The Secret to Lean Muscle, Strength, Health and Other Things

Then listen to my mantra...
"Be just what you is, not what you is not. Folks what do this has the happiest lot."
I learned this at age 5 from a cartoon called "Tooter Turtle" back in 1964. You see the tooter the turtle always wanted to be something he was not so he would go to Mr. Wizard (a lizard) who had the magic to change Tooter's life to some other destiny, usually sending him back in time and to various locales.
When Tooter's trip finally became a catastrophe, Tooter would request help with a cry of "Help me Mr. Wizard, I don't want to be X anymore!" where X was whatever destiny Tooter had entered. Mr. Wizard would then rescue Tooter with the incantation, "Twizzle, Twazzle, Twozzle, Twome; time for this one to come home." Then, Mr. Wizard would always give Tooter the same advice: "Be just what you is, not what you is not. Folks what do this has the happiest lot."
You see, I am on a whole bunch of muscle building, bodybuilding, fat loss, weight-lifting and health newsletters. I get at least 25 to 30 of these every day. They are all the same. They offer you these promises.. The "Trick to Fast Fat Loss or Weight Loss", or "Genetics don't matter" or "Super supplement is better than steroids" kind of stuff. Many of these people that sell this baloney never trained themselves or made much progress. Even more deceiving are the hucksters selling these program who do have a good looking physique (they may even be 40 to 70 years old) and are taking pharmaceutical drugs.
Listen to me, it is not complicated. I do it all in my two car garage and so have thousands, maybe millions of other people. There have been men who have won the title of Mr. America and Mr. Universe and they trained with a partner in a garage or basement or a YMCA that had dumbbells, barbells maybe a power rack or just a squat rack. Nothing fancy, just the basic exercises with constant progression and perseverance.
The point I am making is this.
I receive a lot of emails from guys and girls wanting to look like some person they follow on YouTube or Facebook or some other form of social or broadcast media. They are amazed at the lean, strong and muscular physique they see on this person and want to build the same physique themselves. They buy the program or membership and go at it only to fall to failure - why? Because they followed a flawed weight lifting and diet program. The creator of the program never actually used the program or if they did use the program they were also on steroids or testosterone or one of the many recreational drugs used to building lean muscle and burning fat.

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Bodybuilding Workouts - 6 Tips To Keep in Mind

Are you looking for a good bodybuilding program? Most people find it hard to create their own bodybuilding workout plan for faster results. Basically, you have to set a plan as to how many times you should work out each week. Selecting the right exercises is another big task. But the six tips that we have given below may help you with this job.
1. Lift More Weight With Time
For bodybuilding, you need to gain muscle. And to gain muscle, you will have to keep adding weight to the bar. The principles you have set won't matter if you don't put more pressure on your muscles as time goes by. When you get stuck, you should go for other strategies like supersets and drop sets, to name a few. This will help you increase the potential of your body.
2. Don't over-exhaust your muscle
Don't fully exhaust your muscle or you will run into serious problems, such as your nervous system fatigue. Some people believe that growing muscle requires you to exhaust them. Of course, you should stretch your muscle by lifting heavier weights. Don't cross the limits or you may cause an injury.
3. Focus On Compound Exercises
The third tip is to choose compound exercises. Remember: you can't spend all day at the gym doing several exercises. You have to choose a set of exercises that will work the right muscle groups. Not doing so will not let you reach your full potential.
Most of your workout plan should include exercises that will stretch a minimum of two muscle groups in your body. For instance, the shoulder press will stretch your triceps and shoulders. On the other hand, squat will build your hamstrings and quads. Another important workout is bench press as it will work your chest, triceps, biceps and shoulders.
4. Feed Your body Before And After Workouts
Eat the right amount of food before and after each workout session. Your muscles need amino acids or carbohydrates to build new muscle tissues. If you don't feed your body prior to doing your workouts, you won't be able to see the results you want.
5. Avoid the Plateau
What would you do if you get in a plateau? At some point during your workout schedule, you may end up with a plateau. In case you don't know, a plateau is a point where you see no progress for over two weeks.
The good news is that you can prevent the plateau. All you have to do is to keep changing something in your workout schedule. For instance, you can change the order of the exercises you do at the gym, or it could be a change in the type of workouts you do. This way you won't get bored and keep seeing the progress you want.
6. Taking Rest is a Must
You can't build muscles without taking enough rest. Your muscles need time to recover after each training session. Your muscle will gradually break down if you don't let them unwind.
As a general rule, you may want to take 24 hours of rest after each weight lifting session. Aside from this, if you are cardio-minded, the rule doesn't mean you should do an exhaustive cardio exercise for 45 minutes. In fact, this means you should rest your body for reaching its maximum potential.
So, follow these 6 tips and you will get stronger muscles before long.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9596496

Choosing The Best Workout Program For the Best Results

There are so many workout programs promising to give excellent results to users. The programs are either designed for men or for women considering that the two have different needs and goals when working out. With so many programs on offer, it can get pretty daunting to select a workout program that will actually work for you and fetch you the kind of results you get. But when you are cautious with the selection process, you definitely will have an easy time ending up with the most suitable program for your objectives.
1. Understand what you want to achieve - Working out is not always something that overweight people do; there are some people who feel a need to work out to work on specific areas of the body, tone up and redesign their bodies. Women, for instance, want to work on their bikini bodies so they want a program that helps in eliminating belly fat and toning up the things and arms. Men on the other hand may want to build more muscle and work on the abs. When you start by understanding what your real needs are, you will have an easier time going for the best workout program.
2. Find out what the workout program is all about - Now that you already know what you want to achieve as an individual, the next would be to find out exactly what your preferred program is all about. Whereas most programs are all about losing weight, some of the best are fitness, lifestyle and exercise guides that make it possible for you to make a total lifestyle change. It is always better to select a program that has a long term approach rather than a crash workout or diet that offers quick results that are not sustainable.
3. Check the features of the workout program - Is the workout program well organized? When you get a program, you should have an easy time doing your daily workouts. A good program should give you a complete guideline on everyday workouts and it is even better when it comes with a daily diet plan too. The truth is that a workout alone will not really fetch you the results you are looking for hence the importance of making sure that you also have a workable diet plan to match the workouts.
4. Think about how accessible the program is - Usually the best workout programs need to be purchased and they can come in e-book forms, PDF or even on CD and other forms. Before buying find out whether what you are going for is a one time purchase that gives you full access to the workout program or you will need to make monthly subscriptions to keep accessing the program. Those offering one-time purchases are best.
5. Check out the reviews - One of the best ways of reassuring yourself that you have selected the best workout program is by checking out what other users have to say about it. Most will post before and after program photos that can tell you exactly what to expect. Dig deep into the reviews and make your purchase only when you are completely sure.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9585216

Exercise and Physical Activities to Gain Muscles

A lot of physical activities can be done in our world today to gain muscles. A few times I have met men that have well muscle bodies, and surprisingly they don't attend body building classes or workout sessions. They are a whole lot of physical activities one can indulge in to gain muscles and have a fit body. It is all about daily visit to the gym for body building classes before you can gain muscles although it is what works for majority of us.
1. Lift weights routinely.
If you need to get a solid and strong body and to build well toned muscles immediately then lift weights all the time. Barbells work the best and you should do them frequently. These include Squats, Dead lifts, Overhead Press, Chin Ups, Dips, Bench Press and Military Press. You ought to perform 8-12 reps of any given activity. This would vehemently build your muscles rapidly.
2. Eat bunches of nutritious fruits and food.
Amid the way toward body-building and muscles, you need to eat a decent amount of exceptionally nourishing edibles. Protein is critical! You ought to eat foods like bubbled eggs, red meat, bubbled chicken, bubbled fish, and fish, for example, fish, prawn, and salmon. You ought to round out your eating routine with hygienic vegetables, natural products, and nuts. The more proteins that you incorporate into your eating routine, the more stronger and bigger your muscles will get.
3. Do 45 minutes of energetic strolling, jogging or running.
Amid the project of building muscles, you ought to take part in physical action like 30 minutes of energetic strolling, running, or notwithstanding sprinting. These are astounding activities for getting your digestion system going and building up your muscles in a more grounded and quicker way.
4. Drink 12 glasses of water day by day.
You ought to drink no less than 12 glasses of water once a day. The normal water takes out the poisons from your body and this will make your muscles fit and solid.
5. Get a lot of rest.
Resting is vital amid the way toward building bulk. You ought to rest for no less than 8 hours or increasingly a day. The more you rest, the more stronger your muscles will form.
6. Unwind.
Try not to get stressed by any means during or after workout sessions. You ought to make an arrangement to go on a cookout or go to your most loved spot. The more you unwind between workouts the more grounded your muscles will form.
7. Listen to music.
In the wake of finishing from your substantial body-building and muscle building work outs, listen to music. It will unwind your muscles and your brain. You will begin perking up and you will build up a one of a kind mental peace. Music is truly a balance for your spirit and your brain. These days a lot of Hollywood film stars listen to music in the wake of doing a muscle-building workout. So figure out how to unwind and listen to music to help your muscle building and muscle unwinding is an excellent source as well.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9535021

How Fast Can Someone Realistically and Naturally Build Muscle?

