BUILD MUSCLE BIG

Whey Protein Facts

2010-07-04T16:22:00.000+02:00

To help get a basic understanding of whey protein, we need to look at some of the facts surrounding it.

What is Whey Protein?

This is the most important question to answer. Whey itself is an essentially a by-product of cheese, that is manufactured from Cow’s milk. The curds (a result of a renneting agent being added to milk) are set and either cooked or piled upon one another and then cut to release the whey. This whey is the raw material that will eventually make up whey protein powder. The whey protein powder is a collection of globular proteins and it contains four main protein fractions and six minor ones. The four main are: beta-lactoglobulin (approx. 65%), alpha lactalbumin (approx. 25%), serum albumin (approx 8%) and immunoglobulins. These all combined give whey protein the highest Biological Value (BV) of any known protein. The biological value means that a vast amount of the protein intake from whey powder is effectively used by the body and also there is a favourable amino acid ratio for growth. You can really take care of your body with whey protein.

Types of Whey Protein

There are three main types of whey protein: Concentrate, Isolate and Hydrolysate. When purchasing whey protein powder, the two that usually appear are Whey Isolate and Whey Concentrate.

Why is Whey Protein Important?

One of whey proteins most beneficial uses is as an important supplement, used in bodybuilding or weight training. Whey is abundant in amino acids, which are important in the growth of muscle tissue and muscle protein synthesis, amongst other uses. For example, the amino acid Leucine is found in great amounts in whey protein. Leucine benefits the body in the ways mentioned above and it helps to not only build muscle, but build lean muscle. Whey protein is important to the body in other ways however. It can also help in weight loss, aid in Type-2 Diabetes. Wound Healing and even some cases of cancer. You can stay in shape with whey protein, just as you can stay in shape with Miami Beach Personal Trainers.
http://tinyurl.com/build-muscle-big

Basic Bodybuilding: Choosing A Gym

2010-05-03T20:32:00.000+02:00

Since you have now chosen to build muscle and start a basic bodybuilding regimen, you need to locate a gym that best matches your goals. Selecting the right gym is the biggest decision you will have to make in basic bodybuilding as the gym you select will greatly affect your results.

1) Location.

The gym you pick for basic bodybuilding should be near where you live or somewhere along your drive to and from work. This makes it easier to go to the gym and eliminates an excuse not to go. If your gym is not near where you live or on your work route, you will be more apt to skip workouts.

2) Cost.

It shouldn't put a dent in your body to get a basic bodybuilding gym membership. Carefully read any contracts before you sign so that you will know how long your membership will last.

Many gyms offer basic bodybuilding memberships at discounted prices later in the summer or immediately after New Year's Day. Look into extra benefits such as nutrition counseling, fitness testing, daycare facilities, massage therapy, trainers, and physiotherapy.

Determine the hours the basic bodybuilding center will be open; you want to ensure that the gym will be available in case you need to go earlier or later in the day.

3) Demographics.

Focus on the clientele makeup of the basic bodybuilding facility. Some gyms focus towards attracting women, meaning they will offer classes women are more apt to join such as cardio and yoga. Some gyms focus specifically on the hardcore bodybuilder. These gyms will offer all of the equipment you require, but working out alongside long-time weightlifters can be a bit intimidating to the person that is just beginning basic bodybuilding.

Your best facility should have offer a variety of weight training and cardio machines and an environment that encourages you to exercise.

4) Trainers.

It is imperative that your selected facility employs professional trainers. This is even more important in basic bodybuilding. When you are starting out, the workout fundamentals that you learn will provide the basis of how successful your workouts tend to be.

Thus, any quality facility will employ professional trainers. Be certain that the facility employs trainers that are certified in basic bodybuilding.

5) Equipment.

Do not fail to take note of both the quality and quantity of equipment that the basic bodybuilding facility offers. Are there enough dumbbells and barbells available on busy days? Does there appear to be a wait to use weight training equipment? Is there an adequate number of stairclimbers, treadmills, and other cardiovascular equipment available at all times?

In other words, your selected facility should have all of the equipment that you need to complete your basic bodybuilding regimen.

6) Hygiene.

Hygiene is another often overlooked factor when selecting a gym. When you are at a basic bodybuilding center in which hundreds of people work out intensely on a daily basis, you need to be sure that the equipment is properly sanitized on a consistent basis.

Ideally, all of the equipment should be cleaned nightly with a disinfectant, and all locker room areas and showers should remain tidy. Believe me, there is little appeal in basic bodybuilding if you constantly have to smell unclean equipment while you exercise.

For more help on basic bodybuilding and locating the best facilities, click on the following link…
http://tinyurl.com/build-muscle-big

How To Choose Bodybuilding Carbs

2010-05-02T08:35:00.000+02:00

Nutrients from bodybuilding carbs are a vital part of any bodybuilding plan. Bodybuilding carbs provide the energy to fuel your brain and muscles, as well as keep your body functioning in peak condition by increasing the levels of testosterone, insulin, and IGF-1.

Carbohydrates are also the main source of energy during weight training, so it is essential that you select the right bodybuilding carbs. They should be a part of every meal you consume, since they stimulate absorption of protein and prevent muscle degradation.

Bodybuilding carbs with high glycemic content will cause your insulin levels to rise. Increases in insulin are beneficial immediately after a workout or when you are first awakened, but they are harmful otherwise. Increasing in insulin levels at other times will result in excess glucose being stored in fat tissue.

Therefore, most of the bodybuilding carbs in your daily diet should low glycemic carbohydrates. These are the kind of bodybuilding carbs that are metabolized more slowly so that blood sugar is more slowly released into the bloodstream.

Low glycemic bodybuilding carbs supply a constant level of sugar to the body throughout the day. As a result, they help to stabilize insulin and blood sugar levels so that the body does not store excess sugar in fat tissue and helps you to maintain a consistent level of energy.

An easy way to determine if a carb is low glycemic or high glycemic is by consulting the Glycemic Index (GI). This is one of the easiest ways to determine if you are eating the right bodybuilding carbs.

The Glycemic Index categorizes carbohydrates based on how rapidly they elevate blood sugar levels within 2 hours of consumption. On this index, carbohydrates are scored from 0 to 100.

My viewpoint on the Glycemic Index is that bodybuilding carbs that rank highly are not necessarily bad for you, just that those with a lower ranking are typically the best bodybuilding carbs. It is possible to consume foods that rank highly on the index without getting an insulin spike, provided you eat them in combination with the right foods.

If you combine your bodybuilding carbs with other goods such as proteins and fats, you can control how those carbs affect insulin levels in the body. Therefore, mindlessly following the Glycemic Index is not always the most prudent decision when selecting carbs to include in your nutritional plan.

If you want to consume the best bodybuilding carbs, you should stick with foods that have natural, unrefined starchy carbohydrates. Foods with these types of bodybuilding carbs include potatoes, oatmeal, yams, brown rice, and any whole grain food. When made a part of a complete meal, these foods are metabolized slowly and have little effect on blood glucose levels.

Additional bodybuilding carbs that you can select are low-fat dairy products and fresh fruit. While vegetables are fine to eat, keep in mind that they do not contain a lot of calories. Thus they will not provide you with calories needed to fuel muscle growth.

You should limit your consumption of refined carbs.

For further information on selecting the best bodybuilding carbs to increase muscle growth, check the link below...

THE TRUTH ABOUT MUSCLE

Deadlifts: The Best Bodybuilding Exercise

2010-04-29T07:23:00.000+02:00

Are you one of the many people who are looking to gain muscle and get in better shape?

Or perhaps you just want to get a ripped physique with washboard abs that draws attention and respect?

I'm about to show you the best bodybuilding exercise available. It will allow you to get the physique you've sought more quickly than any other routine you can find.

No, the best bodybuilding exercise does not involve the bench press or endless barbell curls.
No shiny machines or equipment is needed.
No special secrets known only to a select few are required.

For the best bodybuilding exercise, all you need is a barbell and a flat surface to perform your reps. Place the maximum amount of weight you can lift on the bar, and pick it up while keeping your back straight.

Pretty simple, right?

The deadlift is by far the best bodybuilding exercise you can perform.

The quality of the deadlift and the thing that makes it the best bodybuilding exercise is that it will give you astronomical lean muscle growth in a relatively short amount of time.

This is the good news.

The bad news is that while the deadlift IS the best bodybuilding exercise, it's also the most painful exercise you can perform.

When you perform a deadlift correctly, you will probably have an intense displeasure with the gym for the moment. This best bodybuilding exercise will probably leave you nauseous, dizzy, and struggling to breathe.

But if you are a person that truly wants the best results, you'll have to deal with these "side effects" so that you can benefit from the best bodybuilding exercise you can do.

What makes the deadlift the best bodybuilding exercise is that it requires you to exert every muscle in your body. You will work every part of your body just by doing the simple movement of standing. Granted, you will feel the most sensation in your thighs and upper and lower back, but performing this best bodybuilding exercise regularly will increase your lean muscle all over your body.

This is the best bodybuilding exercise to stimulate the production and secretion of useful anabolic hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone. Because it is such an intense workout, you will provide your body with a "spill over effect". This means that you will increase your total body strength and size, giving you an increased capacity to gain weight .

For instance, after spending a period of time performing intense deadlifts, it is typical to observe that you are now able to do increased reps over other exercises such as curls and bench presses.

While there are many different ways to perform the deadlift, we are going to examine just the standard bent-legged version. Here is the right way to do this best bodybuilding exercise...

You need to space you feet about shoulder-width part, then grab the bar just outside the distance of your legs. There is no incorrect grip; you can grip the bar with your palms facing in and out, or use an overhand grip. The key is choosing the grip that is most convenient for you to use.

You should start the lifting movement from a low, squatted position, positioning the bar near your shins. As you lift the weight into the air with your legs, keep your back in a flat position and tighten your abs. Your head should be up and facing the wall.

Continue to lift the weight until you have reached a standing position. You then want to lower the weight using the same form and technique that you used to raise the weight off the ground.

If needed, you can take a small break to rest the plates on the ground until you catch your breath. Bur your goal is to lift the weight repeatedly. Continue to perform the exercise until you reach muscle failure or until you can no longer maintain proper form.

To continue that point, it is key to focus on performing this best bodybuilding exercise with proper form. Since you are dealing with a sizeable amount of weight, bad form increases your odds for minor or major injuries.

The most essential part is to make sure that your back remains flat throughout the exercise and to position the weight near your body. Keep your abs tight to reduce the stress on your lower back.

You should not progress to using larger amounts of weight until you have perfected your form using light weights. You may also want to consider using lifting straps, as they will help you avoid losing your grip, which typically occurs long before muscle failure.

You should do deadlifts once a week in 1 or 2 "max-out" sets.

At this point, most people want to know how many reps should be performed.

As deadlifts are the best bodybuilding exercise, the number of reps you perform will have less bearing on how much benefit you receive. I suggest performing 5 to 7 reps, although there are lifters who can do as many as 20. Get started to see how many you can do.

After you start, prepare to thank deadlifts for gains you never imagined previously.

If you found this article about the best bodybuilding exercise helpful, check out the link below for more free tips...

http://tinyurl.com/build-muscle-big

Creatine: The #1 Muscle Building Supplement

2010-04-25T14:10:00.000+02:00

The issue of supplementation remains a contentious topic in the arena of muscle building and gaining weight. There are people who use them religiously, and others who wouldn't take them at gunpoint.

Typical for life, the truth lies in between these extremes.

Contrary to the claims of many in the supplement industry, swallowing a combination of the best muscle building supplements alone won't get you a ripped body with washboard abs. What supplements can do is supply you with a convenient method to provide your body with all the nutrients it needs to build muscle.

The operative word in the sentence is "convenient". While you can get all of the nutrients you need just with your diet, it can be a struggle of time and resources to make the 5 to 7 meals that you need daily for maximal muscle growth.

In my opinion, you will struggle to find a better muscle building supplement than creatine. Aside from enhancing muscle growth, creatine is also advantageous for other bodily functions. In addition to lowering high cholesterol, creatine may be of assistance in treating neuromuscular diseases such as muscular dystrophy.

You can obtain this muscle building supplement through your diet with foods like red meat, salmon, and herring. However, a much better source of creatine is the powdered form.

Creatine improves how well your body uses Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). ATP is the molecule from which the body extracts energy. Cellular health and function improves as the level of ATP increases. Creatine is the best muscle building supplement because it works to stabilize or enhance ATP levels inside cells.

The body stores this muscle building supplement as creatine phosphate, which later gives up its phosphate to regenerate ATP from Adenosine Diphosphate (ADP). ADP is used or "spent" ATP, and creatine helps to recycle it so that it is once again useful for cells to extract energy. Studies indicate that eating creatine elevates the body's levels of creatine phosphate and allows you to continue anaerobic exercises such as weight training and running. This muscle building supplement improves your ability to weight train.

As an added benefit of being the best muscle building supplement, creatine also optimizes heart function, especially in people that have previously experience heart failure. It enhances the heart's ejection fraction (a number that defines how much blood it pumps), thus improving your ability to exercise. Creatine is usually available commercially as creatine monohydrate, and provides substantial improvements in the capacity of muscle building athletes to lift weight over time.

While creatine was first discovered in 1832, it was nearly 100 years later when it was discovered that the body stores the vast majority of its creatine in muscle tissue. Its role as a muscle building supplement was discovered soon thereafter.

Creatine is naturally produced by the body in the liver, pancreas, and kidneys as a way to improve muscle strength. You only enhance this effect by supplementing your diet with additional creatine.

As a completely natural substance that is readily found in common foods, no sports organization or body has ever moved to ban its use. The best muscle building supplement is creatine monohydrate found in powdered form consumed at a dosage of approximately 5 grams daily.

Optimally, you should take this top muscle building supplement when you first wake up or immediately after a weight training session. Creatine should always be taken with a liquid serving of simple carbs to increase its absorption into the bloodstream.

For more info on why creatine is the best muscle building supplement, visit the following website…

http://tinyurl.com/build-muscle-big

The Muscle Building Secret?

2010-04-24T14:13:00.000+02:00

Is there truly a muscle building secret available that will help you gain muscle and burn fat faster than ever before? The answer is no. So, after you eat a proper diet, train hard, and take your supplements, what more can you do?

Do not worry, there is a muscle building secret that will give you the largest muscle gains. Actually, this muscle building secret is well known by most professional bodybuilders and athletes, which they regularly employ to help them succeed in their respective fields. This muscle building secret lies in the strength and power of the mind.

In way is our mind related to muscle building? Several ways in fact. Even the largest bicep pales in comparison to the strength of our minds, which can be disposed for any task, ranging from management and sports to muscle building. Let's further discuss this muscle building secret that will allow you to reach your muscle building goals.

Let's say you weigh a puny 98 pounds but you would like to gain muscle mass and build muscle. This muscle building secret will allow you to stop visualizing yourself as a puny weakling and instead visualize yourself as a ripped, buffed person with massive muscles.

You must engage this muscle building secret from the outset when your current appearance does not align with how you view yourself mentally. The phrase "mind over matter" comes to mind.

By unleashing this muscle building secret, you will not only succeed in lifting more weights but you will feel less discomfort about working out alongside so many people with ripped physiques. This is because you have the secret knowledge that you are just like them in your mind. You already see yourself as a person whose t-shirt bulges out at the top instead of the bottom. This is the power of the mind, the most closely guarded muscle building secret on the planet.

Visualization improves your workouts and gives you the strength to reach for your goals. When you stick with your muscle building goals, your body will slowly transform to match your mental vision of self.
Believe me, this powerful muscle building secret is truly successful. It was only after I began to see myself as lean and ripped that I began putting forth maximal effort when I worked out, which is how I achieved my current physique. One of the most famous people in the history of bodybuilding, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is a huge proponent of the power of the mind.

The next time you go to work out, close your eyes and mentally go through your workout. Complete every exercise you have scheduled mentally. Visualize yourself lifting the weights and feeling the stress in your muscles.

By visualizing your workout before you begin, you will improve how much weight you lift while maintaining correct form. This muscle building secret is crucial to gaining muscle mass without getting injured in the process.

Once you convince yourself, you can then make it a reality with dedication and a targeted exercise plan. Soon, you will have a physique that draws the attention and respect of men and women.

By engaging the muscle building secret of the power of the mind, you will find it far easier to stick with your diet and supplementation program. You will be more dedicated to proper nutrition, which will allow you to achieve the body of your dreams.

For more information on this muscle building secret, click on the link below…
http://tinyurl.com/build-muscle-big

Top Muscle Building Foods: Healthy Fats

2010-04-22T06:46:00.000+02:00

Fats are not good for you. This is the message that has been beaten into our brains for so long that we often do not recognize the truth that there are some beneficial fats.

Here's a secret: fats are among the best muscle building foods you can find. I'm not telling you that you can have an extra cheese pizza and fries for dinner every night. While fats are some of the best muscle building foods for bodybuilding, this only refers to healthy fats. When it comes to being healthy, pizza and other forms of junk food don't qualify.

Instead of starting a low-fat or no-fat diet, you may want to supplement your muscle building diet with a small amount of healthy fats. Keep in mind that not all fats are bad for you and you can find a few fats that are some of the top muscle building foods. Fats are rich in calories, containing 9 calories per gram. This is more than double the 4 calories per gram contained in carbs and protein.

