Muscle Building

Copyright 2006 Jonathan Perez

In my previous article
“Why You Don’t Need Protein To Gain Muscle”
I wrote about 1 of the 3 incorrect beliefs that everyone has of protein
thinking that you must eat massive amounts to gain weight and build muscle mass.

I spoke about why it is NOT true that protein is what makes up most of the muscle weight on your body.

Today
I'm going to write a little about the 2nd myth: that eating high amounts of fats or carbs (as opposed to eating high protein) is going to make you look like a little ball of lard (fat).

Let me make one point really clear
if your goal is to gain muscle weight and build muscle mass
eating low amounts of fats or carbs IS NOT the way to go!

There are many that are under the impression that you can gain muscle WITHOUT gaining fat by eating a high protein
low to moderate fat or low to moderate carb diet.

Well
I'm here to tell you that it couldn't be further from the truth.

Back in the 70's and 80's everyone was on the "low fat" kick.

People thought that you had to avoid fats at all costs
even if you were trying to gain muscle weight.

That's when all of these "low" or "no fat" products hit the markets
capitalizing on the latest fad.

Then
all of a sudden
out of no where
with the re-publication of the Atkins Diet book
in the 90's
and even now
everyone completely made a turn-around and began to make carbs ENEMY #1.

Now
it was all fine and dandy to eat fats and high protein
ohhhh, but stay away from those carbs
. Man
are we gullible!

What's down-right funny is the fact that whether people were following a low fat diet or low carb diet
everyone still wasn't looking any better.

People still weren't reaching their muscle building / weight gaining goals!

Well
to get right to the point of this matter (since I could write about this for pages and pages)
regardless of how you divide your calories
high fat
low fat
high protein
low protein
high carb
low carb
etc.
you are NOT going to gain one ounce of muscle weight if you don’t eat enough overall calories……period!!!!!

You can stuff protein gram after protein gram down your throat
but if you don't give your body enough calories
you aren't going to gain weight.

Vice-versa
you can go on the lowest carb or fat diet around
but if you are still eating MORE calories than what your body uses per day
you aren't going to burn fat.

Your body responds to CALORIES.

Food
regardless of what type
is digested in the stomach
gets converted into a form of ENERGY
gets sent to the bloodstream
gets transferred to the different tissues and organs
where it is then used how your body best sees fit.

It isn't the fact that you are eating carbs or eating fats that make people overweight
it's the fact that they are eating too many calories
either per day or per sitting!!!!!

If you want to gain weight
you cannot go on a low fat or carb diet.

I repeat
you CANNOT. Your body needs those calories. It is impossible to get enough calories from just protein to build muscle.

Also
it is carbs that gets converted into glucose
which is the ONLY thing that your muscles can use to provide energy to a muscle when it is working out
and is the only substance in the body that pushes water and other nutrients into a muscle
which adds to the volume
size
and weight of a muscle…….NOT protein!

It is fats that your body uses to line the muscle cells and creates the hormones that help build muscle mass
like testosterone……not protein! In my next article I'll write about the 3rd protein myth that's being spread.

The New Year will soon arrive with much expectation. Many of us will be writing our New Year resolutions with some trepidation. Others write with great motivation. Are New Year resolutions meant to be broken? For some
yes
but most people will give it a shot.

For those whose resolution is to keep fit and healthy and enjoy life looking and feeling fantastic
then this article is for you and to motivate you to keep to your resolution successfully.

Different people exercise and workout for different reasons. Some want to be macho looking hunks
some want their fitness to be at their peak
some to lose weight and body fat and most people just want to gain muscle to have a well toned and attractive body. But whether you workout in a gym for general health and fitness purpose or to lose body fat and gain muscle to look attractively desirable
you will reap tons of fitness and health benefits whether you workout in a gym
at home or in a park. In fact unless you want to gain big muscle
it is not necessary to join a gym to reap the benefit of having a great workout. This will save you the hefty gym fees too.

For all those of you who workout regularly
you will be glad to know whatever reasons that compel you to workout
there are many more reasons for you to continue doing so.
For those of you who don't exercise at all
hey folks
these benefits are what you have been missing out.

• Better blood circulation will add a glow to your skin and hair. Not only will you be fit and healthy will have a glowing complexion. Where do you think the saying "Glowing with Health" came from?

• Lose weight or more accurately
to lose body fat. Yes
losing weight and losing fat although being used interchangeably to mean the same thing
it is not. By saying lose weight
it could mean you are loosing water
waste
and worse of all
you your muscle. Losing body fat merely meant what it says
fat loss. That will give you an attractive physical appearance.

• Exercise are excellent stress reliever. This is because when you workout and when your exercises are intensive enough
you will produce endorphin. Many call this a happy hormone.

• Increases bone density and therefore keeping osteoporosis a bone disease afflicting most women as they age at bay. Your bone will be wasting away along with your muscles. Therefore you must exercise to build strong bones and retain your muscle mass.

• When you exercise
your muscles get stronger and grow. The more muscle fiber you have
the higher is your body metabolism. The higher your body metabolism
the more body fat you will burn. That is why to lose weight permanently
you have to gain muscle.

• Gain strength and endurance. That flight of stairs will no longer be as daunting. The football game you play will be a breeze. Why? Because as your fitness level builds up
day to day chores become easier and you will enjoy whatever you do without tiring so easily because of the increased physical fitness gained through regular exercise.

• Reducing your chances of getting heart diseases
stroke and certain types of cancers which are the top killer diseases. There are many other diseases which exercises will cut down the risks of them afflicting you.

• Reduce triglycerides and bad cholesterol
raising the level of good cholesterol. Again this will protect you from diseases caused by bad cholesterol.

• Protects you against injuries as you are fitter and more nimble. You are also more flexible and will discover a new gait in your movement. Boy
it sure feels good to be in good health isn't it?

• Improve immunity. Save your doctor's bills! This means putting more money in your pocket!

• Hmmm... enhance sexual desire and performance. Remember we talked about endorphin
the happy hormone earlier? You also produce this hormone when you are having sex. Getting more interesting isn’t it?

• Lower resting heart rate and high blood pressure. That means your general cardiovascular or heart health will improve.

• Improve coordination and balance. Ask the lady for a dance
will ya?

• Regulate insulin sensitivity thus prevention of type 2 diabetes. Thus you will not put on weight so easily and in fact may even lose weight.

• Increase confidence and self esteem. Of course you can walk tall and proud because you will have improved your posture holding up your new found musculature
glowing with health and a sexily toned body to the boot!

So get into your running shoes now and head for the gym now! Go ahead
lose weight and gain muscle for the New Year. Break this New Year resolution at your own peril.

We now move into an area that is far too neglected by mainstream health and fitness professionals
the mind. Most books or courses concentrate on the physical side of weight gain and completely neglect the mental side of things.

Visualization can play an important part in gaining weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Gaining weight can be difficult for many people who don’t use their minds to help in the process.

Visualization is a powerful technique that can help you make lasting lifestyle changes. Just by "day dreaming"
you can significantly improve your chances in achieving your goals.

Visualization is a great weight gain tool and its as simple as visualizing your body as you want your body to look like. This mental image of yourself is then transferred to your subconscious mind
which in turn starts to work on your body
shaping it in accordance with your mental image.

This means that if you program your subconscious with a mental image of yourself as a more muscular person
through persistence your mind will accept this and aid your body to conform to this mental image.

Once your mind is programmed with the proper mental images
it will start to work in assisting you to gain weight. I can't stress enough how important it is for you to believe in your visualization goals. You have to let go of your past failures and refuse to entertain any negative images that come into your mind.

If you can visualize your body at its perfect proportions
the subconscious mind will work to make it become a reality. It will then begin to positively reinforce your body into aiding the metabolism and eating habits.

Programming your mind into believing that you can gain weight
and to visualize yourself with your perfect proportions is of the greatest importance.

Try to think of a different image of yourself
then let your subconscious do the work for you. If you think of your body as being out of shape all the time
then the subconscious mind will find ways to make it so.

The sub-conscious looks after all of all your vital functions
it is the cause of all your good and bad habits
and also regulates the muscles of the body (The muscles are controlled by the sub-conscious) and body-fat composition on the body.

Try to visualize your body as lean and as muscular as you would like
and your mind will work on that image. The mind can be a great partner in gaining weight.

Relaxation

Relaxation the best way to reach the sub-conscious and will slow down the mind
turn off the exterior world so as to tune in to one's inner self. The best times for these sessions are in the morning and late at night right
just before going to sleep.

Perform two sessions
one in the afternoon (Primary) and the other before going to sleep (Secondary) but once a day is quite sufficient. Sessions usually last 20 minutes
which isn't time consuming especially when taking in the benefits received.

It has been stated that one of these sessions is equivalent to 2 hours of deep sleep and upon waking you will feel revitalized and full of energy. Believe me instead of worrying about time constraints; you will be looking forward to the next session.

When you begin your relaxation sessions
make sure you won't be disturbed - lock the door
take the phone off the hook and loosen all clothing. Now find a comfortable position
whether it is lying down or sitting in a comfortable chair.

Sitting may be preferable as you may fall asleep if you become too comfortable. You want to be conscious and not asleep in order to tap into your sub-conscious mind.