Building additional muscle mass is a relatively complex process that hinges on a number of variables. Many individuals will often combine a standard, high-calorie eating plan with high-intensity exercise in order to put on lean mass. This method has significant anecdotal and experimental evidence, which makes it almost universally efficacious. Yet, such eating plans can provide wildly varying muscle accretion results. This large difference can only be accounted for by examining the different factors that limit muscle growth.
The Natural Limits of Muscle Growth
Human evolution is the result of constant ecological pressure towards energy efficiency and energy storage. This genetic fact is consistently proven by way of the growing population of overweight, low muscle mass individuals. Muscular growth is genetically programmed through a variety of limiting agents.
The primary regulating factor in muscle growth is myostatin, a protein that inhibits muscular hypertrophy and hyperplasia. Defective coding of the myostatin gene results in spontaneous lean tissue accumulation. This effect is most notable within the Belgian Blue breed of cows.
Testosterone synthesis and responsiveness is also a considerable factor. Reduced testosterone production in females results in both reduced muscle gain and lower total muscle mass.
Training experience and previous muscle growth is also highly influential. Experienced lifters have much more difficulty growing lean tissue than beginners. This factor is believed to be dependent on myostatin.
Any loss of previous muscle mass also contributes to future muscle gain. Athletes who attempt to regain lost muscle can expect increased gains up to their previous limit. This effect is attributed to changes in mitochondrial DNA within muscle cells.
Expected Muscle Growth
While mutations in myostatin coding, endocrine dysfunction and training restriction can create unnaturally low or high muscle growth, most individuals can expect a certain amount of growth per length of time. Different experts provide different amounts of average growth, but two pounds of lean tissue growth per month is the norm. It should be noted that 68 percent of the population is genetically average in this respect.
Creating an Environment for Growth
The previously mentioned rate of muscle accretion should only be expected while undergoing high intensity training, eating hypercalorically and consuming adequate amounts of protein. Failing to adhere to this minimum of discipline will yield subpar results.
Additionally, maximizing testosterone production through proper nutrition and vitamin D intake is necessary. Although myostatin production cannot be currently manipulated, testosterone synthesis is highly dependent on outside stimulus and nutrition.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7492095

3 Essential Factors In Muscle Building For Beginners

Muscle building for beginners is an ideal regimen if you're a skinny guy who wants to gain weight and muscle mass. Or if you're a fat guy, you can do muscle building for beginners if you want your shoulder to be broader than your waistline. Otherwise, if you just want to be stronger and faster, you can do so by building muscles. Building muscles need you to do 3 things so that you'll gain muscle and get bigger and stronger:

• You should lift things that are heavy
• Stick to a diet that promotes your muscle-building goals
• Provide time for rest

Lifting heavy things is an essential part of building muscles. To do this more effectively, workout in a gym that has an efficient section for free weights. Do some body weight exercises. It'll bring big results for your weight loss goals and in maintaining your muscles. If you're serious about weight training, look for a gym with more complete equipments such as a bench, a squat rack, barbells and enough space where you can do chin ups, pull-ups and dips. You'll want to gain functional muscle strength and size, and in this case you should do full-body workout routines in combination with compound exercises. Multiple muscle groups have to be targeted by your exercises. Don't waste any more time in doing isolated muscle workouts using weight machines. You need to work not only specific muscles, but more importantly, your stabilizer muscles. Do barbell squats instead. It's a compound exercise that works every muscle in your physique. Exercise using dumbbells and barbells and avoid using machines.
What about your diet? It depends on your current built. If you're skinny, your diet will comprise 90% of the muscle building battle. If you want to build size, you have to create a calorie surplus through your diet. In other words, you should take in more calories than what you burn. When you get that problem wherein you're not gaining weight despite lifting ample weights, it means that you have to improve your diet. What are tips for a weight gaining diet? First off, eat lots of whatever food. It's a different approach for weight gain that works. Make sure about your protein intake. It has to be 200 grams a day. Then gorge the rest of the 3500 calories from any foods that you find delish, such as milk, pasta, rice, pizza, chicken, protein shakes, milk shakes and so on. You'll gain sufficient amounts of weight via this eating technique. Another approach to gaining weight for building muscles is to eat plenty of healthy foods. Your food choices for this option include brown rice, chicken, oatmeal, homemade shake, almond butter sandwiches of whole-grain wheat bread, fruits and veggies, milk, beef and eggs. Eating lots of healthy food is kinder to your insides, and it's better than eating lots of any stuff. It may not work optimally for weight gain, but still, it makes sense.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9525045

Protein Blends - The Best Way To Build Muscle

Purchasing supplements can be an extremely difficult process as you're bombarded with many answers from bodybuilding forums, internet "specialists", supplement store "experts" and your local gym rat.
Well, with a growing amount of research and an immense spike in the supplement industry over the last decade, scientists have been able to understand the concept of protein supplements better.
Whey vs. Casein
A growing body of research over years of work now confirms that a proprietary blend of protein sources far exceeds the simple single source of protein most products are selling to you. A combination of fast-digesting whey protein immediately supplies your body with the right nutrients to recover from a brutal workout. On the other hand, the medium to slow-digesting protein blend, such as the casein blend, supplies your body with the right nutrients at a steady rate that feeds your body through the day/night. A combination of these two protein blends only speaks for itself. Not only are you absorbing fast digesting protein but also slow-digesting, fueling your body through a hectic day, continuously helping the muscle-building and recovery process.
Whey protein is digested immensely and at a rapid rate allowing insulin levels to spike again after a workout that drained your body of energy. The whey protein supplies the muscles in your body with the appropriate amino acids that furthermore spike the MSI (muscle protein synthesis). The muscle protein synthesis is the major reason in repairing the damaged proteins and aiding in building new ones for faster and more effective muscle growth. The fast digesting process of this protein is effective only till the point your protein synthesis drops again. This is where the proprietary blend of slow-digesting micellar casein comes in. This protein blend acts as a protein blend that slowly and steadily provides your body with the fuel it needs to continuously be fed and thus recover and grow.
The combination of both has proved to be the best blend. This reason being due to the continuous supplementation of amino acids carried out by the casein and whey protein sources. When the whey protein discontinued to supply these amino acids to the muscle protein synthesis, the slow-digesting blend takes over, leaving your body with a continuous flow of amino acids to recover and grow.
The Takeaway
The most powerful combination of both fast and slow digesting proteins allows your body to refuel, recharge, and recover in order to grow muscle. Don't forget to eat well, as supplements are always excellent but that is exactly what they are, supplements. Eating the correct foods that meet all your macronutrients and micronutrients requirements, and getting the adequate rest serves as the perfect formula in recovery and growth.

read more here / http://www.buildmuscle2016.blogspot.com

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How To Mix The Best Ingredients For The Ultimate Muscle Building Shake

When people think of muscle building, they usually imagine barbells, dumbbells, and workouts but give little thought to the role nutrition plays in muscle building. This has led many an aspiring muscle building enthusiast to give up in frustration when he or she sees little or no result after months of hard work at the gym.
In contrast, professional body builders know the value of proper nutrition and almost as a whole pay as much attention to what they consume as they do to their workouts. They not only eat a well-balanced diet but also augment it with protein-rich shakes and powders that their aching muscles need after workouts. If you want to develop strong and well-developed muscles, you should the same. All types of ready-made preparations are available at places like wholefoods but you will not get a fraction of what you can get if you prepare muscle shakes yourself. Fortunately, it is quite easy if you know what ingredients you need as we show you below.

• Whey Protein Powder - the undisputed king among protein sources, whey protein is loaded with protein. No serious muscle building fan should be without it. Period!
• Greek Yogurt - also high in protein but low in sugar, this is a nice addition to a shake that will enhance the overall taste of the shake.
• Frozen berries - known for their high antioxidant content, berries also blend beautifully in a shake and give it a thicker milk-shake like texture.
• Ground flaxseeds - high in healthy omega fats, they provide an easy and fast way of consuming the healthy fats your body needs and craves.
• Dried coconut - known for its tasty flavor and energy enhancing qualities, this is another source of healthy fats you don't want to be without.
• Natural nut butter - nothing beats nut butter as a source of healthy fat and as an easy way to give your shake a creamy tasty flavor. Make sure you choose almond or peanut butter variety.
• Cottage Cheese - this is another fine ingredient that can serve as an alternative to or as a substitute for Greek Yogurt.
• Dry Ground Up Oats - a great source of energy releasing carbohydrates, they lower cholesterol level among other health benefits. Best of all, you will not notice any difference in the taste.
• Bananas - are such a rich source of potassium that they should always be included in all shakes. They also improve the taste significantly and keep your muscles healthy.
• Xanthan gum - a tiny amount of this is all you need to turn the mix into a very thick muscle building milk shake. It is an essential component to any shake.
• Milk - finally, milk will supply your muscles with calcium and protein while also helping to make the shake thinner.