There are two primary forms of fat: saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats, such as meat marbling, typically are solidified at room temperature. Unsaturated fats, which are some of the top muscle building foods, usually are liquefied at room temperature.

Most people consider saturated fats to be unhealthy, but they can elevate your mood and improve brain functioning. Although they are not considered great muscle building foods, saturated fats do enhance testosterone production.

You can find unsaturated fats in salmon and other oily types of fish, dry leafy veggies, avocados, seeds, nuts, and oils such as flaxseed and extra virgin olive oils. These foods are all rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, making them some of the top muscle building foods.

Unsaturated fats also are involved in central nervous system functioning and work to reduce your body's cholesterol level. By including these muscle building foods in your diet, you will have lower blood pressure, reduced inflammation, and improved immune system functioning. Many unsaturated fats are "essential" because they body needs them but cannot manufacture them, meaning they must come from our diets.
At some point, you've probably come across the term "EFAs" and had discussions about their function in muscle building and weight gain. Well, EFA is an acronym for essential fatty acids, and there are several reasons why these fats are undoubtedly some of the best muscle building foods:

• They enhance the activity of the body's most important anabolic hormone, testosterone.

• They also elevate growth hormone secretion, another important factor for muscle building.

• They alter the activity of insulin so that more nutrients are absorbed by cells to be used in muscle building.

• They stimulate maximum energy production by cells when you exercise.

• They help your body keep nitrogen longer, which helps you grow lean muscle tissue.

• They elevate your metabolic rate so that your body sheds fat more quickly.

A smart way to make sure you include enough of these top muscle building foods in your diet is to include some flaxseed oil or extra virgin olive oil in your nutritional plan. Two tablespoons of these oils per day will allow you to increase the amount of unsaturated fat in your daily diet.

Trans fats, which are found in foods fried in hydrogenated oils such as French fries, are definitely not some of the top muscle building foods. Actually, they should be completely eliminated from your diet. They reduce your levels of good cholesterol and elevate your levels of bad cholesterol, a doomsday scenario.

For more pointers on selecting good fats and other top muscle building foods, visit the following website…
http://tinyurl.com/build-muscle-big

3 Tips For Muscle Building Cardio

2010-04-19T07:56:00.000+02:00

How exactly is cardio involved with muscle building?

If you consult with an older lifter, he will probably say to you that there is no such thing as muscle building cardio. However, this is inaccurate. Cardio is essential for muscle building in two ways.

1) Muscle building cardio warm-up.

The best method of warming up before lifting weights is to perform five minutes of light cardio. In addition to raising the body's core temperature, it also helps your limbs to warm up and loosen up so that they are prepared for the strain of weight training without being in danger of being injured.

You can select one of any number of cardiovascular exercises: spot jogging, running, stairclimbing, elliptical training, or cycling. Cardio elevates your heart rate so that the body has sufficient blood, getting it ready for the subsequent session of weightlifting.

2) Muscle building cardio for definition.

If it is your goal to gain strength and muscle volume, cardio will not help you in those efforts outside of the warm-up phase. On the other hand, if you want improved definition and washboard abs, you will get the best results from the combination of high intensity muscle building cardio and weight training.

I've watched this play out in gyms all over the country. People sign up for a gym membership with the goal of getting the buffed body of their favorite action movie star. They lift weights and do succeed in gaining mass and strength, but they never completely get the body and appearance they were seeking.

If you want muscle definition that is impossible to ignore, your workouts must include a session of muscle building cardio.

So what types of exercises comprise muscle building cardio? Is it a long, leisurely jog through my favorite park, or should I spend nearly an hour on the treadmill every other day?

The answer is neither. If you're really out to get a ripped, well-defined physique with six pack abs, the only type of muscle building cardio that you need to perform is high intensity, low frequency cardio.

That's correct, you don't have to spend hours on a treadmill. Similar to resistance training, to get the most out of your workout routine, your muscle building cardio sessions should be short but performed with maximum intensity.

Now that we've defined what type of muscle building cardio we should do, let's discuss the intervals at which we should do it. Research indicates that you get the highest level of fat burn when you stage your high intensity muscle building cardio session immediately following weight training. Another benefit of this type of schedule is that you won't need to find additional time to do cardio on rest days.

That being said, if you want an additional benefit you can perform some extra muscle building cardio sessions on your weight training off days.

If you've never previously performed muscle building cardio, it's advisable to begin slowly. When I say slowly, I am not referring to the intensity, but the number of days you should schedule cardio sessions.

Believe me, muscle building cardio performed with high intensity is brutal. Your muscles will ache, your eyes will burn, and you will struggle to breathe. But if you stay with it, you'll gradually watch all that unwanted fat evaporate from your body, leaving you with a well-defined physique.

For more tips on muscle building cardio and its role in muscle growth, click on the following link…http://tinyurl.com/build-muscle-big

Best Exercise For Muscle Building

2010-04-18T09:34:00.000+02:00

Simply stated, squats are the hardest, most painful, and scariest exercise for muscle building that you can ever include in your workout routine. You can only perform them if you have extreme amounts of willpower and dedication.

If you do a set of squats until your muscles fail, you will understand precisely what I mean. They are also a difficult weight lifting exercise for muscle building to perform with correct technique.

With that said, squats are arguably THE best growth-producing exercise for muscle building that you can ever incorporate into your workouts.
They will add more size and strength to your lower body than any other exercise for muscle building that you can perform. Furthermore, because of their difficulty, they also promote increased production and secretion of valuable anabolic hormones such as growth hormone and testosterone. These hormones will stimulate increased muscle growth throughout your body.

Also, this exercise for muscle building produces what is termed as the "spillover effect", meaning that this exercise will produce strength gains in the rest of your other exercises. After I began performing squats to muscular failure, I almost immediately realized a 20 pound gain in my bench press maximum. If you're searching for an exercise for muscle building and you don't already perform squats, it's time to add it to your routine.

The exercise simply produces results.

Unfortunately, most people have yet to tap into all of the advantages of heavy squatting. In fact, most people despise squats and will conjure up all types of excuses to avoid performing this exercise for muscle building.

You've probably often heard the oft-repeated quotes such as, "They're too hard on my knees", or "I heard they stunt your growth". I simply respond to this by calling it nonsense.

If you go to the gym with the goal with getting your highest level of whole body muscle gains, this exercise for muscle building must be included in your workouts.

Proper Squatting Technique

For safety, you should never perform this exercise for muscle building outside of a cage or power rack. With this, you can set the bar the proper height for you and you can release the bar onto the safety pins if you reach muscular failure. The safety pins should be positioned just under the depth your are squatting and the J hooks should be positioned at about the height of your nipples.

During this exercise for muscle building, your head should be held back, your chest raised, and you should form a slight arch in your lower back. You should look straight ahead at all times, and you should never lean forward too far or move your head up and down.

Approach the bar and place your hands at about the width you would use for a bench press. Before clearing the bar, be certain that you have placed it evenly across your traps. The bar should sit on the lower part of your traps and across the rear deltoids. The bar should be positioned so that it always feels though it will roll of your back.

Now you have cleared the bar, step back just far enough so that you will not hit the bar on the rack. Most injuries during the squat occur while backing up, so be careful to back up as far as necessary. Your should position your feet out about the width of your shoulders or slightly wider, then point them at a 45-degree angle.

Take a deep breath then begin your squat. You should not go straight down but make a motion akin to sitting down into a chair. Your knees should always stay aligned with your feet without bowing. Continue your descent until your thighs are parallel to the ground.

Once you have reached the bottom of your descent, immediately rise and do not relax in that bottom position. Rise up using your heels and straighten your back immediately.

After you return to the upright position, take another deep breath and repeat the motion until you have done what you consider a sufficient number of reps of this exercise for muscle building.

Final Thoughts

There are great benefits available with this exercise for muscle building, so now is the time to start tapping into them. Give this exercise the respect it deserves and then wait to see some amazing muscle gains. I suggest doing squats once weekly, in 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps. Try to exert yourself during this exercise for muscle building and continually increase the amount of weight you lift and your number of reps.

Visit http://tinyurl.com/build-muscle-big for a complete muscle-building program.

Build Muscle Mass Quickly: Quick Pointers

2010-04-16T08:31:00.000+02:00

Are you tired of working out strenuously day after day without getting any muscle gains? Are you searching for a new way to build muscle mass quickly? Have you become frustrated with supplements that promise to build muscle mass quickly but only end up draining your finances?

If you answered yes to all these questions, then you have arrived at the right place for help. Anyone can build muscle mass quickly, and you can achieve this without going broke. All you need is some common sense and knowledge of the process of muscle growth. The bodybuilding techniques described here do work, so if you're not getting the results you want, continue to read for tips on how to build muscle mass quickly.

• Intensity is the key. Intensity is a must when you are trying to build muscle mass quickly. It is imperative that your bodybuilding workouts are performed with maximal intensity. Instead of spending all day at the gym, get the most out of your workouts by making sure you exert maximum efforts in your workouts.

Each set should be continued until you approach muscular failure. These intense workouts force the body to activate its adaptation responses that allow you to build muscle quickly.

• Protein builds muscle. If you are not building muscle mass quickly, it is possible that you are not consuming sufficient protein for muscle growth. Have you been consuming meals before and after your workouts? Are you consuming high protein meals multiple times each day and using meal replacements packets to add protein content to your meals?

Muscle is composed of protein and you cannot build muscle mass quickly without including a sufficient amount in your daily diet.

• Eat more often. If you are trying to build muscle mass quickly, you should elevate your metabolism by consuming five to seven meals per day. These meals should contain high quality proteins and carbs, with a small amount of healthy fats. This will elevate your fat-burning metabolism and increase your ability to build muscle mass quickly.

• Stop cheating on your diet. While it is not a problem to occasionally treat yourself to a meal that is high in carbs or fats, eating these types of meals often work against your potential to build muscle mass quickly. If you want to enhance your strength, endurance, and build muscle mass quickly, it is essential that you consume lots of protein calories daily.

• Drink more water. Were you aware that 70 percent of your body is composed of water? It is important for bodybuilders to drink sufficient amounts of water to build muscle mass quickly. Water is the most important part of every bodybuilder's nutritional plan.

If you want to build muscle mass quickly, it would help to drink about 0.6 ounces of water daily for every pound you weigh.

• Rest. Muscles are stimulated in the gym, but growth does not occur there. The workouts themselves actually damage your muscles, and muscles are repaired and rebuilt while you rest. To help your body build muscle mass quickly, you must give it sufficient rest between workouts.

If you want to build muscle mass quickly, you cannot train daily. You should workout three to four times weekly while allowing at least one day of rest between workouts. This rest period is just as important to building muscle mass quickly as a balanced diet.

• Sleep. In conjunction with sufficient rest, it is also important to get adequate sleep. It is suggested that you get at least 8 hours of sleep every night to build muscle mass quickly. Sleep deprivation activates a hormone called ghrelin, which makes you feel hungry and decreases your body's levels of testosterone and growth hormone.

When you lack sleep, you will not be able to generate enough intensity to get the most out of your workouts and you will struggle to follow your diet. Adequate sleep also enhances the body's fat-burning processes, allowing you to build muscle mass quickly and giving you that buffed looked that everybody wants.

For more tips on ways to build muscle mass quickly, go to the following website…
http://tinyurl.com/build-muscle-big

Build Lean Muscle Fast: Psychological Tips to Help You

2010-04-15T07:31:00.000+02:00

The best bodybuilders build lean muscle fast using a variety of mental and physical techniques. While the best bodybuilders exercise with maximum intensity, it is equally true that all of the best bodybuilders are influenced by the power of the mind. Mind power is a great tool that should be used by anyone trying to build lean muscle fast.

Let's examine the example of Arnold Schwarzenegger. He often visualized his biceps becoming massive and ultimately became a superb bodybuilder. Tom Platz was able to build lean muscle fast by visualizing that he would have quads the size of the average person's thighs.

In order to train the mind to envision bodybuilding success and weight gain, you must develop and sustain a positive outlook and use positive affirmations to keep yourself motivated in order to build lean muscle fast.

In order to achieve total focus and build lean muscle fast, it is crucial that you maintain a strong connection of mind and muscle through affirmations. The better you become at this, the more strength gains you will realize and you will find it simpler to target certain muscle groups for increased strength.

In bodybuilding, it is imperative that you visualize the precise results that a specific exercise will generate on targeted muscles. This will allow you to build lean muscle fast by more quickly and effectively developing the mind/muscle link.

If you are trying to build lean muscle fast, it requires more than just motivating yourself to complete your next weight training session and to avoid negative things. It is also essential that you retrain your subconscious mind to expect that you can build lean muscle fast.

The subconscious mind is the portion of your mind that exists just beneath your awareness level. It is easy to stimulate the subconscious mind, which can affect your actions and thoughts.

More often than not, people who have a negative outlook tend to have a negative life, and people who have a positive outlook tend to live a more fruitful and pleasant life. Weightlifters that can build lean muscle fast rarely envision themselves in a negative light, but instead constantly affirm themselves with positive thoughts.

They generally have a positive outlook in all aspects of life and use affirmations to be successful. Just like people that want to build lean muscle fast, people that are successful and achieve championships in all areas of life are those that are eternally optimistic.

Constantly giving yourself positive affirmations will allow you to build lean muscle fast and enhance the effectiveness of your workouts. Positive affirmations will train your subconscious mind to seek and expect success and will serve as a source of motivation for your present and future goals.

These affirmations also train your subconscious mind not to succumb to the mental and physical roadblocks that previously impeded your goal to build lean muscle fast. This technique will allow you to fend off negative thoughts and build healthy self-esteem.

These are some of the positive bodybuilding affirmations that can help you to build lean muscle fast:

• I will complete today’s workout and nothing will stop me.
• I will exceed all of my personal records today.
• The food I consume will allow me to build lean muscle fast.
• I will have massive quads and biceps.

Use affirmations to accomplish particular goals and choose "trigger" words that enhance your motivation and enthusiasm so that you can build lean muscle fast.

For additional tips to build lean muscle fast by using affirmations, go to this website…
http://www.tinyurl.com/build-muscle-big

Top Foods for Muscle Building

2010-04-14T09:15:00.000+02:00

Before you can build muscle, you must devise a diet so that you can consume specific nutrients at specific times of the day. You must consume a substantial amount of high quality protein, natural, unrefined carbs, and a small helping of unsaturated fats. The best foods for muscle building are the ones that give you the right amounts of proteins, carbs, and fats.

Proteins, as you are already aware, are among the top foods for muscle building. Every meal you have should contain at least one source of high quality protein such as lean cuts of red meat, fish, low-fat dairy products, and protein shakes. Skinless and boneless white-meat poultry also must be included in any list of good foods for muscle building.

Protein is the building block of muscle and is an important component of the bodybuilding diet. A diet with insufficient protein will greatly impede your muscle gains by slowing your recovery after weight lifting sessions. Depending on your desired level of muscle mass, 30 to 40 percent of your daily calories should come from protein.

Carbs are also essential foods for muscle building that help promote secretion of insulin in a manner that increases nutrients in cells and improves cellular health. Carbs also increase the number of calories you consume to the tune of four calories per gram. Many healthy carbs are rich in essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals.

The carbs that are good foods for muscle building include starchy veggies such as potatoes and yams, oatmeal, whole grains, and fresh fruit. Avoid processed and unnatural carbs such as doughnuts, white bread, and sweets. These foods are usually loaded with empty calories and trans-fat, arguably the worst kind of fat you can consume.

This is surprising to many, but fats are required foods for muscle building and must be consumed in moderation in any successful bodybuilding diet. Healthy fats are rich in essential fatty acids that cannot be produced by the body and thus must be accumulated from our diets.

Linolenic acid and alpha linoleic acid, also terms omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, respectively, are two of the most important fatty acids and foods for muscle building. They are usually contained in certain vegetable fats and in oily fish species such as salmon.

Another way to obtain these essential fatty acids is to include a tablespoon of flaxseed or extra virgin olive oil in your daily diet. These oils are loaded with essential fatty acids, meaning they are recommended foods for muscle building.

For more tips on great foods for muscle building and muscle growth, click on the following link…
www.tinyurl.com/build-muscle-big

Put Muscle Weight on Quickly -- Eat Before Bed!

2010-04-12T20:07:00.000+02:00

Did you know that one of the worst things you can do when you are looking to put muscle weight on quickly is to go to bed on an empty stomach? This is the time when your muscles need to recover from the strain of your workout and the stresses of the day. If you deny your muscles this chance, you're not going to put muscle weight on as fast as you'd like. If you are trying to gain muscular weight, rather try this more scientific approach --

You need at least eight hours' sleep, but when you go to bed on an empty stomach, your body will be forced to starve for the whole night. Unless you put an end to this forced starvation, you won't be seeing much in the way of quick muscle gains.

Of course, this doesn't mean that you can have a 5-course feast just before bed. That will give you a poor night's sleep as well as indigestion. All you really need to do is eat a small snack half an hour before bedtime so that your muscles will have all the necessary nutrients available for the following eight hours.

Basically, your aim should be to keep your body in an anabolic state for as long as possible and you will achieve quick muscle gains even while you are asleep. You will be doing this by providing your body with all the required nutrients that would be gradually released during your sleep. By keeping your body in this anabolic state for a few hours every night will help to ensure that less muscle is broken down, thereby promoting fast gain in muscle growth.

The ideal snack before bedtime

Your good-night snack should contain carbohydrates, fats and amino acids for easy recovery; it should also be "slow release".

