine to see results as quickly as possible, keep in mind that even the most experienced bodybuilders do not pick up weights every day. It is best to give your muscles 24 hours in between workouts to rest and recover. You may think that it's okay to work your shoulders one day, your triceps the next and your chest the following day, but in reality, your triceps are working overtime since they are needed for all thr! ee of these muscle groups. Some weight lifters will do the upp! er body exercises on one day and the lower body the next. This works well for those with limited time, but a full workout every other day is generally the preferred program for most bodybuilders.

Advanced Techniques

Once you have gotten into the groove of a good workout, keep in mind that you are going to want to modify that program every four to six weeks. This will ensure that your muscles continue to be challenged to their peak efficiency, and that muscle mass will continue to grow. Once your repetitions become too easy to complete, it is time to up the weight amount and the difficulty of your workout. A good series will include some easy repetitions at the beginning of the set, and some very challenging ones at the end. If you are having difficulty completing the last couple of lifts, you are probably right on target with your program.

Now you can be a convinced on bodybuilding programs and you should have something to bring to the table next time you join a di! scussion.

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All About Weight Loss

Five Reasons Your Weight Lifting Program Sucks

When you workout you want to know your weight lifting program is effective. Most of all you want to see the positive results of your labor and your efforts, as soon as possible.

If this weren't so you would not look in the mirror so darn much. Let's face it, your weight lifting program needs to be scrapped if you don't see a significant change within about a month or so. You may also end up asking yourself... "What does work?"

The real problem with any of these common weight lifting programs, especially those copied out of a magazine or just thrown together is that they lack significant formula to really get your muscles growing. There is a formula to muscle growth and since all of our bodies are made in the same way, we all can positively reap the benefits of a properly composed weight lifting program. That's great news!

Here then are five reasons most people's weight lifting program is not effective in helping to gain the beefy muscle they want.

! 1. Too much time in the gym. (over training, not using time wisely) 2. Isolation exercises (a mass growth limiter) 3. Too many exercises and or reps (another part of over training) 4. Not enough Rest (One of the most important growth factors) 5. Not enough Intensity (muscles must be torn in order to repair and grow)

These are five of the most common muscle growth killers. As long as you can recognize this, you can adjust accordingly and make your gains appear faster.

You should not spend more than a maximum amount of about 45 min. in the gym and that may even be starting to push it. I'm not kidding. It may sound ridiculous but we're so used to the 2 hour workouts that 45 min. seems like a joke at first for an effective weight lifting program... until you increase the intensity.

Isolation exercises should be avoided at all costs while your jouney to bulk up is underway. Your weight lifting program should pretty much take you back to basics with the kind of ! exercises you need:

Flat Bench / Incline / Decline Uprig! ht Row / Seated / Barbell Stiff and bent leg Dead lifts Leg Press / Squat ... etc.

Stop trying to do so many exercises in one session because it allows you to easily overtrain. There is a reason for sticking to a short workout and it also has to do with how your body releases chemicals and when you need to stop the intensity, take in certain nutrition etc. Follow the "formula".

Not enough rest - Not enough rest - Not enough rest... did I say that most people don't get enought rest? This point cannot be stressed further. We grow during the downtime and resting phase NOT when we work out. The workout in our weight lifting program is like the striking of the match and lighting the dynamite. The resting is like the burning and sparking before the eventual explosion of muscle growth through healing and recuperation .

The Formula Consists of : - Intensity - rest - replenish - heal - GROWTH!

The intensity it takes to tear muscle is not to be taken lightly. Before ea! ch exercise you should plan a clandestine attack of epic proportions on each of the muscle groups being exercised during that session. By the time you leave the gym you should have hit failure on each exercise in a well thought out strike against your muscle tissue. "Hit it, hit it hard and quit it!" is a good moto to go by. Last but not least QUIT NEGLECTING YOUR LEGS!

Effective weight lifting programs don't grow on trees.

Take up more space, get big, Dan Gonzalez DansReviews.com/musclegaintruth

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Hair Loss Articles

Natural Body Building - The Exact Meaning of Natural Body Building

Natural body building refers to a category of body building among the different types such as teenage and female, without the use of steroids. As the very name suggests natural body building organizations do not promote the use of artificial body muscle enhancers like anabolic steroids and growth hormones by the contestants of their competitions. The men and women who use these types of artificial muscle enhancers will not be permitted by these organisations to participate in the competitions.

The contestants of body building competitions under the organisations will be subjected to medical examinations to rule out the possibility of the usage of banned supplements by them. If any of the illegal substances are found in the body of any of the competitor in the drug testing, he will be banned from participating in the future contests of the organisation.

Drug testing of the contestants will normally be conducted by examining the urine samples of the contestants.! Some time these organisations opt for a less expensive polygraph test or a lie detecting test instead of the urine examination.

There exists no uniform law that decides as to what constitutes an illegal substance to prevent the contestant from participating in a competition. A substance that is considered as illegal by an organisation or a federation of natural body building need not be considered as an illegal substance by another organisation. It all depends on the rules of the different federations of natural body building. Like wise the list of illegal substances need not only be the substances that are illegal under the law of the relevant jurisdiction.

Anabolic steroids, pro hormone and diuretics are the common substances that are banned by such organisations including North American Natural Body Building Federation (NANBF) and Natural Physique Association (NPA).

Drug testing of these natural federations will normally be organised at national level.! National drug or anti-doping bodies that organised under the ! auspices of World Anti- doping Agency (WADA) are often entrusted by these organisations to conduct the drug test on the participants of body building competitions. These anti-doping agencies approved by the natural body building federations include Australian Sports Anti Doping Authority (ASADA) and New Zealand Sports Drug Agency (NZSDA).

Like IFBB natural body building organisations also conduct a number of body building competitions where a contestant can acquire the rank of natural professional body builder.