The above ingredients are all you need to prepare a muscle shake high in protein and other essential nutrients that your muscles and body desperately need. If you regularly consume a shake using the above set of ingredients while also maintaining a regular workout routine you will soon wake up one fine morning to stare at yourself in the mirror wondering if that impressive physique with lean and well-defined muscles is really you. It is really within your reach if you regularly exercise and nourish yourself with foods high in proteins and other essential nutrients.

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The Best Exercises to Include In Your Muscle Building Routine

As you go about you workout routine, it is important to discover the best muscle building exercises that you can be doing. This will point you in the right direction by eliminating wasted time, and mobilizing you to spend your energy on exercises that are proven to provide excellent results. Fortunately, there are a number of time-tested, basic exercises that have consistently provided outstanding muscle and strength gains for professional athletes, bodybuilders, powerlifters, and for anyone willing to put in the required level of work.
The benefits of muscle building exercises are well documented. Incorporating them into your workout routine will build lean muscle mass, which will increase your body's metabolism, allowing you to burn fat more efficiently. It will also lead to significant strength gains. An added benefit to doing these exercises is that they work more than one muscle group in your body at once, providing you with greater payoff for your effort. Given these benefits, lets take a look at some of the top muscle building exercises that you should consider incorporating into your daily workout routine.
The Details - Let These Exercises Take Your Muscle Development To New Levels:

• Squats: Often referred to as the king of strength and muscle building movements, the effectiveness of squats is unrivaled in terms of building mass and strength in the hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, muscles of the lower back and spinal column, and your core. Assuming you back will allow it, this exercise should be a staple of your regular workout routine.


• Lunges: This is a great movement for building muscle in your thighs and hips. They can be done with a set of dumbbells or a barbell across your back. If you are new to lunges, you will quickly discover their effectiveness as your legs will feel incredibly worked within just a few repetitions.


• Deadlifts: This power-lifting movement will strengthen and build the muscle in your upper legs, glutes, and lower back very effectively. Along with squats, they are proven effective at significantly increasing muscle mass.


• Bench Press: Another power-lifting exercise, the bench press has long been lauded for building thick muscle mass in the chest, shoulders, and triceps. The strength gains that can be achieved are unrivaled as well. There also are several variations of this exercise that can be performed to enhance results. Close grip, wide grip, and incline bench press exercises are all very effective. Given its incredible muscle and strength building benefits, the bench press should also be a staple in your workout routine.


• Dips: A professional body builder was once asked what exercises he would do if he could only choose three, and dips was one of the exercises he selected! Little wonder, because dips are exceptionally effective at working the chest, shoulders, and triceps. To super-charge your dip routine, once you can do a high number of repetitions without stopping, you can begin to increase the weight using a dumbbell attached to your lifting belt.


• Overhead shoulder press: Nothing beats this movement for increasing muscle mass in the shoulders. It also provides a significant workout for the triceps. Shoulder presses can be done seated or standing, with a barbell or using dumbbells. Two huge favorites are seated dumbbell presses and seated behind the neck barbell presses. Any of these variations is a highly effective workout for your deltoid muscles.


• Push-ups: One of the things that makes push-ups such a great option is that you can basically do them anytime, anywhere. They can be done in combination with other upper body exercises, or as a stand-alone upper body exercise if you are away on vacation or can't get to a gym. Push-ups are great for building lean muscle in the chest, shoulders, triceps, and upper back.


• Rows: The ultimate exercise for working the lat muscles of the upper back, there is no substitute for rows. Bent-over dumbbell rows are immensely popular for building mass and strength. T-bar rows and seated cable rows are also an excellent option.


• Pull-ups: This is a hard one, but very effective! While you may only be able to do a couple of them if you are just starting out, pull-ups are an excellent way to work the upper back and the biceps.

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How To Make A Healthy And Tasty Muscle-Building Protein Shake

One of the main challenges for a lean muscle building regiment and to lose fat is to get sufficient protein in the diet and only the good fats. Sometimes the volume of food needed can leave a person feeling bloated and it can be cumbersome to eat all the required food making the process significantly harder. As a result, people often miss the calorie and protein intake mark leading to subpar results and discouragement.
To alleviate that problem a protein shake is recommended. It is simple a drink full of protein, healthy nutrients, good fats and a pleasant taste that helps to meet the daily requirements and significantly helps to build muscle. However, the proper ingredients are important to ensure the protein shake does provide the necessary benefits. Here is a list of some of the best ingredients for a proper protein shake:

• Milk or Fruit Juice- As a base for the shake, milk is strongly recommended due to Calcium, protein and a low sugar content. This also makes the shake more easily drinkable and less thick. Some people may use fruit juice but that is too high in simple sugars and empty calories and as such something to avoid.


• Whey Protein Powder- This is the core of the shake and will provide the bulk of the protein for the muscle building. Buying a large wholesale-sized container would not be a bad decision for this particular ingredient. This will go into every shake. Fortunately, this itself comes in a large variety of flavors so that alone helps to vary up the flavor of the shakes.


• Greek Yogurt or Cottage Cheese- For adding a creamier texture to the shake either Greek Yogurt or Cottage Cheese can be used. They both have low sugar and high protein. Avoid regular yogurt as that has a much higher sugar content which is as mentioned above something to avoid.


• Fruits- Bananas and Berries are a great addition to the shake. Both provide a lot of texture and flavor to the shake making more than just a drink one has to drink. Beyond that the Bananas provide a lot of potassium which helps to build muscles, while the berries are full of many different vitamins and antioxidants. For the berries simply use a frozen bag of berries from a local supermarket to reduce the amount of unnecessary extra work.


• Dry Ground-up Oats- To prep for the next work out add some dry ground-up oats to the shake for the carbohydrate content. They will work well in the blend and not really be noticeable.


• Natural Nut Butter- A quick way to add some healthy fats to the shake is through natural nut butters like peanut butter or almond butter. However, avoid the cheap ones and go of the nut butters that only list ingredients like "peanuts" or "almonds". Avoid anything with "hydrogenated oils" in them, as those are the bad fats.


• Dried Coconut- For some variation in flavor and an extra energy boost dried coconut is an excellent ingredient. It is very calorie dense as well.


• Xantham Gum- To adjust the texture of the shake add Xantham gum which is something also used in ice cream. This is purely to change the thickness of the shake to suit the palette.

Having muscle-building shakes like this post-workout should be looked upon as a reward. Not only do they taste good they are a tremendous benefit as well and a crucial addition on the journey to lose fat, build muscle and feel energetic. Drinking one or two shakes per day is the goal so ensuring the protein shake is both well-balanced and delicious is an important component.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9402407

5 Useful Tips On How To Gain Weight Fast

If you're all skin and bones and want to know how to gain weight fast, then these 5 tips will help you add some flesh and muscle to your frame.
While it may not seem apparent, gaining weight is just as difficult as losing weight. Those who are skinny or thin are that way for a reason. They eat less than normal, or have such a high metabolic rate that they burn off all extra calories, leaving little or nothing to build their body on.
So how to gain weight fast if you're a rapid burner who can't seem to eat your way to more muscle? The standard advice to eat fatty or sugar-rich food isn't effective. The reason is that the extra calories in these diets tend to be deposited on your body in the form of unhealthy fat rather than solid muscle.
The best way to gain weight is to eat food rich in calories as well as protein. That's the right approach to get adequate nutrition while providing your body with the substrate required to build muscle. Your food must be rich in protein and include moderate amounts of carbohydrate and fat.
Here are 5 tips to put on weight the healthy and natural way.
1. Avoid snacking in between meals. Have just 3 large meals daily. Include starchy food like potatoes, pasta and bread in your diet. But don't eat chips, crisps and other fried snacks that only provide empty calories. They not only help you gain weight, but they are also bad for your health.
2. Eat eggs and lean meat. Chicken and turkey are excellent sources of animal protein. Legumes, beans and peas are good sources of plant protein for vegetarians. By combining protein-rich food with carbs and vegetables you can plan a balanced and healthy diet.
3. Take dietary supplements. Protein shakes and whey drinks provide a boost of protein and amino acids in the immediate post-workout period. By taking these building blocks of muscle growth, you will quickly bulk up and become stronger.
4. Exercise lightly. This improves your appetite and you'll be able to eat more calories. Training with weights helps develop muscles while also making you hungrier.
5. Eat multiple meals daily. Some people find that they may have to eat 6 or 8 times in a day in order to gain weight. This is important when you work on strength training. This increases calorie consumption, and you must focus on eating more than you burn off in order to gain weight.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9376706