Try to exhale all the air from your lungs completely and then breathing in through the nose. Take ten seconds to fill the lungs with air (not to capacity
but comfortable) hold for ten seconds and then exhale slowly through the nose for another ten seconds.

Each one of these breathing cycles should last for 30 seconds
complete five cycles and after each cycle you will be feeling more and more relaxed.

Having reaching this calm relaxed state
start your visualizations. Put together images that power your emotions. Make them alive and colourful. Make the scenes as real as possible and imagine yourself as muscular and toned as possible.

Picture yourself ten weeks from now on the beach
walking briskly and confidently to your favourite spot
your breathing is normal and relaxed. You smile to yourself; you could keep walking like this for miles without feeling fatigued.

You lay your towel out and begin to take your clothes off revealing a muscular
toned
well conditioned body. You have just bought a brand new swimming suit which just weeks before would have been lying in your closet waiting to be used.

Glancing around you notice the beach is busy
you catch the eye of someone of the opposite sex
they smile at you and you smile back. You walk confidently to the water and swim a couple of hundred yards with no problem or fatigue.

Or try this:

Visualize your family and friends complimenting you about how good your body looks. Try to view the scene as it is happening this instant - in the present
not in the future.

Using these visualizations you can construct in your mind any scene that desire. See yourself exercising
socializing
in the company of friends. Try and hear people complimenting you about your new muscular body
and watch their admiring glances. Make the mental image as real as possible.

 Remember set a goal for your ideal weight

 You must want to gain weight

 Visualize yourself at your ideal weight

 Use positive images at every opportunity

Practice these sessions on a daily basis and over a period of ten weeks you’ll be on your way to become more fulfilled
happier and muscular.

If you've been working out for any amount of time
you're probably well acquainted with fatigue—that sensation of your muscles being "done

cooked

toast"... You know
the "please have mercy before I'm permanently trapped under this weight
or
you might just have to drag me off the track because I've collapsed" feeling.

We typically use the term fatigue to describe general sensations of tiredness and the accompanying decreasing muscular performance. What this really means is we "hit the wall" and can no longer perform reps on a particular lift; we can no longer run any farther or harder; we can no longer produce the "optimal" output of muscular contractions as we did at the beginning of the set or workout.

What Is Muscle Fatigue?
Fatigue is a very complex phenomenon in which multiple sites fail during muscular work. The underlying causes of fatigue fall into one of two categories: central (neuromuscular—the mind/central nervous system) and local (peripheral—the actual muscle site).

The central nervous system (CNS) acts much like an automobile engine regulator. Most cars are made with a regulator that causes them to "shut down" when the engine revs too high for too long. This mechanism protects the engine from "over-heating." In the same way
our brains attempt to protect our muscles from tearing by reducing the rate nerve impulses are sent to our working muscles. In most cases
you'll experience central fatigue before local fatigue. In other words
when you think you simply can't do any more work because you're so fatigued
essentially what's happening is your mind is telling your body (muscles) to shut down. But in fact
you're probably able to continue for another couple of reps.

"...when you think you simply can't do any more work because you're so fatigued
essentially what's happening is your mind is telling your body (muscles) to shut down."Local fatigue is related to local factors that limit the ability to perform muscular work. These include the energy systems (ATP-CP
glycolysis
and oxidation); the accumulation of metabolic byproducts (such as lactic acid); and the failure of the muscle fiber's contractile mechanisms. The energy systems act much the same way as fuel in a car or a battery in a flashlight. However
humans are different in that we have three energy systems within the muscle's cells that are called upon at different times depending on the intensity and duration of an activity.

The first energy system is called the ATP-CP system and is called upon during extremely short and intense bouts of exercise (e.g.
weight training
sprinting
and jumping). It works by repeatedly breaking down ATP (the basic currency of energy in the body) and rebuilding ATP using CP (creatine phosphate). During repeated maximal contractions
fatigue coincides with CP depletion.

The other two energy systems are called into play during exercises that last longer than 30 seconds. Known as anaerobic (or glycolytic) and aerobic (or oxidative)
these energy systems are very dependent on the availability of glycogen (the stored form of glucose—sugar). As with CP use
the rate of glycogen depletion is controlled by the intensity (i.e.
how hard you train) of the exercise.

During sprinting
for instance
muscle glycogen may be used 35 to 40 times faster than during walking. Glycogen depletion and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) limit performance in activities lasting longer than 30 minutes. Long-distance runners often speak of "bonking" or "hitting the wall." This refers to a perceived fatigue usually related to glycogen depletion. At this point
the body begins to use other forms of energy
such as fat and protein (which are not as efficient sources
thus making it harder to sustain energy levels).

During high-intensity anaerobic exercise
such as sprinting and weight training
our bodies produce metabolic byproducts such as lactic acid and CO2. As these accumulate in our bodies
our ability to maintain the duration and intensity of exercise diminishes. And
when they finally reach a point of saturation
our muscle capacity comes to a screeching halt. This is often referred to as the "burn
whereby the muscle feels like it's on fire—signaling you to stop.

Got all that? I realize it sounds like some fairly complex processes, which they are, so here are a few instances I'm sure you can relate to that will help clarify how these energy systems work in our bodies, and more importantly, how we can assist our bodies to increase their output and delay (or temporarily overcome) the onset of muscle fatigue.

How Can You Overcome Muscle Fatigue?
While we can't completely overcome muscle fatigue, we can certainly delay it. But, sometimes this delay can be the difference between sprinters winning or losing in competition or allow weight trainers to
push out" a few more reps (to produce new levels of strength and muscle gains). There are many strategies we can use to accomplish this goal
but here are a few I've found over the years to be particularly effective:

Diet
First
we must ensure your diet is optimized. Consuming an adequate amount and ratio of carbohydrates
fat
and protein is paramount. Typically
endurance athletes require more carbohydrates (anywhere between 40 and 60% carbs) than strength athletes but slightly less protein (from 30 to 35%); whereas strength trainers (weight lifters) or those who regularly participate in sporting activities should consume equal or greater amounts of protein to carbohydrates on a daily basis (about a 40:40 ratio of carbs to protein). In essence
carbs are to the body like fuel is to a car—they provide the necessary fuel to maintain or sustain energy levels during workouts.



Hydration
A common mistake made by many athletes is the failure to stay well hydrated. I am not talking about drinking when you're thirsty (as you may know
thirst is a sign your body is already slightly dehydrated). The importance of being properly hydrated cannot be overlooked. Dehydration can lead to significant performance decrements
not to mention the risk of sickness and
in severe cases
death. Even a three to four percent drop in body water levels (signaled by thirst and fatigue) can decrease your muscular contractions by 10 to 20%. To combat this
at least 10 to 12 glasses (eight ounces each) of water (this doesn't count sodas
coffee
or juices) should be consumed daily—always including during and after events when your body is perspiring.

Recovery
Adequate rest is very important for delaying premature fatigue. Inadequate rest during training (i.e.
between sets) and between workouts can cause unnecessary fatigue. A great rule of thumb for resting time between sets is just long enough to catch your breath. Squats take a little longer to recover from (maybe two to three minutes) because you're training such a large muscle group. For smaller muscles
like biceps
you would need a much shorter rest—more like 45 to 60 seconds at most.
Another quick tip: recent research that studied the effects of enhancing recovery between sets showed that keeping intensity high after completed sets allowed weight trainers to perform more reps in later sets compared with those who passively recovered (sat) between sets. This means we need to keep moving during rest periods
so instead of sitting down to rest
walk around or go to another exercise for a different muscle group.

One of the most common (and fatal) errors I see with weight trainers
both beginner and advanced alike
is over-training. Trapped by our "more is better" mentality
many of us seem to think if we train longer
harder
and more often
we'll multiply our results. Nothing could be more detrimental to your efforts to put on muscle and gain strength than training muscle groups too frequently. In fact
over-training can significantly impede the body's ability to properly recover and rebuild itself. Only through enough rest (which includes proper sleep) and an adequate number of days in between training
will the body be able to recover and rebuild itself. The most common signs of over-training are lethargy
chronic fatigue
continued muscle soreness
insomnia
and a decrease in strength. If you sense any of these coming on
try taking off a day or two more in between training sessions and see how you feel.

"Trapped by our "more is better" mentality
many of us seem to think if we train longer
harder
and more often
we'll multiply our results."For adequate recovery times between workouts (of the same muscle group)
consider this: the smaller the muscle group
the faster the recovery; the more intense (speed of workout)
the longer the recovery; and the higher the volume (i.e.
the number of reps) and lower the load (weight)
the faster the recovery
and vice versa of course. In general
I normally suggest not training a muscle if it's still sore
and then once the tenderness subsides
I say give it another day on top of that.

Supplements
There are many supplements that can help today's athlete postpone muscular fatigue. Endurance athletes may benefit greatly from carbohydrate/electrolyte beverages such as Revenge
Gatorade
Ultra Fuel
and a great new supplement called G-Push. These contain precise ratios of carbohydrates and electrolytes (vital salts and minerals) that can replace those lost during prolonged exercise
as well as enhance the body's ability to sustain long-term energy.