For your free course teaching you exactly how to succeed with bodybuilding using simple and effective bodybuilding nutrition and workout simply go to http://bodybuilding-guru.com

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Top 10 tips articles

The Best Exercise To Lose Fat And Gain Muscle Mass Fast

A lot of people want to re-engineer their body and most of the time they want to do two things in one they want to lose fat and at the same time they want to gain muscle mass. With reading this article you are not an exception there are millions of people worldwide who want to do it. The problem is that most people don't know where to start. A lot of people are working on their body every single day and some of them can't see results because they do it wrong. In the next few minutes you discover the best exercise to lose fat and gain muscle mass. Yes this method is not for lazy people you will have to train but I promise you that you will be very happy with the results.

One if not the most effective exercises to achieve both goals is weight lifting. Weight lifting is a very broad topic so it is almost impossible to write down all the aspects of it in a single book and certainly not in a single article. A lot of people know already that weight li! fting is a great exercise to gain muscle mass but few know that it is excellent to lose fat fast as well.If you train with weights you increase your lean body mass index and this increase your metabolic rate. So you burn more calories when you are at rest (basal metabolic rate).Even if your goal is only fat loss training with weight is highly recommended. If you follow a diet you will lose muscle mass and your resting metabolic rate will increase so the result is that you burn fewer calories.

An excellent weight lifting workout has a duration between thirty and forty-five minutes but don't try to train more then sixty minutes in one session. But weight lifting is not alone to re-engineer your body you must do cardio exercises as well. The best way to achieve the best results is to split your cardio and weight lifting workouts. You can do cardio in the morning I recommend do it before breakfast and in the afternoon or in the evening you can train with weight. Perhaps s! plitting your workouts up is not practical for you then you it! is reco mmended to do cardio training after your weight lifting session. The only problem you may have is that the workouts can become very boring. I would say try do some variations in your exercises with a little bit surfing on the internet it is not hard to find thirty or more exercises for the triceps alone.

I'm sure it is clear to you that weight lifting is one of the best ways to lose fat and gain muscle. Keep in mind achieving these two goals can't be done by a wonder pill or a wonder tool but with the right education and goal setting you can have your dream body.

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Alternative Medicine Articles

What is a Hardgainer?

If you've been weight training for some time without much success, you may think your genes are just not cut out for muscle building. You may have heard the term and thought it applied to you quite well. But is there really such thing as a hardgainer?

If you've spent some considerable time trying to build a more muscular appearance but haven't had much success, you may be tempted to label yourself as a hardgainer. Your colleagues in the gym may have even given this label to you. Is there really such thing as a hardgainer?

The debate between nurture vs. nature has been going on for a long time, and many have gone so far as to blame their entire circumstances on their genetic inheritance or their upbringing. It might be tempting to blame all your failures on genetics. However, before we start to blame our parents for the genes that they passed on to us, we may want to take a minute and examine our actions that have led to failure. It may be true that some indivi! duals were born with a genetic advantage in certain areas. Certainly some individuals possess greater intelligence than others, and it seems fairly obvious that some trainees have a strong tendency to gain muscle with less effort. Should you give up because of this? I don't think so.

You may have to accept the reality that gaining muscle is not going to be a walk in the park for you, and you probably need to forget about those guys that seem to make progress almost effortlessly. If you're willing to make the commitment to obtain the right knowledge, and if you accept the possibility that you'll need to work a little harder than the next guy, you will be able to make significant gains. You need to take on a challenging program of progressive strength training along with an adequate weight gain diet.

You must change your attitude and believe that you can gain muscle. Believe it or not, your way of thinking can dramatically influence your results in the gym. If you! enter a weightlifting program with the idea that you're not g! oing to succeed, you've already limited your results from the very beginning. Every obstacle will seem greater until it appears to be insurmountable. You will stop looking for creative ways to solve your problems because you've already told yourself that it can't be done. So what's the solution? First, drop the title of hardgainer. Then get yourself in a comprehensive muscle building program designed to build massive gains as quickly and naturally as possible.

Download our free report on how to avoid the top 20 mistakes in the gym. Visit our web site to learn the most effective hardgainer workout to gain muscle naturally. Brought to you by Jcardozium.

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Weight Loss

Teen Bodybuilding - The Latest Upcoming Trend Is Teen Bodybuilding

Following their role models in movies and sports teenage people also start showing interest in bodybuilding activities. Toady bodybuilding is a separate category that constitutes the young teenagers who show interest in bodybuilding. To encourage these people bodybuilding organisations have started to conduct separate competitions for teen bodybuilders. The present celebrity bodybuilders such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lee Priest and Jay Cutler started participating in competitions while they were in their teenage.

The work out of the teen bodybuilders consists of weight exercises such as pull ups, chin ups, push ups, dips and hyperextensions. To start with the exercise, a teenager should first make sure whether his body is strong enough to endure the strong and rigorous weight exercises involved in the process.

If you are a teenager who is interested in bodybuilding, as the first step try to understand the four basic concepts involved in the bodybuilding proce! ss. Nutrition, supplementation, the effectiveness of lifting the weight and the overall recovery are the four basic concepts of a teen bodybuilding just like that of an adult bodybuilder.

The process of teen bodybuilding consists of two stages. The first stage that is known as bulk up stage is meant to increase the muscle mass and body fat of the person undergoing the weight exercise or bodybuilding.

The second phase of a bodybuilding is known as contest preparation. At contest preparation more attention will be given to maintain as much muscle as is possible. To increase muscle definition the excess fat in the body should be reduced by following a proper diet suitable for body development.

A teenager undergoing teen bodybuilding should be extra cautious about what he is eating every day. The food that he takes should compliment the muscle development of the body. The bulk up stage of bodybuilding may require five to six meals per day to build more muscle ! mass in the body. At the same time he should be careful to avo! id foods that are too fatty from his daily diet.

Increasing the level of protein intake can be suggested as a best method to increase the muscle growth for a bodybuilder. Experts suggest taking one gram of protein per pound of the body weight a teen bodybuilder like to reach.