7 Tips on How To Increase HGH Levels For Building Muscles

Hormones are typically tiny chemical messengers which help to transmit information from one part of the body to another. They are produced by different glands in the body forming the endocrine system. The muscles are basically composed of protein which is the building blocks essentially. HGH, just as the name implies, generates growth and it's a powerful driver of muscle size, fat loss and brain function. When you increase HGH levels in the body, it promotes and increases synthesis of new protein tissues. This helps with muscle recovery and muscle repair finally allowing new muscles to build. If you work out and increase your HGH levels, you will get to experience muscle mass increase.
Below are 7 tips on how to increase HGH levels for building muscle.
Training
In order to stimulate your HGH levels, you need to engage in training. Intense workouts, energy consuming events and long periods of physical exhaustion have been found to help in releasing more HGH. These catabolic states are known to require extra protein synthesis which is required in the case of energy consumption and fat metabolization. This helps to make up for glycogen depletion.
HGH increase helps to meet the targets of a body builder which is increase muscle mass. When working out, the body muscles do get torn. To ensure fast repair and quick generation of new muscles, increase in HGH is needed.
7 to 9 hours of sleep every night
Sleep is an important factor in everyday life and it helps to fight fatigue as well as allow the body to rest. In order to place the body in a muscle building state, adequate sleep is needed. When sleeping, protein metabolism occurs at a proficient rate which is due to a big spike in HGH release. This occurs within the first hour or so of sleep. After every four hours, small bursts of GH are secreted which means the more sleep you get, the more HGH you produce.
Engage in yoga and meditation
In today's life, which people are accustomed to, it creates several challenges which lead to increase in stress levels. When one is stressed, the body quickly releases cortisol, a hormone that causes damage to the muscles. This leads to testosterone levels reducing which decreases the secretion of GH. When you engage in a stress reducing activity like meditation or yoga, you will help to manage the negative effects brought about by stress.
Have a protein/carbohydrate drink
An hour after engaging in a workout, you need to drink a protein/carbohydrates drink. A post work out drink is very important especially if you want to build muscles. When you consume a high quality and fast digesting protein after a workout, it allows for proper building blocks to be in plenty. When you add carbs into the mix, you help to spike insulin levels which transport muscle building levels directly into the muscle cells.
This helps to jump start repair and growth of muscles finally increasing muscle mass for you.
Don't eat 2 to 3 hours before sleep
When going to bed, it's important to keep your insulin levels as low as possible. This helps to ensure that you get to increase your HGH production levels. This is because when insulin levels are high, your HGH levels are low while insulin levels are low; your HGH levels are high.
The one thing you need to remember is the difference between insulin and blood sugar levels. When you control your blood sugar levels, it has to do more with fat burning and muscle building. This is because anything you eat causes your body to release more insulin especially when you consume proteins.
Eliminate intake of caffeine, nicotine and alcohol
If you want to ensure that you are super anabolic, you need to eliminate alcohol, caffeine and nicotine. According to medical experts, alcohol has been found to interfere with protein synthesis which reduces testosterone levels as well as GH secretions and reduces insulin sensitivity. Caffeine and other drugs have been found to increase cortisol levels which lower testosterone production.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9381464

What Are the Elements of an Effective Bodybuilding Diet?

A bodybuilding diet is what is most important for muscle gain after exercise workouts. Eating right is a high priority for serious bodybuilders. Measuring calories and watching the kinds of food they eat can ensure that muscle gain takes place without piling on undesirable fat.
Here are some rules that will help with a bodybuilding diet plan:
1. Ensure adequate hydration
Drinking water during and after workouts helps avoid dehydration. In typical weather conditions, a bodybuilder will need to drink 2 liters of water every day.
Sugary soft drinks and alcohol are best avoided. The extra calories will add to fat stores and the osmotic effect of the concentrated solutions will further worsen dehydration. The body's immunity and defences will also be adversely impacted.
2. Calculate carb intake
As most bodybuilders are aware, there are two kinds of carbs - starchy and non-starchy.
Starchy carbohydrates are quickly and easily digested. They lead to an instant spike in blood glucose levels. Examples of starchy carbs are rice, bread and pasta.
Non-starchy carbs, on the other hand, are digested and absorbed more gradually. Blood sugar levels rise slowly to a peak and fall just as slowly afterwards. Non-starchy carbs are found in vegetables and fruits.
An effective bodybuilding diet will include the right proportion of both starchy and non-starchy carbs. The kind of carbs you eat isn't quite as important as how much of each kind you consume. Starchy carbs are best immediately before and shortly after working out, when the body needs a sudden boost in calories. For other meals, it is better to eat non-starchy carbs.
3. Cut down on condiments
Salt and sugar are such an essential part of regular cooking that one hardly thinks about them. But for a bodybuilding diet, it is important to watch salt and sugar intake.
Reducing the amount of salt in food is desirable. And sugar intake should be drastically cut. If sweetening food and drinks is important, alternative options like sweeteners or stevia are preferred.
4. Avoid processed foods
For any bodybuilding plan, it is important to eat only nutritious food that is also healthy. Anything that is sold in a box, carton or bag is processed, and therefore not very healthy.
During the processing, all healthy nutrients are leached out of foodstuffs. What's left behind is empty calories and saturated fats which can be harmful. The simplest approach is to avoid them and eat fresh, raw food or prepare meals from such ingredients.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9373206

Cycle Training - Pushing to a Peak

There's an old saying "Make haste slowly", the ironic thing is that if you push, push, push your workouts each and every session, you will drive yourself into a sticking point. There is a subtle difference between going all out in your training every time and cycling your efforts to complement your physical and nervous systems. With cycling, you build up intensity to peak, and then you taper off and consolidate your gains by demanding somewhat less from your workouts. All athletes do this. It's a kind of controlled progress.
Any condition that you can maintain year in, year out is not a peak condition. Your body can not be pushed to peak condition, but then it must rest. The edge will inevitably go, but it can be recalled and superseded with a new thrust. Making haste slowly applies very much to bodybuilding. In fact, it is the fastest way of building good quality muscle.
Cycle training is usually practised by the older or more experienced bodybuilder, who may have an all-consuming, fanatical approach to workouts. Day after day of blitzing muscles just doesn't fit their temperament.
Gains in muscular size and strength can only be forced temporarily. Long-term gains must be coaxed, induced in an agreeable manner, by gentle persuasion. Few athletes or bodybuilder, are willing or able to strain to the limit continuously. I doubt that anyone really wants to do curls, or any other exercise, until they are blue in the face, not in a regular basis anyway. The mind rebels. It will not face such effort day after day. Bodybuilding progress, like progress in any other activity is irregular; it's full of peaks and troughs. Don't expect to make continuous progress. A bodybuilder should push for a while, back off, and then push again.
One thing everyone seems to agree upon is that you can't run your body at full throttle all the time. You either have to cycle your training intensity or take occasional lay-offs.
Some bodybuilders cycle their training from one day to another. In other words, they perform a light (less intense) workout every once in a while. With some, this method involves two heavy workouts and two light workouts every seven to eight days. Others may choose to "go light" once every two weeks or so. The number of light (active rest) workouts you allot yourself will depend on your metabolism, your rate of recuperation, and your tolerance for vigorous exercise.
The most common form of cycling your training, however, is to gradually build up your training poundages, number of exercises, and duration of workouts to peak for a particular contest, and then to rest up by changing your exercise habits and down-grading your training intensity.
Also, there is evidence to show that those who push their muscles to failure and beyond for long periods of time and without interruption may overstimulate their adrenal glands, which then respond to the unrelenting stress by dumping excessive amounts of hormone into the bloodstream. It's nice to have a huge flow of adrenaline to help you in an emergency where you may have run or fight for your life, but when this response is triggered too frequently, the adrenal glands become overtaxed and exhausted, with a resulting reduction in output. In short, you become lethargic, lose interest, and show all signs of what is known as the "over training syndrome".

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9335973

Building Muscle - Setting Your Calorie Intake For Lean Muscle Mass Gain

If you have a goal to build more lean muscle mass, one step you will want to take is to make sure you take into account your calorie intake. While it's great to get to the gym and...

