The Way To A Great Physique

2007-11-28T14:52:00.001+05:30

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Body-Building Essentials

Basic Tips for Body-Building

Basic Nutrition Guide for Body-Building

2007-11-28T14:48:00.001+05:30

One of The main components of the formula for bodybuilding success is nutrition. Nutrition is what gives us the raw materials for recuperation, energy, and growth. Without a good diet, your dreams of achieving your ideal body will never be reached.

Characteristics of a Good Nutrition Program

1) It should favor smaller and frequent feedings throughout the day instead of large and infrequent ones. Why? Because when you feed your body several times a day, your metabolism increases. Therefore, you burn more fat. Frequent feedings are of particular importance since after three to four hours of no food your body switches to a catabolic state (a state in which you lose muscle and gain fat!).

The body believes that it is starving and it starts feeding itself on lean muscle tissue and it prepares to store calories as fat. Bad scenario! Therefore, in order for your program to work, you will eat between four to six meals (depending gender and goals) a day spaced out at 2 to 3 hour intervals.

2) Every meal should have carbohydrates, protein and fat in the correct ratios. Having a meal that is not balanced (for example is all carbohydrates) won't yield the desired results. Every macronutrient has to be present in order for the body to absorb them and use them properly. Without boring you with the effect of food on the body's biochemistry, let's just say that if you only eat carbohydrates in one meal without anything else, your energy levels will crash in about 30 minutes and your body will be storing any carbohydrates that were not used into fat. Conversely, if you only eat protein, you will lack energy and your body will not be able to turn the protein into muscle because it is difficult for the body to absorb protein in the absence of carbohydrates. In addition, the ratios for each particular macronutrient have to be correct in order to get the results that you want. The ratio of our diet will look like the following:

40% Carbohydrates
40% Protein
20% Fats

Note that for every serving of carbohydrates, you get a serving of Protein. You can use Bill Phillips' Method of creating meals which is to count a portion of carbohydrates as the amount of food the size of your clenched fist and a portion of protein as the amount of food the size of your open palms.

3) The calories should be cycled. I strongly believe in caloric cycling as this will not allow the metabolism to get used to a certain caloric level; something that leads to stagnant results.

Therefore, bodybuilders in search of just muscle mass should follow 5 days of high calories (lean body mass x 15) with two days of lower caloric intake (lean body mass x12). Bodybuilders in search of losing fat while building muscle at the same time should follow 5 days of lower caloric intake (lean body mass x12) with 2 days of higher calories (lean body mass x 15).

Note: If you build muscle and lose fat at the same time you will not gain muscle as fast as you would if you just concentrated in muscle mass. However, you get to get both goals accomplished at the same time.

People interested in body sculpting (which is moderate muscle building with enough fat loss to go down to 10% body fat for males and 12-13% for women) should alternate between two weeks of lower calories (around 2000 for men and 1200 for women) and two weeks of higher calories (around 2500 for men and 1500 for women). These caloric intakes assume a normal activity level that only includes body sculpting training. Those of you involved in activities like marathon running or heavy physical labor jobs need to adjust your calories upwards accordingly mainly in the form of carbohydrates in order to support your higher levels of activity.

What's a Diet?
While the word "diet" brings these images of pain and starvation to most people's mind, a diet is simply the food choices that you make on a daily basis. So if you eat potato chips and sodas all day long, that is your diet.

Regardless of which diet you follow, there are 3 macronutrients that are present in one way or the other in all of them. Understanding what role these nutrients play, how to obtain them, and how much to consume of them on a daily basis will lead you to the bodybuilding and fitness results you have been looking for.

Bodybuilding Nutrition Basics

There are 3 macronutrients that the human body needs in order to function properly. These macronutrients make up your bodybuilding and/or fitness diet.

1) Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates are your body's main source of energy. When you ingest carbohydrates your pancreas releases a hormone called insulin. Insulin is very important because:

A) On a very simplistic level, it takes the carbohydrates and either stores them in the muscle or stores them as fat (assuming that the carbohydrates are not needed for energy at the moment and assuming that both the muscles and the liver stores are full).

B) It takes the amino acids (protein) and delivers them inside the muscle cell for recovery and repair.

Most people that are overweight and are in low fat/high carbohydrate diets got into that condition because they are eating an overabundance of carbohydrates. Too many carbohydrates cause a huge release of insulin. When there is too much insulin in the body, your body turns into a fat storing machine.

Therefore, it is important that we eat no more carbohydrates than necessary and that we eat the right amount of carbohydrates.

Now that we have talked about the importance of having just the right amount of carbohydrates, let's talk about which are the best sources of carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are divided into complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates. The complex carbohydrates give you sustained energy ("timed release") while the simple carbohydrates gives you immediate energy. It is recommended that you eat mainly complex carbohydrates throughout the day except after the workout where your body needs simple carbohydrates in order to replenish its glycogen levels immediately, something that will aid faster recuperation and rebuild of the muscle. Below is a list of good sources of carbohydrates:

Complex Carbohydrates:

There are two types:

Complex Carbohydrates:

1) Starchy: Oatmeal (1 cup dry), sweet potatoes (8 oz baked), potatoes (8 oz baked), rice (1 cup cooked), pasta (8oz cooked), corn (1 cup canned), peas (2 cups cooked). Each serving approximately equals 40-50 grams of carbohydrates.