He can also take supplements to enhance the muscle growth. Every one who wants to be a bodybuilder should follow an effective weight exercise to tone up the developed muscles in his body. For that he could seek the assistance of an expert trainer.

For your free course teaching you exactly how to succeed with bodybuilding using simple and effective bodybuilding nutrition and workout simply go to http://bodybuilding-guru.com

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play games online

Curls - The Proper Way

I want to give you some advice regarding working out with weights. There are some old myths and "old school" teaching that is wrong and less productive. First of all, full range of motion is not the best way to workout on most exercises. Full range of motion puts enormous stress on the joints and many injuries have occurred because of this. Also, using full range of motion causes you to rest at the end of a (rep) repetition or half way through a rep.

I have seen guys in the gym doing all kinds of weird exercises with weights and machines. It looks like they make up their own stuff sometimes and I'm afraid they're going to get hurt. I have to hold in the laughter at times when I notice someone doing strange, distorted movements. I try not to interfere with someone else's workouts but I am often tempted to correct them because it looks like they are going to get hurt.

If you want to lose body fat fast, the best way to workout is to do short and intense workouts ! rather than long drawn out workouts with "endless sets" and "endless reps". Now, you can lose weight doing long workouts but if you go too long you can actually begin "eating away at your muscles" and you do not want that. Two to three sets per exercise should be plenty, resting one or two minutes between sets, just long enough to catch your breath. If you are doing heavy squats or leg presses for your legs or dead lifts then you will need to rest a little longer between sets - maybe 2 to 3 minutes. If you are more advanced two to three sets per exercise and two or three exercises per body part should be enough. You have to find your range. You do not want to over train but you do not want to under train either.

By the way, muscles can't count. (I know this may surprise you but they really can't). There is no magical number of reps (repetitions) to perform. You need to do just enough to where you're "squeezing out" the last one or two reps. However, one thing to use a! s a general guide here is that if you can do less than 6 reps ! you migh t want to lower the weight a little. If you can do more than 12 reps you might want to increase the weight a little. But it's still better to do 3 reps to failure than to do 6 to 12 reps too easily. You need to put added stress on your muscles or they will simply adapt to the stress they're already used to and remain the same. When I see guys doing endless sets with light weight and never adding that extra rep or that extra 5 pounds or they go through the motion too fast and sloppy I know that they are just wasting their time. It will work for a beginner because just about anything will bring some progress at first because he is going from nothing to something. But after awhile he will need to put more stress on his muscles in order to continue making progress.

Take the curl for example. If you lower the bar all the way down, not only are you resting for a second or two at the bottom of the movement but you are putting undue stress on your joints. The stress needs to s! tay on your biceps not your joints. Also, you are resting at the top of the curl if you curl the bar all the way up. The effective range of motion for a curl should begin with your arms slightly bent, then raising the bar for about two seconds and ending with the forearms bent just a little higher than parallel. Now, lower the bar for a count of about three seconds until your arms are slightly bent again. The same principle applies to most other exercises as well. Build your muscles, save your joints! It is a whole lot better to use a heavier weight using partial range of motion. Full range may sound good but it is not logical and it is not safe, especially as you age. It is better for you to do few sets and reps with intensity than to do too many sets and reps sloppily, straining the joints instead of the muscles.

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All About Weight Loss

Battle Holiday Cravings to Maintain Healthy Body

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Yes, indeed. Everybody is in a rush this holiday season and since there are a list of errands to accomplish, meetings and dinner to attend to, people to catch up with and gifts to buy; we all skip the usual exercises for a healthy body.

This is what happens usually when the year comes to an end and approaches a brand new year. All the hard work we have done to maintain a great figure and healthy body is put on pedestal because of the holiday rush. Come new year, majority of us fall prey on the so-called "revolutionary" method of losing weight and staying fit. This attitude have become a habit and it does more harm to us than good. The exercise routine of the previous year is easily forgotten and we allow ourselves to divert focus on what's new since "new" is said to be better. We then blame it to the several parties and dinner we attended to but we have nobody else to blame but ourselves.

Why not maintain the healthy w! ay of staying fit? Bodybuilders need to give more focus on this matter because it is not an ideal pattern of building muscles and maintaining it. If you can help it, plan your day or week ahead before it happens. This way, you will know what to expect and have the courage to say no to another helping.

To avoid the rush of the day, do exercises in the morning when everything is calm and laid back. Be sure though that your morning does not mean 9 or 10 am. Wake up early enough to compete ahead of the day's demands so you can enjoy your morning exercises well.

Since the rush hour is going to take longer than expected this holiday, you really don't have the time to drive all the way to the gym. Not a problem, you can create a home gym where you can do all your set of exercises and reps freely.

And at parties or dinner, to avoid eating too much; you may want to eat ahead of the event. Eat what you need for the day so you feel full when you get to the venue and ! don't stuff your tummy with too much calories. This way, you d! on't hav e to refuse an invitation and still, enjoy your nights with friends. Discipline yourself and be wise enough to know what you are facing the holiday so by next year, you have nothing to regret.

Shareen Aguilar is a writer for Bodybuilding Training Program which has information on Bodybuilding and other fitness topics.

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Weight Loss Blog

What Exactly Are The Best Weight Gain Supplements

A lot of weight gain supplements that are in the market do not work, there's only a few that actually do. There are a few supplements that I have taken that I fully endorse, don't get me wrong, but there are a lot of sales pitches around from big multi-million companies and people are falling for them and it needs to stop.

You can search around the net or in the shops to find the best weight gain supplements for each goal you have, whether it be losing fat, gaining muscle, or gaining weight.

Some of the best weight gain supplements I've tried and have been successful with are:

DHEA - DHEA is an acronym for the hormone dehydroepiandrosterone.

In men 50% of testosterone comes from DHEA and it's the most plentiful androgenic hormone that is produced by the adrenal glands. As you can see it's very important to bodybuilders and athletes alike, women even get 75% of their estrogen from it, and it goes upto nearly 100% after menopause.