To achieve this, the snack should consist of slow-release carbohydrates, unsaturated fats and a slow-release protein. Whey protein is one of the very best protein sources. Mix 25-35 grams with 400-500ml. of milk. The casein in the milk will slow down the release of all the nutrients, including the whey.

If you are using glutamine as part of your supplementation, this would be a good time to consume it. Just add 1-2 teaspoonsful to your protein shake.

It will take about 4 hours to complete the digestion process. The process of anabolic growth during this period will put muscle weight on quickly for you.

Apart from your liquid meal, you can also have a solid protein, like cottage cheese, which contains a good amount of casein and glutamine.

Include a small portion of a slow-release, complex sugar before bed; this can be a slice of whole-grain bread, a small yoghurt or even a small bowl of oatmeal. These will also be slowly released into your system and will sustain your glycogen stores by regulating your levels of blood sugar.

Adding a small amount of fat to your pre-bedtime snack will help slow down the digestion process. This is exactly what you want to happen while you are asleep. A tablespoon of olive oil or flaxseed oil will do just fine. A good quality peanut butter is another healthy fat you could consider using.

Your body needs to be supplied with sufficient nutrients before you retire for the night. If you use these tips to put muscle weight on, you'll soon be seeing the results you want.

BuildMuscleBig.com

Building Muscle At Home: Is It Possible?

2010-04-11T16:06:00.000+02:00

I receive daily correspondence from bodybuilding enthusiasts, and the most popular question they ask is…

"Do I need to join a gym to get a toned, muscular physique?"
The answer is no, it is not necessary to join a gym. It is a simple task to begin building muscle at home with the proper plan of attack and equipment.

I saw amazing gains when I spent my first two years building muscle at home with some elementary equipment stored in my basement.

A gym membership is not in everyone's budget.

If you're pressed for time, you won't need as much of it if you're building muscle at home.

Maybe you aren't comfortable with your body and you may not feel at ease training at a workout facility.

No need to fret, you can avoid the gym and build muscle at home!
Although I currently train at a gym with a workout partner, I benefitted tremendously from the time I spent building muscle at home.

I saved time by not having to drive to and from a gym. Once I began building muscle at home, I could workout at anytime since all of my needed equipment was just a few steps away.

I did not have to worry about my musical tastes upsetting people at the gym.

I could yell and scream to my heart's desire without affecting other people (hey, it hurts to squat to failure!). Since I was building muscle at home, I didn't even need to be fully dressed, if I so desired.

When I finished my workout, I could comfortably lay on the floor in cheerful exhaustion, realizing that my post-exercise shakes were upstairs waiting for me. There would be no delay to getting nutrition as I did not have to drive home.

I have to admit it was fairly cool.

You must remember that when building muscle at home, there will be some limitations in terms of weight gaining exercises since is unlikely you will have all of the equipment you want, such as machines for presses or calf raises. If you have the financial resources and you're going to be building muscle at home permanently, then you should purchase all of the equipment you need. But for the typical person, this is not a feasible option.

Thankfully, you can design a good bodybuilding routine that negates the need for gym equipment. You can also use free-weight exercises to replace machine exercises when building muscle at home.

Building muscle at home can be accomplish with just some basic equipment:

You should first start off with a cast iron set with sufficient weights to allow you to increase the amount you exercise with on a weekly basis.

This is far more effective than purchasing a complete set of dumbbells. If you do opt for barbells and dumbbells, choose those that are available as a complete, single set.

Naturally, any bench presses and other seated movements will require you to purchase a sturdy bench. Since it is likely you will be workout out alone, choose a bench with safety catches and one that can be adjusted to perform incline and decline exercises.

You can find a quality bench for about 20 bucks, and they can easily be positioned inside your door frame.

A full squat rack is typically expensive, making it the most difficult bit if equipment to buy. It is a must that you obtain a squat rack as squats provide a workout that cannot be duplicated and is a must for any complete workout, particularly if you do not have equipment for leg presses.

If you aren't able to purchase a squat rack, you'll have to get creative. When building muscle at home, you must obtain some piece of equipment that will let you safely unrack a loaded part and place it on a safety catch if you experience muscle failure.

When building muscle at home, it is crucial that you only perform squats in an area where you have a place to safely drop the bar. Many full squat racks come complete with a chin-up bar, so you can double you benefit it you select one of these racks for your home gym.

I have given you the five essential pieces of equipment that any home gym needs. You can avoid a gym membership if you purchase this equipment and you can get an equally beneficial workout at home with no monthly fees. -- Sean Nelawanyj, MuscleGainTruth.com

Build Shoulder Muscles In Just Minutes

2010-04-10T09:18:00.000+02:00

It goes without saying that a ripped body is not complete unless it also has well-developed shoulder muscles. Developing large deltoids will give your upper body a strong and powerful appearance and give you that v-tapered look that so many bodybuilders desire. The good news is that performing exercises to build shoulder muscles can be done very quickly.

Most advanced weightlifters will maintain that muscular shoulders are secondary to only clothes in providing an appealing upper body appearance.

The shoulder allows the arms to lift and rotate and is composed of three regions. The shoulder is composed of anterior (front), medial (middle) and posterior (rear) sections.

You can work out all three regions of the shoulder muscle using the raise and overhead press exercises.

When you are seeking to build shoulder muscles, your primary exercise should be the overhead press. No other exercise approaches the muscle growth stimulating effects of this basic but powerful exercise. You can perform overhead presses using dumbbells or a barbell, but you should select dumbbells for the best results.

Using dumbbells allows you to perform the exercise with natural movements and prevents your stronger arm for compensating for the other when you are training to build shoulder muscles. Furthermore, the barbell has a tendency to place too much stress on the chest, robbing you of shoulder-stimulating effects.

The seated overhead dumbbell press is an effective but basic weight training exercise to build shoulder muscles that allows you to gain weight. All you need to do this exercise is a pair of dumbbells and a bench with vertical support for your back. Lift the dumbbells over your head without locking your elbows, and the return them to your shoulders.

You can also perform the next exercise to build shoulder muscles, the side lateral raise, using dumbbells. As an isolation exercise, side laterals work to stress the medial section of the shoulder. This exercise develops and enhances your shoulder width and brings you that much closer to obtaining a thick upper body.

To build shoulder muscles with this exercise, begin by bending your knees a little then grab a pair of dumbbells. Hold the dumbbells so that your palms face towards your body. Bend your arms slight and raise the dumbbells to the level of the shoulder, then complete the exercise by returning to the starting position.

You can build shoulder muscles to increase the size and strength of your shoulders just by performing the overhead press and the side lateral raise. You can also build shoulder muscles without much additional effort since all upper body exercises stress the shoulders.

Do not dedicate a great deal of time and work to build shoulder muscles because this could hinder your overall progress. As I've said before and will repeat here, you can build shoulder muscles without isolation exercises for the anterior and posterior regions of the shoulder.

You are already stressing the anterior head of the shoulder with pressing exercises and the posterior region with rowing exercises. You will not be hurt by an occasional extra rep or set, but don't make a habit of it.

When trying to build shoulder muscles, the key is in how well you perform the exercises and not the number of reps or sets you complete.

Take a look at these sample shoulder routines…

Shoulder Routine #1

Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press – 2 sets of 5-7 reps
Standing Dumbbell Side Laterals – 1-2 sets of 10-12 reps

If you want to build shoulder muscles with perform isolation exercises for the anterior and posterior heads, follow the routine below.

Shoulder Routine #2

Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press – 2 sets of 5-7 reps
Standing Dumbbell Side Laterals – 1-2 sets of 10-12 reps
Standing Front Dumbbell Raise – 1 set of 10-12 reps
Seated Rear Lateral Dumbbell Raise – 1 set of 10-12 reps

It's that simple.

Exert yourself to the point of concentric muscular failure on every set, meaning that you can no longer perform reps with good form. Take note of the number of reps you perform and the amount of weight you lift, and look to constantly increase both to build shoulder muscles.
CLICK HERE for a FULL WEIGHT-TRAINING PROGRAM

2010-04-10T07:46:00.000+02:00

What's Holding You Back
From Losing That Stomach Fat?

(The Answer Might Shock You)

The "5 Big Lies" Keeping You Saddled With Excess Belly Flab:

1. Those Miracle Ab Sculpting Devices you see on infomercials look great when fitness models use them, but you and I both know they didn’t get those bodies using just one gimmicky contraption. Don’t waste your money on deceptive ads.

2. "Fat Burning" Pills and Powders do nothing to help your body shed fat, and can be potentially dangerous to your health. Don’t risk your well-being on magic potions sold at the check-out counter.

3. Fad Diet Plans come and go faster than bad fashion trends - and make you feel ridiculous for buying into them. Most of these diets work against your body, causing it to store fat... instead of with it, to melt fat away. Don’t get sidetracked on fad diets that only lighten your wallet.

4. Excessive Cardio Workouts are proven to damage your knees, ankles and lower back, but not to produce six-pack abs. Don’t torture yourself with boring cardio routines. I’ll show you quick and fun exercises that turn your body into a full-time fat burning furnace.

5. Tunnel Vision Fitness Focus is the biggest lie of all (and one you won’t hear from anyone else). The idea that you can develop a washboard stomach by simply eating "ab friendly" foods or by training only your abdominals is 100% false. Yet, that’s what all the products above promise.

Visit this Website to See The Honest Truth About Achieving The
Lean, Sculpted And Sexy Abs Of Your Dreams...

www.tinyurl.com/trim-abs

A Good Muscle Building Workout For Biceps & Triceps

2010-04-09T12:32:00.000+02:00

The primary goal of every serious bodybuilder is a massive set of arms.

There isn't a single bodybuilder you can find that wouldn't be proud to show off huge biceps piled on top of ripped, horseshoe-shaped triceps. Who wouldn't want arms so large that they can barely be contained by a shirt? You can only get those massive arms with correct training, but most bodybuilders have little understanding of how to correctly build their arms, thus they desperately need a good muscle building workout.

When you set out to create a good muscle building workout that will give you complete arm growth, it's vital to consider these three points:
1) The biceps and triceps are relatively small muscle groups compared to other areas.

2) Back pulling movements are a great workout for biceps.

3) Your triceps are also targeted by chest and shoulder pressing movements.

With these three factors in mind, what jumps out about efficient arm training?

Here's the most crucial point:
A good muscle building workout designed to achieve optimal gains in muscle mass and strength in your biceps and triceps can be accomplished with only a small bit of direct arm targeting!

Don't waste your time like so many other people in gym that spend week after week performing a muscle building workout of bicep curls and tricep extensions.

Once you understand that biceps and triceps are targeted within a good muscle building workout of back and chest exercises, you already are way ahead of your peers. Combine this with the fact that your biceps and triceps are relatively small muscle groups and it is very evident that there is little additional benefit to direct arm training.

Keep in mind that you do not build muscle directly during your muscle building workouts at the gym. When you lift weights, you are working to jump-start the processes that stimulate muscle growth. The actual process of building muscle occurs away from the gym during resting and eating, since these are the times that the body actually produces new muscle tissue.

Thus, it is crucial that you do not overexert your muscles during your muscle building workouts. If you want to get substantial gains, it is imperative that you allow your muscles a recovery period. When you train too much, you actually work to make your muscles smaller and weaker instead of larger and stronger.

When you set out for major arm gains, avoid numerous direct arm exercises in your muscle building workouts. There is no benefit to performing countless curls and pressdowns. You can get those massive, ripped arms just from a good muscle building workout of chest and back training without overexerting your arms.

Still, you must perform some direct arm movements, just limit them. Consider adding these 2 arm exercise routines to your good muscle building workout…

Arm Routine #1
Barbell Curls – 2 sets of 5-7 reps
Standing Dumbbell Curls – 1 set of 5-7 reps

Arm Routine #2

Close-Grip Bench Press – 2 sets of 5-7 reps
Standing Cable Pushdowns – 1 set of 5-7 reps

Always take your workouts to concentric muscular failure and work on improving strength week after week by increasing both the amount you lift and the number of reps you perform.

Once you include these in your muscle building workout, you will get substantial gains to your arms.

Build Chest Muscles and Get Massive Pecs

2010-04-08T20:54:00.000+02:00

It goes without saying that all bodybuilders want to build chest muscles.

As a result, many novice bodybuilders will overexert themselves performing set after set of bench presses and cable crosses in a desperate attempt to build chest muscles. You really don't need that level of effort to get a great chest.

You must use proper technique, effort, and continually push yourself to lift more weight with more reps to build chest muscles.

If you set out to build chest muscles using weights, you will probably perform one of two weight training motions: a press or a flye. If you really want to get the most out of your chest exercises, you should stick with pressing movements.

While there is a place for flyes, high intensity pressing movements give you the anabolic effect that is crucial to maximize your potential to build chest muscles. I am referring to simple exercises such as dumbbell presses, wide-grip dips, and heavy barbell presses.

When you set out to build chest muscles, there are no magic exercises or techniques that will get you there faster. For impressive results, just stick with these basic presses along with overload and progression techniques.

You can build chest muscles using these proven lifts:

Flat/Incline/Decline Barbell Bench Press

The standard barbell press is a simple exercise that must be included in any workout plan to build chest muscles and enhance pectoral muscle size. With this exercise, you will be able to lift the maximum amount of weight you can control within this range of motion.

When you perform the incline press, you are placing greater stress on your upper chest region. Conversely, the decline press stresses the lower and outer chest muscle regions. The flat bench press gives you the best of both exercises since it works all chest muscle groups evenly. When it is your goal to build chest muscles, a large component of your routine should be the standard barbell press.

Flat/Incline/Decline Dumbbell Press

The dumbbell press is another key routine that will help you build chest muscles. One benefit of the dumbbell press over the barbell pres is that it involves a more natural range of motion. This works to lower the possibility of shoulder injuries.

It also does not allow you to "cheat" with one arm, as this bad form often produces strength disparities. The primary disadvantage is that the exercise does not allow you to lift as much weight. Regardless, the standard dumbbell press is a valuable exercise to help you build chest muscles.

Wide-Grip Dips

This is another valuable chest exercise that is rarely included in workout plans to build chest muscles. You can better target your pectoral muscles if you select a wide grip and lean forward. Otherwise you will primarily target the triceps.

If it turns out that lifting just your own body weight is insufficient, you can add additional weight by using a weight belt. The wide-grip dip is great combinatorial movement to build chest muscles.

Sample Chest Routines

Chest Routine# 1

Flat Barbell Bench Press: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
Incline Dumbbell Press: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps

Wide-Grip Dips: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps

Chest Routine# 2

Incline Barbell Bench Press: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
Wide-Grip Dips: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
Flat Dumbbell Press: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps

You should set out to achieve concentric muscular failure throughout the reps even though you are performing 5 to 7 reps per set. To build chest muscles, document your workout and progress in terms of increased weight and reps on a weekly basis.

Why Replacement Meal Shakes Make Good Bodybuilding Supplements

2010-04-05T20:37:00.000+02:00

With the great variety of bodybuilding supplements available nowadays, you could find it difficult to decide what is suitable for you and what is not. On your path to building muscle, you will find that there are a number of supplements that will benefit you. However, one which you might have overlooked takes the form of meal replacement shakes. These are convenient and deliver great benefit. But there is one disadvantage to using these as a supplement...

But first, let's deal with the positive side of meal replacement shakes as a bodybuilding supplement.

They provide all the protein that your body requires. In addition, they provide you with good carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. You would already know that protein is the single most important nutrient for building and repairing muscle tissue; if you don't consume sufficient protein, you will not see efficient muscle growth.

Your protein intake needs to be as much as 30-40% of your caloric intake for optimal muscle growth. Although your normal diet should provide this quantity, to maximize your muscle gains, protein supplements would be the ideal answer.

Among the best protein bodybuilding supplements is whey protein. It's really good and not very expensive. You should, therefore, choose a meal replacement shake that contains whey protein as its protein constituent.

That said, the disadvantage of meal replacement shakes is that they are often very expensive. But don't be too discouraged about the cost -- you can make your own equivalent for a fraction of the cost in your own kitchen. Here's the recipe:

Take 1-2 cups of milk and add whey powder, one banana and some oatmeal. Pulse in your blender and enjoy!

You can conveniently replace one or two of your 5-7 small daily meals with a shake, or just add a shake to your meals as an extra nutritional source.
www.tinyurl.com/build-muscle-big

Learn How To Condition The Most Important 'Muscle' Of All... Your MIND!

2010-04-05T15:07:00.000+02:00

Here is what I want you to do…

1) Clearly define exactly what you want to achieve.

What is it that you want to achieve? What are your ultimate goals? You're reading this lesson for a reason. You opened your Internet browser, found my website and you felt that it was worth your time to read through it.

Okay, great, but why was it worth your time? Don't say, "I want to build more muscle", or "I want to increase my bench press." If this is a goal of yours, fine, but what exactly do you want to achieve?

I may be asking a lot of questions here, but it's extremely important for you to find the answers. A vague image of your goals simply isn't enough; you must have a clear, well-defined image in mind if you truly want to be successful.

If you wanted to build a house, you wouldn't go about it by grabbing some wood and nails and trying to haphazardly piece them together. Instead, you would make a blueprint and clearly define exactly what it was that you wanted to build. And so it must be the same for your muscle-building journey.

So…

Close your eyes. Eliminate any distractions around you. Relax, and breathe deeply.