Nutritional stimulants such as caffeine (or its herbal counterpart guarana) can help delay fatigue for two reasons. First
it stimulates a cascade of hormones that cause a release of free-fatty acids into the bloodstream
causing the body to burn fat while sparing carbohydrates to use as energy. Second
it affects the CNS
thus postponing central fatigue and decreasing the perceived difficulty of the exercise.

However
if you can't handle the jittery
nervous-type feelings you get from stimulants (such as caffeine)
you might give supplements like tyrosine or Ginkgo biloba a try. These supplements are not stimulants
so they do not affect your central nervous system (which causes the nervousness). Rather
they help increase your mental alertness and delay central fatigue (in the brain)
thus helping to crank up your workout intensity.

And
let's not forget creatine monohydrate
which has been scientifically shown to aid short-duration
high-intensity exercise
such as weight training. It increases the body's creatine phosphate stores needed to replenish ATP
thus delaying the onset of glycolysis. In other words
creatine helps quickly replenish energy stores within the muscle cells
allowing you to work out longer and harder
which may lead to increased strength and muscle gains.

Last Words
So there you have it... there's nothing fancy here... but enough to get you through that next workout with a little more flare and pizzazz! With the information at hand
you're now armed with practical
safe
scientifically sound methods to overcome muscle fatigue
so you can train harder (possibly even longer) and become stronger
both mentally and physically—making every workout that much better.

By now you've made significant progress in your bodybuilding career. For the past three to six months you've learnt how to perform the core lifting exercises in a technically correct manner. You've also conditioned the body and developed sufficient core strength to prepare yourself for a whole new level of intensity. Hopefully you've also built some rock solid muscle! But that's only the beginning.

In recent weeks your workouts have probably lost some of their effect so
even though you're lifting bigger weights
your muscles now need even greater stimulation to generate maximal growth. Don't expect miracles though - from this point onwards
every little bit of improvement will take even greater and more intensive work than before.

Because you'll be working your muscles more intensively
they'll also need more recovery time to adapt and grow and that's why you'll be reducing your workouts to three a week. Each primary muscle group trained will now need one full week to recover. After being used to whole body sessions and more workouts per week it may seem as if you're not doing enough but the point is
you'll be working your muscles very
very intensively and making better use of your time.

As you gain more experience you'll be able to tweak or re-design your basic muscle building program to suit your own individual needs
but the program described here should provide a useful starting point. What I'm proposing is basically a 3-split of the body on Monday
Wednesday and Friday.

MONDAY (Chest
Triceps
Shoulders)

1. Chest Exercises

Incline dumbbell press - this is a compound exercise that targets the chest but also works the triceps and shoulders to a lesser extent.

Pec-deck flye - this is an isolation exercise that works the pectorals.

2. Triceps

Dips - this compound exercise targets the triceps but also works the chest and shoulders.

3. Shoulders

Front military press - this compound exercise targets shoulders but also works the triceps.

Dumbbell lateral raises - this isolation exercise works the shoulders only.

Bentover dumbbell laterals - this isolation exercise works the rear delts.

WEDNESDAY (Back
Biceps
Forearms)

1. Back

Front lat pulls - compound exercise that targets lats but also works the biceps and mid-back.

Deadlifts - compound exercise that targets the back and quads but also works hamstrings
calves and glutes.

Dumbbell rows - compound exercise that targets mid-back but also works biceps and lats.

Dumbbell shrugs - isolation exercise that works traps.

2. Biceps

Dumbbell biceps curl - isolation exercise that works the biceps.

Dumbbell hammer curls - isolation exercise that works the biceps.

3. Forearms

Barbell wrist curl - isolation exercise that works the forearms.

FRIDAY (Lower Body)

1. Legs

Squats or leg press - compound exercise that targets the quads but also works the hamstrings
calves and glutes.

Leg extension - isolation exercise that works the quads.

Leg curls - isolation exercise that works the hamstrings.

Standing calf raise - isolation exercise that works the gastrocnemius calf muscle.

Seated calf raise - isolation exercise that works the soleus calf muscle.

You could start this program by aiming for two sets of 8-10 reps per exercise but as your strength and size increase you should really introduce techniques that boost the intensity even further. This can be achieved in a number of ways including the use of pre-exhaustion
super sets
partial reps
isometric contractions and forced reps. These techniques are covered in detail elsewhere in this series of articles.

The lower body contains some of your biggest muscles which are capable of bearing significant weights. The temptation for beginners to go for broke by performing heavy squats should be resisted. To begin with you should concentrate on building the muscles safely by using machines that isolate muscle groups. The squat is an excellent compound exercise that trains numerous lower body muscles but it is one you should learn properly after spending three months strengthening the individual muscles that will be utilized later.

The muscles of the lower body can be divided into five groups:

1. Quads - this is the big muscle group consisting of four muscles at the front of the thigh. These are the primary muscles used when performing exercises such as squats
leg press
lunge and leg extension.

2. Hamstrings - these are the main muscles at the back of the thigh. These are the primary muscles used when performing leg curls.

3. Gluteals - these are the muscles that make up the buttocks.

4. Hip flexors - these are the small muscles at the front of the pelvis that allow you to raise your legs to the front.

5. Calves - these are the two muscles found in the lower leg.

For beginners these muscles should be exercised as follows:

1. Leg press - 1 set of 10-15 reps. This is a useful exercise for the quads but it also works the hamstrings and glutes to a lesser degree.

2. Leg extension - 3 sets of 10-15 reps. This is a useful exercise for adding definition to the quads.

3. Hamstring curl - 3 sets of 10-15 reps. This exercise isolates the hamstrings.

4. Standing calf raise - 3 sets of 10-15 reps. This exercise works the gastrocnemius muscle.

5. Seated calf raise - 3 sets of 10-15 reps. This exercise works the soleus muscle underneath the gastrocnemius muscle.

As with all exercises you need to take care in scheduling specific body parts. To begin with you should incorporate your lower body exercises into a program similar to the one suggested below:

Day 1: Biceps
Back
Abs

Day 2: Hamstrings
Shoulders
Abs

Day 3: Quads
Forearms
Calves

Day 4: Triceps
Chest
Abs

For the first couple of weeks complete one set but then add one set each week to a maximum of three. At the end of three months you will be ready to move on to more intensive intermediate level exercises.

If you want to increase muscle mass and gain weight
remember that in order to effectively bulk up
you will need to be persistent in your efforts. Increasing your caloric intake is an important part of gaining weight and building new muscle tissue. When you feed your body more food than it can burn
you gain weight. Weight training is also an important part of gaining weight and increasing your muscle mass. Weight training stimulates the muscles and promotes growth. The combination of weight training and proper diet is the best
most effective way to gain weight and increase muscle mass.

Failure to eat properly while weight training could result in loss of muscle tissue. Make certain you get plenty of protein
fats
and carbs and in large enough quantities to allow your body to gain weight. Supplements can play a role in building body mass if taken while adjusting your diet and training with weights. Meal replacement bars
powders
and protein drinks can be an excellent way to increase your daily caloric intake. In order to increase muscle mass
you must give your body approximately 500 more calories per day than the number of calories your body uses.

Exercise and diet are the most important things to consider when attempting to gain weight and increase muscle mass. Weight training and the adequate food intake will leave your body with no choice but to gain weight and add mass. Make sure to get enough rest between workouts to give your body time to recuperate and build new muscle tissue.

If you want to get the maximum benefit from your mass building routine
you must avoid the most common reasons that cause people to fail at building muscle and gaining weight. A quality mass building routine combined with proper nutrition and plenty of rest can produce results that you never dreamed possible. Consistency
smart eating habits
the proper weight lifting techniques
and lots of rest are the common elements shared by every successful body builder.

Building muscle is a slow process and it could possibly take several months before you see noticeable results. If you are determined and consistent in your muscle mass building routine and your eating habits
you efforts will pay off in time. Nutrition is also crucial in building muscle mass. The right amounts of protein
carbohydrates
and fats must be included in your diet in order to give your body the fuel it needs to add muscle tissue. The trick to building muscle is to find the combination of foods that allow you to add new muscle mass. Trial and error combined with sound dietary guidelines will allow you to find just the right nutritional plan for you.

The proper weight lifting techniques are a very important part of a muscle mass building routine. If you don't work your muscles
they won't grow. You will need to find the right amount of weight and the right weight lifting exercises for your body. Determination
trial and error
and a consistent effort will eventually give you the results you want. The most important thing is to stay focused and realize your reward is waiting for you down the line.

Becoming familiar with the muscles that make up your body has more benefits than simply allowing you to talk shop with your training partners. The more familiar you are with the muscles you're working
the better you'll be able to judge what's needed to make improvements. In this article we'll get to know the muscles that make up the shoulders and arms.

Shoulders and arms work together but they require significantly different exercises to make them bigger and stronger. The main muscles found in these areas are as follows:

1. Deltoid - this is comprised of three separate segments that cover the shoulder and run a few inches down the arm. The anterior deltoid raises the arm to the front. The middle deltoid raises the arm to the side. The posterior deltoid draws the arm backwards.

2. Rotators - these are small muscles of the rotator cuff that control small movements of the upper arm. Consisting of an internal rotator
external rotator and supraspinatus they are used in lifting and throwing actions.