• focus on lifting heavy,
• doing all the strength training exercises you know are critical to success,

if you aren't fueling your body to build new muscle, you simply won't get very far.
So how does one go about building more lean muscle mass? Let's go over what you need to know about setting your calorie intake for lean mass gains...
Step One: Identify Your Maintenance Requirements. The very first thing you'll want to do is identify your maintenance needs. Basically, how many calories do you need in a given day to just maintain your body weight?
If you do not know this, it's time to start tracking your calories. Once you do, you'll have a place to start. Until you know how many calories you need daily to maintain your body weight, you will not know where to start from to start seeing muscle mass gains.
Step Two: Add 100 to 250 Calories Per Day To Your Eating Plan. The next step is to begin adding 100 to 250 calories per day, based on how quickly you want to build lean muscle mass. Keep in mind though adding more calories is not necessarily better.
Your body can only build so much muscle in a day, so any calories taken beyond this will just lead to excess fat gain.
Slow and steady is the name of this game. It takes roughly 3500 calories to gain one pound of body weight: something to keep in mind. For staying lean, you should aim to gain anywhere from 1 to 3 pounds per month. Males can err on the higher end of this range while females should err on the lower end.
Step Three: Monitor Your Progress. Once you have your new calorie intake figured out, it's time to get going. Begin eating at this level and monitor your progress.
If you aren't gaining at the weight you expected, adjust your calorie intake accordingly - either up or down.
Step Four: Re-Evaluate. Finally, you'll need to re-evaluate your calorie intake on a regular basis. Remember you may start hitting a plateau after you have gained some weight: this is the time you need to increase your calorie intake further. Constantly be adjusting so you can see ongoing results.
If you calculate your eating plan properly, you can rest assured you will be on track to building more lean muscle mass, transforming yourself in the process.

Although managing Type 2 diabetes can be very challenging, it is not a condition you must just live with. Make simple changes to your daily routine - include exercise to help lower both your blood sugar levels and your weight.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9208121

7 Tips on How To Increase HGH Levels For Building Muscles

Hormones are typically tiny chemical messengers which help to transmit information from one part of the body to another. They are produced by different glands in the body forming the endocrine system. The muscles are basically composed of protein which is the building blocks essentially. HGH, just as the name implies, generates growth and it's a powerful driver of muscle size, fat loss and brain function. When you increase HGH levels in the body, it promotes and increases synthesis of new protein tissues. This helps with muscle recovery and muscle repair finally allowing new muscles to build. If you work out and increase your HGH levels, you will get to experience muscle mass increase.
Below are 7 tips on how to increase HGH levels for building muscle.
Training
In order to stimulate your HGH levels, you need to engage in training. Intense workouts, energy consuming events and long periods of physical exhaustion have been found to help in releasing more HGH. These catabolic states are known to require extra protein synthesis which is required in the case of energy consumption and fat metabolization. This helps to make up for glycogen depletion.
HGH increase helps to meet the targets of a body builder which is increase muscle mass. When working out, the body muscles do get torn. To ensure fast repair and quick generation of new muscles, increase in HGH is needed.
7 to 9 hours of sleep every night
Sleep is an important factor in everyday life and it helps to fight fatigue as well as allow the body to rest. In order to place the body in a muscle building state, adequate sleep is needed. When sleeping, protein metabolism occurs at a proficient rate which is due to a big spike in HGH release. This occurs within the first hour or so of sleep. After every four hours, small bursts of GH are secreted which means the more sleep you get, the more HGH you produce.
Engage in yoga and meditation
In today's life, which people are accustomed to, it creates several challenges which lead to increase in stress levels. When one is stressed, the body quickly releases cortisol, a hormone that causes damage to the muscles. This leads to testosterone levels reducing which decreases the secretion of GH. When you engage in a stress reducing activity like meditation or yoga, you will help to manage the negative effects brought about by stress.
Have a protein/carbohydrate drink
An hour after engaging in a workout, you need to drink a protein/carbohydrates drink. A post work out drink is very important especially if you want to build muscles. When you consume a high quality and fast digesting protein after a workout, it allows for proper building blocks to be in plenty. When you add carbs into the mix, you help to spike insulin levels which transport muscle building levels directly into the muscle cells.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9381464

Why Is Natural Bodybuilding So Appealing?

Natural bodybuilding means gaining muscle without using accessories like drugs or dietary supplements to bulk up.
For centuries, bodybuilders have pushed the envelope in their quest for bigger, stronger muscles. Some were even willing to risk safety and health by using drugs and supplements to add bulk to their physique, without caring about the long-term effects of such practices on their body and health.
In the modern era, this trend still remains but has been overshadowed by the move towards safe and healthy bodybuilding. Natural bodybuilding happens without the need for drugs that enhance performance or food supplements that alter metabolism.
So what are the staples of natural body building?
1. Exercise
2. Nutrition
There is no role in this model for injecting materials that are the substrate for muscle development, or taking hormones like anabolic steroids that assist the body in diverting the building blocks of muscle growth to the appropriate areas that the bodybuilder wants to develop.
Natural bodybuilding is a rather exclusive term with strict definitions. Let's say one starts out with exercise and good nutrition alone, achieves muscle gain, and then hits a plateau. If that person now resorts to a brief period of dietary supplements or other artificial aids to further muscle gain, the term "natural body building" no longer applies. They are disqualified!
Are no aids or accessories allowed?
Equipment, tools and machines that will help build muscle are a part of natural bodybuilding programs. Training routines often require specific kinds of equipment for exercising. That doesn't make it "artificial" bodybuilding. Even certain kinds of "supplements" are allowed without violating the rigid guidelines that determine if a program is natural or not.
What matters is adhering to the principle of developing muscles without having to seek artificial aids or unhealthy performance enhancers along the way.
Why is all bodybuilding not natural?
There are different reasons for wanting to gain muscle. In many cases, it is a competitive instinct. Whether bodybuilders workout as a sport, to participate in contests, or just to look better than their peers, this competitive instinct drives them to seek results. And in professional bodybuilding, such results translate into financial advantages because prize money that's at stake in contests and competition is often significant.
When natural attempts at building muscle stall at a certain point, there is a temptation to try other methods to accelerate growth. Of course, persisting with the natural approach will eventually achieve this same goal, but it takes time, persistence and sustained effort. The lure of taking a pill or injection or drink that will help get over the bump often seems attractive.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9373224

What Are the Elements of an Effective Bodybuilding Diet?

A bodybuilding diet is what is most important for muscle gain after exercise workouts. Eating right is a high priority for serious bodybuilders. Measuring calories and watching the kinds of food they eat can ensure that muscle gain takes place without piling on undesirable fat.
Here are some rules that will help with a bodybuilding diet plan:
1. Ensure adequate hydration
Drinking water during and after workouts helps avoid dehydration. In typical weather conditions, a bodybuilder will need to drink 2 liters of water every day.
Sugary soft drinks and alcohol are best avoided. The extra calories will add to fat stores and the osmotic effect of the concentrated solutions will further worsen dehydration. The body's immunity and defences will also be adversely impacted.
2. Calculate carb intake
As most bodybuilders are aware, there are two kinds of carbs - starchy and non-starchy.
Starchy carbohydrates are quickly and easily digested. They lead to an instant spike in blood glucose levels. Examples of starchy carbs are rice, bread and pasta.
Non-starchy carbs, on the other hand, are digested and absorbed more gradually. Blood sugar levels rise slowly to a peak and fall just as slowly afterwards. Non-starchy carbs are found in vegetables and fruits.
An effective bodybuilding diet will include the right proportion of both starchy and non-starchy carbs. The kind of carbs you eat isn't quite as important as how much of each kind you consume. Starchy carbs are best immediately before and shortly after working out, when the body needs a sudden boost in calories. For other meals, it is better to eat non-starchy carbs.
3. Cut down on condiments
Salt and sugar are such an essential part of regular cooking that one hardly thinks about them. But for a bodybuilding diet, it is important to watch salt and sugar intake.
Reducing the amount of salt in food is desirable. And sugar intake should be drastically cut. If sweetening food and drinks is important, alternative options like sweeteners or stevia are preferred.

Why Is Natural Bodybuilding So Appealing?

Natural bodybuilding means gaining muscle without using accessories like drugs or dietary supplements to bulk up.
For centuries, bodybuilders have pushed the envelope in their quest for bigger, stronger muscles. Some were even willing to risk safety and health by using drugs and supplements to add bulk to their physique, without caring about the long-term effects of such practices on their body and health.
In the modern era, this trend still remains but has been overshadowed by the move towards safe and healthy bodybuilding. Natural bodybuilding happens without the need for drugs that enhance performance or food supplements that alter metabolism.
So what are the staples of natural body building?
1. Exercise
2. Nutrition
There is no role in this model for injecting materials that are the substrate for muscle development, or taking hormones like anabolic steroids that assist the body in diverting the building blocks of muscle growth to the appropriate areas that the bodybuilder wants to develop.
Natural bodybuilding is a rather exclusive term with strict definitions. Let's say one starts out with exercise and good nutrition alone, achieves muscle gain, and then hits a plateau. If that person now resorts to a brief period of dietary supplements or other artificial aids to further muscle gain, the term "natural body building" no longer applies. They are disqualified!
Are no aids or accessories allowed?
Equipment, tools and machines that will help build muscle are a part of natural bodybuilding programs. Training routines often require specific kinds of equipment for exercising. That doesn't make it "artificial" bodybuilding. Even certain kinds of "supplements" are allowed without violating the rigid guidelines that determine if a program is natural or not.
What matters is adhering to the principle of developing muscles without having to seek artificial aids or unhealthy performance enhancers along the way.
Why is all bodybuilding not natural?
There are different reasons for wanting to gain muscle. In many cases, it is a competitive instinct. Whether bodybuilders workout as a sport, to participate in contests, or just to look better than their peers, this competitive instinct drives them to seek results. And in professional bodybuilding, such results translate into financial advantages because prize money that's at stake in contests and competition is often significant.
When natural attempts at building muscle stall at a certain point, there is a temptation to try other methods to accelerate growth. Of course, persisting with the natural approach will eventually achieve this same goal, but it takes time, persistence and sustained effort. The lure of taking a pill or injection or drink that will help get over the bump often seems attractive.
There are several body building workouts and diets designed specifically to help those devoted to the natural approach. And the extensive use of these resources indicates that there is still a sizable number of bodybuilders who continue to shun artificial boosters for muscle gain.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9373224