I want you to visualize the body that you ultimately want to achieve. I'm not talking about a vague, fuzzy picture of a body that would "be nice to have." I'm talking about a well-defined, crystal clear depiction of the exact physique that you are going to build.

Look at your new body from the third person perspective, that is, from someone else's point of view. Imagine your new physique from the front, and then slowly rotate it in your mind so that you can see it from every angle.

You must focus on details here. You must see everything exactly how you want it to look from your chest to your shoulders to your back to your legs. Lock that image in your brain and focus intensely on it.

Now in one quick, explosive movement, transport yourself into that body. You are now experiencing your new physique from the first person, looking through its eyes. Look down at your muscles and see them as if they are yours.Feel them. Flex them. Experience them.

Imagine that you're looking in the mirror and seeing a reflection of this new body. Try to make this visualization process feel as real as possible. Experience this reality in your mind as if it were actually happening. Imagine the sounds, the smells and the textures that are around you.

2) Clearly define the purpose as to why you are trying to achieve that body.

Okay, so you've now made a clear mental picture of the body that you want to achieve.

You see, an impressive physique is ultimately a material possession. As human beings, we strive to acquire material possessions because they make us feel a certain way.

Muscles are just muscles.

But why do you want muscles? What will they do for you? How will they make you feel?

Why do you buy a new car, take a trip to Hawaii or go to a restaurant and order a New York steak?

It's because it makes you feel good .

So what do muscles do you for you? Why do you want them?

Think deeply about this and examine your ultimate purpose. You want to develop an impressive physique for a reason . What is that reason? Analyze this reason and be honest with yourself.

Maybe you want more attention from the opposite sex. Maybe you enjoy the idea of being physically dominant among your peers. Maybe you want to feel healthier or become more skilled at a sport. Or maybe you just want to get noticed, period. Maybe it's a combination of a few, many, or all of these.Whatever it is, define it.

We don't train merely to build muscles. We train to build feelings. Muscles evoke these feelings, and that's why we want them.

I now want you to focus not only on the physical aspects of your new body, but also, the emotional aspects of your new body. I want you to focus on the feelings that are associated with that body.

Find that feeling. Search it out, and pull it from your brain.

Now feel that feeling. Focus intensely not only on your new body, but on how it feels to have that new body.

Soak it up. Magnify it. Let the feeling consume you.

Create scenarios in your mind of what life will be like once you achieve this new physique. If your goal is to gain more attention from the opposite sex, imagine it happening. For example, maybe you're at the beach and you notice that women are eyeing you out whenever you walk by. Or maybe a female friend compliments you on how huge your arms are. Transport yourself to these situations and experience them. Focus on the benefits of your new body. After all, the benefits are what you are out to capture, not merely the body itself.

Now, hold that thought!

3) Verbalize It.

Keep your eyes closed. Continue to visualize your new body and the feelings that are associated with it.

Focus very hard on it.

Now I want you to take all of those positive thoughts and feelings you are experiencing, and verbalize them. You may find this embarrassing to do, but this a very important part of the entire process. I want you to say out loud everything that you are experiencing and make sure to say it as if it has already come true.

Don't just say it, believe it.

It might sound something like this…

"My body is thick, muscular, defined and strong. I have massive shoulders, a thick, chiseled chest, gigantic, vascular arms and a ripped, 6-pack stomach. My legs are like tree trunks; wide and powerful, and my calves protrude like footballs. I feel strong, powerful and confident. I'm going to walk up to every person who ever poked fun at me for my size and watch the disbelief on their faces. I'm enjoying comments from friends and family who have noticed the impressive results I've achieved. I can talk to women with full confidence because I know that they think I look good. My life has completely changed for the better."

By clearly visualizing your goals, experiencing the feelings of reaching them, and then verbalizing them with concrete words, you will literally create a surge of emotion-producing chemicals within your body. This surge will help to physically reaffirm your goals and will always remind you of why you are putting in the work that you'll be putting in.

You should repeat this process at least once a day (or as often as you'd like) so that you never lose sight of you what you are trying to accomplish, and so that you always keep your mind on the right track.

www.tinyurl.com/build-muscle-big

Psychological Tips To Build Lean Muscle Fast

2010-04-05T07:37:00.000+02:00

The best bodybuilders build lean muscle fast using a variety of mental and physical techniques. While the best bodybuilders exercise with maximum intensity, it is equally true that all of the best bodybuilders are influenced by the power of the mind. Mind power is a great tool that should be used by anyone trying to build lean muscle fast.

Let's examine the example of Arnold Schwarzenegger. He often visualized his biceps becoming massive and ultimately became a superb bodybuilder. Tom Platz was able to build lean muscle fast by visualizing that he would have quads the size of the average person's thighs.

In order to train the mind to envision bodybuilding success and weight gain, you must develop and sustain a positive outlook and use positive affirmations to keep yourself motivated in order to build lean muscle fast.

In order to achieve total focus and build lean muscle fast, it is crucial that you maintain a strong connection of mind and muscle through affirmations. The better you become at this, the more strength gains you will realize and you will find it simpler to target certain muscle groups for increased strength.

In bodybuilding, it is imperative that you visualize the precise results that a specific exercise will generate on targeted muscles. This will allow you to build lean muscle fast by more quickly and effectively developing the mind/muscle link.

If you are trying to build lean muscle fast, it requires more than just motivating yourself to complete your next weight training session and to avoid negative things. It is also essential that you retrain your subconscious mind to expect that you can build lean muscle fast.

The subconscious mind is the portion of your mind that exists just beneath your awareness level. It is easy to stimulate the subconscious mind, which can affect your actions and thoughts.

More often than not, people who have a negative outlook tend to have a negative life, and people who have a positive outlook tend to live a more fruitful and pleasant life. Weightlifters that can build lean muscle fast rarely envision themselves in a negative light, but instead constantly affirm themselves with positive thoughts.

They generally have a positive outlook in all aspects of life and use affirmations to be successful. Just like people that want to build lean muscle fast, people that are successful and achieve championships in all areas of life are those that are eternally optimistic.

Constantly giving yourself positive affirmations will allow you to build lean muscle fast and enhance the effectiveness of your workouts. Positive affirmations will train your subconscious mind to seek and expect success and will serve as a source of motivation for your present and future goals.

These affirmations also train your subconscious mind not to succumb to the mental and physical roadblocks that previously impeded your goal to build lean muscle fast. This technique will allow you to fend off negative thoughts and build healthy self-esteem.

These are some positive bodybuilding affirmations that can help you to build lean muscle fast:

• I will complete today’s workout and nothing will stop me.
• I will exceed all of my personal records today.
• The food I consume will allow me to build lean muscle fast.
• I will have massive quads and biceps.

Use affirmations to accomplish particular goals and choose "trigger" words that enhance your motivation and enthusiasm so that you can build lean muscle fast.

For additional tips to build lean muscle fast by using affirmations, go to this website…
www.tinyurl.com/build-muscle-big

The Best Muscle Building Protein Sources

2010-04-04T21:21:00.000+02:00

All experienced bodybuilders are aware that protein is the most important nutrient for gaining weight. Pay attention beginners: even if you work out like crazy, you will not pack on substantial muscle mass unless your supplement your diets with sufficient amounts of muscle building protein.

So what makes protein so vital, and how can you locate the top muscle building protein sources? Let's discuss these here.

Protein is a polymer that comprised of a long chain of smaller molecules called amino acids. After you eat and metabolize protein, it is ultimately broken down into single amino acid monomers that will be used in countless bodily functions.

For lifters who would like to enhance their muscle mass and strength, consuming the best muscle building protein is crucial. Protein is essential for both efficient muscle building and for the processes that repair damaged muscle tissues.

Since we understand that muscle building protein is required if we want to gain size and strength, how can we find the best sources of protein?

Here are some of the foods that are rich in muscle building protein that will guarantee that you get the maximum gains in size and strength:
Eggs – One of the highest quality sources of muscle building protein is the egg, and you don't need to drink them raw for this benefit. Whether they are fried, scrambled, hard boiled, or poached, eggs are a great addition to breakfast since they provide your muscles with an immediate jolt of protein.

Lean Red Meat – Ignore what any diet has claimed: lean red meat is a great source of muscle building protein. Red meat is loaded with more muscle building protein per gram than any other source of protein. Sirloin cuts and low-fat ground beef provide the highest benefits.

Poultry – We cannot leave out skinless chicken and turkey, as they are great sources of protein. As a rule, you should stick with white meat servings of poultry. They contain little fat while being rich in muscle building protein.

Milk – Milk is another good source of muscle building protein, and it contains a number of muscle building benefits. A 250 ml cup of milk has nearly 8 grams of protein.

80% of the protein in milk is casein, which is more slowly absorbed than any other type of protein. Casein forms a gel in the stomach, making it extremely difficult to digest. This slow-releasing muscle building protein will supply a continuous stream of amino acids, keeping the body building muscle for extended periods of time.

Milk is also loaded with individual amino acids and is a source of the short-chain fatty acids that enhance muscle growth. A great quality about milk is that it is a part of many recipes or it can be used to make your protein shake. Got milk?

Fish/Seafood – Just one can of tuna contains 30 grams of muscle building protein. Even better, it is both free of carbs and fat. You can get similar benefits from cod, salmon, and halibut. In addition to protein, fish and seafood are also great sources of the omega-3 fatty acids essential for muscle building.

Peanut Butter/Peanuts – While there is a bit of fat in peanuts and peanut butter, they are the unsaturated fats that actually improve your health. Peanuts are also loaded with muscle building protein. When you select peanut butter, select a natural brand that is free of unsaturated fats instead of a commercial brand.

Cottage Cheese – As a milk product, cottage cheese also contains casein, the muscle building protein that we previously discussed can take up to 4 hours to digest. It is also a great source of glutamine, which comprises about 65% of the body's amino acid pool.

Whey Protein – Whey protein is currently among the most popular and effective supplements for bodybuilding, and one of the few with any real benefit. There is no better source for high quality muscle building protein.

For more tidbits on muscle building proteins sources that will help you recover following weight training workouts, visit the website below…
www.tinyurl.com/build-muscle-big

Testosterone

2010-04-03T20:18:00.000+02:00

If there's one substance in the body that could be considered the "Holy Grail" of muscle growth, testosterone would be it.

It is without a doubt the most important hormone involved in building muscle, and is one of the limiting factors that determines how much muscle a person can gain. The reality is that we all posses different levels of this powerful hormone, and aside from poking yourself with a chemically enhanced needle, it can be difficult to control these levels.

In this installment I'm going to cover some basic, scientifically backed methods that will allow you to naturally raise your body's levels of testosterone. These increased levels will almost certainly have a positive impact on your resulting muscle gains. In addition to increasing your lean muscle mass, raised testosterone levels also have the following benefits...

Decreased body fat levels
Increased sex drive and sexual endurance
Improved mood
Decreased levels of "bad" cholesterol

Now, I certainly do not claim that using these methods will result in "steroid-like effects" or that they will allow you to pack on an extra 20 pounds of muscle in 2 months, but they will certainly help to speed up your overall progress both in and out of the gym.

Before we get into the actual methods of increasing testosterone levels, let's first cover some quick biology so that we're all on the same page.

Here is how the body produces testosterone:

1) The brain releases LH (luteinizing hormone) and this "tells" the body to start producing testosterone.
2) The adrenal glands release DHEA into the bloodstream.
3) LH and DHEA travel together to the testes where testosterone production begins.
4) Testosterone is then released into the bloodstream.

So without further ado, here are some basic methods you can implement in order to naturally raise your body's levels of testosterone and take advantage of all of its amazing benefits. I've broken this up into 3 separate categories: training, diet and lifestyle.

Training

1) Place the majority of your emphasis in the gym on big, basic compound movements.

These basic exercises will place your body under the greatest amount of stress in the gym, and this will force your body to secrete higher amounts of testosterone. Isolation exercises can have their place, but compound movements should be the cornerstone of your workouts.

2) Always train with full effort and intensity.

Whether you're performing a compound movement or an isolation movement, you must always push yourself hard in the gym by taking all of your sets to the point of concentric muscular failure. The more stress you place on your body in the gym (without crossing the point of recovery), the greater your testosterone production will be.

3) Train your legs equally as hard as your upper body.

Leg training can be extremely difficult to execute with a high level of intensity, but the rewards are great when you do. Push yourself hard on basic leg exercises like the squat and leg press in order to stimulate the release of testosterone.

Diet

1) Increase your consumption of Essential Fatty Acids.

When most people structure their muscle-building diet, they almost always follow the idea of "high protein and low-fat". Big mistake!

Fats play a critical role in the muscle-building process and have a direct impact on testosterone levels. You should be consuming about 25% of your daily calories from healthy, unsaturated fat sources such as peanuts, avocados and fish as well as nutritional oils like flax seed, olive and canola.

2) Reduce your intake of soy.

Soy protein raises your body's levels of estrogen (the main female hormone). When the body's production of estrogen increases, testosterone levels plummet. Avoid soy products as much as possible in order to keep your estrogen levels low and testosterone levels high.

3) Limit alcohol consumption.

Alcohol has been shown to have quite a dramatic effect on testosterone levels, so try to limit your "binge drinking" nights and keep your alcohol consumption in moderation.

4) Increase your consumption of cruciferous vegetables.

These vegetables have been shown to have a significant estrogen-reducing effect, thereby raising testosterone. Some good choices are broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, turnips, cabbage and brussel sprouts.

5) Eat smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day.

Rather than eating the traditional "3 square meals a day", try consuming 5-7 smaller meals spaced out every 2-3 hours. This will keep your body in an anabolic state at all times and will keep testosterone levels peaked.

Lifestyle

1) Lower your levels of stress.

Stress contributes to the release of a highly catabolic hormone called cortisol which has a highly negative effect on testosterone levels.

2) Increase your sexual activity.

Sexual stimulation causes the body to increase the production of oxytocin which then increases endorphin production (the "feel-good" chemical), and this has a direct impact on testosterone secretion.

3) Get adequate sleep every night.

Failing to provide your body with proper sleep each night will raise cortisol levels, and this in turn will decrease your testosterone production. A solid, restful 8 hours of sleep every night will keep your cortisol levels in check.

There you have it, a few basic, easy-to-follow guidelines for increasing your testosterone levels naturally.

Start implementing some of these techniques on a consistent basis and you should experience a noticeable improvement in your muscle and strength gains as well as your overall mood and sexual performance.

This is just one of the many simple but powerful methods for achieving a lean and muscular physique outlined in the complete program, The Muscle Gain Truth.

What Carbohydrates are Best for Bodybuilding?

2010-04-03T08:25:00.000+02:00

When you are on a muscle-building program, carbohydrates provide very important nutrients. It’s important to know what carbohydrates are best for bodybuilding because they are our bodies’ main source of fuel. Since they aid in the absorption of protein and help prevent catabolism, they should be included in every meal you eat.

Besides providing fuel for your brain and muscles, carbohydrates also have another important function. They help maintain an ideal environment in your body by raising levels of testosterone and insulin.

However, eating high-glycemic carbohydrates results in an insulin spike. While you should avoid this at other times of the day, this insulin spike plays an important role after a workout or in the morning. At any other time of the day, an insulin spike causes your body to deposit excess blood sugar into your fat cells.

For this reason most of the carbohydrates you eat should be of the low-glycemic type. Such carbs break down slowly and provide your body with a slow, sustained release of sugar. This provision lasts throughout the day. In so doing, they moderate your insulin and blood sugar levels, which keeps you from storing excess fat. It also maintains energy levels.

To tell whether a carbohydrate is high-glycemic or low-glycemic, you can use the Glycemic Index. The Glycemic index is a chart that rates carbohydrates depending on the speed at which they increase blood sugar levels, within two hours after consumption. These rankings vary from 0 to 100.

This is one of the most accurate ways of telling if you’re eating the correct bodybuilding carbs.

Regarding the glycemic index, high GI ranks aren’t necessarily bad for you, it's just that natural carbohydrates with low GI rankings usually make the best bodybuilding carbs. The reason for this is that when you eat high GI foods in combination with other foods, it does not cause your insulin levels to spike.

What really changes the GI effects in your body is eating carbohydrates with other food sources like proteins and fats. Therefore, it’s not always wise to blindly follow the Glycemic Index when choosing which carbohydrates to include in your diet.

Your diet should include foods like oatmeal, potatoes, yams, brown rice and whole grains; these help you get the correct bodybuilding carbs because they contain natural, unrefined carbohydrates. When they are part of a full meal, these foods will have a negligible effect on blood sugar levels because they will break down slowly.

You should also include other bodybuilding carbs in your diet like low fat dairy products and fresh fruits. Vegetables are also good, but they’re not the best choice when you want to maximize your calorie-burning without over-eating; they’re not as high in caloric value.

Only eat refined carbohydrates on rare occasions.

Visit this website for a FULL PROGRAM of bodybuilding and nutrition for FAST muscle-building: www.tinyurl.com/build-muscle-big

Powerful Muscle-Building System

2010-04-02T13:23:00.000+02:00

Dear Friend,

Are you happy?

I mean, REALLY happy with the way you look and feel? When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

Do you see a muscular, rock-solid, head-turning body? A person with all the confidence in the world... that gorgeous, sexy women WANT, and that men want to BE?

The reason why I'm asking is simple...

A few days ago, I got an email from lifetime natural bodybuilder and fitness author, Sean Nalewanyj. Unless you've been living under a rock, then you know him too.