Your l! evels of DHEA are very high at birth, they drop through childhood, and peak to their highest levels during young childhood. After that the levels continue to drop throughout life. Luckily however this product is available in supplement form. As a building block hormone it is proven to help towards the production of several other hormones as well, and it's been shown to help people lose weight, burn fat, and build muscle.

Using DHEA as a dietary supplement will help maintain adequate levels in the body and improve a person's general well being. Medical professionals in America have discovered that DHEA levels in people who are depressed are lower than in those of a normal mental state, and when given DHEA supplements it reportedly improved their state of mind. There are plenty of good names for DHEA, some what I use and have used are; AST DHEA, Ultimate Nutrition DHEA, and High Power DHEA.

Protein - This supplement is one of the major nutrients responsible! for growth and repair of muscles. People who lift weights and! are und ergoing heavy training will need more protein than the average person. Protein should be the number one nutrient taken for people who are trying to build muscle and gain weight.

There are several different protein sources you can buy, some of the best I recommend are whey, casein, and soy. Whey is well and truly the best protein available for the body as it utilizes it better than any other.

Some of the best protein brands I know are Best Isopure, Optimum Whey, and Met-Rx Whey.

Creatine - This for me is without doubt one of the best supplements for weight gain. It is a must for people who are weight training and are looking to gain strength, muscle mass, and also endurance.

Creatine is a naturally produced compound which is produced in our own bodies to help supply the muscle with energy. Why do we need an extra supplement? you ask. Well you need it because we don't produce enough of it from whole foods on their own. It will increase endurance,! overall power, and will also increase muscle size, so you can see why it is very useful to bodybuilders and people looking to gain weight and build muscle. It does these things by forcing water into the muscle cells, which forces the muscles to hold water within themselves instead of under the skin.

Creatine overall, is very safe and easy to use, and is one of the best weight gain supplements you can buy. It has definately served me very well over the years and it will continue to do so I'm sure. Some of the best brands for creatine are; Prolab Creatine, FSI Creatine, and High Power Micronized Creatine.

These are just a few of some of the best weight gain supplements that I have tried and use till this day. Please remember though, that there is no miracle cure, no magic pills, or no substitute for a good solid 6 meal a day diet and a quality training regime to gain weight or build muscle.

If the supplements are taken properly and often (which means consis! tently and not too much) then products like protein, creatine,! and mea l replacements will help you no-end in reaching your goals faster and more effectively than not taking them at all.

Still don't know what supplements are right for you, then check out these bodybuilding supplement reviews or you can read our latest tips and articles on how to gain weight and build muscle.

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Alternative Medicine Articles

Targeted Muscle Vibration Training - 300 Percent Greater Strength Gains?

Introduction

Vibration stimulation is gaining popularity as a neuromuscular training method with the potential to elicit muscular performance adaptations similar to those produced by explosive strength training. Studies on vibration have shown transient increases in muscle power output and chronic strength enhancement and significantly improved gait and body balance in elderly people. In addition, whole body vibration induced positive adaptations in peripheral blood circulation (increased blood volume and speed of blood flow), probably due to decreased blood viscosity and peripheral resistance and arterial vasodilatation. Additionally, vibration has the potential to activate large amounts of musculature during a movement, and appears to inhibit activation of antagonist muscles which would decrease the braking force during a movement. Other studies have shown that vibration may be able to influence the excitatory state of the peripheral and central structures of the ! brain, which could facilitate subsequent voluntary movements.

Targeted Vibration Training

Due to the conflicting results and potential side-effects of whole-body vibration, applying the vibration directly to the exercising muscle only has demonstrated performance gains more than 300% greater than conventional training. Therefore, researchers Dr Mileva and Dr Bowtell hypothesised that vibration applied during a single resistance-training session would promote larger acute increases in strength than those induced by an identical session performed in the absence of vibration. It was further hypothesized that vibration stimulus would provoke a greater response when training at lower contraction intensity, where a smaller percentage of muscle fibers would be voluntarily activated. To accomplish this, researchers compared the acute effects of vibration stimulus during and after high- (70% of one-repetition maximum (1RM) and low intensity (35% 1RM) knee extension exerc! ise.

Methods

Nine healthy male adults completed fo! ur trial s on a knee extension machine (Technogym UK Ltd) either with (Vibrex, Exoscience Ltd) or without superimposed vibration at low (35% 1RM) and high (70% 1RM) contraction intensities.

Results

The main finding of the study was that vibration applied during knee extension exercise improved the mechanical performance of the quadriceps muscles, as manifested by increased dynamic muscle strength and power. Additionally, peak torque was significantly higher during the vibrated than the nonvibrated trials.

The improvement in strength and power after vibration training could be explained by the finding that the median frequency of the quadriceps muscle electrical activity was significantly higher in the vibrated than nonvibrated trials. This suggests that vibration increases muscle fiber conduction velocity and/or increased recruitment of muscle fibers with faster conduction velocities such as fast powerful muscle fibres.

A very novel finding from this study is ! that superimposing the vibration-like stimulus during low-intensity exercise simulates the response induced by higher-intensity exercise, evidenced by increased electrical activity in the quadriceps muscle.

The increase in contraction force implies that reflex feedback from the muscle receptors in contracting muscle is increased. One might expect such increases in exercising muscle activation level to elevate the oxygen requirement, and vibration tended to increase the rate of muscle deoxygenation during exercise, which is indicative of increased oxygen utilization.

Conclusions

Neural adaptations are the earliest changes that occur in the exercised muscle (first 3-5 wk of a training program), permitting gains in strength and power without significant increase in muscle cross-sectional area. The acute enhancement of neuromuscular performance following vibration is probably related to an increase in the sensitivity of the stretch reflex. This would result in! more rapid activation and training of a larger number of high! -thresho ld motor units. Vibration-induced discharge of the muscle receptors also recruits previously inactive motor units into the contraction, as well as re-recruiting motor units that are already fatigued, and even increasing their firing patterns.