2) Fibrous: Broccoli (1/2 cup raw), carrots (1 cup raw), cauliflower (1/2 cup raw), green beans (1/2 cup raw), lettuce (5 cups raw), mushrooms (3/4 cups raw), pepper (1/2 cup raw), spinach (3-1/2 cups raw), zucchini (1 cup raw). Each serving approximately equals 6 grams of carbohydrates.

Simple Carbohydrates:

Apples (1 apple), bananas (1 banana), grapefruit (1 grapefruit), grapes (22 grapes), oranges (1-1/2 orange), pears (1 pear), pineapple (3/4 of a cup).
Each serving approximately equals 20-25 grams of carbohydrates.

2) Protein

Every tissue in your body is made up from protein (i.e., muscle, hair, skin, and nails). Proteins are the building blocks of muscle tissue. Without it, building muscle and burning fat efficiently would be impossible. Its importance is paramount. Protein also helps increase your metabolism every time you eat it by 20%! It also makes the carbohydrates timed release, so you get sustained energy throughout the day.

Everybody that is involved in a weight training program should consume between 1 gram of protein to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass (meaning that if you are 100 lbs. And have 10% body fat, you should consume at least 90 g of protein since your lean body mass = 90 lbs.). Nobody should consume more than 1.5 grams per pound of lean body mass as this is unnecessary and the extra protein may get turned into fat.

Good examples of protein are eggs (I use Egg Substitute: 1-1/2 cups liquid), chicken breast (cooked, skinless and boneless: 6 oz), turkey (cooked, skinless and boneless: 6 oz), lean (90% lean) red meats (6 oz), and tuna (6 oz). Each serving size equals approximately 35-40 grams of protein.

3) Healthy Fats
All the cells in the body have some fat in them. Hormones are manufactured from fats. Also fats lubricate your joints. So if you eliminate the fat from your diet, then your hormonal production will go down and a whole array of chemical reactions will be interrupted. Your body will then start accumulating more body fat than usual so that it has enough fat to keep on functioning. Since testosterone production is halted, so is muscle building. Therefore, in order to have an efficient metabolism we need fat.

There are three types of fats: Saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated.

a) Saturated Fats: Saturated fats are associated with heart disease and high cholesterol levels. They are found to a large extent in products of animal origin. However, some vegetable fats are altered in a way that increases the amount of saturated fats in them by a chemical process known as hydrogenation. Hydrogenated vegetable oils are generally found in packaged foods. In addition, cocunut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil, which are also frequently used in packaged foods and non-dairy creamers are also highly saturated.

b) Polyunsaturated Fats: Fats that do not have an effect in cholesterol levels. Most of the fats in vegetable oils, such as corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean, and sunflower oil are polyunsaturated.

c) Monounsaturated Fats: Fats that have a positive effect on the good cholesterol levels. These fats are usually high on the essential fatty acids and may have antioxidant properties. Sources of these fats are Fish Oils, Virgin Olive Oil, Canola Oil, and Flaxseed Oil. We like to refer to these type of fats as good fats.

Twenty percent of your calories should come from good fats. Any less than 20% and your hormonal production goes down. Any more than 20% and you start accumulating plenty of fat. The way that I get my fats is by taking 1 teaspoon of Flaxseed Oil three times a day (I put them in my protein shakes).

Good sources of fat are canola oil (1 tablespoon), natural peanut butter (2 tablespoons), olive oil (1 tablespoon), flaxseed oil (1 tablespoon), and fish oils (1 tablespoon). Each serving size contains approximately 14 grams of fat.

Water

Water is by far the most abundant substance in our body. Without water, an organism would not survive very long. Most people that come to me for advice on how to get in shape, almost always underestimate the value of water.

Water is good for the following reasons:

1) Over 65% of your body is composed of water (most of the muscle cell is water).

2) Water cleanses your body from toxins and pollutants that would get you sick.

3) Water is needed for all of the complex chemical reactions that your body needs to perform on a daily basis. Processes such as energy production, muscle building, and fat burning require water. A lack of water would interrupt all of these processes.

4) Water helps lubricate the joints.

5) When the outside temperature is up, water serves as a coolant to bring the body temperature down to where it is supposed to be.

6) Water helps control your appetite. Sometimes when you feel hungry after a good meal this sensation indicates a lack of water. Drinking water at that time would take the craving away.

7) Cold water increases your metabolism.

In order to know how much water your body needs a day, just multiply your lean body weight by .66. This would indicate how many ounces of water you need in a day.

The Importance Of Proper Warm-up

2007-11-28T14:42:00.000+05:30

One of the most costly mistakes that I see in the gym week in and week out is that the majority of lifters fail to recognize the importance of a proper warmup. Some lifters perform a wimpy, worthless warmup that consists of 1 set of 20 reps using the weight of the bar, and others neglect the warmup process altogether.