At one time, he wasn't happy either. In fact, he was on the verge of being diagnosed as clinically depressed... An awkward, pencil-necked, big-eared "social reject" who couldn't talk to a woman if his life depended on it.

And his story truly inspired me.

My lunch and coffee went cold while I found out the ridiculously SIMPLE way he got to where he is now.

And if a powerful new body that draws in the hottest women imaginable... and a sky-high confidence that screams out to the world sounds appealing to YOU, then you cannot afford to brush this aside...

Lock your door, and drop everything.

If this once "hopeless" little pipsqueak can look like THIS in just a matter of months... Using just 24 minutes a day, and an approach SO SIMPLE that the so called "experts" have been left scratching their heads...

Then... well, I'll let you read more for yourself...

Click the following link or enter it into your web browser to find out more...

http://www.tinyurl.com/build-muscle-big
Best regards,

Barry Richardson.

P.S. Complete and total happiness with your body is literally one mouse click away. It will only take 10 minutes of your time, so you've got NOTHING to lose by giving it a quick read-through.

http://www.tinyurl.com/build-muscle-big

How to Make Your Muscles Grow Faster with Lifting Straps

2010-04-01T16:52:00.000+02:00

As an enthusiastic weight trainer you would like to be able to instantly increase the weight you can lift, right? Firstly, let me tell you that, if you haven' yet used this rather basic piece of equipment, you have already missed out on some great muscle development. Here's a quick piece of advice that will teach you how to make your muscles grow faster with just about every back exercise you perform...

What is the magic item of equipment that will give you faster muscle growth? -- a pair of lifting straps! These help grow muscle quite effectively, but many lifters forget about them.

Lifting strips are thick and durable straps designed to wrap around a barbell, dumbbell or cable attachment. Connect them securely to your wrist and the weight and you won't need to worry about losing your grip. When you use them correctly, you’re able to do hold onto the bar without expending any energy from your forearms.

Why is this important?

Say you’re doing deadlifts and you need to complete 8 reps of these powerful muscle-building exercises. You psych yourself up, grip hard, and lift the bar from the ground. You think the set is going well until you reach rep number 5 and realize that the strain on your grip is so great that you can no longer hold on to the bar.

Your set is over because your forearms have reached muscular failure. You killed it with that forearm workout!

So, you see, you missed out on the muscle stimulation you could have gotten on your legs, back, shoulders and just about every other muscle in your body that the deadlift targets in the process.

A lifting strap helps make your muscles grow faster by making sure that you reach muscular failure in the major muscle groups that you are intending to target, rather than on your forearms and grip. When you need a strong grip you should use a lifting strap; this could be for back or other exercises.

That said, since lifting straps work like a “crutch,” people will argue they work against your grip strength and forearm size. Remember, though, that it's strength and muscle mass on your upper back, lats and almost every other major muscle group in your body that you want to develop, not the ability to open a bottle of ketchup!

Ultimately, the positive effect that lifting straps have on your overall muscle mass and strength is more important than some negative effect on your forearms and grip. Anyway, you can make up for it with specific forearm movements to develop your grip strength and forearm size, should you choose to do so.

Let's face it, you want to get the best results out of your workouts in the shortest possible time. Get your straps from any fitness store or order them online -- they are not expensive and are well worth the price.

To Fast Gain Muscle, Harness Your Mental Power

2010-03-24T20:44:00.000+02:00

When doing a program in weight training, harnessing your mental powers can mean the difference between success and failure and whether you can achieve fast gain in muscle size.
The fact is that there is nothing that can stop you if you truly believe that you can do something and have the utmost confidence in yourself that you will succeed. Knowing how to use the power of your mind is your strongest weapon when you are looking for bodybuilding muscle gain.

Your mind can help you to achieve spectacular, fast gain in muscle strength and size instead of you having to settle for mediocre results. Bodybuilding is ultimately a mental battle, therefore you need to maintain a strong and positive mental attitude when training. It can mean the difference between success and failure. Many weight trainers have preconceived ideas that are mostly negative, hence their failure is inevitable. Thinking negative thoughts and imposing limitations on what you can do can affect your ability to build your dream body. If you don't think you can get the body you would like, believe me, you won't get it.

That said, here are some tips:

Visualization and making affirmations are the two key mental techniques for fast gain in muscular development. You'll need to use these to your advantage. When you imagine that you’ve already achieved your goals and view yourself as you’d like others to see you, you’re visualizing. Visualize yourself with ripped muscles, and pretty soon you’ll have them through hard work and motivation.

It follows that, when you do so, you control your own destiny, because you’ve let your mind show you the most efficient path to success. If you want to achieve your goals, you have to remain steadfast and determined; use the power of your mind as an ally in this battle.

When you use affirmations to help you reach your goals it is known as verbalization. Verbalization and visualization are complementary techniques that can help you to achieve fast gain in muscle size.

The key to using these techniques successfully involves knowing what you want and then giving it all your physical and mental energy to get it. Keep telling yourself “I know I can do this” and you'll be well on your way to spectacular results.

Is Glutamine a Good Supplement for Building Muscle?

2010-03-22T16:45:00.000+02:00

Unlike some other bodybuilding supplements, glutamine is not a universally-popular supplement for building muscle. Some say that its benefits as a muscle-building supplement are not proven. Until recently, glutamine was considered essential for helping build muscle, but recent studies have shown that its benefits have been much exaggerated.

Glutamine is an amino acid which makes up about 65% of your body's amino acid content. Yet, in times of deficit, your body can manufacture it out of other amino acids. For this reason it is known as a non-essential amino acid.

Some people claim that it helps reduce muscle soreness after exercise and to repair damaged muscle tissue. Others claim that it hepls enhance strength. Nevertheless, current research does not show glutamine to be an essential supplement for building muscle.

Yet, the research has produced some interesting results. It was discovered that glutamine does indeed work, under certain clinical testing, but doesn't do much for a workout, even when large quantities are used. It did not affect muscle performance or repair during weight training.

Although some believe that glutamine improves cell volume, studies have disproved this. It has not been proved, however, whether or not it improves glycogen stores after exercise.

A final study showed that your body manufactures up to 48% more protein when you have an amino acid drink after your workout. Adding glutamine to this did not, however, change protein synthesis.

In a nut-shell, it seems that the importance of glutamine as a good supplement for building muscle is probably a 50-50 situation. It isn't as great as was first thought but does provide some benefits. For one, it restores testosterone levels after you exercise. It can also help you get that hard, ripped look when used in conjunction with a fat-loss program.

Get Massive Pecs and Build Chest Muscles

2010-03-21T19:27:00.000+02:00

It goes without saying that all bodybuilders want to build chest muscles.

As a result, many novice bodybuilders will overexert themselves performing set after set of bench presses and cable crosses in a desperate attempt to build chest muscles. You really don't need that level of effort to get a great chest.

You must use proper technique, effort, and continually push yourself to lift more weight with more reps to build chest muscles.

If you set out to build chest muscles using weights, you will probably perform one of two weight training motions: a press or a flye. If you really want to get the most out of your chest exercises, you should stick with pressing movements.

While there is a place for flyes, high intensity pressing movements give you the anabolic effect that is crucial to maximize your potential to build chest muscles. I am referring to simple exercises such as dumbbell presses, wide-grip dips, and heavy barbell presses.

When you set out to build chest muscles, there are no magic exercises or techniques that will get you there faster. For impressive results, just stick with these basic presses along with overload and progression techniques.

You can build chest muscles using these proven lifts:

Flat/Incline/Decline Barbell Bench Press

The standard barbell press is a simple exercise that must be included in any workout plan to build chest muscles and enhance pectoral muscle size. With this exercise, you will be able to lift the maximum amount of weight you can control within this range of motion.

When you perform the incline press, you are placing greater stress on your upper chest region. Conversely, the decline press stresses the lower and outer chest muscle regions. The flat bench press gives you the best of both exercises since it works all chest muscle groups evenly. When it is your goal to build chest muscles, a large component of your routine should be the standard barbell press.

Flat/Incline/Decline Dumbbell Press

The dumbbell press is another key routine that will help you build chest muscles. One benefit of the dumbbell press over the barbell pres is that it involves a more natural range of motion. This works to lower the possibility of shoulder injuries.

It also does not allow you to "cheat" with one arm, as this bad form often produces strength disparities. The primary disadvantage is that the exercise does not allow you to lift as much weight. Regardless, the standard dumbbell press is a valuable exercise to help you build chest muscles.

Wide-Grip Dips

This is another valuable chest exercise that is rarely included in workout plans to build chest muscles. You can better target your pectoral muscles if you select a wide grip and lean forward. Otherwise you will primarily target the triceps.

If it turns out that lifting just your own body weight is insufficient, you can add additional weight by using a weight belt. The wide-grip dip is great combinatorial movement to build chest muscles.

Sample Chest Routines

Chest Routine# 1

Flat Barbell Bench Press: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
Incline Dumbbell Press: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
Wide-Grip Dips: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps

Chest Routine# 2

Incline Barbell Bench Press: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
Wide-Grip Dips: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
Flat Dumbbell Press: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps

You should set out to achieve concentric muscular failure throughout the reps even though you are performing 5 to 7 reps per set. To build chest muscles, document your workout and progress in terms of increased weight and reps on a weekly basis.

Sean Nalewanyj's Bio

2010-03-20T08:09:00.000+02:00

Once an awkward, out-of-shape “social outcast”, Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned fat loss and muscle building expert, best-selling fitness author and success coach. Through his mega-popular websites and his information-packed online email lessons, Sean has helped tens of thousands of average, everyday people from all over the world burn fat, build muscle and get into the best shape of their lives.

Sean is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, has written articles for dozens of the top muscle-building and fat loss websites across the Internet and is recognized as an expert authority on the subjects of building muscle and burning fat fast.

He is also the creator of 2 best-selling online programs:

The Real Body Transformation System: A step-by-step fat loss program that teaches people how to burn fat and tone their bodies safely, quickly and permanently without supplements or fad diets.

The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System: A renowned natural bodybuilding program that details the most effective ways to build muscle and gain strength by training for an average of just 24 minutes a day.

Sean is also the owner and operator of The Muscle Building & Fat Loss Inner Circle. This is a members-only community that brings together fitness-oriented guys and gals from all over the world to share tips, ask questions and motivate eachother to be their best.

In a fitness world where intense marketing hype and exaggerations have become the norm, Sean is well respected for his direct, no-nonsense approach. He admits that getting into impressive shape is no easy task, but firmly believes that his widely acclaimed programs can help anyone achieve the body of their dreams as long as they are willing to put forth the effort.

Deadlifts: The Best Bodybuilding Exercise

2010-03-19T07:39:00.000+02:00

I'm about to show you the best bodybuilding exercise available. It will allow you to get the physique you've sought more quickly than any other routine you can find. All you need is a barbell and a flat surface to perform your reps. Place the maximum amount of weight you can lift on the bar, and pick it up while keeping your back straight.

The deadlift will give you astronomical lean muscle growth in a relatively short amount of time.
When you perform a deadlift correctly, you will probably have an intense displeasure with the gym for the moment. This best bodybuilding exercise will probably leave you nauseous, dizzy, and struggling to breathe.

But if you truly want the best results, you'll have to deal with these "side effects" so that you can benefit from the best bodybuilding exercise you can do.

What makes the deadlift the best bodybuilding exercise is that it requires you to exert every muscle in your body. You will work every part of your body just by doing the simple movement of standing. Granted, you will feel the most sensation in your thighs and upper and lower back, but performing this exercise regularly will increase your lean muscle all over your body.

This is the best bodybuilding exercise to stimulate the production and secretion of useful anabolic hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone. Because it is such an intense workout, you will provide your body with a "spill over effect". This means that you will increase your total body strength and size, giving you an increased capacity to gain weight.

For instance, after spending a period of time performing intense deadlifts, it is typical to observe that you are now able to do increased reps over other exercises such as curls and bench presses.

While there are many different ways to perform the deadlift, we are going to examine just the standard bent-legged version.

Here is the correct way to do Deadlifts:

You need to space you feet about shoulder-width part, then grab the bar just outside the distance of your legs. There is no incorrect grip; you can grip the bar with your palms facing in and out, or use an overhand grip. The key is choosing the grip that is most convenient for you to use.

You should start the lifting movement from a low, squatted position, positioning the bar near your shins. As you lift the weight into the air with your legs, keep your back in a flat position and tighten your abs. Your head should be up and facing the wall.

Continue to lift the weight until you have reached a standing position. You then want to lower the weight using the same form and technique that you used to raise the weight off the ground.

If needed, you can take a small break to rest the plates on the ground until you catch your breath. Bur your goal is to lift the weight repeatedly. Continue to perform the exercise until you reach muscle failure or until you can no longer maintain proper form.

To continue that point, it is key to focus on performing this best bodybuilding exercise with proper form. Since you are dealing with a sizeable amount of weight, bad form increases your odds for minor or major injuries.

The most essential part is to make sure that your back remains flat throughout the exercise and to position the weight near your body. Keep your abs tight to reduce the stress on your lower back.

You should not progress to using larger amounts of weight until you have perfected your form using light weights. You may also want to consider using lifting straps, as they will help you avoid losing your grip, which typically occurs long before muscle failure.

You should do deadlifts once a week in 1 or 2 "max-out" sets.

At this point, most people want to know how many reps should be performed.

As deadlifts are the best bodybuilding exercise, the number of reps you perform will have less bearing on how much benefit you receive. I suggest performing 5 to 7 reps, although there are lifters who can do as many as 20. Get started to see how many you can do.

After you start, prepare to thank deadlifts for gains you never imagined previously.

If you found this article about the best bodybuilding exercise helpful, check out this link for more free tips...

THE TRUTH ABOUT MUSCLE BUILDING.

Drinking Water to Gain Muscle Weight Quickly

2010-03-18T18:26:00.000+02:00

We are all aware of the importance of drinking an adequate amount of water every day, but not all of us stick to this rule. You need to be serious about remaining hydrated when you’re training for rapid muscle growth. When you consider that your body is composed mainly of water, you'll begin to realise the importance of consuming enough for your needs. But how will this help you gain muscle weight quickly?

For starters, water makes up about 70% of your body's lean muscle mass. Therefore, you need to drink a lot of it to maximise the benefits of your workouts. You lose water every day without being aware of it. Perspiration and breathing cause you to lose about 16 ounces of water daily. For your kidneys and intestines to function properly, you need a further 48 ounces a day. This comes to about 10 cups of water a day just for survival.

Furthermore, when you engage in intense exercise, your body's need for water increases. If you're trying to gain muscle weight quickly, it is essential to remain fully hydrated.

Interestingly, studies have shown that a drop of just 3 - 4 percent in your body's water level can cause a drop of 10-20 per cent in muscle contraction. It is especially important to drink a lot of water before you work out if you want to gain muscle weight quickly, in order to maintain an adequate water content in your muscles.

Not only that, but water will also help to prevent injuries during your workout. Extra stress is put on your joints and connective tissues when you train at high intensity over long periods of time. Your joints are lubricated and cushioned by water, which helps prevent injuries.

Water is essential for correct digestive function. Protein, which is the mainstay of any bodybuilding diet program, needs water to help it break down into its component amino acids.

Again, water also helps to regulate your body’s temperature by keeping your skin moist through perspiration. This becomes all the more important when you’re performing intense exercise. Water also helps you remove unwanted waste products from the body.

Here’s a little secret: you also burn fat because of water. So when you want to gain muscle weight quickly and get ripped, it’s very important not only to ensure that your body receives an adequate supply of water, but that you are following an expertly-designed training plan to get you the results you deserve.

Learn THE TRUTH ABOUT BUILDING MUSCLE

Top Weights Exercise for Building Muscle: the Squat

2010-03-17T21:18:00.000+02:00

Most weight-trainers would surely tell you that the most difficult, most intimidating and painful exercise for building muscle you could possibly do is the squat. In order for them to be performed properly they need huge amounts of discipline and willpower. Just perform a set of squats to failure and you’ll know exactly what I mean. Ultimately, squats are THE most effective, growth-stimulating weights exercise for building muscle that you can do.

Because of their high level of difficulty, they force your body to release higher amounts of testosterone and growth hormone. This will add more size and strength to your lower body than any other weights exercise for building muscle.

Similarly, your upper body benefits as well because of the increased secretion of hormones.

With this weights exercise for building muscle you will achieve a gain in strength with almost any other exercise you perform because it cases a "spillover" effect. A well-known fitness trainer has informed me that, when he first began squatting to failure, he could increase his bench-press weight by 20 pounds almost immediately. Now that you've found a top weights exercise for building muscle, isn't it enough reason to begin doing the squat?

The squat really brings results. If you are serious about weight training, you should experience the benefits of heavy squatting.

Now, the correct squatting technique:

For your safety, use device like a power rack or Smith machine to perform your squats. This will enable you to adjust the height at which you clear the bar, and you'll have the safety pins to catch the bar should your nuscles give way. Set the safety pins just below the depth at which you are squatting, and set the J-hooks at the level of your nipple.

Here’s the form you need to maintain during a squat:

Your head should be pulled back, your chest raised, and you should have a slight arch in your lower back. Avoid leaning too far forward and keep looking straight ahead. Hold the bar at about the same width as with a bench press.

Before you start clearing the bar, you need to position it evenly along your traps. It should rest on the lower part of your traps and on your rear delts. It should almost seem like the bar will roll off your back.

