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