There are two main reasons why a proper warmup will serve you well both in the short and long term...

1) A proper warmup will increase the amount of weight that you are able to lift during your actual workout, thereby maximizing muscle stimulation and growth.

2) A proper warmup will greatly decrease your chances of injury.

Now I don't know about you, but to me that looks like two perfectly good reasons to spend a simple 15-20 minutes before each workout properly warming up.

Don't you agree?

Good, now let me explain what a proper warm-up should consist of...

The first component of a proper warmup consists of 5 minutes of light cardiovascular activity. You can choose any basic piece of cardio equipment to perform this such as a recumbent bike, rowing machine or treadmill.

This basic cardio warmup will increase your body's core temperature, stimulate your heart and lungs and will also lubricate your joints by increasing the secretion of synovial fluid.

As you perform this 5 minute cardio warmup, envision the workout that you will soon be performing. Focus on mentally preparing yourself for the battle that lies ahead and accept that you will soon be putting forth a maximal effort. It's crucial that you prepare both your mind and body for your workouts, since your mental attitude plays such a vital role in your success.

Once your 5 minutes is up, you can move into the next and final component of the warmup process. In this section you will be performing 5 warmup sets using the first major compound exercise of your workout.

For example, if you were training legs and squats were your main exercise, then you would perform 5 warmup sets for squats. The goal here is to start by using a very light weight with high repetitions and gradually increase the resistance while lowering the repetitions.

However, the most crucial aspect of these 5 warmup sets is this:

YOU MUST NOT FATIGUE YOUR MUSCLES WHATSOEVER DURING THESE 5 SETS!

Remember, this is merely a warmup that is designed to increase blood flow to the muscles and surrounding connective tissue. Its purpose is also to increase the amount of weight you will be able to lift on your muscle-building sets by preparing your mind and body for the heavy weights to come.

If you fatigue your muscles during these sets then you are completely destroying their entire purpose. Here is a basic formula you can follow when calculating how much weight to use and how many reps to perform on your warmups.

The percentage given is in relation to the weight that you will use for your muscle-building set. If you were planning on squatting 200 pounds, then the first set should be performed with 100 pounds for 10 reps as you can see below.

Set 1: 50% x 10 reps

Set 2: 60% x 6 reps

Set 3: 70% x 4 reps

Set 4: 80% x 3 reps

Set 5: 90% x 1 rep

In Short,Before Starting Your Actual Work-out,Gradually Move towards your starting set weight in 4-5 steps.That is the best way for Warm-up.

Once you've completed these 5 basic sets you can move right into your actual workout.

Do not underestimate the importance of this warmup process! It will go a long way in keeping you injury free and in preparing your body for those grueling workouts. It only takes about 15-20 minutes to perform and the benefits will far outweigh the costs.

If you're looking for more insight into the proper methods for structuring an effective muscle-building workout, visit my website by clicking the link below. You can gain instant access to a full step-by-step 26-week workout plan that has been used successfully by thousands of people from all over the world...

80 things I have learned in the Gym

2007-11-28T13:41:00.000+05:30

Throughout the years I've been involved in strength training, I've met and worked with some interesting people and also wasted a whole lot time on a variety of techniques. Looking back over it all, I have to ask myself, " What are the most important lessons I have learned so far?"

Well, they may not be rocket science or life-altering, but I think it's safe to say that the take-home messages includes some pretty damn good info that can benefit anyone involved in this field, regardless of their training age or level of expertise.Even if You are not a pro body-builder look for what concerns you.

80 Things I Have Learned

Nobody knows it all. Check out as many sources as you can when looking for information

Training to failure is a tool. Used wisely, it will do the job. Over-use will wear out its effects.

I could care less about how much you bench press. It is not the end-all for determining upper body strength.

The weakest link is usually in the gripâ€¦amp;quot;fix it and you'll find your upper body strength increasing.

You are what you eat. Eat crap and, in most instances, you'll train like crap.

Learn how to differentiate between good pain and bad pain. If it's a "shooting" it's not good, but if it's stiffness or soreness, that's ok.

Cheating on your diet can be a good thing.

Staring at people in the gym is rude.

Deep tissue massage does the muscles good.

The quality of sleep is important.

An increase in effort will never make up for a lack in program-planning.

Everyone's a know-it-all on the Internet, and these types don't usually practice what they preach.

Good training partners are hard to come byâ€¦amp;quot;they're like a rare gem. If you find one, don't let go. They can make or break what you hope to accomplish in the gym.

Don't ever become satisfied with your body because the day you become satisfied is the day you'll stop training.

Expect negative criticism, but never let it get in the way of your achievement.

The physique you strive for involves a difficult journey; cherish the road you travel and it will make you a better person.

Don't let hunger dictate what you eat. The brain is a trickster.

Small muscles recover faster then large muscles.

Squatting makes the world a better place. It teaches you about self discipline and perseverence; to keep on going when the going gets tough.

Not all fats are bad.

Beware of those who push "the newest, most exceptional" style of training. Most styles and methods are already well-known.