After clearing the bar, you should only take as many steps back as is necessary. Since the majority of squat injuries happen while backing up, you should only step as far back as you need to.

Place your feet about shoulder-width apart. Breathe deeply and descend. Imagine there is a chair behind you that you're about to sit on. Make sure that your knees remain in line with your feet. Lower yourself until your thighs are parallel with the floor. As soon as you have reached this position, start ascending. Don't relax in the bottom position!

Use your heels and back to get yourself back up as soon as possible. When you are back in the upright position, breathe deeply and keep lifting until your set is complete.

Do 2 sets of 5 - 7 reps once every week. Keep trying to increase the weight and/or reps when you can. Train with diligence.

In a nut shell, the squat offers great benefits, Go ahead and take advantage of them. You'll be amazed at your resulting muscle gains if you give this weights exercise for building muscle the respect it deserves.

Discover THE TRUTH ABOUT MUSCLE BUILDING here.

Get Muscle Gain Fast by Setting Goals

2010-03-16T19:04:00.000+02:00

If you are aiming to achieve any degree of success in fast muscle gain you will have to plan your goals at the outset. You can waste valuable time by performing exercises simply because you like them, rather than the ones which would be most beneficial to you. Do you work in a systematic way when you're trying to gain fast?

You might have a vague idea that you want to become fitter but then you will probably get a vague result. That being said, in order to accomplish muscle gain fast and some good definition, you will have to lay a suitable foundation and learn some ways to do that.

1) Identify your primary goal. You should review them regularly and modify them when required. First decide on your overall goals. Do you want to look good on the beach, lose a beer paunch or simply gain lean muscle fast? You should write this goal down. Don't just hold the intention in your head-- writing down your goals always brings more solid results. Basically you need to write down the number of inches or pounds you wish to gain.

Thereafter, you must define a time frame in which you expect to achieve your goal. Try to be realistic with your goal-setting; if you aren't, you will only end up disappointed.

2) Identify your secondary goals. Set down your lesser, secondary goals. These are to help you stay on track and steer you towards your main goal. These can be divided between the two most essential elements that will help you accomplish muscle gain fast -- exercise and nutrition.

3) Nutrition. A well-planned diet plays an essential role when you want to build lean muscle fast. If you choose to eat foods that are processed or high in saturated fats, or high in sugar,
you definitely won’t be able to add on lean muscle mass fast and will only end up with extra body fat.

Furthermore, it will be more difficult for you to rid your body of this excess fat through ecercising. Even if you take supplements, you still have to set dietary goals that will minimize body fat while maximizing muscle mass.

In order to get fast muscle gain, begin by formulating a diet plan that is rich in high quality proteins, natural carbohydrates, and a small amount of healthy fats. You can also include supplements like creatine, whey protein, multi-vitamins and protein bars and shakes. In order for your body to gain lean muscle mass fast, you need to include the appropriate
nutrients and supplements.

4) Exercise. In order to accomplish muscle gain fast, it is important to set realistic goals. You will need to push your body hard to do this, but still make sure that it will be able to recover.

It is critical to set your goals in the gym if you want to work towards achieving your primary goal to add lean muscle mass in the gym. It is always important to set realistic goals. You need to push your body hard, but make sure that it is able to recover. It takes only a couple of workouts to realize what you can and cannot achieve. After that, prepare a systematic plan that allows you to continuously progress in terms of weights, reps and sets.

A good idea is to keep a training diary in which to record the weight that you lift and the number of reps and sets that you perform for every exercise. This will enable you to assess whether or not you are on the right track to achieving your goals for getting muscle mass fast.

Just set the proper goals and work towards achieving them, and you will be surprised at how quickly you can add lean muscle mass. Professional advice by a top bodybuilding expert is just a mouse-click away.

Visit the website of this TOP BODYBUILDING EXPERT and learn the truth about building muscle.

How to Gain Weight Fast

2010-03-15T19:56:00.000+02:00

If you're a skinny "hardgainer" looking to gain weight and build muscle, it's time to get back to basics. Stop obsessing about all the fancy muscle gain supplements and workout contraptions that claim to help you gain weight and instead stick to the fundamentals.

80% of whether or not you gain weight comes down to your diet. If you have a fast metabolism and don't gain weight easily, you must ensure that you're consuming sufficient calories each day.

As a rough guideline, take your bodyweight in pounds and multiply it by 17-20. This is a rough range of calories you'll need each day in order to gain weight.

Of course, you can't simply gorge yourself on ice cream and hamburgers if you want to achieve an impressive physique. Your goal shouldn't just be to gain weight, but instead to build quality muscle weight.

For this reason you'll want to make sure that you're basing your diet to gain weight around clean, high quality food sources. Stick to lean proteins (skinless poultry, lean red meat, fish & seafood, skim milk, whey protein), natural/unrefined carbohydrates (oatmeal, potatoes, yams, whole grains, fresh fruits) and healthy fats (nuts, seeds, avocado, flaxseed oil, olive oil).

Another important dietary principle for muscle building is meal frequency. You want to keep your body in an anabolic state throughout the day by consuming a meal roughly every 2-3 hours. This prevents muscle breakdown and maximizes your ability to gain weight. On any given day you'll probably be consuming 5-7 meals in total.

If you want to maximize your results and gain weight as quickly as possible, a few basic supplements can also help. Don't fall for all the crazy hype out there and instead stick to the basics. A good quality protein powder, creatine monohydrate and high potency multivitamin can help to optimize your diet to help you gain weight.

Find more information on weight gaining and muscle building HERE

Top Muscle-Growing Supplement: Creatine

2010-03-14T23:58:00.000+02:00

Muscle-building supplements have long been surrounded by controversy. Some users swear by them, others avoid them completely. As you will come to see, there is a degree of truth in both these viewpoints. But what is the top muscle-growing supplement, if there indeed is one?

First of all, you should not take seriously the outrageous claims by supplement manufacturers who promise you fantastic results if you use their muscle-growing supplements. These products are just a convenience to ensure that your body is getting all the nutrition it needs to build muscle more effectively.

Seeing that you can get all your necessary nutrition through your diet, it certainly is a convenient way to ensure you're getting enough substance to fulfil your muscle-building needs. It would be far too time-consuming to prepare six or seven daily meals in order to maximize your muscle growth.

In my opinion, creatine is probably the best muscle-building supplement. Besides building muscle, creatine also provides a number of other significant benefits. It reduces high levels of cholesterol in the body and protects you from muscular dystrophy and other neuro-muscular diseases.

What exactly is creatine?

Creatine is naturally present in your body and is also present in foods like salmon, herring and beef. The powdered form of creatine is, however, best. Creatine enhances the body's use of Adenosine Tri-Phosphate, a compound which is used to provide the body with a sustainable energy source. Creatine helps the cells of your body in maintaining or increasing their ATP levels which, in my opinion, makes it the top muscle-building supplement.

Furthermore, creatine also maximizes the functioning of the heart, giving you increased capacity to exercise.

If you consume creatine monohydrate, the form in which creatine is most commonly available, you can expect to see moderate to large gains in your ability to lift poundages. A daily dosage of five grams is fine for bodybuilding, and is most often taken after your workout. You can maximize its absorbtion by taking it with simple sugars in liquid form.

Regular use is sure to show you that creatine is indeed the top muscle-growing supplement.

Now that you have a good idea of the potential power of this top muscle-building supplement, get your FREE muscle-building e-course at www.tinyurl.com/build-muscle-big,

Fast Gain Muscle Food: Pre-workout Eating

2010-03-13T18:02:00.000+02:00

We've all heard the saying, " Well prepared is half done" and this can be applied to your weight-training workouts also. You should focus your mind on the task ahead as a soldier aiming for victory in battle. Similarly, eating fast gain muscle food can prepare your body before you start a good workout. You are sure to find that the following plan will prepare you well for your gym session.

Eating fast gain muscle food before you begin your workout will benefit you the following ways:

1) It will greatly increase your potential to push heavier weights.

2) It will provide you with sustainable mental and physical energy to see you through your entire training session.

3) It will result in minimal breakdown of muscle tissue during your workout and you body will have the necessary ingredients available to begin the process of recovery thereafter.

That being said, don't forget the often-overlooked importance of drinking plenty of water during the few hours prior to your workout. This is the first step of preparation. Water plays a major role in maintaining your strength and energy levels.

Your solid fast gain muscle food can be consumed at a later stage before you train.

The major part of your pre-workout meal should consist of protein. You should have this about an hour before you leave for the gym. The protein will help minimize the breakdown of muscle tissue and maintain your body in an anabolic state.

To begin with, you can try blending 30-40 grams of good quality protein, preferably using a mixture of casein and whey protein. Use a mixture of 25-30 grams of whey protein in 300-400ml of skim milk.

This is because whey protein is rich in amino acids that prevent muscle breakdown during physical exertion, so it a natural choice as a fast gain muscle food. Mixing your whey with milk will slow down the release of protein, thereby causing a steady release of amino acids to fuel your workout.

Furthermore, have some low-glycemic carbohydrate along with your protein. They will also help fuel you with a steady flow of energy as they get gradually broken down, making them ideal as a pre-training food.

And another thing, avoid using high glycemic carbohydrates as a fast gain muscle food when you are trying to gain muscle size.This is because they cause an increase in insulin levels by being released too rapidly into your blood stream. This rise is then followed by a rapid crash.

This drop in insulin levels will leave you feeling weak, tired and sluggish. You can see, then, that it is not a good idea to choose carbohydrates that will cause your insulin levels to change so rapidly. To maintain an even stream of sugars throughout your workout, choose pre-workout carbohydrates like oatmeal, apples or brown rice that ensure steady energy levels.

When considering your fast gain muscle food, remember to keep your pre-workout meals fairly small to allow for easy digestion so that you don’t feel ill when you train. Most importantly, never work out without having consumed a pre-workout meal.

The tips you read about here are just the tip of the iceberg. If you're ready to scratch beneath the surface and get the real secrets about fast gain muscle food, go ahead and check them out.

Muscle Training Advice: Warm Up Like This

2010-03-12T19:19:00.000+02:00

A serious mistake you will often see in the gym is that many weight-trainers don’t realise how
important it is to warm up properly before beginning their routine. Here is some muscle training advice you should take seriously...

For example, here have been trainers who have opted for 1 set of 20 reps using only the weight of the bar or do nothing altogether.These are both negative options.

Whether you’re looking at short-term or long-term benefits, a proper warm-up is essential because of two very good reasons…

1) Getting a proper warm-up helps you successfully handle the weight that you can lift and this
will stimulate your muscles for maximum growth.
2) A proper warm-up decreases your chances of injury. You can see that alone justifies a simple 15–20 minutes of warm-up before every workout. I'm sure you will agree with this muscle training advice.

Having said that, let's talk about how to take some action.

Begin with 5 minutes of light cardiovascular activity. Choose any basic item of cardio equipment for this: a treadmill, stationary bicycle or rowing machine, for example.
This basic cardio warm-up will not only lubricate your joints by increasing the secretion of synovial fluid but also raise your body’s core temperature and stimulate your heart and lungs.

While you are busy doing your 5-minute cardio warm-up, use this time to visualise the workout that you are planning to do. Taking the time to prepare yourself mentally will greatly assist you with the work that lies ahead. Your mental attitude will help determine if your workout is a success or a failure, so it makes sense to prepare both your body and mind.

Having completed the initial 5-minute part of your warm-up, it's time to continue to the final part of your warm-up routine:

Select the first major compound exercise of your workout, performing 5 warm-up sets of that.
In other words, if you are planning to do squats for legs today, do 5 sets of squats for your warm-up routine. Start with high repetitions and very light weights, slowly progressing to lower reps with heavier weights. Remember to not fatigue your muscles with these 5 warm-up sets.
You are simply warming up to increase the blood flow to the muscles and surrounding connective tissue.

Furthermore, preparing your body and mind beforehand helps you to handle heavier weights during your workout. Tiring your muscles beforehand will defeat the whole purpose of your warm-up. Here’s an easy way to determine the weights and rep ranges for your warm-up sets -- the percentage has to do with the total weight that you will use for your muscle-building set:

If you were, for example, squatting 200 pounds, the first set should be performed with 100 pounds for 10 reps.

Set 1: 50% x 10 reps
Set 2: 60% x 6 reps
Set 3: 70% x 4 reps
Set 4: 80% x 3 reps
Set 5: 90% x 1 rep

Do there 5 basic sets before proceeding to your workout. This warm-up process is hugely important so don't ignore this muscle training advice.

If you're looking for more information and the proper methods for structuring an effective muscle-building workout, visit tinyurl.com/build-muscle-big. You can gain instant access to a full step-by-step 26-week workout plan that has been used successfully by thousands of people from all over the world, as well as more of my great muscle training advice.

How To Build Muscle

2010-03-11T20:53:00.000+02:00

If you're looking for honest, straightforward information to build muscle and gain strength, you've come to the right place. The Internet is absolutely flooded with bogus fads and gimmicks hawking the latest "miracle breakthrough" that most beginners have no clue who to trust.

The reality is that if you want to build muscle, it doesn't require you to purchase any fancy muscle building products or bodybuilding workout gizmos.

All it takes is the practical application of some relatively basic, easy to understand muscle gain concepts coupled with consistency and the motivation to succeed.

Let me outline 4 core principles that will help you build muscle the right way...

Principle To Build Muscle #1: Nutrition
Most people don't realize this, but if you really want to build muscle, nutrition is the most important aspect of your program by far.

You need to make sure that your body is in a caloric surplus (by consuming more calories than you burn) in order to fuel muscle growth. You also need to make sure that you keep your body in an anabolic state by consuming a small meal roughly every 2-3 hours throughout the day.

Principle To Build Muscle #2: Training

Of course, a high intensity resistance program is also critical when it comes to stimulating the body to build muscle. Keep your workouts short and intense in order to build muscle while still properly recovering in between workouts.

Stick to 3-4 weight training workouts per week for no more than 1 hour each session. If you want to build muscle and gain weight, you don't need to spend hours on end at the gym.

Principle To Build Muscle #3: Supplementation

99% of so-called "muscle building" supplements are nothing more than overpriced and overhyped garbage. Your ability to build muscle is not contained in any pills or powders.
Basic supplements like whey protein, creatine, essential fatty acids and multivitamins are fine to include, but beyond that you're wasting your money.

Principle To Build Muscle #4: Motivation

Your mindset is what ultimately determines whether you'll truly build muscle or not. If you lack the motivation and discipline needed to stick to your program, you'll almost surely give up in the long run.

Keep your mind focused on your ultimate goals by envisioning the body you want to achieve and all of the rewards that will come with it. Don't forget to keep a detailed training journal in order to track your progress as well.

INTENSIVE ARM WORKOUT

2010-03-10T09:17:00.000+02:00

# Article Summary: Nutrition is more important than the training itself.
# Supplements can't help your arms without proper training and nutrition.
# This workout is intense enough you only need to do it for four weeks.

Introduction

Big arms, who doesn't want them? All those pics of Arnold flexing those 22 inch guns, seeing Hulk Hogan hit that triceps shot in the interview before he went on his rant about who he was about to run wild on, and countless other images hit the mind when you think about the biceps, triceps, and forearms.

This article is about how to train them to make them big, strong, and something that will be shown off whether you are wearing a tank top or a suit.

A Word On Nutrition

      Now before anything else about training is mentioned, I want to emphasize the importance of nutrition. It is more important than the training is. If you don't give the muscles the tools necessary for recovery and supercompensation, then they won't get bigger or stronger.

      I recommend no less than 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, then you would eat 200 grams of protein daily divided evenly over six to eight meals. I also recommend 1.5-2 grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight daily.

      Again, if you weigh 200 pounds, then take 200 and multiply 1.5 and you get 300 grams of carbs daily. Also, don't neglect those essential fats you need. EFA's and fish oils are among a slew of choices for good fats. One gallon of water a day is an absolute must. You must drink the water to get results.

Supplementation

      There are good supplements out there, but no one supplement is the solution for big guns. I don't care who the guy is flexing the arm or what company is making the ad. Don't buy into it. Nutrition and training is the key. However, supplements are good for helping you meet your goals. They "supplement" your training and nutrition.

      I recommend a good multivitamin first and foremost. Good protein powder is second, and if it is affordable, N.O. products and creatine certainly will benefit you in the long run. The brand is up to you. Follow the directions on the labels to the T. Do not exceed the recommended dosages! This won't help, and if anything, it will hurt your gains long term. Don't do it.

      Finally, we get to the training.

      However, I want to caution you that if you don't train the rest of your body as well as your arms, then you might not find as much success... as much as you would if you do train everything equally.

      Your body is a machine and you must maintain everything equally in order for it to run efficiently. You must hit the chest, delts, back, abs, and yes, legs. Do not be one of those guys that have a neurosis for leg training. Hit them as hard as you would any other body part.

      If all that is understood, then we will get into the actual workout.

The Workout Program

You might gain a quarter of an inch on your arms in a month, then again, you might gain over an inch. The results depend on the person. But I will tell you that anyone that has done this program has gained at least a quarter of an inch in four weeks. It is a lot of volume, but that is why you only do it for four weeks. Any longer than that and it is overtraining.

As tempting as it may be, do not do this more than once a week for four weeks.