3. Biceps brachii - the biceps covers the front part of the upper arm and consists of a long head and a short head. The long head crosses the shoulder joint and works with the front deltoid to raise the arm to the front.

4. Triceps brachii - the triceps covers the the back of the upper arm and consists of three sections - the long
lateral and medial heads. The role of the triceps is to straighten the arm at the elbow.

5. Brachialis - this muscle lies between the upper arm bone and biceps. It helps the biceps to bend the elbow when the palm is facing sideways.

6. Forearm muscles - the forearms consist of many little muscles called flexors and extensors. The largest forearm muscle is the brachioradialis that lies close to the elbow.

Becoming familiar with the muscles that make up your body has more benefits than simply allowing you to talk shop with your training partners. The more familiar you are with the muscles you're working
the better you'll be able to judge what's needed to make improvements. In this article we'll get to know the muscles that make up the mid-section.

The core muscles of the mid-section do much to stabilize and support the torso so it's well worth spending time to train this area properly. The main muscles of the mid-section are as follows:

1. Rectus abdominis - this is a large flat muscle wall that covers most of the front mid-section from the lower chest to the pubic bone. Above the navel it consists of three pairs of rectangular sections stacked on top of each other and is better known as the six pack.

2. Obliquus abdominis - this muscle runs diagonally along the side of the mid-section from the lower ribcage to the pubic area. There are two muscles on each side
with internal obliques lying underneath the external obliques. The obliques help your torso to flex to the side
twist at the waist and help in bending the torso forwards.

3. Transversus abdominis - this is the deepest of the abdominal muscles and consists of a thin strip that runs horizontally across the abdomen. This muscle helps keep the internal organs in place
forces out the breath and stabilizes the spine.

4. Erector spinae - this large muscle group runs along the side of the lower spine. Consisting of a pair
the erector spinae keeps the spine erect and helps twisting at the waist.

Becoming familiar with the muscles that make up your body has more benefits than simply allowing you to talk shop with your training partners. The more familiar you are with the muscles you're working
the better you'll be able to judge what's needed to make improvements. In this article we'll get to know the muscles that make up the lower body.

This is where you'll find the big
strong muscles that allow us to get around. The main muscles found below the waist are as follows:

1. Quadriceps femoris - this is a group of four muscles found at the front of the thigh. These are the vastus lateralis on the outside
the vastus medialis on the inside
the vastus intermedius between them
and the rectus femoris above them. The role of these muscles is to extend the leg from a bent position.

2. Hamstrings - these are found to the rear of the leg and consist of the biceps femoris
semitendinosus and semimembranosus. The hamstrings are used to flex the knee in the act of pulling the heel towards the buttocks.

3. Gluteals - these make up the buttocks and consist of the gluteus maximus covering the hip joint and the gluteus medius and minimus on the outside of the hip. The gluteus maximus facilitates hip extension while the other two lift the leg to the side in an action called hip abduction.

4. Hip flexors - these are found opposite the glutes on the front of the pelvis. Consisting of the psoas major and iliacus they raise the leg to the front.

5. Calves - these consist of the gastrocnemius and the soleus. Their role is to extend the foot at the ankle.

Every bodybuilder and weight trainer will have his or her favorite exercises for each body part. That's how it should be - as you progress through the various stages of learning you'll understand what works best for you. It is useful
however
to take stock of your progress every so often and carry out an analysis of where you are and what changes
if any
are needed to move onwards and upwards.

Part of this analysis should include an assessment of the core exercises that make up your bodybuilding training program. In this article we'll look at the shoulder exercises that have proven their worth to serious bodybuilders for many years. All exercises should be performed to failure with one set of six to eight reps.

1. Dumbbell lateral raises - this exercise provides the best way to develop the lateral head of the deltoid.

- Hold the dumbbells at the sides with the palms facing the thighs.

- Raise the arms up and to the sides until parallel to the floor. Make sure the elbows remain slightly bent.

- Pause.

- Lower with control to the starting position.

2. Bent-over dumbbell lateral raises.

- Bend over at the waist with the knees slightly bent.

- Raise the arms up and to the sides as high as possible.

- Pause.

- Lower with control to the starting position.

Every bodybuilder and weight trainer will have his or her favorite exercises for each body part. That's how it should be - as you progress through the various stages of learning you'll understand what works best for you. It is useful
however
to take stock of your progress every so often and carry out an analysis of where you are and what changes
if any
are needed to move onwards and upwards.

Part of this analysis should include an assessment of the core exercises that make up your bodybuilding training program. In this article we'll look at the leg exercises that have proven their worth to serious bodybuilders for many years. Where appropriate a series of exercises suitable for achieving pre-exhaustion will be presented. All exercises should be performed to failure with one set of six to eight reps.

1. Leg extension - this exercise will allow you to isolate the thigh muscles preserving the strength of the other leg muscles for the compound exercise to follow.

- Push the pads until the knees are almost locked.

- Pause.

- Lower with control to the starting position.

2. Leg press - you can move straight on to this exercise if you are sufficiently experienced.

- Place your feet firmly at shoulder width on the foot board.

- Bend the legs until they are almost touching the chest.

- Pause.

- Return with control to the starting position.

3. Calves - the best way to work the calves is to perform raises on special gym equipment that allows standing raises and sitting raises to work both calf muscles.

Every bodybuilder and weight trainer will have his or her favorite exercises for each body part. That's how it should be - as you progress through the various stages of learning you'll understand what works best for you. It is useful
however
to take stock of your progress every so often and carry out an analysis of where you are and what changes
if any
are needed to move onwards and upwards.

Part of this analysis should include an assessment of the core exercises that make up your bodybuilding training program. In this article we'll look at the chest exercises that have proven their worth to serious bodybuilders for many years. Where appropriate a series of exercises suitable for achieving pre-exhaustion will be presented. All exercises should be performed to failure with one set of six to eight reps.

1. Dumbbell flyes - this exercise provides a useful means of isolating the pectorals and preserving the triceps for the subsequent exercise. The exercise should be performed as follows:

- Hold dumbbells directly overhead.

- Lower them to sides with elbows slightly bent
pulled back and to the side. Lower no further than level with the torso.

- Use the pectorals to pull the weights back up to the starting position.

2. Incline bench press - you can move straight on to this exercise if you have reached an appropriate level of experience. If you perform this exercise as the second part of a pre-exhaust routine you may have to use lighter weights than normally.

- Take a shoulder width grip.

- Lower the bar to the chest with the elbows pointed to the side.

- Return to the starting position.

Every bodybuilder and weight trainer will have his or her favorite exercises for each body part. That's how it should be - as you progress through the various stages of learning you'll understand what works best for you. It is useful
however
to take stock of your progress every so often and carry out an analysis of where you are and what changes
if any
are needed to move onwards and upwards.

Part of this analysis should include an assessment of the core exercises that make up your bodybuilding training program. In this article we'll look at the back exercises that have proven their worth to serious bodybuilders for many years. Where appropriate a series of exercises suitable for achieving pre-exhaustion will be presented. All exercises should be performed to failure with one set of six to eight reps.

1. Lat machine pulldowns - this exercise has been chosen because it allows you to isolate the lats and rest the biceps for the compound exercise to follow.

- Take a shoulder width grip.

- Pull arms towards the thighs keeping the arms straight.

- Pause.

- Return the bar slowly to the starting position.

2. Pulldowns - you can move straight on to this exercise if you are sufficiently experienced. Using the same machine
take an under hand grip because this will make better use of biceps strength thus maximizing the effects of the workout.

- Take a shoulder width grip.

- Pull bar to the chest area.

- Pause.

- Return the bar slowly to the starting position.

It is clear that certain traits are handed down to us by our parents and unfortunately our ablility to grow muscles beyond certain limits is no exception. That doesn't mean to say hard work and carefully planned training won't have a positive effect on your physique - it just means that some people will inherit a greater abundance of the favored physical characteristics than others. Not everyone possesses the physical traits to become a champion
but you can work wonders with the raw material you do possess.

How responsive you will be to physical stimulation can be predicted to a certain extent by examining your somatype or natural body shape. Basically
there are three recognized body types:

1. Endomorphs - these individuals tend to be squat with a round torso
thick neck and short limbs.

2. Mesomorphs - these individuals tend to be musclar with broad shoulders
powerful chest and limbs and little body fat.

3. Ectomorphs - these individuals tend to be slim and are usually tall with little muscle and body fat.

The ideal bodybuilding physique tends more towards the mesomorph with broad shoulders
narrow hips with arms and legs of medium length. Two further inherited features have a role to play in determining muscle building potential
and these are muscle fiber density and neurological efficiency. Fiber density determines the size potential of a muscle while neurological efficiency refers to the relationship between the nervous system and muscles. This is relevant because
in all out effort genetically blessed individuals have the ability to activate up to 50% of the fibers in a given muscle compared to the average person's 30%. This allows greater scope for stimulating growth.

The fact that there is no easy way to measure fiber density or neurological efficiency is actually a blessing because the incentive remains for all of us to train hard and strive for improvement. Only a tiny minority of people have the genetic tools to become champions but the rest of us can go a long way to fulfilling our own personal goals.