Start a food log and maintain it because you'll learn so much from keeping one.

Don't train in pain â€¦amp;quot; listen to your body.

If it aint broke don't fix it. In other words, if it works keep doing it until it doesn't work anymore.

You're only as strong as your weakest link.

Too often, people focus on how much they _can_ lift, not on how much they _should_ lift.

There are no "one-size fits all" training programs.

There's no one best way. Every method has advantages and disadvantages.

Don't be close-minded. Critical thinking is a valuable tool in life which leads to unlimited progress.

Building an appreciable amount of muscle takes a long timeâ€¦amp;quot;as well as patience, dedication, self-discipline and a lot of hard work.

A good program revolves around compound movements.

Size does not equal strength. Just because someone is big doesn't mean they're strong, and vice versa.

Sadly, most personal trainers don't have half a clue about what they're doing.

Cheating in an exercise equates to injury, if not immediately, then down the road.

Family, career, and education should always come before the pursuit of physique-related goals.

Don't compare yourself to someone else; compare you to you.

If you think you know everything there is to know about training, nutrition and/or supplementation, you're sadly mistaken.

The more you know, the less you know.

Training to failure using high volume works great for those who use drugs. The body can only handle so much stress and overload. If you're a "natural" lifter, less is more

To be the best you need to study hard, read lots and practice what you learn.

Focus on the big picture, don't sweat the small stuff.

Use it or lose it.

Always do the opposite of what a magazine says. If it says to do high volume workouts, cut your volume in half.

Don't be afraid to experiment; trial and error is part of the learning process.

Consistency is the key to gains in strength and muscle.

There are no short-cuts to a great physique.

Nothing beats wholesome food.

You cannot shape a muscle; you can only make it bigger in appearance. If you're lacking a great quad sweep, deal with it.

Excuses, excuses, excuses, just do it!

If you have a problem with your training, identify the area and fix it. Address the issueâ€¦amp;quot;don't do a side-step.

Smaller goals need to be implemented and achieved in order for the larger goal to be accomplished.

Nothing can make up for the lack of proper nutrition and training.

Don't get caught up with having a sensational workout every time you go to the gym. Everyone has "off" days.

Lifting weights solely for the purpose of bedding the opposite sex is lame.

The chances of you being the next Ronnie Coleman are the same as you winning the lottery. It won't likely ever happen.

Respect your eldersâ€¦amp;quot;listen and learnâ€¦amp;quot;even if you don't agree with them.

Training hard in the gym will not make up for a poor nutritional intake.

Train smart, not hard.

Genetics play a role in training, however the majority that use this excuse aren't even close to their genetic limit.

If someone says," it's the best," chances are they're trying to sell you something.

Keep up-to-date with scientific studies, but don't follow them blindly.

Always pursue good form and technique.

Machines are not evil.

White sugar should be outlawed.

Size doesn't equate with knowledge. The biggest guy in the gym doesn't always know what he's talking about.

Use periodization. It works.

Squats are not bad for the knees if you have healthy knee joints.

Isolation exercises should play a supporting role in a program.

Supplements are meant to be used in conjunction with a proper eating program, not as substitutes for good food.

You cannot isolate a muscle. You can place more emphasis on a particular area, but you cannot selectively isolate a muscle.

Overtraining doesn't occur after a couple of sessions. It takes time to build up.

Opinions are like a-holes, everybody has one. But if you're going to voice one, make sure you can back it up.

Shut up and listen. Sometimes being quiet, when you don't want to be, is the best thing.

Every method has its place. It's just a matter of knowing when and where to place it in a trainee's program.

You cannot "shock" a muscle.

Always strive for perfection. You won't reach it, but the attempt itself produces continual results

Read every training-related piece of information you can get your hands on.

A good protein powder, thermogenic and creatine, are all you need to spend you money on.

Treat the abdominal muscle like any other; work it hard.

Be kind, courteous, helpful and respectful to everyone around you. You are the missionaries of iron.

2007-11-28T13:25:00.001+05:30

Essential Tips For Body Building

1 . 10 Things You Must do to Gain Muscle Mass

2 . Weight Training Rules For Skinny Guys

3 . The Importance Of Proper Warm-up

4 . The Basic Nutrition Guide For Body-Building

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~Muscle Building-Weight Training Rules For Skinny Guys

2007-11-19T02:22:00.000+05:30

You wake up in the morning and look in the mirror. Pleased with your appearance? If you more resemble the appearance of a long distance marathon runner than a world class sprinter, don't worry, you aren't alone. You just need to start following these weight lifting rules.

There are quite a few guys who simply have trouble packing on the lean muscle mass. Whether their hormonal environment isn't quite as favorable or genetics was just out to get them at birth, one thing is for sure and that's that they need to follow a slightly different set of weight lifting methods than those who seem to grow muscle overnight.

Luckily for you, you're taking the time to do your research about weight lifting so you won't be destined to a life where it seems like a strong wind might knock you over.

First, one of the key factors that skinny guys need to remember is that they must avoid volume work at all costs.