Barbell Curls

            You can either use the straight bar or the EZ Curl Bar like I do. Either way, keep the elbows in, come up with a count of one and lower to a count of three. Let it stretch for a count of one and repeat.

            You will do four sets. The first one for 10 reps, the second set for 8 reps, the third for 6 reps, and then a drop set where you go to failure, lower the weight on the bar, go to failure again, and then lower the weight on the bar and go to failure one more time.

            Example:

                + 65 lbs. For 10 Reps
                + 85 lbs. For 8 Reps
                + 105 lbs. For 6 Reps
                + Drop set 105 lbs. to failure, drop to 85 lbs. to failure, drop to 65 lbs. to failure.

            This is intense, so be prepared.

Bicep Blast!

      Close-Grip Bench Press

            You are letting your biceps rest and moving on to triceps. Take a shoulder-width grip of the bar or if you need to, a little closer. Lower the weight down to a count of three and push back up to a count of one. Squeeze at the top for a count of one and then repeat.

            You will do four sets. The first one for 10 reps, the second set for 8 reps, the third for 6 reps, and then a drop set where you go to failure, lower the weight on the bar, go to failure again, and then lower the weight on the bar and go to failure one more time.

            Example:

                + 135 lbs. For 10 Reps
                + 185 lbs. For 8 Reps
                + 225 lbs. For 6 Reps
                + Drop set 225 lbs. to failure, drop to 185 lbs. to failure, drop to 135 lbs. to failure.

Titanic Triceps In 5 Simple Steps.

Underdeveloped triceps can ruin the look of someone's 'guns' and can halt progress. Don't be like everyone else who gets caught in that trap.

Alternating Hammer Dumbbell Curls

            Now we are going back to biceps and we move on to hammer curls. Grab the dumbbells with your palms facing each other. Lift with one arm to a count of one and lower to a count of three. As soon as the first arm is lowered, immediately start with the other arm the same way. Lift to a count of one and lower to a count of three. Repeat after that.

            You will do four sets. The first one for 10 reps per arm, the second set for 8 reps per arm, the third for 6 reps per arm, and then a drop set where you go to failure, lower the weight, go to failure again, and then lower the weight and go to failure one more time.

            Example:

                + 30 lbs. For 10 Reps
                + 40 lbs. For 8 Reps
                + 50 lbs. For 6 Reps
                + Drop Set 50's to failure, go down to 40's to failure, drop to 30's to failure.

      Lying Triceps Extensions (Skull Crushers)

            Once again, we switch to triceps. Take a bar and lie flat on a bench like you would for a bench press. Bend at the elbows and lower the bar until it right above your forehead (hence the nickname skull crushers). Lower to a count of three and then return to the start position to a count of one. Squeeze a the top for a count of one and repeat.

            You will do four sets. The first one for 10 reps, the second set for 8 reps, the third for 6 reps, and then a drop set where you go to failure, lower the weight on the bar, go to failure again, and then lower the weight on the bar and go to failure one more time.

            Example:

                + 65 lbs. For 10 Reps
                + 85 lbs. For 8 Reps
                + 105 lbs. For 6 Reps
                + Drop set 105 lbs. to failure, drop to 85 lbs. to failure, drop to 65 lbs. to failure.
There has never been so much great information about developing your arms as you will find right here! This comprehensive listing will feature arm workouts, a breakdown of the arm and its muscle parts, top arm muscle builders, and much more.

      Forearms

            Believe it or not, there is no forearm exercise. Grip the handles with a white knuckle grip with every set you do and you will feel it in your forearms I promise. Although I do train forearms normally, I do not with this program.

Conclusion

That is it and that is all. Do nothing else for anything else the day you train arms. Get out of the gym and find some food to help you recover. Take a day off after that to help you recover as well. This is intense and this is not to be taken lightly.

Do it for four weeks and then move on to something with less volume. I do this workout once every six months. Give it a try and hopefully it works as well for you as it has for me and my clients.

For a MUSCLE-BUILDING PROGRAM for HARD GAINERS, Click Here!

Build Lean Muscle Quickly - Muscle Building Tips to Maximize Your Workouts Results

2010-03-09T19:28:00.000+02:00

In order to build lean muscle rapidly, you must know what is required to build muscle in the first instance. You might think that going to the gym and going through your exercise routine is sufficient. This is not the case, however. What you do at the gym and what you do when you're resting are factors which will influence your muscle-building results.

Here are some tips that will help you build lean muscle quickly :
Always do about 10-15 minutes of stretching before your workouts. This is very important. It will greatly help prevent injuries. Stretching is also important for helping muscles grow.

KEEP HYDRATED. Ideally, you should drink about 2 litres of water a day, including during your workouts.

The amount of weight you use during your workouts is always important. It is tempting, when trying to build muscle quickly, to use weights which are really too heavy for one's present capacity, resulting in the exercise being performed incorrectly. This will be wasting your time and not produce results. If you do not use correct form, your muscles will not grow as they should.

To build lean muscle rapidly, you must ensure that you get enough sleep. Muscles grow while you rest them, not while you work out. Your workout will plump them out with blood, making them appear to grow, but the pump deflates after a short while. It is while you sleep that your body repairs and grows muscle tissue. You can do with 6 hours' sleep but 8 is better.

For building lean muscle quickly, keep your focus on muscle-building workouts rather than cardio, if you want to burn fat, as cardio reduces your body's muscle-building production. Rather do some cardio on your "off training" days.

FOR BUILDING MUSCLE QUICKLY, see muscle-gaining secrets for hard-gainers.

Cardio and Weight Training...Without The Gym

2010-01-27T21:31:00.000+02:00

Hate the gym? Can't afford to buy weights and cardio machines for your own home gym? That's ok! The great thing about both cardio and weight training is that you don't need any extras to do them. For cardio, you can run, swim, walk briskly, hike, do jumping jacks, or, if you have a bicycle, bike, or a skipping rope, skip. And you can use your own body weight for training.

Here are some ideas:

Push-Ups (works chest, triceps, shoulders) The key when targeting the chest with Push-Ups is the direction in which your elbows travel. As with bench presses, the elbows must move away from the body to target your chest, and be kept close to the body to target the triceps. Place each hand just outside your shoulders, slightly behind the line of your shoulders. Hands pointing straight ahead, upper body rigid as a board.

Tent Push-Ups (works the upper chest) Assume the position you would for normal push-ups, but walk your feet forward so your body is bent at the waist, and your hips are up high in the air. Bending at the elbows, lower yourself until your nose touches the floor. Push up.

Push-Ups, Triceps Position (works the triceps, and some chest) Begin with fingers facing forward in the same position you would for a normal push-up, but put your hands slightly less than shoulder width apart. Lower your body to the floor keeping arms in against your body.

Triceps Dips With Chairs(works triceps) With your hands behind your back, support yourself on your palms at the edge of a chair. Your hands should be touching; your elbows should angle outward. Dipping in this position relieves a lot of stress on the elbow and shoulder joints. Lower yourself, keeping your back close to the chair. Bend your elbows back and slightly to the sides. Keep your body angled slightly forward throughout the motion. Press yourself up until your arms are straight.

One-Legged Squats (works front thighs, glutes, hamstrings) Stand perpendicular to a wall, about arm's length away from it. Extend your arm out to the side and place your palm against the wall at just under shoulder-height. Angle the foot farthest from the wall at 45 degrees. Bend the other leg back. Keeping your body upright, lower yourself until the non-weight-bearing knee is close to (but not touching) the ground. Support yourself by leaning against the wall. Press yourself back up to starting position.

One-Legged Hamstring Bridges (works hamstrings) Lie on your back with one leg extended, heel on the ground. Hold the other leg up off the floor. Pushing through your heel, flex your hamstrings to lift your body. Lower and repeat for 8-10 reps. Repeat with other leg.

Lunges (works things, glutes, hamstrings) Begin the lunge by taking a large step forward, keeping your head up and torso erect. Lower your hips and allow your trailing knee to drop to a point just before it touches the floor - never let the knee touch the floor. To return to the start, push off with your forward leg and then step back when the knee is completely straight. Repeat with other leg.

The more muscles you build, the more calories you will burn both during your workout AND after. It is worth it! So next time you are working out, don't forget to add some weight training and cardio. The combination will get you looking your best!

Muscle Meal Plan - Day 7

2010-01-22T17:23:00.000+02:00

Breakfast
1/2 cup low-fat muesli
1 fat-free yoghurt (add 4tsp. skim-milk powder)

Snack
Greek salad with feta and olives (low-oil dressing)
1 pear

Lunch
200gr. fillet steak grilled with braai sauce
baked potato
ratatouille
1 apple

Snack
1 hot-cross bun (no butter or jam)
4 low-fat cheese wedges

Dinner
large tuna salad

Muscle Meal Plan - Day 6

2010-01-21T19:47:00.000+02:00

Breakfast

1 slice toast
mashed pilchards or sardines (small can, drained)
1 glass milk

Snack
1 yoghurt (add 4tsp. skim milk powder)
1 tbsp. seeds

Lunch
plain burger
green salad

Snack
6 wholewheat crackers
tuna, chopped tomato, gherkins and low-fat mayo combined

Dinner
thick chicken and vegetable soup

Muscle Meal Plan - Day 5

2010-01-21T07:00:00.000+02:00

Breakfast
1 slice toast
1 egg
1 glass of milk

Snack
1 fat-free yoghurt
1 handful of biltong

Lunch
1 packet cooked, low-fat instant noodles
1 round of feta
canned or fresh asparagus or green beans

Snack
1 bagel
80gr. smoked salmon
fat-free cottage cheese

Dinner
chicken-and-vegetable stir-fry (use canola oil, ginger, garlic and soy sauce)

Muscle Meal Plan - Day 4

2010-01-16T20:16:00.000+02:00

Breakfast
1 cup bran cereal
1 cup skim milk
add 4tsp skim milk powder

Snack
Green salad (use1/2 avocado, 1/2 round of feta and fat-free yoghurt dressing)

Lunch
Large baked potato
grilled hake fillet
1 cup cooked spinach

Snack
6 rice cakes
mashed pilchards or sardines (small can, drained)

Dinner
rump steak, grilled, with spices
1 cup peas and carrots
1 gem squash
2 tsp. margarine

How To Get Ripped Abs

2010-01-15T19:08:00.000+02:00

The Top 5 Reasons Why Most People Can’t Lose That Last 10-20 lbs Of Ugly Belly Fat…
And How YOU Can Lose Yours With Ease And Finally Unveil Your Six Pack!
By John Alvino – Fat Loss Expert , Master Trainer & Strength and Conditioning Coach

REASON #1. Performing Ab Exercises Such as Crunches, Sit-ups and Leg Raises. These are among the LEAST effective exercises for getting six pack abs. In fact, most traditional abdominal exercises do your abs more harm than good. In just a second, I'll share with you what types of exercises REALLY work to sculpt your midsection.
REASON #2. Eating “Health” Foods. Everywhere you look, the diet food industry has literally stocked the shelves with their “low-carb” and “low-fat” diet foods. But these so-called “health foods” are actually nothing more than cleverly marketed junk foods. Many of these supposedly healthy foods actually CAUSE your body to gain even more belly fat…but the industry won’t tell you that fact. Instead, they will continue to lie to you so they can make millions at your expense.

REASON #3. Doing Cardio Routines. Cardio is definitely NOT the best way to lose belly fat and reveal your six pack abs. Most people who make this mistake end up hitting plateaus they can never overcome. Below, I'll show you totally unique workouts that will burn 300% more fat than any cardio workout ever could!

REASON #4. Dieting. The truth is, 95% of all dieters fail in the long run. If people really knew how to eat properly to lose fat, we would all look great and diets would cease to exist. In just a moment I’ll show you the nutritional key to effortlessly losing even the most stubborn belly fat.

REASON #5. Using Traditional Weight Training Programs. Contrary to what most trainers recommend, the majority of weight training exercises do nothing to burn belly fat and sculpt out a six-pack. That’s why so many weight-lifters have big muscles and a big belly to go with them! If you really want a fit and trim midsection, find how to learn dozens of unique and effective exercises that will sculpt your abs and your entire body in ways that traditional weight training never could, by reading how to get ripped abs.

Muscle Meal Plan: Day 3

2010-01-14T17:27:00.000+02:00

Breakfast
1 slice toast
20ml. peanut butter
1 glass of milk

Snack
smoothie (use peanut butter, banana, milk and fat-free yoghurt)

Lunch
1 chicken burger (no mayo)
1 small coleslaw
1 apple

Snack
1 bran muffin (no butter or jam)
4 low-fat cheese wedges

Dinner
roast chicken breasts (skinless),
with vegetables roasted in olive oil

Muscle Meal Plans: Day 2

2010-01-14T05:56:00.000+02:00

Breakfast
1/2 cup cooked oats
1 cup skim milk
add 4 tsp. skim milk powder
honey to sweeten in stead of sugar

Snack
30gr. seeds (trail mix)
1 cup fat-free yoghurt

Lunch
2 slices wholewheat bread
170gr. shaved beef
lettuce, gherkin, mustard
1 T. low-fat mayo or margarine

Snack
2 slices wholewheat bread
1T. low-fat mayo
can of tuna

Dinner
ostrich fillet grilled with mustard and olive oil (or the leanest meat cut possible)
green salad with low-oil dressing

One-Day Muscle Building Blast

2010-01-12T19:03:00.000+02:00

This One Day Muscle Building Blast is a fast, short, one day muscle building method that will without a doubt blast your muscles into immediate growth, but like the saying goes, its going to get worse before it gets better. This takes one day and puts an entire focus on one muscle group.

Setup: First of all, this is a One Day Muscle Blitz, you have to plan ahead and set out one whole day for this. You will obviously need to be off of work and at home all day so you can completely focus on this. You are going to need 12 full hours in the day for this workout. You will basically be working out a few minutes per hour on the day of this workout. Now this doesn't take much of your time, but it does confine you to the house for a whole day, but it is definitely worth it.

The Workout: We're going to use the biceps as our example. Time to get to work. Every hour, on the hour, you need to do 3 sets of 6-8 reps of a simple exercise. You could do standing, double bicep curl. You just need to do an exercise that is basic and general and allows for the most weight and employs stabilizing and synergistic muscles to complete the lift. You need to rest about three minutes between sets and on every half hour, do three sets of 10-12 reps of a specific exercise that mainly focuses on the muscle being worked. An example of this for the biceps would be a bent over one arm dumbbell curl. Make sure that all of the emphasis is on the muscle worked. You need to rest 1-2 minutes between this type of set.

Fuel: Eat light and take in about 30-40 grams of a complete protein every three hours. You won't really have the time to eat a heavy sit down meal during this 12 hour period, but you will need to keep your protein high. I recommend consuming a high quality whey protein shake for your protein intake. You also need to keep your carbohydrates stocked. Make sure to eat small meals with enough carbs to keep your body fueled. Your body is going to need these carbs to keep it fueled and it will need the protein to keep the muscles repaired.

So the truth is, you will be working out every 30 minutes. A little past the halfway point, your muscles will be exhausted. Keep in mind that this is so much better to do at home rather than at a public gym, unless you live next door to said gym. You can come up with your own exercises for the different muscles you will be working on. Just focus on one muscle group per day, and only do this type of workout one day per month, because this one day muscle blast puts such a strain on your body, it can't handle it very often.

About the Author

Are you ready to build explosive muscle? Check out Klint Newton's Mental Edge Muscle Building free 7 Part Muscle Building Guide where he lays all of the muscle building facts out for you. (Source: Goarticles.com)

http://tinyurl.com/build-muscle-big

Muscle Meal Plans

2010-01-11T18:58:00.000+02:00

Note: remember to drink at least 6 - 8 glasses of water a day.
Try to avoid cooking with oil; rather steam, grill or bake foods.
Use stock, soy sauce, fruit juice, wine or sherry for stir-frying vegetables.

DAY 1

Breakfast
½ cup cooked oats
1 cup skim milk
honey to sweeten, instead of sugar

Snack
1 apple
1plum
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese on wholewheat crackers

Lunch
1 wholewheat roll
170gr. chicken breast
1T. low-fat mayo
Small green salad

Snack
2 slices wholewheat bread
1T. low-fat mayo
can of tuna

Dinner
chicken and vegetable stir-fry
(use canola oil, garlic, ginger and soy sauce)

Five Smart Snacks For Instant Muscle Fuel

2010-01-10T20:04:00.000+02:00

Dried Figs: most fibre of all dried fruit. Figs will give you slow-burning energy to see you through a workout. They are also rich in potassium, the muscle-repair mineral.
Sunflower seeds: Rich in protein - five grams per half-cup.
Low-Fat Frozen Yoghurt: Rich in protein and calcium.
Whole-grain Waffles: these have a near-perfect balance of complex carbohydrates, protein, fibre and unsaturated fats. The blend will boost your energy without causing ups and downs in your blood sugar levels.
Chocolate Milk: A University of Washington study found that blends of carbohydrates and protein, e.g. chocolate milk, are nearly 40% more effective than protein alone at helping your muscles repair themselves and grow after a workout. (Source: Men's Health magazine, South Africa)

Fat-burning Energy Breakfast

2010-01-09T21:12:00.000+02:00

For now, here's a sample recipe (from the Eating for Energy book) I want to leave with you. It's a breakfast cereal that will get your metabolic engine revved up!

Banana-Pear Cereal

1 banana, chopped
1 pear, cubed
1 date, diced
1/4 cup almonds, chopped
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tbsp hemp protein/flour

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and top with almond milk (grind additonal almonds in a coffee grinder, then add water). Absolutely delicious and energizing!