It is also an intriguing possibility that a chronic vibration training program may potentially increase the neuromuscular adaptations arising from light/moderate training. This would be of importance for individuals, such as the elderly, osteoporosis and rehabilitation where people are unable to complete more intense exercise programs.

Dr David Paul Sumners is a neurophysiologist at London South Bank University. His expertise is learning and memory of respiratory and skeletal muscle systems, and performance improvement. He is also an inventor of vibration training related devices whose benefits are being applied to elite athletes and clinical populations. His personal blog is http://vibrotraining.blogspot.com

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Weight Loss Supplements

Awareness Of Amateur Bodybuilding Fitness Plans

Bodybuilding fitness isn't easy to appreciate as different programs need to be applied initially before you're able to accomplish your goal of having a well defined body. Nonetheless, these various amateur bodybuilding fitness programs won't function without the drive of the muscle-builder to do the individual body building training routine in their everyday life dependent on the body's need.

If you are dedicated enough to attempt the muscle building industry, you ought to recognize the fundamentals of amateur bodybuilding fitness practises You'll be able to do this by reading and researching various muscle building books or magazines you can discover in your local area. Other than that, advice or an opinion from experts or associates will also offer you encouragement in continuing what you've began in the this fitness industry.

Be mindful that any free bodybuilding routine is offered contingent on the age of the individual. Always ensure that you're physicall! y fit to execute those routines as the equipment might injury you during the performance if not used correctly. Not all fitness procedures are safe to execute and not all body building accessories are safe to practice with so it is better not to run a risk if you've any doubt on any particular workout.

Other than the ideal body building routine, the correct food ingestion also leads to maintaining the bodybuilder's condition. It is also necessary to always take into account the ideal food preparation plan. A body builder needs to always remember that the any use of steroids or growth hormones for their muscle development is forbidden.

Negative habits will certainly stop you from setting your goals but if you're fed with the ideal meals and ample amounts of exercising, you'll for sure be wise and active enough to do the ideal body building routine.

If you're Interesting in Learning the Honest Truth about Research Proven step-by-step how to's for Full Body W! orkouts, Nutrition Plans, Fat Loss, Body Building Weight Training & gaining Defined Abdominals for Good, take a look at http://www.bodybuildingnstuff.com

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About Weight Loss

A Muscle Diet Designed To Make Muscle

A lot of thought needs to go into producing a muscle diet designed to make muscle, we are going to address the main requirements in order for you to easily understand.

When we ingest food into our bodies it is broken down into fuel, which is used to sustain life and all of our energy requiring activities. There is a base level of calories required to maintain body weight and this figure can be calculated by multiplying your body weight in pounds by 15. So as an example for a 200lb man, the base calorie rate would be 3000 calories i.e. 200 x 15 = 3000. In your muscle diet in order to make muscle your calorie intake needs to be greater than your calorie expenditure.

The most important nutrient in your muscle diet is protein. Protein is the building block muscle consisting of a full range of essential and non-essential amino acids. Amino acids are the muscle repair agents, which are vitally important after your workouts. When undertaking weight training it is imp! ortant to increase your protein intake to make muscle. Scientific research suggests that your protein intake should be in the region of 1 gram for every 1lb of body weight, when consumed at these levels you will ensure adequate supply of amino acids to support muscle repair.

The next most important nutrient is carbohydrate, which should form up to 50 to 55% of your muscle diet. There are two main forms of carbohydrates simple and complex basically bad and good. Forget and avoid simple carbohydrates they are worthless and are in abundance in sweets, cakes, sugar coated cereals and biscuits. Always opt for complex slow release carbohydrates as found in brown rice, brown pasta, wholemeal bread, fruit and vegetables like broccoli.

The third most important supplement in your muscle diet and which is essential to make muscle is fat. Fat should form no more 15% of your daily diet. It has been scientifically proven that good quality fats in your muscle diet have a posit! ive effect on testosterone production, which is the main hormo! ne respo nsible for building muscle. Good sources of fat include nuts particularly almonds, virgin olive oil, oily fish particularly salmon and mackerel and flax seed.

There you have it, incorporate high protein, complex carbohydrates and good sources of fat in your muscle diet to make muscle.

Author David Welton Musclebuildinglive.com
With over 25 years of muscle building and fat burning experience we would like to show you the best muscle building workouts to build muscle burn fat. The use of burn fat Cardio equipment plays a very important role in the process of building lean muscle gain. Feel free come to visit the build muscle burn fat website.

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Weight Loss Blog

What Are the Best Core Fitness Workouts That Promote Sexy Six Pack Abdominals?

Everyday people email me to get the answer to the age-old question of "What are the best core abdominal workouts for ripping tight six pack abs?" Unfortunately the answer that I give has not changed....and the answer is None! There is not one single ab workout that in isolation will create enough of a metabolic response in your body to promote fat loss.

You can imagine since I am a personal fitness trainer, nutritional guide and fitness professional I am always being approached by people asking what the "best types of exercises and workouts are for losing stubborn stomach fat." Or... What are the most effective stomach workouts in order to bring out visible six pack abs?" The problem with this is that most of the time, people with excess stomach fat are looking to try to uncover their abs via some "miracle fitness program that focuses just on abs" that is going to slash the fat off their abs in no time flat.

So back to the most highly asked fitness question...! What are the Best Core Fitness Workouts that Promote Six Pack Abdominals?

The thing is... they are going about the problem entirely the wrong way! The truth is that you don't lose stomach fat or get ripped six pack abs by doing ab workouts.

When you spend your energy doing abdominal exercise after abdominal exercise, crunch after crunch with hopes of flattening your stomach and bringing out those sexy 6-pack abs; you are simply wasting your time and energy. What you should be doing is the correct workout program that will actually reduce your body fat for ever.