Rule #1:

Get in the gym and get out! That should be your motto from this day forward. Repeat it. Breathe it. Live it. Weight lifting is a calorie expensive activity and you need all the calories you can get at this point. If you are burning it up in the gym every single day, how do you expect to grow? You won't.

You grow when you are resting and generally, the skinnier you are, the more rest you are going to need.

Now, that doesn't mean you should park it on the couch for a few days in between your workouts. It simply means that each weight lifting should not consist of set after set after set. Followed by a rest break to talk to that hot receptionist and then back to another twenty sets.

No, you're workouts need to consist of ten-twelve or fewer sets where you are pushing yourself to the MAX. There is no room for sissy, light-weight work in your weight lifting program.

Which brings us to Rule #2:

Ditch the isolated exercises. Who needs them? You certainly don't.

If your workouts normally include bicep curls, followed by tricep kickbacks, followed by leg extensions, followed by chest flys, followed by, etc., you get the picture, you've got to change this pronto. Remember, you've only got so much time you are allowed to be in the gym for. Don't you want to get the biggest bang for your buck? Likely you do, so that means focusing on compound lifts only. This includes weight lifting exercises such as squats, bench presses, deadlifts, rows and military presses.

Become friends with those exercises and you will have new muscles in the picture soon enough. Toss the five day split program, get yourself on a good upper/lower or full body workout program and you have found the key to unleashing new muscle mass.

Now onto the next significant point. Cardio.

Rule # 3.

I know, I know, you want to be big, but you don't want to be fat. Let's not worry about that at this point, because you and I both know you are a long ways from fat.

Gaining fat weight is going to be more a concept of diet than anything else so as long as you are being smart in the kitchen, you don't need to perform hours of cardio to remain lean. Cardio is just going to further burn off precious calories that could have gone towards building you new muscle mass. For you, calories are a hot commodity and should not be spent on the treadmill.

If you want to keep up some cardio for general health sake, fine, but limit this to two or three twenty minute sessions per week - TOPS. And make it low to moderate intensity as well. The only place you are to be intense is in the weight room.

This leads to rule #4.

REST! You've put in your effort at the gym, fed your body with some good food and now what? Plans to go out partying all night with your buddies? You might want to rethink that. While you definitely want to maintain your social life while trying to gain weight - and you should - it should not come at the sacrifice of sleep.

Sleep is primetime when it comes to your body repairing itself and growing stronger so short-circuit sleep and you are short-circuiting your results. Just don't do it. Period. It's that simple.

Get ready for rule #5.

Technique. Ever seen that guy in the gym who is hoisting so much weight on his barbell for barbell curls that it looks like he's got more momentum going on than the Gravitron at the fair? He's pretty much working every muscle in his body except his biceps. Not so beneficial. Not only that, but give him two weeks and a hundred bucks says he's out with back pain.

You must maintain proper form throughout your weight lifting, not only to prevent injuries but also to see the muscular gains you are looking for. If you cheat form, you are only cheating yourself. If you don't know what proper form is yet, book a session with a trainer or find yourself a spotter who can help you.

And now, bonus rule #6

Find a mentor. You want someone who's been there, done that. They used to be a skinny bastard just like you and they've managed to overcome the curse and now tip the scales and dominate the weight room. This guy will do wonders for your motivational levels. Don't feel like lifting? Have a good look at his body. You'll want to pick that weight up after that. Furthermore, he can let you in on some of his tried-and-true secrets that just might be key for you as well.

So to sum up your new approach to your weight lifting sessions - get in, train hard and with proper technique, get out, eat and rest. Repeat this process over a few months without getting distracted or becoming too much of a party animal and you will make this the year you change your dreaded skinny image.

Weight Loss-10 Tips For Long Term Weight Loss

2007-11-19T01:25:00.000+05:30

1. Do some resistive weight training 3 to 4 times a week using short rest periods between sets of 30 to 60 seconds. Work out no longer than 1 hour to keep your anabolic (muscle-building) hormones high and catabolic (muscle-wasting) hormones low. Over-training is a quick way to lose muscle along with fat. Maintaining muscle is the goal, and it will help keep your metabolic rate high so that fat loss continues at a steady pace. Attempt to lose no more than 1 to 1.5 pounds of fat per week.

2. Avoid traditional long duration cardio, instead perform HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) 2-3 times per week on alternating days or after weight training to burn fat and increase metabolic rate. HIIT cardio is best done on alternating days from weight training if possible.

3. Watch what you eat. Beware of low-fat or fat-free products. Typically, these products are loaded with carbohydrates and while you are not getting the fat, you may be getting way too many calories from simple carbohydrates. Avoid simple sugars and eat complex carbohydrates in moderation to reduce insulin output and prevent blood sugar fluctuations. Insulin is the main hormone responsible for storing body fat, and high insulin levels prevent the burning of stored body fat for energy. High-carbohydrate diets are not the optimal way to lose fat while preserving lean muscle. Rely on complex, high-fiber carbohydrates such as oatmeal, lentils and brown rice. Avoid breads, pasta, white rice and other highly processed, low-fiber carbohydrate sources, as well as sweets. As a guide, reduce carbohydrate intake to 0.8 to 1.2 grams per pound of body weight. For example, a 150-pound person would eat between 120 and 180 grams per day of carbohydrates (150 x 0.8 = 120 / 150 x 1.2 = 180).