5 Useful Tips On How To Gain Weight Fast

If you're all skin and bones and want to know how to gain weight fast, then these 5 tips will help you add some flesh and muscle to your frame.
While it may not seem apparent, gaining weight is just as difficult as losing weight. Those who are skinny or thin are that way for a reason. They eat less than normal, or have such a high metabolic rate that they burn off all extra calories, leaving little or nothing to build their body on.
So how to gain weight fast if you're a rapid burner who can't seem to eat your way to more muscle? The standard advice to eat fatty or sugar-rich food isn't effective. The reason is that the extra calories in these diets tend to be deposited on your body in the form of unhealthy fat rather than solid muscle.
The best way to gain weight is to eat food rich in calories as well as protein. That's the right approach to get adequate nutrition while providing your body with the substrate required to build muscle. Your food must be rich in protein and include moderate amounts of carbohydrate and fat.
Here are 5 tips to put on weight the healthy and natural way.
1. Avoid snacking in between meals. Have just 3 large meals daily. Include starchy food like potatoes, pasta and bread in your diet. But don't eat chips, crisps and other fried snacks that only provide empty calories. They not only help you gain weight, but they are also bad for your health.
2. Eat eggs and lean meat. Chicken and turkey are excellent sources of animal protein. Legumes, beans and peas are good sources of plant protein for vegetarians. By combining protein-rich food with carbs and vegetables you can plan a balanced and healthy diet.
3. Take dietary supplements. Protein shakes and whey drinks provide a boost of protein and amino acids in the immediate post-workout period. By taking these building blocks of muscle growth, you will quickly bulk up and become stronger.
read more here / http://www.buildmuscle2016.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9376706

5 Useful Tips On How To Gain Weight Fast

If you're all skin and bones and want to know how to gain weight fast, then these 5 tips will help you add some flesh and muscle to your frame.
While it may not seem apparent, gaining weight is just as difficult as losing weight. Those who are skinny or thin are that way for a reason. They eat less than normal, or have such a high metabolic rate that they burn off all extra calories, leaving little or nothing to build their body on.
So how to gain weight fast if you're a rapid burner who can't seem to eat your way to more muscle? The standard advice to eat fatty or sugar-rich food isn't effective. The reason is that the extra calories in these diets tend to be deposited on your body in the form of unhealthy fat rather than solid muscle.
The best way to gain weight is to eat food rich in calories as well as protein. That's the right approach to get adequate nutrition while providing your body with the substrate required to build muscle. Your food must be rich in protein and include moderate amounts of carbohydrate and fat.
Here are 5 tips to put on weight the healthy and natural way.
1. Avoid snacking in between meals. Have just 3 large meals daily. Include starchy food like potatoes, pasta and bread in your diet. But don't eat chips, crisps and other fried snacks that only provide empty calories. They not only help you gain weight, but they are also bad for your health.
2. Eat eggs and lean meat. Chicken and turkey are excellent sources of animal protein. Legumes, beans and peas are good sources of plant protein for vegetarians. By combining protein-rich food with carbs and vegetables you can plan a balanced and healthy diet.
3. Take dietary supplements. Protein shakes and whey drinks provide a boost of protein and amino acids in the immediate post-workout period. By taking these building blocks of muscle growth, you will quickly bulk up and become stronger.

read more here / http://www.buildmuscle2016.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9376706

Muscle Building Diet - What To Eat?

It isn't unusual for bodybuilders to binge eat while on a muscle building diet. The hope is that if they eat a lot, they'll magically bulk up. It's possible that might happen, but more likely that they will add fat more than muscle.
A shotgun approach to gain muscle doesn't work as well as a formal and structured muscle building diet. These diets will help achieve the twin goals of burning off excess fat and building muscle. A nice benefit is that it will accomplish this faster and more efficiently.
By knowing what food to eat and how much to eat, it is more likely that a bodybuilder will burn off fat and add muscle right from the beginning. An effective muscle building diet must be based on the right kind of muscle building foods. Here are 4 of the best types:
1. Egg Whites
Egg white is rich in protein. What makes this form of protein more efficient at muscle growth than other vegetable protein is the high biological value. That's why egg whites are included in most muscle building diets. The protein in egg white becomes the building block for other, more complex proteins that make up muscle. As an additional benefit, eggs are rich in minerals and vitamins as well.
2. Chicken and Turkey
Lean meats are an excellent source of muscle building proteins. This source of animal protein is of high quality. Lean meat also has less saturated fat, making it healthier to eat even for dieters with medical conditions. Other forms of animal protein are also acceptable alternatives to chicken and turkey.
3. Fish
Fish is considered to have a higher content of fatty acids, but is still a good choice for muscle building diets. The reason to prefer fish over red meat is the quality of fat. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in fish oil, and these essential fats are important in helping the synthesis of protein in muscle. For this effect, the ideal types of fish are tuna, salmon and trout.
4. Some types of Carbs
A bodybuilding diet is traditionally considered to be made up of proteins alone. But for a balanced diet, carbs and fats are also necessary. Carbs provide energy to muscles while exercising, and help replenish reserves of glycogen.
Foods rich in carbs like sweet potatoes and oats are helpful in muscle building when consumed just before a workout. Complex carbohydrates that are digested more slowly provide a sustained level of blood sugar which serves as a consistent energy source for muscular activity.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9373434

How To Gain Muscle Fast and easly

How to gain muscle? The answer is obvious. You should exercise regularly. But how to gain muscle fast? That's a harder question to answer - and the answer isn't quite as obvious.
It might seem as if the best way to bulk up quickly is to do more intense workouts. After all, every time you hit the gym, you feel that rush of blood and your muscles suddenly look larger. It's stimulating and gets you excited about returning for another session soon.
But when you drink a protein shake after your workout, there's no such buzz or feeling of excitement. Does this mean a protein supplement isn't important to gain muscle fast? It most definitely is important, because if you want your muscles to grow bigger after exercise, you must feed it the material needed to build more muscle.
What foods can help you gain muscle?
Broadly speaking, more carbohydrate and protein is better for body building. Starchy food that is rich in carbs should be eaten just before or after exercise, when your body needs more calories.
Here are 4 more things to watch while planning your bodybuilding diet.
1. Eat more calories
Your muscles need energy to perform the exercises which make up your workout routine, and some extra energy to grow bigger. So you should know what to eat if you want to gain muscle fast.
But be careful about the type of food you eat. Processed foods and junk food are harmful and should be avoided. Choose healthy alternatives. Whole grain, vegetables and fruits are excellent options. While eating more calories is important to build muscle, don't go overboard. Eating too many calories is not good when you're trying to gain muscle quickly.
2. Consume more protein
The building blocks of muscle are amino-acids which are obtained from the digestion of protein in food. That's why protein is essential to gain muscle fast. Most meals should include protein if bodybuilding and muscle growth is a goal. On average, it takes 1 to 2 grams of protein in diet to gain a pound in weight.
There are several excellent sources of protein including egg whites, soy products, chicken and salmon.
3. Drink plenty of water
Many bodybuilders underestimate the role of water in building muscle. It is important to stay hydrated while exercising. The daily recommended intake of water is at least 2 liters.
Coffee and other caffeinated drinks, soda, cola and fizzy drinks are not desirable as they produce dehydration. Plain water is the best choice, as it hydrates the body adequately without adding empty calories from sugar in soft drinks. Water even cleanses the body of metabolic waste products.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9373293

Muscle Building Diet - What To Eat?