Do you want a quick
simple and instant way to increase the amount of weight you can lift on virtually every back exercise you perform? Sound too good to be true? I speak the truth
my friend
and the reality is that if you aren’t utilizing this basic piece of gym equipment you’re missing out on some serious muscle size and strength gains. What tool am I talking about?

A pair of lifting straps!

This is such a basic and highly effective piece of equipment yet so many people neglect to use them. For those of you who are unaware
these are basically a set of thick straps made of extremely strong material that are placed around your wrists and then wrapped around the barbell
dumbbell or cable attachment. The purpose of lifting straps is to “eliminate” your grip from the equation by forming a secure connection between your wrist and the weight. If you use these straps properly you can basically hold onto the bar and perform your exercises while expending almost no energy from your forearms.

Why is this so valuable?

Picture this scenario…You’re performing a set of deadlifts (arguably the most powerful muscle-building exercise known to man) with the goal of performing 8 reps. You psych yourself up
grip the weight and clear the bar from the ground. The set is going well
but by the time you reach rep number 5
the strain on your grip is so great that you can no longer hold onto the bar. You’re forced to stop the set because your forearms reached muscular failure.

What exactly happened here?

Well
you gave yourself an amazing forearm workout! Congratulations! Unfortunately you severely limited the amount of muscle stimulation you could achieve on your back
shoulders
legs
and just about every other muscle in your body that the deadlift targets in the process. This is not a good thing!

Lifting straps completely eliminate this problem by making sure that you reach muscular failure in the major muscle groups that you are intending to target rather than on your forearms and grip. They can be used effectively for almost every back exercise or any other lift where the grip is of concern.

The main argument against lifting straps is the idea that they are a “crutch” and will negatively affect the development of grip strength and forearm size. Let’s get real here. What would you prefer
greater muscle mass and strength in your lats and upper back (and just about every other muscle group on your body) or greater ability to crack open a jar of pickles? Take your pick.

The positive effect that lifting straps will have on your overall muscle mass and strength gains will far outweigh any negative effect that they have on your forearms and grip. Besides
you can easily incorporate specific forearm movements into your routine to develop your grip strength and forearm size. If you aren’t using lifting straps already
get on it! You can find them at almost any store that sells sports or fitness equipment or you can order them online. They sell for about 10 or 15 bucks and are well worth the price!

Like methandrostenolone (Dianabol)
oxymetholone does not bind well to the androgen receptor (AR)
and most of the anabolism it provides is via non-AR-mediated effects. It is therefore a Class II steroid and is best stacked with a Class I steroid. The drug appears to give the same benefits as dianabol. Unlike Dianabol
however
it seems that oxymetholone is progestagenic. It has been observed to cause nipple soreness or to aggravate gynecomastia even in the presence of high dose antiestrogens
strongly suggesting that the effect is not estrogenic. That effect can be reduced by concurrent use of stanozolol (Winstrol)
which is anti-progestagenic. This
progestagenic effect of oxymetholone is only a concern when using aromatizing steroids. With androgens such as Primobolan
oxymetholone stacks very nicely and is a surprisingly friendly drug. In contrast
with testosterone it is a very harsh drug.

Oxymetholone does not convert to estrogen
and thus antiestrogens are not required if no aromatizable AAS are being used. However
in concert with aromatizing drugs
oxymetholone is notorious for worsening "estrogenic" symptoms
possibly by producing progestagenic symptoms which the bodybuilder
confuses as estrogenic
or by altering estrogen metabolism
or by upregulating aromatase.

Compared to what bodybuilders expect of it
the drug is reasonably mild when no aromatizing steroids are present. I consider its potency approximately comparable to Dianabol. It is not unusual for a first time user to do quite well on an oxymetholone-only cycle
but more advanced users will want
to stack with another steroid. Typical use is 50-150 mg/day
which should be divided into several doses per day.

Because oxymetholone is 17-alkylated
it is stressful to the liver. It is better to limit use to no more than 6 weeks or preferably four weeks before taking a break of at least equal length. Many users feel that it is more effectively used in the beginning parts of the cycle
rather than in the last few weeks.


Trivial name Oxymetholone
Systematic name 5-alpha
17
17
number 434-07-1
ATC code A14AA05
Merck Index Number 7036
Chemical formula C21H32O3
Molecular weight 332.477 g/mol
Bioavailability 95%
Metabolism Hepatic
Elimination half-life 9 hours
Excretion Urinary: 95%
Pregnancy category X
Routes of administration Oral

You can only build muscle tissue if you can generate progressively stronger muscular contractions
so this calls for an emphasis on finding ways to increase exercise intensity. This should not be confused with exercise duration as maximum training intensity will actually shorten the time needed to achieve maximal muscular growth.

In an earlier article I outlined the ways in which you can intensify your training. Here we'll focus on the role that training to failure has to play in intensifying the training effect.

Anything less than maximum effort will reduce the effectiveness of your muscle building workout. The only way to force an optimal reaction in any muscle is to train it to failure - in other words
no matter how much effort you put in you are simply incapable of completing one more rep of a given exercise.

Too many people seem to finish a set when they reach a certain number of reps
but the body will only show significant change if you ask it to do something extra. Only by passing through the break-over point of momentary muscle failure will you stimulate the muscle to grow.

Anyone starting out on their bodybuilding career should not attempt this method of training as it could lead to serious injury. Spend several months perfecting exercise form and conditioning the body to lift heavier weights before gradually introducing training to failure.

You can only build muscle tissue if you can generate progressively stronger muscular contractions
so this calls for an emphasis on finding ways to increase exercise intensity. This should not be confused with exercise duration as maximum training intensity will actually shorten the time needed to achieve maximal muscular growth.

In an earlier article I outlined the ways in which you can intensify your training. Here we'll focus on the role that pre-exhaustion has to play in intensifying the training effect.

When an exercise employs two or more muscles it will be impossible to achieve failure for the primary muscle as the weakest muscle will give out first. This is perhaps best explained by giving an example. When targeting the chest
most exercises involve use of the triceps which is a relatively small and weak muscle. When performing the incline bench press for example
the triceps will fail before the pectorals have the opportunity to work to failure thus limiting the value of the exercise.

How do you get around this? By first performing an exercise that isolates and tires the pectorals before immediately moving on to the main exercise. For maximum benefits there should be no rest between the pre-exhaust exercise and the main compound exercise.

Beginners don't need to worry about pre-exhaust routines but when they advance to intermediate level they can be introduced once a week for each body part.

Examples of pre-exhaust routines commonly performed by bodybuilders are listed below:

Biceps - barbell curls and close-grip
palms-up pulldowns.

Triceps - pressdowns and dips.

Pectorals - flyes and bench presses.

Lats - dumbbell pullovers and barbell rows.

Deltoids - dumbbell laterals and presses behind neck.

Traps - shrugs and upright rows.

Thighs - leg extensions and squats.

You can only build muscle tissue if you can generate progressively stronger muscular contractions
so this calls for an emphasis on finding ways to increase exercise intensity. This should not be confused with exercise duration as maximum training intensity will actually shorten the time needed to achieve maximal muscular growth.

In an earlier article I outlined the ways in which you can intensify your training. Here we'll focus on the role that partial repetitions have to play in intensifying the training effect.

One of the biggest dangers confronting serious bodybuilders is the tendency to overtrain. Bodybuilders at the advanced level must resist the temptation to seek improvement by simply adding more exercises or extra workouts to an already demanding schedule.

One way to maintain progress yet avoid overtraining is to make constructive use of partial repetitions. This allows the introduction of additional intensity without adding significantly to the duration of training. To get the most out of partial repetitions you should follow these simple steps:

1. Use a much heavier weight than you would for the full range version of the same exercise.

2. Perform partial reps only from the halfway stage or mid-point of the exercise.

3. Use this method primarily on lagging body parts.

4. Perform only one exercise for one set per body part.

5. Use only as a supplement to full range movement exercises
not instead of.

You can only build muscle tissue if you can generate progressively stronger muscular contractions
so this calls for an emphasis on finding ways to increase exercise intensity. This should not be confused with exercise duration as maximum training intensity will actually shorten the time needed to achieve maximal muscular growth.

In an earlier article I outlined the ways in which you can intensify your training. Here we'll focus on the role that negative repetitions have to play in intensifying the training effect.

At the most basic level
human muscles have three types of strength:

1. Positive strength - the ability to raise a weight.

2. Static strength - the ability to hold a weight.

3. Negative strength - the ability to lower a weight.

Many bodybuilders concentrate primarily on their muscles' positive and static strength but equal focus should be given to negative strength
or lowering the weight
if true muscle failure is to be achieved. You can emphasize this aspect of training by completing a set of negative reps after reaching positive failure.

You'll need one or two partners to lift the weight to the top position so that you can lower it under your own control. Once you can no longer control the descent
the set ends. Take special care with leg exercises and avoid negative squats to protect the knees.

Beginners should not attempt negative reps while intermediate and advanced bodybuilders can be imaginative in how they incorporate negative reps into their training programs.

You can only build muscle tissue if you can generate progressively stronger muscular contractions
so this calls for an emphasis on finding ways to increase exercise intensity. This should not be confused with exercise duration as maximum training intensity will actually shorten the time needed to achieve maximal muscular growth.