4. Increase the amount of lean protein you consume daily to increase your metabolic rate, increase anabolic hormones and prevent muscle loss during dieting. Lean muscle mass is the active tissue that burns calories and maintains metabolic rate. The goal is to preserve the active tissue we want while encouraging the body to reduce the tissue (fat) we don't want. Eat high-quality, low-fat protein sources like skinless chicken, lean red meat and seafood during your weight loss program. High-quality protein supplements may be used when the diet does not yield enough daily protein.

5. Reduce saturated fats whenever possible and replace with polyunsaturated fats such as flax oil and monounsaturated fats such as olive oil and avocados. Polyunsaturated fats are considered "good fats" and should be a part of your diet. Research shows that omega-3 oils from many sources of fish like cod, flounder, haddock, monkfish, perch, red snapper, sea bass, salmon and tuna help improve health and fat loss. Essential fatty acids (EFA) are required for optimum health and fatty acid metabolism. Avoiding "good fats" is a sure way to sabotage a fat-loss diet and degrade your health.

6. Drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water a day to prevent dehydration and help liberate fat stores to be burned as energy. Water intake is often cited as the most underrated and overlooked part of fat loss.

7. Eat fibrous vegetables to increase transit time of food, improve digestion and improve weight loss. Increasing fiber intake from vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and other raw vegetables adds fiber, minerals and vitamins with very few calories. They add bulk to the diet while reducing appetite.

8. Spread food intake over 5 to 6 meals per day. Distributing your food throughout the day will improve nutrient absorption, prevent blood sugar fluctuations and decrease fat-storing hormones and fat-storing enzymes. Simply spreading the same number of calories over 5 to 6 small meals per day rather than the standard 3 meals per day will improve fat loss due to the above effects on blood sugar, hormones and fat-storing enzymes.

9. Avoid alcohol (or keep it to a minimum) while you're dieting. Alcohol contains nearly 7 calories per gram, and is easily metabolized and stored as fat. When you consume alcohol with a meal, your body will metabolize the alcohol first. The rest of the calories and the excess alcohol calories inevitably will be stored as fat. Alcohol is generally regarded as empty carbohydrate calories because you get no other nutritional benefit as you would from the vitamins, minerals and fiber that you get from the carbohydrates in fruits and vegetables.

10. Be snack smart. When you must have a snack, make a smart choice. Avoid sugary or fatty snacks like chips and soda, crackers, nuts, frozen yogurt and so on. Instead, try some air-popped popcorn (no butter or salt) or a slice of lean meat like turkey. When you space your meals to 5 or 6 a day, snacking becomes less important to you. Check the nutritional panels on your snacks for sugars and fats, remembering that fat-free does not mean calorie-free, and remember, excess carbohydrates in your diet will be stored as fat.

2007-11-19T01:18:00.000+05:30

Weight Loss Articles

1. Unable to Lose Weight,No matter what you try? Read This.

2. Try This And Never Get Fat

3.10 Tips For Long Term Weight Loss

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2007-11-19T01:11:00.000+05:30

Body Building Articles

1. 18 Benefits Of Weight Training

2. Another Advantage Of Weight Training

3. 80 Things i Have learned in The Gym

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** Neck Exercises-Rear Neck

2007-11-16T01:11:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see the full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching movements.

Rear Neck ( Neck Extensors or Splenius )

Cable
- Neck Extension
Lever
- Neck Extension
- Neck Lateral Flexion
Weighted
- Neck Extension

Stretching For Rear Neck

- Neck Extensor

Also see Plow stretch for Lower Back

.

** Neck Exercises-Front / Side Neck

2007-11-16T01:08:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see the full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching movements.

Front / Side Neck (Sternicleidomastoid or Neck Flexors )

Cable
- Neck Flexion
Lever
- Neck Flexion
- Neck Lateral Flexion
Weighted
- Neck Flexion
- Neck Lateral Flexion

Stretching For Front / Side Neck

**Hips Exercises-Deep Hip External Rotators

2007-11-16T01:05:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see the full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching movements.

Deep Hip External Rotators

See Cable Push Pull (push side).

See following exercise for External Rotators

Lever
- Seated Hip Abduction

Stretching For External Rotators

**Hips Exercises-Hip Flexors

2007-11-16T01:01:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see the full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching movements.

Hip Flexors

Cable
- Lying Leg Raise
  - Straight Leg
- Single Leg Raise
Lever
- Hip Flexion
Weighted

Stretching for Hip Flexors

**Hips Exercises-Hip Abductors

2007-11-16T00:55:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see the full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching movements.

Hip Abductors

Cable
- Hip Abduction
Lever
- Seated Hip Abduction
- Standing Hip Abduction

Hip Abductors also internally rotate hip as in the Cable Push Pull (pull side).