It isn't unusual for bodybuilders to binge eat while on a muscle building diet. The hope is that if they eat a lot, they'll magically bulk up. It's possible that might happen, but more likely that they will add fat more than muscle.
A shotgun approach to gain muscle doesn't work as well as a formal and structured muscle building diet. These diets will help achieve the twin goals of burning off excess fat and building muscle. A nice benefit is that it will accomplish this faster and more efficiently.
By knowing what food to eat and how much to eat, it is more likely that a bodybuilder will burn off fat and add muscle right from the beginning. An effective muscle building diet must be based on the right kind of muscle building foods. Here are 4 of the best types:
1. Egg Whites
Egg white is rich in protein. What makes this form of protein more efficient at muscle growth than other vegetable protein is the high biological value. That's why egg whites are included in most muscle building diets. The protein in egg white becomes the building block for other, more complex proteins that make up muscle. As an additional benefit, eggs are rich in minerals and vitamins as well.
2. Chicken and Turkey
Lean meats are an excellent source of muscle building proteins. This source of animal protein is of high quality. Lean meat also has less saturated fat, making it healthier to eat even for dieters with medical conditions. Other forms of animal protein are also acceptable alternatives to chicken and turkey.
3. Fish
Fish is considered to have a higher content of fatty acids, but is still a good choice for muscle building diets. The reason to prefer fish over red meat is the quality of fat. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in fish oil, and these essential fats are important in helping the synthesis of protein in muscle. For this effect, the ideal types of fish are tuna, salmon and trout.
4. Some types of Carbs
A bodybuilding diet is traditionally considered to be made up of proteins alone. But for a balanced diet, carbs and fats are also necessary. Carbs provide energy to muscles while exercising, and help replenish reserves of glycogen.
Foods rich in carbs like sweet potatoes and oats are helpful in muscle building when consumed just before a workout. Complex carbohydrates that are digested more slowly provide a sustained level of blood sugar which serves as a consistent energy source for muscular activity

read more here / http://www.buildmuscle2016.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9373434

How Can A Skinny Guy Get Bigger?

Growing up I was always the little guy. I was the little guy on the playground in grade school. I was the little guy in high school. It seemed like I would never grow, put on weight and end the life of being skinny.
The odd thing was that I ate plenty of food. I ate three big meals a day and even added a few snacks in between. Later though I discovered that what I was eating was not going to help a skinny guy get bigger.
My Monster Brother
Shortly after high school, I was about 5'8 and weighed around 120 pounds. I was skinny to say the least. Not only was I skinny, but I was sick of being skinny.
As it turns out, my brother was an avid weightlifter. He wasn't just any weightlifter either. He was a huge weightlifter. He was about 5'8 and weighed almost 240 pounds... and it wasn't fat either.
I sat down with my brother and asked him directly, how can a skinny guy get bigger? Heck, by this point I didn't even know if it was possible. Because up until this point nothing I tried had ever worked.
After a little discussion, my brother promised me that it wasn't an impossible task for me to grow in size and he had a workout plan that could help any skinny guy get bigger.
The Workout
I had gone to the gym plenty of times in high school. The problem was I didn't go consistently, which is a must when trying to get bigger. Also, I didn't know how to work out in terms of which exercises to do and how often I should be working out, etc. This is where my brother's plan really came into play.
The funny thing is that like a lot of people, I had always assumed that in order to workout correctly, you had to spend hours and hours in the gym every single day. Well, maybe collectively you spent hours in the gym, but for a single workout you only needed to spend approximately 50 minutes in the gym four times a week.
The workout my brother gave me involved training two body parts a day and four exercises per body part. For the most part each exercise included a warm up set and three heavy sets. - This came to a total of eight exercises.
As far as workout frequency, I was to work out two days, take a day off and then workout two more days before taking the last two days off. The body needs time to rest in order to grow.
On day one I would work chest and triceps. On day two I would work my legs. For day three I would simply rest and take time to recover. Day four I would work my back and my biceps and on day five I would work shoulders and triceps. Days six and seven it was back to rest and recovery. Then it would start all over.
Workout Diet
How can a skinny guy get bigger by eating anything? Well, he can't. In order to add quality weight like muscle, skinny guys should eat five meals a day. They should take in 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. So if a guy weighs 100 pounds, he will need to eat 150 grams of protein every day. This means that per meal he should have 30 grams of protein.
In order to take in enough protein, the daily diet should be supplemented with protein powder and protein bars. Other meals should consist of fish, chicken, beef, vegetables and complex carbs like sweet potatoes, brown rice and oatmeal.
Note, diet is extremely important if you are looking to add mass. No matter how hard you are working out, if you are not taking in enough of the right calories, you won't grow.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9358098

How Can A Skinny Guy Get Bigger?

Growing up I was always the little guy. I was the little guy on the playground in grade school. I was the little guy in high school. It seemed like I would never grow, put on weight and end the life of being skinny.
The odd thing was that I ate plenty of food. I ate three big meals a day and even added a few snacks in between. Later though I discovered that what I was eating was not going to help a skinny guy get bigger.
My Monster Brother
Shortly after high school, I was about 5'8 and weighed around 120 pounds. I was skinny to say the least. Not only was I skinny, but I was sick of being skinny.
As it turns out, my brother was an avid weightlifter. He wasn't just any weightlifter either. He was a huge weightlifter. He was about 5'8 and weighed almost 240 pounds... and it wasn't fat either.
I sat down with my brother and asked him directly, how can a skinny guy get bigger? Heck, by this point I didn't even know if it was possible. Because up until this point nothing I tried had ever worked.
After a little discussion, my brother promised me that it wasn't an impossible task for me to grow in size and he had a workout plan that could help any skinny guy get bigger.
The Workout
I had gone to the gym plenty of times in high school. The problem was I didn't go consistently, which is a must when trying to get bigger. Also, I didn't know how to work out in terms of which exercises to do and how often I should be working out, etc. This is where my brother's plan really came into play.
The funny thing is that like a lot of people, I had always assumed that in order to workout correctly, you had to spend hours and hours in the gym every single day. Well, maybe collectively you spent hours in the gym, but for a single workout you only needed to spend approximately 50 minutes in the gym four times a week.
The workout my brother gave me involved training two body parts a day and four exercises per body part. For the most part each exercise included a warm up set and three heavy sets. - This came to a total of eight exercises.
As far as workout frequency, I was to work out two days, take a day off and then workout two more days before taking the last two days off. The body needs time to rest in order to grow.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9358098

Cycle Training - Pushing to a Peak

There's an old saying "Make haste slowly", the ironic thing is that if you push, push, push your workouts each and every session, you will drive yourself into a sticking point. There is a subtle difference between going all out in your training every time and cycling your efforts to complement your physical and nervous systems. With cycling, you build up intensity to peak, and then you taper off and consolidate your gains by demanding somewhat less from your workouts. All athletes do this. It's a kind of controlled progress.
Any condition that you can maintain year in, year out is not a peak condition. Your body can not be pushed to peak condition, but then it must rest. The edge will inevitably go, but it can be recalled and superseded with a new thrust. Making haste slowly applies very much to bodybuilding. In fact, it is the fastest way of building good quality muscle.
Cycle training is usually practised by the older or more experienced bodybuilder, who may have an all-consuming, fanatical approach to workouts. Day after day of blitzing muscles just doesn't fit their temperament.
Gains in muscular size and strength can only be forced temporarily. Long-term gains must be coaxed, induced in an agreeable manner, by gentle persuasion. Few athletes or bodybuilder, are willing or able to strain to the limit continuously. I doubt that anyone really wants to do curls, or any other exercise, until they are blue in the face, not in a regular basis anyway. The mind rebels. It will not face such effort day after day. Bodybuilding progress, like progress in any other activity is irregular; it's full of peaks and troughs. Don't expect to make continuous progress. A bodybuilder should push for a while, back off, and then push again.
One thing everyone seems to agree upon is that you can't run your body at full throttle all the time. You either have to cycle your training intensity or take occasional lay-offs.
Some bodybuilders cycle their training from one day to another. In other words, they perform a light (less intense) workout every once in a while. With some, this method involves two heavy workouts and two light workouts every seven to eight days. Others may choose to "go light" once every two weeks or so. The number of light (active rest) workouts you allot yourself will depend on your metabolism, your rate of recuperation, and your tolerance for vigorous exercise.
The most common form of cycling your training, however, is to gradually build up your training poundages, number of exercises, and duration of workouts to peak for a particular contest, and then to rest up by changing your exercise habits and down-grading your training intensity.
Also, there is evidence to show that those who push their muscles to failure and beyond for long periods of time and without interruption may overstimulate their adrenal glands, which then respond to the unrelenting stress by dumping excessive amounts of hormone into the bloodstream. It's nice to have a huge flow of adrenaline to help you in an emergency where you may have run or fight for your life, but when this response is triggered too frequently, the adrenal glands become overtaxed and exhausted, with a resulting reduction in output. In short, you become lethargic, lose interest, and show all signs of what is known as the "over training syndrome".