Build Muscle Fast - 4 Tips For Super Fast Muscle Building

2010-01-09T20:47:00.000+02:00

Are you ready for your January 2010 muscle building goals? Start getting ready for the new year and your new workout program to build muscle fast by adding a few of these top muscle building tips to help you succeed. Building muscle takes hard work and dedication but it also takes using smart techniques so that you don't waste your time in the gym. Here are 3 tips to help you build muscle. Fast muscle building makes it more fun!

BCAA's

Branched Chain Amino Acids are the 3 most broken down amino acids in muscle tissue during a workout. To build muscle fast a good strategy is to make sure you are supplementing with extra BCAA's during your workout. They are part of any protein but a very popular ratio is 4:1:1 or 4 parts leucine, 1 part isoleucine, and 1 part valine. Cheaper versions will have lower levels of leucine and that is the amino that has really been proven to help promote muscle recovery for fast growth. Add BCAA's before your workout and during to speed up recovery and promote an environment to build muscle fast.

Protein Timing for Muscle Building

Everyone talks about how you need a high protein diet to gain muscle mass but the truth has been greatly exaggerated and you don't need as much as you think. The best way to build muscle fast with protein is by timing the consumption correctly. There is a 1 hour window after your workout in which the body needs a lot of protein for recovery. This is the most important protein meal of the day and you need a fast digesting protein. Use whey protein as it will digest the fastest and get to your muscles for optimal recovery and muscle building.

Sleep for Better Recovery and Muscle Building Hormones

A lot of people can get by on not that much sleep and only get anywhere from 6 to 7 hours per night. Even though you may feel like you function fine without getting 8 to 10 hours of sleep it is a muscle recovery killer. The hormones in your body are largely responsible for your muscle growth and proper sleep is needed to keep them at peak levels.

A lack of sleep will increase the stress hormone cortisol and this eats away at muscle tissue and adds fat to the midsection. Then fat on the midsection decreases insulin sensitivity making muscle building even tougher. Reduce cortisol by getting 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night. Plenty of sleep will also ensure release of growth hormone which will keep you leaner and more muscular. Optimize your hormones through sleep and muscle building will accelerate.

High Frequency Training

We have now touched on supplements, protein timing, and sleep so now it's time to talk about training for optimal muscle growth. Don't be afraid to ramp up your training frequency from time to time by training your muscles more often. Too many guys are stuck on the one body part a day or once a week method and suffer from slow and non existent gains.

Try high frequency training for 3 weeks for a super muscle building blitz. My favorite HFT program is by Chad Waterbury in his 10 10 Transformation. He has two separate 3 week high frequency training workouts that will build 5 pounds of muscle in only 3 weeks. Do both of these workouts and you are 10 pounds bigger. Whenever I am starting to plateau I bring out the HFT workouts and my interest in building muscle reignites as I see rapid results. It is a lot more fun going to the gym when you build muscle fast so try these techniques and see what you can do in 2010.

Build Muscle Fast with This High Frequency Training Program

Try the most effective workouts for a total body transformation with the 10 lbs. of Muscle Transformation.
Check out some other top picks here and read these Muscle Building Workout Program Reviews to help you find the right system to deliver results.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Porter

Build Muscle With These 5 Simple Foods

2010-01-08T18:45:00.000+02:00

Let me guess, you are trying to build muscle and maybe lose some weight while you're at it? Human nature tells us that people will go out of their way to find the easy answer or quick solution. My question to you...
Why buy those expensive supplements or crazy meal plans when you probably already have the food you need in your refrigerator?

This may surprise you but some of the simplest foods can offer everything you need to build muscle and get ripped abs. Here is a list of five foods you probably have in your kitchen:

Water

Surprise -- the best thing you can drink or eat when trying to build muscle is water. Most people know that our bodies are made up of mostly water but did you know that if you are dehydrated you will most likely not want to work out. Since water helps transport oxygen and other nutrients to your cells it is vital to maintain hydration. There have been times when I drive to the gym and then turn around just because my body doesn't feel like working out. I usually attribute this to dehydration. You need energy to work out and water increases your energy level.

Eggs

To be more exact I mean egg whites. Medical experts show that eating an egg a day is a safe and healthy way to add protein to a diet.

Peanut Butter

This could be the best food ever made, that is my opinion but it does have merit. Peanut butter offers protein, vitamin E and monounsaturated fats. Nuts have many benefits but most notable to building muscle is the source of protein they offer. If you look at almost any health-related website they will give you a recipe for a protein smoothie that includes peanut butter.

Cheese

Cheese offers calcium for bone health and vitamin B for energy plus it helps calcium distribute through the body. You need strong bones to lift weights and gain muscle. One of the best snacks I have found is string cheese, it is quick and easy to store in any refrigerator.

Broccoli

I must be crazy to include broccoli as a food that can help get you ripped muscles, right? The fact is broccoli is has been called the miracle food by many nutritional experts. Broccoli also has the most nutritional ingredients of any other vegetable. For those who don't eat dairy products broccoli is a great source of calcium. Remember calcium helps build strong bones which help support you lifting those heavy weights.

These five foods are not the most published muscle-building foods but they are probably the most common and a lot cheaper than that wonder pills.

One of the most important things to remember when trying to gain muscle muscle is keep your muscles guessing. I try to keep my readers guessing which makes them enjoy the article. For more simple answers to get fit click here.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_Polifka

Building Muscle Mass Workout - the One Thing You Can't Do Without to Build Big Muscles

2010-01-08T06:52:00.000+02:00

There aren't a lot of things more desirable in this world than achieving a fit, muscular looking body. However, what does it take to achieve well sculpted body? A combination of different things play a role in building muscle. Some of these things include proper nutrition, adequate rest, and a quality building muscle mass workout. Most people don't have a problem with getting the proper nutrition or enough rest.

However, most people do have a problem finding or developing a solid building muscle mass workout. Along with your diet, your workout is the foundation for your muscle building success. So you must make sure you have every thing you need in your workout to build the bigger muscles in a short amount of time.

So what do you need in your workout to build big muscle mass? There are many things that make up a good workout, but the one thing you need that you can't do without is squats.

That's right, to achieve the muscle physique you want, you have to include squatting exercises in your workout. You can't do without squatting exercises because they work almost your entire body. Squats were not just invented to work the upper leg muscles, as they will also work your back, hip, trapezius, and abdominal muscles all in one exercise.

However, squatting exercises intimidate a lot of people due to the difficulty and pain of the lift. When you perform a set of squats to failure your body will produce more growth hormone to build new muscle throughout your body.

When you perform squats correctly you will reduce your body fat and pack on an unbelievable amount of muscles onto your body. Even if you are a hard gainer, squats will add on pounds of muscle to your skinny frame.

Squats are the one thing you can't do without if you want to build a bigger and muscular physique. So regardless of the degree of difficulty, you need this lift in your building muscle mass workout. If you want serious muscle gains you need squats, simple as that.

If you want to transform your body into an attractive, ripped physique, then you need to start training the right way.

These bodybuilding routines will eliminate all the guess work and take you straight to your goals in the shortest time possible.

Click here now and learn how to gain 40 pounds of muscle in 6 months.

SEE: Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Dowdell

Progressive Workout Plan for Beginners

2010-01-07T19:48:00.000+02:00

It doesn't matter how long you have been working out at the gym, at one time or another, all of us were beginners. If you are just starting out with your gym membership and would like to grow and see the most for your efforts, you will need a workout plan for beginners that is not only progressive, it is going to be achievable. Finding one of these workout plans that is going to work for you, however, can be a little bit difficult if you're not used to looking these plans over.

The first thing that you have to do is to be somewhat realistic in your goals. If you are overweight and you want to lose weight, you can expect to see results within just a couple of weeks but you need to be consistent with your efforts. The same is also true if you plan on putting a little bit of muscle in your body and there are some excellent plans that are available to do this. The unfortunate fact of the matter is, however, putting muscle on your body is not something that is going to happen overnight and it is going to be achieved over time, not instantly.

That is why when you're looking for a workout plan for beginners, you look for one that is going to be able to ease you into working out so that you do not injure yourself or become discouraged in the process. Many of us may look to these special 12 week exercise programs that promise to tone us up with muscle and trim all of the fat off of our body. Although these workout plans can be effective, they are rather unrealistic for most people. You would do much better to get into the gym regularly and follow an easy to achieve workout plan at the beginning in order to get yourself used to being there in the first place.

One of the good things about using one of these plans for an absolute beginner is the fact that you're going to be moving up through the plan rather quickly. Whenever we use an effective workout plan for beginners, we are going to see changes in our body very quickly that is noticeable in the amount of weight that we can lift or the amount of cardiovascular exercise that we can do. We may find that we're working through this plan a little bit faster than expected and this can be a real shot in the arm which can keep us going.

Sooner or later, you're going to want to put your workout plan for beginners behind you and get into a more advanced plan. You want to make sure, however, that you give yourself a few months in order to acclimate to the gym environment and to get your body prepared for the more intense workouts that you might be doing. In doing so, you will stand the best chance of sticking with it for the long term and avoiding any injuries which would sideline you.

Discover 12 Secret Weight Lifting Techniques For Maximum Muscles!

See Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Guido_Nussbaum

Pack On More Muscle With These Testosterone-Boosting Foods

2010-01-06T21:03:00.000+02:00

One of the most critical and important factors in deciding how much muscle you will be able to gain is testosterone. Testosterone is responsible for promoting bulking within your muscle tissues as well as promoting the retention of protein within the body. The best way to increase your testosterone levels without the dangerous side effects is to do it naturally through the consumption of certain testosterone boosting foods. Below are some of the top testosterone-boosting foods:

EGGS

Eggs contain 2 ingredients that are helpful in the production of testosterone in your body. The first being cholesterol which your body breaks down and converts to testosterone and the second ingredient being zinc which helps to stop testosterone in the body from being converted to estrogen. On top of this eggs are packed with good quality easily digestible protein which is the main building block of muscles fibers.

Yohgurt

Yohgurt is an excellent source of zinc, protein and monounsaturated fats. Aside from the benefits of the protein and zinc previously discussed the body also needs monounsaturated fats as well as other "good" fats in order to help with the breakdown and conversion of cholesterol into testosterone.

Cabbage

The key ingredient in cabbage the promotes a boost to your body's testosterone levels is a phytochemical called indole-3-carbinol. This is a vital chemical that aids in turning "bad" estrogens that shut down testosterone production into "good" estrogen that restores your body's testosterone production. This chemical is also found in other vegetables such as brussels sprouts, broccoli, collards, kale, bak choy and watercress.

Garlic

Garlic contains a powerful compound called allicin which has been proven to enhance testosterone levels within the body while also dramatically lowering cortisol levels which is a catabolic stress hormone that is naturally produced in our bodies. This hormone is small quantities is good but in bigger quantities has a major negative effect on building muscle.

Oysters

Oysters are noted for its extremely high content of zinc, which as we know from earlier helps to stop the conversion of testosterone into estrogen. Oysters also contain protein which again is the building blocks of your body. Due to the high concentration of zinc within oysters other health benefits include stronger immune system, quicker repair time of wounds and sickness, and speeds up growth within the body.

These are just a few of the more powerful natural testosterone boosting foods available. Boosting your testosterone levels naturally will help a great deal in providing you with the muscle-building results that you are after. For more information on natural muscle building you can visit Buildmassivemusclenow.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_B_Davies

Building Muscle - the Importance of Good Nutrition

2010-01-05T06:46:00.000+02:00

Following a heavy muscle building workout session it is vital that you choose a healthy meal for your recovery time. There are many bodybuilding trainers who believe your intake after finishing your weight training session is the most important of the day. There are reasons for this which back up the idea and can help you tremendously.

After training for a period of time you move into a catabolic state with muscle glycogen reduced and cortisol increased. The cortisol can lead to more muscle being broken down than you would want and negating the work you have put into your bodybuilding training.

If you can consume something that will reverse this effect quickly you can send nutrients to your muscles and benefit from it. Possibly the simplest way to do this is to drink a muscle building shake that you have prepared beforehand. These are fast acting and quickly digestible.

With regard to calories and contents of the shake then it will vary depending on your size, but ideally you will want to have somewhere in the region of three hundred to five hundred calories and carbs to protein ration of about two to one.

You will have probably seen many adverts for muscle building shakes that will benefit you in the way previously described. There are many companies making these shakes pre-prepared and ready for you. It is your choice as to whether you want to buy these or make them yourself, but you should be aware that some can be of very low quality. It is really not that hard to make a good post-workout shake yourself.

So here's a good example of a muscle-building shake that will do you good following your intense workout session.

You will need a cup of water, half a cup of skimmed milk, thirty grams of whey protein powder (in this example we would use chocolate but you can amend this to your personal taste), one and a half bananas and two tablespoons of maple syrup. The next step is to blend these into a delicious shake.

One final word of warning. You will not want to have these at other times during the day as the sugar will not be beneficial. Immediately after your workout the sugar will go to your muscles but at other times of the day you will be paying for it as it will go to your belly instead.

Find out the truth about abs at http://www.truthabout6packabs.org/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jimmy_T_Martin

Visualisation Training

2010-01-04T07:49:00.001+02:00

Visualisation is a powerful tool that you read about in many self help and psychology books. Here it is often used for people with 'goals' or ambitions where it is said that by 'visualising' yourself in the place you want to be in ten years time you can actually help increase your likelihood of getting there. Actually it seems that this works a little by tricking your mind and making you act more successful thus resulting in a self fulfilling prophecy, but we won't get into that here. Where it's interesting for us you see is in how it's used to help in bodybuilding and sport and in this case it is said that by visualising an exercise or activity you can force the same neurons to fire as if you were actually doing it and so improve your golf swing or whatever else you're training for.

Of course in the case of bodybuilding this means that you can hypothetically visualise yourself doing a bench press and so improve your bench press technique which is highly useful in itself. The controversial bit however comes when you read that visualisation can cause your muscles to actually grow, which is a claim that many people make. This supposedly works by the same token - making your neurons and muscle fibres fire. However the problem is that without contraction it's unlikely that you'll cause any microtears in your muscle and without those you won't grow. Even if you managed to cause one tear (and the link between body and mind can at times be surprising), it won't be enough to have much of an impact. In conclusion then, visualisation training for bodybuilding is a useful tool for improving your technique (so get mind squatting!) and could be used as an alternative to training if you were bed ridden. However it certainly won't replace good old fashioned hard work.

Go to the-biomatrix.net for more articles including Hugh Jackman Workout and how to get taller.

Pre-Workout Warmups

2010-01-03T09:41:00.000+02:00

There is a lot of confusion and misinformation when it comes to stretching as part of a workout. Some people believe you should stretch before working out, to get yourself loosened up. Others say you should stretch during your workout, in between exercises, to keep your limbs flexible. Others still say you should stretch after a workout, to help cool down.
So which of these opinions is right? Well, thankfully, there has been a lot of research into stretching, and its findings are pretty conclusive - you should stretch at the end of your workout, after cooling down, but before you hit the shower.

Many people swear by stretching before their workout. If you go down to your local park, you're bound to see lots of people stretching before setting off on a run. However, stretching while your muscles are cold like this has been shown to be dangerous, as you could pull or tear them. Instead, you should restrict your pre-workout routine to some simple warmup exercises to get your muscles warmed up.

Stretching during a workout has been shown to be unnecessary. You're already working your muscles, so there's no need to do stretching too. It can even be counter productive because it can hinder your recovery between exercises. In short, when you're resting between exercises you should do just that - rest. Don't try to force out more exercise in the downtime!

On the other hand, stretching after your workout has been shown to be highly beneficial. This allows you to gradually cool your muscles down, but maintain your flexibility. This will reduce your risk of getting injured from your workout. Over time it will also help to improve your posture, and give you a good range of motion.

About the Author
Paul Watkins is a fitness fanatic, and loves to pass on his knowledge of exercise to other enthusiasts. He also enjoys creating websites. Check out his latest site about wooden storage boxes which also includes information about where to buy metal storage boxes: http://woodenstorageboxeschoice.com/

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Myths About Muscle Training

2010-01-03T06:53:00.000+02:00

Think you know a little about Muscle Building? Think again. If you really knew how to build rock-solid muscle, you wouldn't be paying for more supplements, more magazines, more personal trainers and more books with methods that don't work. Keep reading faithfully and I'll blow the whistle on the supplement and bodybuilding mafia and then share with you the secrets to eating and training for packing on thick, dense muscle in a matter of weeks, not months.

Almost all bodybuilding supplements don't work more than 5% and assuming yoiur diet and training plans are in order. I'll tell you exactly what DOES work.

Traditional bodybuilding programs let you believe that "shocking your muscles" from "different angles", "feeling the burn" and "splitting up your body areas" is effective but they are dead wrong.
Imitating the methods of champion bodybuilders is a costly mistake because their advice has no practical relevance for ordinary people like you and me; they will not tell you that drugs and genetics are responsible for their physical condition.
Every bodybuilding magazine is owned and operated by a supplement company, which is why these mags look like massive supplement catalogues.
Lastly, legendary physiques were not built on fancy machines and equipment.

See for yourself how you can and will transform your body in under 6 months without steroids, expensive supplements or conflicting advice, and no long hours at the gym.

SEE No-nonsense Bodybuilding Program