In an earlier article I outlined the ways in which you can intensify your training. Here we'll focus on the role that forced repetitions have to play in intensifying the training effect.

When you reach the point of muscular failure it is impossible to manage one more complete repetition of any exercise
at least not without losing form or correct technique. There is
however
one way in which you can increase the intensity even further and that is by completing one or more forced repetitions with the help of an experienced training partner.

The best way to achieve this is by keeping the same weights on the bar and have your training partner do no more than is necessary to allow you to complete up the three extra repetitions with good lifting form.

Beginning bodybuilders should avoid forced reps until they have learned good lifting techniques and have prepared their muscles for the stresses involved in this particular approach. Intermediate lifters should consider adding forced reps to one exercise in the pre-exhaust sequence. Advanced bodybuilders can utilize forced reps based on their own needs and judgement.

So you want to get big huge muscular arms. Do not ignore your triceps exercises.

In gyms everywhere
you will see people doing bicep curls after bicep curls. If someone were to ask them to show their muscles
they will most likely flex their biceps. How about you? Well
since you are reading this article
then you must have known that to own huge muscular arms
you must build huge triceps.

Do you know why? It is because your tricep is 2/3 the size of your arm. Just imagine
your bicep is only 30% while your tricep takes up 60%. So if you are neglecting your triceps
you are neglecting 60% of your arms while working on the miniscule 30% called the biceps. Of course you still need to work on your biceps for that well rounded balanced muscular look.

Furthermore
since your triceps are involved in many other body building exercises such as military presses
bench presses and many other exercises
having strong triceps will help you to lift heavier in those other exercises and thus will be encouraging further muscular growth in other body parts.

Your triceps consist of three main muscle whereas your biceps has only 2
the their respective names begins with “tri” and “bi”. That is another reason why your triceps should be bigger.

Tricep Excercise Form

So you have been training your triceps but do not see good results. It could possibly be due to your movement during your reps where the exercises are not performed to its full range of motion. You see
the mass concentration of tricep muscles is at the top of the arm and therefore you have to stretch your arms beyond what you feel that is natural in order to reach the deep fibers of your tricep muscles.

On top of that your form must be strict with minimum elbow movements when performing tricep exercises like skull crushes and tricep extensions. These exercises reach deep into your triceps muscles when you do it with full range of movement.

Tricep exercises like close grip bench press
diamond pushups and cable pushdowns do not give you that range of movement as the range of these exercises are limited. This is not to say that you don’t do these exercises
just concentrate on them less.

So in order to build big huge triceps
you must feel the pull of your tricep muscles when the weight is at its lowest position before pulling them back.

Want those big muscular arms? Then do not forget to work on your triceps hard and do it in good form.

If you want to increase muscle mass and gain weight
remember that in order to effectively bulk up
you will need to be persistent in your efforts. Increasing your caloric intake is an important part of gaining weight and building new muscle tissue. When you feed your body more food than it can burn
you gain weight. Weight training is also an important part of gaining weight and increasing your muscle mass. Weight training stimulates the muscles and promotes growth. The combination of weight training and proper diet is the best
most effective way to gain weight and increase muscle mass.

Failure to eat properly while weight training could result in loss of muscle tissue. Make certain you get plenty of protein
fats
and carbs and in large enough quantities to allow your body to gain weight. Supplements can play a role in building body mass if taken while adjusting your diet and training with weights. Meal replacement bars
powders
and protein drinks can be an excellent way to increase your daily caloric intake. In order to increase muscle mass
you must give your body approximately 500 more calories per day than the number of calories your body uses.

Exercise and diet are the most important things to consider when attempting to gain weight and increase muscle mass. Weight training and the adequate food intake will leave your body with no choice but to gain weight and add mass. Make sure to get enough rest between workouts to give your body time to recuperate and build new muscle tissue.

If you want to get the maximum benefit from your mass building routine
you must avoid the most common reasons that cause people to fail at building muscle and gaining weight. A quality mass building routine combined with proper nutrition and plenty of rest can produce results that you never dreamed possible. Consistency
smart eating habits
the proper weight lifting techniques
and lots of rest are the common elements shared by every successful body builder.

Building muscle is a slow process and it could possibly take several months before you see noticeable results. If you are determined and consistent in your muscle mass building routine and your eating habits
you efforts will pay off in time. Nutrition is also crucial in building muscle mass. The right amounts of protein
carbohydrates
and fats must be included in your diet in order to give your body the fuel it needs to add muscle tissue. The trick to building muscle is to find the combination of foods that allow you to add new muscle mass. Trial and error combined with sound dietary guidelines will allow you to find just the right nutritional plan for you.

The proper weight lifting techniques are a very important part of a muscle mass building routine. If you don't work your muscles
they won't grow. You will need to find the right amount of weight and the right weight lifting exercises for your body. Determination
trial and error
and a consistent effort will eventually give you the results you want. The most important thing is to stay focused and realize your reward is waiting for you down the line.

For many thin guys around the world
gaining weight without using illegal steroids has been a challenge. For thousands of lean young men
the dream is to gain weight
but no matter how much they eat they remain thin. Some people are naturally thin; that means their genetic makeup is in such a way that the body burns more calories than others. The very basic method of weight gain is to eat more calories than your body burns off. By providing the body with more calories
this balance can be altered and body mass can be increased. Weight training is of great importance in this context
which enables the body to absorb more nutrients from the food by increasing the level of certain hormones and increasing the muscle mass.

There are many incorrect beliefs and theories bout building muscle. The type of food to be eaten is an important factor which decides the type of weight gained
whether it is muscle mass or mere accumulation of fat. Some types of calories are not equal to others for gaining muscle; because most processed junk food contains empty
totally nutritionless calories. These foods promote accelerated fat storage
and do not provide the body with the correct nutrients essential for gaining muscle. High quality protein
which the body breaks down into amino acids
should be the centerpiece of all your meals. Intense exercise increases demand for amino acids
which support muscle repair and growth.

Another factor is the selection of the right type of weight training. Resistance exercises will help with muscle growth. Whereas aerobic exercises can result in the reduction of weight. For maximum muscle gain
the focus of your workouts should consist of free weight exercises
rather than machines or bodyweight exercises. To get a very effective workout
you must stimulate as many muscle fibers as possible
and machines do not do this. The main reason for this is a lack of stabilizer and synergist muscle development. Stabilizer and synergist muscles are supporting muscles that assist the main muscle in performing a complex lift.

The results of weight training can vary from person to person
and will usually depend on your consistency and commitment to your program. You should have the patience and motivation for building a powerful body with a consistent diet and exercise schedule.

Exercise Guidelines for building muscle:

Weight training involves the use of equipment that enables variable resistance. This resistance can come in the form of free weights like barbells and dumbbells
machines that use cables or pulleys to help you lift the weight
and bodyweight exercises like pull-ups or dips. The more stabilizers and synergists you work
the more muscle fibers stimulated. The exercises that work the large muscle groups are called compound (or multi-joint) movements that involve the simultaneous stimulation of many muscle groups. These compound exercises should be the foundation of any weight training program because they stimulate the most amount of muscle in the least amount of time. Multi-jointed free weight exercises like the bench press require many stabilizer and synergistic muscle assistance to complete the lift.

Free weight exercises like the dumbbell press or squat put a very large amount of stress on supporting muscle groups. You will get fatigued faster and not be able to lift as much weight as you did on the machine. But you will gain more muscle
become stronger very quickly and have a true gauge of your strength.

If you use machines in your program
they should be used to work isolated areas and only after all multi-jointed exercises have been completed. Beginners should begin with a limited combination of machine exercises
bodyweight exercises and multi-jointed free weight exercises. Before increasing the weight levels
they should work on becoming familiar with the proper form and execution of each.

The following are some proven basic exercises to encourage muscle and strength gain unlike any other exercises.

Bench Presses - works the chest
shoulders
triceps

Overhead Presses - shoulders
triceps

Pull-ups/Barbell Rows - back
bicep

Squats - legs
lower back

Dead lifts - legs
back
shoulders

Bar Dips -shoulders
chest
arms

To build mass
you must weight train with heavy weights. To consider a weight heavy
you should only be able to do a maximum of 4-8 reps before your muscles temporarily fail. A weight is considered 'light' if you can do more than 15 reps before muscle fatigue sets in. Heavy weights stimulate more muscle fibers than lighter weights which result in more muscle growth. Heavy weight training puts a huge strain on your body
so adequate rest and recuperation after your workouts is essential.

Eating guidelines for building muscle:

A high protein diet is an inevitable part of any weight training programme
importantly
protein derived from animal sources. Proteins you need to be concerned with are those found in whey
casein (cottage cheese)
eggs
beef
poultry
and fish. Soy protein
tofu and bean curd are some alternatives. Eating the right amount of foods consistently will force your body to grow beyond what you may think possible. The diet also should contain an adequate amount of carbohydrates (potatoes
sweet potatoes
yams
oatmeal
cream of wheat
cream of rice
rice
beans
bread
pasta
all cereals) and fat. Green leafy vegetables and fruits also should be included.