Stretching For Hip Abductors

**Hips Exercises-Glutes ( Hips )

2007-11-16T00:47:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see the full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching movements.

Gluteus Maximus ( Hips or Butt )

See similar exercises

Stretching for Hips

**Waist Exercises-Transverse Abs

2007-11-10T12:11:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see the full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching movements.

Transverse Abs ( Transverse Abdominus )

Abdominal Vacuum

Note:

Transverse Abs are a part of the Stomach where our Rib cage ends.The Obliques and the Transverse Abs increase the intra-abdominal pressure necessary for the support of the vertebral column in some exercises. With the assistance of the Abs and Obliques, the Tranvers Abs hold the abdomen ( Stomach ) flat.

**Waist Exercises-Abdominals ( Abs )

2007-11-10T11:51:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see the full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching movements.

Abdominals ( Abs or Rectus Abdominis )

Cable

Straight Leg

Lever

Weighted

Crunch

Hanging Hip-Leg Raise

Straight Leg

Incline Crunch

Advanced

Advanced

Plyometric

Medicine Ball Sit-Up

Also See Oblique Exercise Below

Weighted

Stretching For Abs

**Waist Exercises-Obliques ( Side Waist )

2007-11-10T11:43:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see the full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching movements.

Obliques ( Side Waist )

Also see:

Plyometric Exercises

Broomstick Twist
Medicine Ball Twist
- Seated
- Standing

Stretching for Obliques

**Waist Exercises-Lower Back (Erector Spinae)

2007-11-10T11:16:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see the full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching movements.

Lower Back ( Erector Spinae )

See Hamstrings for similar exercises.

Also see General Back exercises below:

Cable
- Seated Row
  - Wide Grip

Exercises using Bodyweight

Stretching for Lower Back ( Erector Spinae )

**Calf Exercises-Shins ( Tibialis Anterior )

2007-11-09T01:17:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see the full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching movements.

Shins ( Tibialis Anterior )

Barbell
- Reverse Calf Raise
Cable
- Reverse Calf Raise
Dumbbell
- Reverse Calf Raise
- Single Leg Reverse Calf Raise
Lever
Sled
Smith
- Reverse Calf Raise

Stretching for Shins ( Tibialis Anterior )

**Calf Exercises-Outer Calves ( Soleus )

2007-11-09T01:15:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see the full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching movements.

Outer Calves ( Soleus )

Barbell
- Safety Barbell Seated Calf Raise
Lever
- Seated Calf Raise
Smith
- Seated Calf Raise

Stretching for Outer Calves ( Soleus )

**Calf Exercises-General

2007-11-09T01:10:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see the full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching movements.

Calf Exercises ( General )

Barbell
- Standing Calf Raise
Cable
- Standing Calf Raise
Dumbbell
- Single Leg Calf Raise
Lever
Sled
Smith
- Standing Calf Raise
Weighted
- Donkey Calf Raise
- Single Leg Calf Raise

Stretching For Calves ( General )

**Thigh Exercise ( Inner Thigh )

2007-11-04T10:55:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see the full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching movements.

Inner Thigh ( Hip Abductors )

Cable
- Hip Adduction
Lever
- Seated Hip Adduction
- Standing Hip Adduction

Stretching for Inner Thigh

**Thigh Exercises ( Hamstrings or Rear Thigh )

2007-11-04T10:32:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see the full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching movements.

Hamstrings ( Rear Thigh )

Barbell

Hip Extension

Hyper-Extension( 45 Degree )

Hip-Extension ( 45 Degree )

Cable

Dumbbell

Lever

Alternating

Smith

Weighted

Hip Extension

Hyper-Extension ( 45 Degree )

Hip-Extension

Stretching For Hamstrings

Seated

Seated ( Chair )

Single Leg

**Thigh Exercises ( Quadriceps or Front thigh )

2007-11-04T09:52:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching moves.

Quadriceps Or Front thigh

Stretching for Quads

**Back Exercises ( Rotatory Cuff )

2007-11-04T09:32:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see the full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching movements.

Rotator Cuff ( Infraspinatus & Teres Minor )

Cable

Seated external rotation

Standing

Dumbbell

Lying external rotation

Incline

Upright external rotation

Lever

External rotation

See General Back for basic exercises

Rotator Cuff ( Subscapularis )

Cable

Internal rotation

Dumbbell

Internal rotation

Lever

Internal rotation

Stretching for Rotatory Cuff

**Back Exercises ( Traps )

2007-11-03T14:16:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see the full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching movements.

Upper Traps ( Trapezius,Upper Fibers)

Middle Traps ( Trapezius,Middle Fibers)

See Exercise

Upper Traps ( Above )
General Back

Lower Traps ( Trapezius ,Lower Fibers)

See Exercises

Stretching for Traps

Upper Trapezius

**Back Exercises ( Outer & Middle Back )

2007-11-03T14:03:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see the full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching movements.

Outer Back ( Latissimus Dorsi / Teres Major )

Middle Back ( Rhomboids )

See Exercises

Stretching for Outer Back

Stretching for Middle Back

Fixed Bar
Hugging

**Back Exercises ( General )

2007-11-03T13:57:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see the full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching movements.