If I were to choose an answer as to what the best exercises are for losing belly fat, my answer would probably surprise the 'sit-up' out of you. On the top of the list you would find exercises such as the following:

Various forms of squats, lunges, deadlifts, clean & presses, snatches, swings, presses and pulls, mountain climbers, sprinting, etc. Back when I spent hours training people on the ! one-on-one personal training level, I would entail much of the! above m entioned moves in my clients workouts. I almost always would design fully body workouts such as listed above instead of abs exercises directly targeting the midsection.

However that's not the final answer...The way you combine those full body exercises into a strategic workout that maximizes your metabolism is also very crucial.

Don't get me wrong... I do recommend a certain amount of exercises that directly target the abs and core, but these are only a small fraction of the programs I design for my clients as your time is better spent focusing on the full body exercises that stimulate the greatest hormonal and metabolic changes within the body. You know what else is really cool about doing these full body workouts that I teach? In addition, to actually working the larger muscles such as your chest, back and legs; you also will have the opportunity to tone your arms (triceps, biceps, and shoulders) as well as "GUESS WHAT?" .....YOUR ABS!

Nutrition is withou! t a doubt the "king of getting a six pack". I have heard it said that six packs are baked in the kitchen and not in the gym.

So let's clear this up for good...

Stop wasting so much of your time focusing on sit-ups, crunches, leg raises, and all those silly worthless "abs contraptions" in your efforts to try to develop 6-pack abs. Instead focus on high intensity full body lifts using combination multi-joint exercises all strategically combined into highly effective fat loss workouts. If you add the right fitness plan that is not necessarily geared towards losing belly fat, but geared towards building lean muscle and you also focus on eating to support your workouts and allow your muscles to grow, then you will burn belly fat!

For a free fat loss report detailing why you struggle with stubborn belly fat, go to the following abdominals site Workouts for Abs, Burn Stomach Fat

For quick but effecti! ve home workouts for busy people, see Fat Loss Dumbbell Workouts for Busy Men

Go to the following site to have instant access to over 43 fitness membership sites that are full with over 5,439 workouts geared towards you maximizing your weight loss goals Free Workout Pass

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Hair Loss Articles

Muscle Building Principles - Must Read!

1. Have a Proper Diet

Nutrition is one area that is important to muscle growth. Sadly, not many people pay attention to it. It is interesting to note that most people understand the importance of nutrition but fail to apply it properly. In fact, most people think they can get the proper nutrition from a pill or vitamin -- wrong!

Majority of our nutritional needs are obtained from our diet. Without a proper diet, your body will not get the adequate amounts of nutrients that are essential in muscle building. To get the desired results, you need to eat from five to eight meals per day, every two to three hours. But that being said, there are certain nutrients that your diet cannot provide.

That is when you introduce a vitamin or supplement. Certainly if you want to build muscle fast then you need to make sure that you are getting the right kind of nutrition from your diet. Therefore having a good quality nutritional plan in place is essential in achieving y! our goals.

First, eat more but not too much, as by consuming too many calories you will find that you are putting on weight rather than building your muscles. To calculate how many calories you will need to help you increase your muscle mass, get your lean body weight and then multiply this by 19. So for someone who weighs 220lb with 10% body fat?

No. of calories = Lean body weight x 19

For a 220-lb person with 10% body fat: No. of calories = 220 lb x 90% x 19 = 3,762

Next, ensure that you are getting sufficient amounts of protein (20 to 30% of total calorie intake) and carbohydrates (40 to 60% of your total calorie intake) on any given day.

2. Get Enough Rest

Although you may think this is counterproductive, it is important to remember than when trying to build muscle most of the growth occurs after you have finished exercising.

Even if you have the best nutritional and workout program in place, at the end of the day they will only! be really effective if you allow your body sufficient amounts! of time to rest and recover. Sleep is one of the most important factors in muscle growth.

If you are not getting eight hours or more of sleep per night you are severely hindering the ability of your body to grow new muscle and repair damaged muscle. There are several things that sleep actually does or allows to happen. The first and maybe the most important of these is the fact that during the first four hours of sleep your body secretes the majority of HGH or human growth hormone, which is essential in the building and creation of muscle fibers. Sleep also allows your body to slow down, shifting its focus to cell repair and regeneration.

3. Exercise and Lift Weights

Having an efficient weight lifting program in place is certainly one of the quickest ways for a person to build up muscle. It is best that you use compound movements during your routines. These movements involve using more than one joint in order to lift the weights. Because of this more of your muscl! e groups will be used, and the more muscle groups you are using at any time, the faster your muscles will grow. Plus using these kinds of movements also helps a person to lift much heavier weights than if they were using just one particular set of muscles in the body.

One particular good compound movement a person can consider using in order to build muscle faster is the bench press.

Without exercise and the stimulation of the muscles, all the sleeping and nutrition in the world will not build any muscle. Muscle is built in response to stress from exercise, weight training, running, cycling, you name it!

But the one pitfall of most people is they put too much emphasis on exercise or weight training. Sure it is important, but even if you do all the exercise in the world you will simply not grow unless you get adequate sleep and proper nutrition. So basically, if one of these is missing, muscle-building is not achieved.

A balance of good nutrition, res! t and exercise are the primary needs of muscle-building. Hopef! ully wit h these three key elements identified, you'll be able to build as much muscle as you want.

Hey! You there! Still being skinny and still feel like a loser? Change that! Gain muscles right now!

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Weight Loss Blog

Build Big, Muscular Arms With Workouts That Fit Your Body Type

Whether its human nature or culturally learned behavior, people seem compelled to compare themselves negatively with others who appear to have achieved "success" before they did. These negative comparisons can occur regarding anything from keeping up with a neighbor who's bought a new car to the annoying success of the boor at the bar who somehow keeps scoring new conquests. When it comes to building your "body beautiful," such envy or jealousy can kill your workout motivation.