When you train with weights
you should eat a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. You also must have protein at every meal. To enable your body to actually assimilate and use the all the calories you will ingest
you have to reduce your meal size and increase your meal frequency. Splitting your calories into smaller
more frequent portions will enable food absorption and utilization of nutrients.

During the past 20 years there have been great developments in the scientific understanding of the role of nutrition in health and physical performance. Studies shown that adequate dietary carbohydrate should be ingested (55-60% of total energy intake) so that training intensity can be maintained. Excess dietary saturated fat can exacerbate coronary artery disease; however
low-fat diets result in a reduction in circulating testosterone. So the balance between protein
carbohydrate and fat should be maintained.

So the focus on weight gain programmes must be on two components
lifting heavy weights
which will stimulate the largest amount of muscle fibers. Your body responds to this stimulus by increasing your muscle mass and secondly eat more calories than your body is used to. When you overload your system with plenty of protein and fats
your body has no other choice but to gain weight.

A Mass Gaining program is incomplete without the timely measurements to monitor your progress. Without it
you won't know how exactly your body is responding to your diet and training routine. Just looking in the mirror and guessing is not acceptable. If you want to start getting great results
you must develop the habit of accurately tracking your progress. This also provides the motivation to continue with the weight gain schedule and for the further progression. So even though you have a very thin body type
and haven’t been able to gain weight no matter what you try
you will definitely succeed with a well planned weight gain programme.

Wondering how to gain muscle? There are many fads
gimmicks and "quick fixes" to be found
but there is really only one healthy way to gain muscle mass. You don't need to be gifted with great genetics or use potentially dangerous illegal hormones or steroids.

The "how to gain muscle" question has a relatively simple two-step process:

1) increase your caloric intake
and
2) workout. This combination will provide the desired results.

Don't be embarrassed to look in the mirror! You CAN have the body that you strive to achieve. When you first begin thinking about how to gain muscle
the first instinct may be "But I don't want to gain fat". Losing fat and gaining muscle mass are two different objectives
and are tackled in two different ways. At this point you have to realize that dieting and exercising to lose weight is different than dieting and exercising to gain muscle.

In gaining muscle mass
the caloric intake must be increased. You have to take in more calories that your body is used to: take in more proteins and fats-your body has no choice but to gain weight. While nutritional supplements may be utilized
this should NOT be used as a substitute for a healthy diet. The increased calories are then offset by working out with weights in order to achieve the increased muscle mass you desire. This workout will stimulate growth by "overloading" the muscles. The combination of caloric building blocks (which help rebuild and repair muscle tissue) along with the increase workout.

If you are among the millions who constantly try to gain weight and build muscle mass
remember that a firm commitment
the proper diet
and a good weight-training regimen are the best ways to succeed in reaching your goal. A muscle mass building diet includes plenty of protein and enough calories to promote weight gain.

A good place to start is to multiply your current weight by 18. This number will give you a rough idea of how many calories your body needs in a day to bulk up. If you are extremely active
play sports
or have a faster than average metabolism
you may need to increase your caloric intake even more. A muscle building diet requires a lot of effort on your part. It's not easy to consume enough calories in three meals per day. A good suggestion would be to eat several small meals each day rather than three large ones.

Protein is a critical element in any mass building diet. Ideally
you should eat one and a half grams of protein per pound of body weight. While this seems like a lot of protein
spread over several small meals each day it will be a lot easier to meet this goal. Fish
poultry
eggs
and lean red meat are excellent sources of protein. Lots of fresh vegetables and simple carbohydrates combined with plenty of protein should allow you to meet your calorie quota each day. The best muscle building diet is a combination of consuming adequate calories and the proper types of foods.

A well-planned exercise routine will not only help you replace fat with muscle
it will help you gain strength and flexibility.

A bodybuilding exercise plan also improves bone strength
and lowers blood pressure. Whether you are a professional bodybuilder or you just enjoy hitting the weights hard at the gym
setting a goal for your bodybuilding exercise plan will help you achieve maximum results. Remember to make your goal challenging but be realistic.

Plan a routine that will help you reach the goals you have set. You may choose to plan on paper or on computer; whichever method you chose in planning your bodybuilding exercise goal
state your goal in a positive
precise way. It is best to choose performance-oriented goals instead of outcome-oriented goals. You can only control your own bodybuilding exercise goals
you have no control over other peoples routines
so don’t make you goal winning a competition. You might make your goal to gain a certain amount of muscles mass
or lose a specific amount of body fat. This type of goal works whether you compete or not.

Planning before you begin helps you get organized and stay focused. Putting it in writing makes it more formal
and more likely that you will stick to the plan. You should include short-term goals that help lead to your main long-term goal. Breaking down your main goal into smaller goals makes it easier to stay on your bodybuilding exercise routine.

Set a deadline for achieving your main goal. Without a deadline it can be easy to put off your bodybuilding exercise routine. Keep track of each workout you complete successfully. Plan on rewarding yourself once your long-term goal is met.

The most important step in planning is to include a proper warm-up period. Warming up reduces the change of injury and improves your performance. Warm up exercises of your bodybuilding exercise could include an aerobic activity such as treadmill walking
stepping
rowing or stationary cycling
or it could be arm circles
knee bends and shoulder circles. A third alternative is to lift light weights with a high number of reps.

The next step of your program will be tailored to the specific goal that you have set or area that you want to improve. If your goal involves your legs plan a bodybuilding exercise that works your legs
such as barbell squats or leg presses. Choose specific exercises that will increase your chest
like the barbell press
if that is your goal.

Perform each exercise carefully to avoid injury. To build mass
do fewer reps but include more sets and heavier weights
Rest at least 1 minute between sets. Another important part of your bodybuilding exercise plan is to eat properly and drink plenty of fluids.

Are you trying to get buff this summer? Okay
first of all
let me inform you that this can indeed be a process.

Don't expect to hit the gym a few times and see some significant results. For some odd reason this always bothers me. People go to the gym for a mere week and expect to be ripped like Van Dam. That's just nonsense. However
with the right weight training program and the correct body building diets
you can see a great difference in a couple of months. You see
it's all about how hard you train and how well you eat. If you are one of those folks who consume fast food twice a day
you'd better get ready to make some drastic changes. This will sadly get you nowhere. In order to get stacked you'll need to start one of the many recommended body building diets. I'm talking about a lot of protein
vitamins and minerals
but hardly any fat
sugar
and salt. Remember
you truly are what you eat. Just take a gander at the American population.

Are you currently searching for decent body building diets? These are easy to come by in this super age of technology and cyberspace. I too was looking to gain muscle a few months back. Although I'm not looking to acquire a body builder physique by any means
I do prefer some decent muscle mass. My first thought when it came to body building diets and weight training regimes was to hop online. I knew that the World-Wide-Web would have much to offer. After about an hour of surfing and reading
I had come to the conclusion that Whey protein is the bomb right now. We're talking it's all the rage in the body building circuits. Therefore I decided to weigh the options at hand. Because when it comes to contemporary whey protein
there are many products to choose from. In the end I purchased a whey protein mix from Wal-Mart. Go figure! Anyway
this nuance to the modern-day body building diets is basically an all-natural source of high quality protein. You can get a whopping 26 grams of it with one 8 ounce glass of milk. That's a hefty dose of the muscle building stuff if you ask me. Do this three times a day in addition to your weight training and you should surely see results soon. Now
when it comes to body building diets
you can't disregard you regular three meals. Make sure you consume healthy meals containing all of your daily vitamins. The collaboration of health food and whey protein is a sure win. It's time to get pumped.

Are you trying to get buff this summer? Okay
first of all
let me inform you that this can indeed be a process.

Don't expect to hit the gym a few times and see some significant results. For some odd reason this always bothers me. People go to the gym for a mere week and expect to be ripped like Van Dam. That's just nonsense. However
with the right weight training program and the correct body building diets
you can see a great difference in a couple of months. You see
it's all about how hard you train and how well you eat. If you are one of those folks who consume fast food twice a day
you'd better get ready to make some drastic changes. This will sadly get you nowhere. In order to get stacked you'll need to start one of the many recommended body building diets. I'm talking about a lot of protein
vitamins and minerals
but hardly any fat
sugar
and salt. Remember
you truly are what you eat. Just take a gander at the American population.

Are you currently searching for decent body building diets? These are easy to come by in this super age of technology and cyberspace. I too was looking to gain muscle a few months back. Although I'm not looking to acquire a body builder physique by any means
I do prefer some decent muscle mass. My first thought when it came to body building diets and weight training regimes was to hop online. I knew that the World-Wide-Web would have much to offer. After about an hour of surfing and reading
I had come to the conclusion that Whey protein is the bomb right now. We're talking it's all the rage in the body building circuits. Therefore I decided to weigh the options at hand. Because when it comes to contemporary whey protein
there are many products to choose from. In the end I purchased a whey protein mix from Wal-Mart. Go figure! Anyway
this nuance to the modern-day body building diets is basically an all-natural source of high quality protein. You can get a whopping 26 grams of it with one 8 ounce glass of milk. That's a hefty dose of the muscle building stuff if you ask me. Do this three times a day in addition to your weight training and you should surely see results soon. Now
when it comes to body building diets
you can't disregard you regular three meals. Make sure you consume healthy meals containing all of your daily vitamins. The collaboration of health food and whey protein is a sure win. It's time to get pumped.