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Why Bulking Up Is A Bad Idea

When you set out to improve your physique, your mindset and how you think about training and nutrition is everything. It is the single most important thing that will determine the results you get. Making changes in your thinking can often yield huge improvements in results. One such change many guys can make is getting rid of the idea of "bulking" up. For years, men have wanted to "bulk" up when trying to put on muscle and add mass to their physiques. Unfortunately this has lead to many guys putting on a lot of one thing, fat.
When I think of the word bulk, as far as building a physique goes, I think of some nondescript type of weight. It could be muscle, it could be fat, it could be water. When most guys think of bulking up, they don't have a clear cut picture of what the end result looks like in their mind. All they know is that the want the weight on the scale to go up and they want to look bigger. So as long as those two things are happening, they are accomplishing their goal. Even if most of the weight they are adding is fat and water.
If you are gaining large amounts of fat around your arms, chest, back and legs, technically you are going to appear bigger and weigh more but you are not building a better physique. Because they don't have a clear cut picture of what they want to look like, it easily can lead to lack of training intensity and a poor diet, neither of which lead to being more muscular but can lead to weighing more.
The solution? When trying to add mass to your physique you don't want to be thinking about bulking up but rather you want to muscle up. In other words, you want to think about adding muscle mass only. This will help create a clearer picture in your mind of what you want to look like. You will see yourself as looking more muscular and not just bigger (although having more muscle generally leads to being bigger). This will inevitably move you to do the things necessary to create that physique (intense workouts, quality nutrition, etc.). This may seem like a small change in thinking. However, it is extremely powerful in changing your results for the better and is a change that anyone should definitely make.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9286225

Building Muscle - Setting Your Calorie Intake For Lean Muscle Mass Gain

If you have a goal to build more lean muscle mass, one step you will want to take is to make sure you take into account your calorie intake. While it's great to get to the gym and...

• focus on lifting heavy,
• doing all the strength training exercises you know are critical to success,

if you aren't fueling your body to build new muscle, you simply won't get very far.
So how does one go about building more lean muscle mass? Let's go over what you need to know about setting your calorie intake for lean mass gains...
Step One: Identify Your Maintenance Requirements. The very first thing you'll want to do is identify your maintenance needs. Basically, how many calories do you need in a given day to just maintain your body weight?
If you do not know this, it's time to start tracking your calories. Once you do, you'll have a place to start. Until you know how many calories you need daily to maintain your body weight, you will not know where to start from to start seeing muscle mass gains.
Step Two: Add 100 to 250 Calories Per Day To Your Eating Plan. The next step is to begin adding 100 to 250 calories per day, based on how quickly you want to build lean muscle mass. Keep in mind though adding more calories is not necessarily better.
Your body can only build so much muscle in a day, so any calories taken beyond this will just lead to excess fat gain.
Slow and steady is the name of this game. It takes roughly 3500 calories to gain one pound of body weight: something to keep in mind. For staying lean, you should aim to gain anywhere from 1 to 3 pounds per month. Males can err on the higher end of this range while females should err on the lower end.
Step Three: Monitor Your Progress. Once you have your new calorie intake figured out, it's time to get going. Begin eating at this level and monitor your progress.
If you aren't gaining at the weight you expected, adjust your calorie intake accordingly - either up or down.
Step Four: Re-Evaluate. Finally, you'll need to re-evaluate your calorie intake on a regular basis. Remember you may start hitting a plateau after you have gained some weight: this is the time you need to increase your calorie intake further. Constantly be adjusting so you can see ongoing results.
If you calculate your eating plan properly, you can rest assured you will be on track to building more lean muscle mass, transforming yourself in the process.

Although managing Type 2 diabetes can be very challenging, it is not a condition you must just live with. Make simple changes to your daily routine - include exercise to help lower both your blood sugar levels and your weight.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9208121

Building Muscle With Exercise Machines or Free Weights

If you are thinking about getting into shape, strength training is a good way to improve the different muscle groups in the body. There are loads of different machines that can help. You can either go to the gym or workout at home.
If you want to get the best workout it is good to know if exercise machines are better than free weights or vice versa. They both have advantages as well as disadvantages, so it is worthwhile figuring out what would fit your muscle building needs.
Today free weights such as dumbbells are often a single weight and made in one piece. However, barbells have a bar with weights that can be removed or added to the bar.
Barbells tend to be less expensive but can take some time away from your routine if you have to stop and add or replace weights.
When it comes to exercise machines, weight stack machines can either be single exercise or multiple. The multiple machine can be adjusted so you can perform a variety of exercises.
The good news about free weights is that they will be able to help you strengthen the entire body. The exercises are also fairly easy to perform.
With free weights you just need to stand while holding the weights. Since your muscles are involved in lifting the weight, your muscle strength is improved.
However, there is an advantage when using machines to train your muscles. They are easy to use and come with controls and guides that direct the resistance level.
You also don't need anyone to spot you which you should have when lifting barbells.
Also you can easily make adjustments on the machines making them very popular for at home workouts or at the gym.
With free weights there is a concern for safety. Performing a bench press with a barbell means that you could be trapped if you fail to complete the lift. Since this is possible, working out with someone is important.
You might also want to keep in mind the amount of control needed to stabilize your muscles. This is needed so that you don't injure your joints or muscles.
There are a number of resistance machines on the market and they all have different qualities. They are often designed for the typical user which means height, limb lengths and how much a person weighs.
You should know that the when exercising the motion is guided by the machine and not you. Often this means that the motion is not perfect for your limb length or your body size. The result could mean that you aren't getting the best form of exercise for the results you seek.
All in all it is a personal choice when it comes to choosing between free weights and exercise machines. However, free weights can be better for achieving stabilization of the muscles and as well there is freedom in your motions. Exercise machines on the other hand are easy to use.
Whatever form of exercise you decide to use to build your muscles, consider your fitness goals first and then decide. You might also consider doing a combination of both types of weighted exercises.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9358203

How Much Is Too Much Protein?

Everyone has the mindset where we believe that the more protein the better right? But in this case, is more really better after a workout? We have all been there when you've just finished a workout and the first thing you know you're supposed to ingest is protein and lots of it! We want to maximize our protein synthesis and build our lean muscle so we believe that ingesting protein in large quantities will benefit us. I mean, protein helps build muscle and ultimately that's what were aiming for isn't it? I know I've gone home from the gym and had more than enough protein to fill up two grown men because I thought that it would give me the muscles I was yearning for however, new research shows that too much protein could actually be bad for you.
There's a study called "Myofibrillar muscle protein synthesis rates subsequent to a meal in response to increasing doses of whey protein at rest and after resistance exercise" which states that 40 grams of protein after a workout is actually not beneficial whereas 20 grams seems to be the perfect amount. This study tested young men after a weight training workout with both 20 grams of protein and 40 grams. 40 grams of protein resulted in a stimulation of amino acid oxidation and ureagenesis which, in other words, didn't add any extra benefits however, the 20 gram protein intake did.
Let's back up for a minute and go over what protein really is. Proteins are large molecules made up of smaller molecules called amino acids. There are 20 different types of these acids used to make protein. When you eat protein, your body does a breakdown of these amino's and sends them where your body is in need of them the most. Protein's main job is to build, maintain and repair body tissues. Eating too much protein can have a major effect on your kidneys causing a whole list of issues so ladies and gentlemen, protein in moderation is key.
By not consuming too much protein, your body ultimately focuses on burning FAT for fuel instead of the excess protein you keep ingesting thinking your doing your body good when you're actually hindering it.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9332196

5 Amazing Shoulder Workouts

Having those firm, rounded, toned shoulders is not the easiest task in the world especially if you really don't know exactly what to do. Being pregnant has completely changed my workout routine in what I can and cannot do so I do a lot of high repetitions with low weight. To achieve really rounded, defined shoulders you need to hit your deltoids, upper trapezius, serratus anterior, rotator cuff muscles, and levator scapulae. I have compiled a list of my favorite shoulder workouts to help you get started on your quest for more defined shoulders so let's get started.
1) Seated Shoulder Press
While being seated on a military press bench that is in an upright position, take a dumbbell in each hand and set in an upright position on your thighs. Lift each weight (one at a time is best) to shoulder height and with palms facing front, push the dumbbells upward over your head until they touch at the top.
2) Standing Dumbbell Fly
While standing, hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides and swing the weights up a few inches without using your trap muscles to shrug.
3) Cable Face Pull
Using a rope handle to use at the cable station, put the cable all the way to the top and attach the handle. Holding the end of each rope, make sure palms are facing each other, and pull towards your forehead with your rear delts, and back fully activated. Hold this position for a few extra seconds and repeat.
4) One Armed Side Lateral Raises
Holding a dumbbell, position it in front of your pelvis with your elbow bent slightly. With your free hand, hold onto something such as the military bench for support and bend over with knees slightly bent. Raise your arm until it reaches shoulder height and then lower and repeat.
5) Front Plate Raise
Standing with your legs apart, hold onto the plate with both hands and raise until your arms are parallel to the ground. I do these with a ten pound plate and I do these slow and controlled to really feel my shoulders burn. Another tip for doing these raises is to not use your body to hoist the plate into the air taking the emphasis off the actual muscle your working out.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9338322