In your quest for bulging biceps, don't let negative comparisons to others sabotage your determination to achieve this goal. Instead of using other people's bodybuilding achievements to highlight your perceived failure, you should use their success to inspire your own. If you see a friend or someone in the gym whose arms are better than yours, don't pack up your gym bag and quit training simply because he appears to have succeeded before you did. Instead, observe or ask about his training met! hods and see whether there's anything that he's doing that can improve your results.

Better yet, take a step back and ask yourself this question: "Given my arm building goals, are my workouts appropriate for my body type?" Too often, beginning bodybuilders grab a magazine or go to the gym and start mimicking someone else's workouts without ever considering this all important question. But understanding your body type is central to your workout planning and bodybuilding success.

Your Arm Training Must Fit Your Body Type

The key to maximizing your ability to build big, muscular arms is training in manner that fits your body type. In purest terms, the human body comes in three physiological forms: ectomorphic, endomorphic and mesomorphic. An ectomorph is the typical "hard gainer" who has general difficulty in gaining weight, especially muscle mass. Ectomorphs are usually tall with long, lean limbs, narrow shoulders and a relatively fragile bone structure. Ect! omorphs also tend to have a high metabolism that causes the ca! lorie bu rn that can eat into protein stores needed to build muscle after a workout.

Endomorphs are at the opposite end of the body type spectrum. Endomorphs tend to have rounded or "stocky" bodies with a slower metabolism that makes it easy for them to gain muscle. Unfortunately, this slow metabolism also means that endomorphs can get fat very easily. Endomorphs are particularly well-suited for powerlifting movements, but their tendency to hold on to calories makes high-repetition and cardiovascular training critical to their ability to achieve superior muscular shape and definition.

In between the ectomporhic and endomorphic body types is the mesomorph. Mesomorphs tend to have a naturally strong, balanced and athletic physique with an ability to gain and display muscle much more easily than the other body types. Although mesomorphs have a higher metabolism than endomorphs, they don't have the ectomporhic ability to naturally burn calories and must therefore carefully mo! nitor their food intake to avoid getting fat.

While pure ectomorphs, endomorphs and mesomorphs theoretically exist, the reality is that most people have mixed body types (i.e., "ectomorph-mesomorph" or "mesomorph-endomorph"). When it comes to training in a way that best fits your body type, there are subtle but important differences depending on whether you're primarily an ectomorph, endomorph or mesomorph. If you're mostly ectomorphic, you should emphasize low repetition mass building techniques with extended training cycles that minimize cardiovascular exercise.

On the other hand, if you're primarily endormorphic you should emphasize high repetition training cycles with extended intervals that regularly include high intensity interval training sessions. Finally, if you're mostly mesomorphic your arms should respond well to both low and high repetition training with moderate amounts of high intensity cardiovascular training for enhanced muscularity.

The b! ottom line is that you must work with whatever potential you h! ave to b uild the big, muscular arms that you desire. Understanding and tailoring your workouts to fit your body type are essential to achieving this goal.

Mark G. Winston, "The Master Gunslinger," is author of the ground-breaking training manual, "GO For Your GUNS - 7 Simple Secrets to AWESOME ARMS." He has also created GOforyourGUNS.com, a bodybuilding and fitness website dedicated entirely to helping you build big, muscular arms. Mark's forthcoming book will be jammed with workouts and training techniques to help you build the big, muscular arms that you deserve! To learn about the GO For Your GUNS bodybuilding system and get free arm training tips that really work, visit http://www.GOforyourGUNS.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_G._Winston

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Build-Big,-Muscular-Arms-With-Workouts-That-Fit-Your-Body-Type&id=880258
Alternative Medicine Articles

To Get Big, Muscular Arms You Must Train Hard - But Not Too Much

One of the most common questions I receive outside the gym is "do you have to work out every day to have arms like that?" I always answer with an emphatic "no." Yet many people never even start an exercise program because they mistakenly believe that progress comes only if they work out every day. Even worse is the mistaken assumption that more is always better. Such logic suggests that the more you train the more you'll grow, and so on ad infinitum. In reality this approach ultimately leads to over training.

Over training occurs when you fail to give your body sufficient time to recuperate between workouts. When it comes to arm training, over training can occur quite easily because your arm muscles are relatively small as compared to large muscle groups such as your back, chest and legs. So you don't need to train your arms as frequently as you might work these other body parts. Additionally, your arms receive secondary or "compound" work in all back and chest exer! cises which also increases their susceptibility to over training. If you're a beginner, I recommend that you train your arms not more than twice per week, with a maximum of 12 sets per session for your biceps, 12 sets for your triceps, and 6 sets for your forearms.

Your arm training should be strict and intense, but not so frequent as to deprive your biceps, triceps and forearms of sufficient rest between workouts. While muscular overload is essential to stimulate hypertrophy or muscle growth, this change occurs when you are at rest - not during your workouts. Hypertrophy involves protein synthesis which is the biochemical process that actually builds muscle. If you train so frequently that your body cannot complete this process, you'll actually begin to lose muscle as a result of your training.

What causes over training? Usually it's a combination of too much enthusiasm for a particular workout and/or impatience to see results. But this enthusiasm quickly wanes! as the physical and psychological effects of over training ta! ke hold. The usual physical fallout includes chronic muscle soreness, lack of energy, and loss of muscle tissue. Other physical harm from over training may include muscle fiber damage and eventual injury. These injuries can cause muscle strains and tears, tendonitis, bursitis, stress fractures and joint degradation.

The mental or psychological effects of over training are as debilitating as the physical fallout. These over training symptoms include irritability, loss of training enthusiasm and frustration from lack of muscle growth. This dissatisfaction often creates a vicious cycle as most bodybuilders do not recognize over training as a causal factor when experiencing poor results. Consequently, this workout frustration usually leads to intensified training which only compounds the over-trained condition.

Yet another, but more subtle cause of over training is poor exercise technique. Training with improper technique expends a great deal of energy but produces meager re! sults. Since this approach requires so much extra effort, it is easy to over train in the quest for satisfactory muscle growth. Once again, the key to avoiding this pitfall is training efficiently with proper technique. If you ever suspect that you have over trained, take some time of. Depending on the severity of your condition, you may need to take anywhere from several weeks to several months off from your training program.