Every guy who steps into the gym dreams of achieving that great classical V-shaped upper body that commands respect and attention. Many have trained for months
if not years and yet that V-shaped upper body just isn't forth coming. Ever wondered why?

Before I show you various ways to achieve that glorious 'V'
you must also be aware that the 'V' shape is also an illusion. If you have a wide thick back with a powerful chest
coupled with boulder-like deltoids
your 'V' will show up commandingly because those attributes will make your waist look small and thus accentuating the 'V' illusion.

To have a stupendous upper body
you MUST train your lower body. V-shapes will just be an ugly upper body shape if your legs are like bamboo poles. The excellent full body shape is called the X-frame. Just like those super heroes you see in comic books. If you don't train legs
you are missing out on training the largest muscle mass. When training legs
many other upper body muscles especially the back and abs will be involved. This gives you the most muscle mass trained in one go. And because you are training so many muscles at one go
you secrete tons of growth hormones when you sleep
further enhancing overall muscle development for that perfect X-frame.

Another muscle group many people fail to pay attention to is the back. The back must be trained for thickness as well as width. Many back exercises also develop the rear deltoids and the trapezius which are very important to getting that 'V'. When your back is thick
you will look powerful and with the width
it will make your waist look narrower
thus making the 'V' more pronounced. Do bar-bell row
deadlifts for a thick and powerful back. Chin-ups and push-ups (weighted and doing them in a slow controlled motion) will provide you the width or more commonly called 'wings'.

Another very obvious V-shape illusion creator are your triceps. But most people pay more attention to the biceps than triceps. Why triceps then? Because your triceps
as the name 'tri' suggests
has three 'heads' and each 'head' must be dealt with when you exercise them. They are also 1/3 bigger than your biceps. By training the triceps hard
your upper arms will grow bigger faster
giving more berth to your upper body and again creating a narrow waistline illusion.

The best illusion-shapers are your deltoids. Your delts have 3 'heads'. However
most of the time
I see people only working out the front delts. When you develop your delts well
they will be round and boulder-like
and they make your shoulder wide and strong. Now
close your eyes and have a mental image of yourself with a wide thick back
big strong triceps... now
do you see that 'V'? Add lateral raise
bent-over lat-raisers and upright rows to your routine.

How to have a beautiful 'V' if your abs are flabby? Forget the side crunches and side bends. It will only make your waistline thicker. Go on a lose fat program by combining weight lifting
cardio exercises and eating correctly. Your abs will show in no time.

Ahh... to finally stamp your authority in the gym and at the beach
a wide and powerful gladiator's chest will put you ahead of the pack! Train your chest heavy with dumbbells
barbells and cables machines. Use incline benches rather than flat or declining ones. You want to build the upper chest and not targeting the lower chest in case it gets you the droop or saggy chest which we call 'bitch tits'. Although the pec is one huge muscle
it can be targeted at different places to recruit different fibres to shape it.

In an earlier article we concluded that muscles must be worked to failure if an adequate hypertrophic response is to occur. Whether this involves one or more sets is irrelevant as in either scenario the muscles must be worked to failure and beyond. This causes significant microscopic damage to the muscle tissues and it is during the period of recovery that protein synthesis undertakes the repair process that results in bigger muscle fibers.

But how long does this process take and when is it safe to expose those same muscles to further intensive exercise? Scientific studies suggest that muscle fiber degradation takes approximately five to seven days to repair and recover. Any further exposure of the affected muscle to intensive activity will interfere with the recovery process and actually prevent it from achieving maximum growth. However
using the muscle to assist in exercising other body parts or even taking part in low intensity aerobic exercise will not prevent recovery.

It follows therefore that each muscle group should be trained intensively only once each week in order to allow full recovery. This can be achieved by incorportating a split training regime that allows you to work out several times each week but still exercise each muscle group intensively only once every seven days.

Muscle is an amazing tissue of the body. It is the very part of our body that gives us the control that we want and need in life. The mind is a useless thing often if it doesn’t have muscle to put thought into action. It is also a major part of our body’s defense mechanism. It protects things structurally (joints
bones
etc.) and metabolically
and physically whether by means of escape or defense from the dangers both human and non that we encounter. I want to talk more specifically about these things that I have mentioned in order to help you to understand that it is good to gain muscle.

Protection is the first area to mention when discussing why you should gain muscle and is true in so many different ways. Muscles are major protectors of the joints and bones in our body. Strong muscles that span joints serve as braces for the forces that would otherwise separate and render these joints useless. The same goes for muscles that support long bones. If we didn’t have muscles that were able to absorb the impact of forces that we experience every day than we would always be dealing with fractures and immobility. In fact the activities that promote muscle building are the very same activities that increase bone mineral density
which is especially important for women later in life after menopause. Muscles also help us to maintain our balance protecting us from falls. Muscle tissue is also huge regulator when it comes to blood pressure
and thus has indirect protection of many different major organs including the heart
brain
kidneys
and eyes.

Metabolically muscle is very important in maintaining a healthy weight and absorbing the harmful effect of the typical American diet. This is not to say that if you work out and gain muscle that you are automatically at a healthy weight and can eat whatever you want. But it does mean that those people who spend good amounts of time every week doing weight bearing exercises are less prone to things like diabetes
hypertension
cancer
heart disease
and atherosclerosis—all things that come with obesity—because muscle is a very good metabolizer of the extra fuel (glucose and fat) that we have every day in the typical “unhealthy diet.”

Lastly for this article I want to talk to you about the importance of doing things that only having strong muscle will allow you to do. I am talking especially about your mental health here. Basically if you aren’t strong than you likely aren’t active (they go hand in hand) and if you aren’t active than you are so much more prone to things like inactivity and depression its not funny. So take my advice and start lifting weights to gain muscle which is one of the most precious commodities that you have on your body.

Surprising it may seem
but tracing the history of anabolic steroid will reveal that there was prevalence of its use among professional athletes in ancient Greece. In those times
athletes used natural steroidal substances in order to enhance androgenic and anabolic growth in the body.


As the history of anabolic steroid unfolds
one would find that in early 1930s
German scientists discovered the drug in modern pharmaceutical form - albeit accidentally. There was however no immediate interest to pursue research into the drug's utility.


After a hiatus of nearly 2 decades
the first serious scientific attention to anabolic steroid came upon in 1950s when methandrostenolone or Dianabol was approved by the FDA for use in US in 1958 after it was known to have had promising trials in other countries.


In spite of sporadic trial and use of anabolic steroid from 60s through 80s
doubts remained as to whether it had any real effect. In 1972 a study was done whereby no big difference could be noticed between those who received anabolic steroid injection and those who were given placebo.


Later in 1996
the National Institutes of Health (NIH) decided to examine the effect of the drug by injecting testosterone enanthate in high doses intramuscularly at the rate of 600 mg/week for 10 weeks. The results gave clear indication of increase in muscle mass and decrease in fat mass among those who took the test as against those who took placebo injections.


Meanwhile
the US Congress approved the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990
and accordingly the anabolic steroids are placed into Schedule II of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).


It is not known how the history of anabolic steroid will trace its route in future. For now
as recently as on January 20
2005
the CSA has been further amended to make way for Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004
vide which both anabolic steroids and prohormones are now controlled substances.

Ask any body builder and everyone will say they will feel light headed
nauseous and even sometimes even puke when they train big muscle groups with exercises such as squats and dead lifts. Some great bodybuilders even take pride that they puke after an intensive bout of weightlifting as an indication that they have had a fantastic workout. But to many
these symptoms are unpleasant
disruptive and could be even be dangerous and cause injuries. Perhaps
you may also have experienced these symptoms as well.

What happened? Well
there could be several causes.

• First of all
you may have eaten or drunk too much before your gym workout. So you blood is channeled to your digestive organs for your digestive process. But when you begin to exercise intensively especially on big muscle groups
a lot of blood is channeled away from your digestive organs to the muscles. When that happens
food is now in your digestive system left unattended and therefore undigested and thus causing you to feel nauseous.

• Your blood sugar level may be low. This could happen when you are on a low carbohydrate caloric restriction diet or have not eaten for sometime and is now lifting heavy weights. You will feel giddy
tired and may even develop a headache and suffering muscular weakness. It simply boils down to a decreased of energy level for not having enough energy nutrients prior to your workout.

• The most common cause of nausea when weight lifting is low blood pressure. It could be inherent that you have low blood pressure and if not
it is caused by change of body position. Have you ever felt giddy when you are sitting stationary for sometime then suddenly gotten up and stretch? Well
if you have had that experience
then the same logic and science applies. The sudden fall of blood pressure happens when you are in a squatting position and then suddenly bursting upwards to a standing position with the blood pooled in your lower body and not sending the blood fast enough to your upper body and your brain.

These are some of the reasons why many of us will experience giddiness
nausea and even puke when we do exercises like squats and dead lifts with heavy weights and when working on big muscle groups.

Now that we know the reasons
we can avoid these unpleasant symptoms by taking necessary precautions during our gym workout on heavy weight days.