As you can see, over training is not something to regard casually. You must strive to get maximum results from each workout so that you don't overdo your training frequency. So train hard - but not too much, get plenty of rest and you'll never have this problem.

Mark G. Winston, "The Master Gunslinger," is author of the ground-breaking training manual, "GO For Your GUNS - 7 Simple Secrets to AWESOME ARMS." He has also created GOforyourGUNS.com, a bodybuilding and fitness website dedicated entirely to helping you build big, muscular arms. M! ark's forthcoming book will be jammed with workouts and traini! ng techn iques to help you build the big, muscular arms that you deserve! To learn about the GO For Your GUNS bodybuilding system and get free arm training tips that really work, visit http://www.GOforyourGUNS.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_G._Winston

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?To-Get-Big,-Muscular-Arms-You-Must-Train-Hard-But-Not-Too-Much&id=880271
Calories Weight Loss

Minimum Leverage Gets Maximum Results For Big, Muscular Biceps

Have you ever seen children play on a seesaw? If so, you know that a seesaw is a long plank that is usually balanced in the center on a rock or some other solid surface that acts as a fulcrum. Two children sit at opposite ends of the plank, and as each child thrusts his weight downward the other is lifted high into the air. The seesaw acts as a lever that allows the children to alternatively lift each other skyward. This action can continue unabated while both children sit at the ends of the seesaw.

Since these end-seated positions provide much of the leverage that powers this device, if one child moves forward he will have more difficulty lifting the other child. Although the children's relative weight remains constant, the forward moving child must exert more effort to continue lifting his counterpart. That's because this child reduces his positional leverage as he moves toward the center of the seesaw. His change of position forces increased exertion to lift the ! same amount of weight.

Like the seesaw, your arms act as levers when you're doing biceps curls - with your elbows as fulcrums and your biceps providing the power. While you can't change the distance between your hands and biceps, you can reduce your positional leverage in a given exercise by changing your arm position. Leverage is defined as the power to move weight located at the end of a lever. As applied to weight training, positional leverage refers to power derived from a particular exercise position. When you minimize positional leverage, you force the targeted muscle to produce more of the leverage needed to complete the weightlifting movement.

Suppose, for example, that you can do ten repetitions of free standing barbell curls with 150 pounds. Since this weight represents an amount that you can curl using both arms, someone might assume that you can also perform ten repetitions of barbell preacher curls with this same weight. However, preacher curls affo! rd none of the positional leverage available when you perform ! curls fr om a standing position. Consequently, you're not likely to work with anything near 150 pounds in your barbell preacher curls.

The free standing barbell curl allows you to lift more weight because it invariably enlists some help from the shoulders and upper back. Shoulder and back assistance allows you to lift more weight but reduces the biceps' overall workload. This usually results from the natural tendency in a free-standing position to swing or rock the torso. In fact, it's virtually impossible to keep the body perfectly stationary while performing standing barbell curls. However, one way to minimize unwanted body movement is to stand with your back against a wall. As you slowly curl the weight upward, the wall prevents your torso from rocking to create shoulder and back assistance. This results in increased resistance on your biceps.

While standing against a wall increases the effectiveness of free standing barbell curls (i.e., reduces positional leverage) mo! st people don't use this position when performing this exercise. Rather, the popular practice is to overload a barbell, stand in front of a mirror and start "blasting" and "bombing" away! Such well-intentioned but misguided effort will usually leave you exhausted and frustrated at not achieving the muscular arms that you seek. This is because you can't build powerfully muscled arms without maximum resistance training. Now, you should understand that "maximum resistance" doesn't mean maximum weight as you cannot possibly train with such poundage in every workout. Maximum resistance means performing an exercise with proper training technique so that you maximize resistance on the targeted muscle throughout the exercise range of motion. As an inherently compound exercise, free-standing barbell curls cannot maximize resistance on your biceps. Without positional adjustments such as standing with your back against a wall to increase this movement's effectiveness, this exercise si! mply doesn't isolate the biceps sufficiently to stimulate maxi! mum grow th.

On the other hand, barbell preacher curls are performed on a bench that forces the arms to extend at an angle that effectively eliminates any shoulder or back assistance. This position also stabilizes the elbows to negate the elbow-push that also generates muscle-cheating momentum in standing curl exercises. Unlike standing barbell curls, there is no natural tendency to swing your torso with barbell preacher curls. When someone is jerking his upper body during this exercise it's because he's doing so intentionally and incorrectly.

The "strict" preacher curl position forces you to work with lighter weight in this exercise as opposed to the standing curls. The irony, however, is that your biceps actually get more work from using lighter weight in preacher curls than they will from the heavier weight used in a free standing position. The key difference between these two exercises is positional leverage. Your biceps must generate more power, i.e., leverage in the! preacher curls because they don't get any help from other muscle groups by virtue of your arm position. As a result, the preacher curl, whether performed with a barbell, EZ curl bar or dumbbell, is one of the best mass building and shaping exercises that you can do for your biceps.

Minimizing positional leverage is essential to proper biceps training technique. You simply can't build Truly Awesome Arms™ without applying this training principle.

Mark G. Winston, "The Master Gunslinger," is author of the ground-breaking training manual, "GO For Your GUNS - 7 Simple Secrets to AWESOME ARMS." He has also created GOforyourGUNS.com, a bodybuilding and fitness website dedicated entirely to helping you build big, muscular arms. Mark's forthcoming book will be jammed with workouts and training techniques to help you build the big, muscular arms that you deserve! To learn about the GO For Your GUNS bodybuilding system and get free arm training tips that really work, visi! t http://! www.GOfo ryourGUNS.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_G._Winston

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Minimum-Leverage-Gets-Maximum-Results-For-Big,-Muscular-Biceps&id=880307
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