General Back

Barbell
- Cambered Bar Lying Row
- Bent-over Row
Cable
Dumbbell
- Bent-over Row
- Lying Row
Lever
Smith
- Bent-over Row
Weighted
- Supine Row

Stretching for Back

**Forearms Exercises

2007-11-03T13:46:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see the full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching movements.

Upper-Outer Forearms ( Brachioradialis )

Barbell
- Reverse Curl
- Reverse Preacher Curl
Cable
- Reverse Curl
- Reverse Preacher Curl
Dumbbell
- Hammer Curl
Lever
- Reverse Curl
- Reverse Preacher Curl

Inner Forearm ( Wrist Flexors)

Outer or Back forearms ( Wrist Extensors )

Barbell
- Reverse Wrist Curl
Cable
- Reverse Wrist Curl
- Wrist Roller
Dumbbell
- Reverse Wrist Curl
Lever
- Reverse Wrist Curl
- Wrist Roller

Stretching for Forearms

**Shoulder Exercises ( Rotatory cuff )

2007-10-27T14:22:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with Stretching moves.

Rotatory Cuff ( Supraspinatus )

Cable

Front lateral raise

Dumbbell

Also see Middle Delts or Lateral Deltoids
for more exercises

.

**Chest Exercises (Serratus Anterior)

2007-10-27T12:56:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the link below to see full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching moves.

Serratus Anterior (Boxer's Muscle)

Barbell
- Incline Shoulder Raise
Cable
- Incline Shoulder Raise
- One Arm Incline Push
Dumbbell
- Incline Shoulder Raise
Lever
- Incline Shoulder Raise
Smith
- Incline Shoulder Raise

Plyometric

Also See

Cable

One Arm Twisting Push

**Chest Exercises (Pectoralis minor)

2007-10-27T11:38:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching moves.

Pectoralis Minor (Outer Chest or Side Chest)

Assisted
- Chest Dip
Cable
- Standing Fly
Lever
- Chest Dip
Weighted
- Chest Dip

Also See

Barbell

Pullover

Bent Arm

Cable

Pullover

Lever

Pullover

Stretching for Pectoralis Minor

**Chest Exercises (Upper Chest)

2007-10-27T11:28:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching moves.

Upper Chest (Pectoralis Major , clavicular)

Barbell
- Incline Bench Press
Cable
- Incline Bench Press
Dumbbell
- Incline Bench Press
Lever
- Incline Bench Press
- Incline Chest Press
Smith
- Incline Bench Press

Stretching for Upper Chest

Doorway Chest Stretch

**Chest Exercises (General)

2007-10-27T10:57:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching moves.

General (Pectoralis Major , Sternal)

Assisted
- Chest Dip
Barbell
- Bench Press
  - Power Lift
  - Guillotine
- Decline Bench Press
Cable
Dumbbell
Lever
Smith
- Bench Press
- Decline Bench Press
Weighted
- Chest Dip
- Push-up

Plyometric

Stretching For Chest

**Triceps Exercises

2007-10-21T22:33:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the link below to see the full description of the exercises with moving images along with stretching moves.

Triceps (Triceps Brachii)

Stretching For Triceps

Overhead

**Biceps Exercises

2007-10-21T22:23:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see full description of exercises with moving images.Along with Stretching moves.

Biceps(Inner & Outer Head)

Barbell
- Curl
Cable
- Curl
  - One Arm
- Supine Curl
Dumbbell
- Curl
- Incline Curl
Lever

Curl

Lower Biceps (Brachialis)

Barbell
- Preacher Curl
- Prone Incline Curl
Cable
- Preacher Curl
Dumbbell
Lever
- Preacher Curl

Stretching For Biceps

Doorway

Lying

Standing

Wall

**Shoulder Exercises ( Rear Delts )

2007-10-15T13:33:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see full description of exercises with moving images.Along with Stretching moves.

Rear Delts ( Posterior Deltoids )

Barbell

Cable

One Arm

Seated Rear Lateral Raise

Dumbbell

One Arm

Lever

Smith

Rear Delt Row

--> See General Back for more exercises <--

Stretching for Rear Delts

**Shoulder Exercises(Middle Delts)

2007-10-15T13:24:00.000+05:30

Click on any of the links below to see the full description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching moves.

Lateral Deltoids(Middle Delts or Side Delts)

Barbell
- Upright Row
Cable
- Lateral Raise
  - One Arm
- Upright Row
  - Stirrups
  - One Arm
Dumbbell
Lever
- Lateral Raise
Smith
- Upright Row

Stretching(For Middle Delts)

**Shoulder Exercises(Front Delts)

2007-10-15T12:29:00.000+05:30

Click On any of the link below to see the description of the exercises with moving images.Along with stretching moves.

Anterior Deltoids(Front Delts / Front Shoulders)

Barbell
Cable
- Front Raise
- Shoulder Press
Dumbbell
Lever
- Behind Neck Press
- Shoulder Press
  - Parallel Grip
Smith
- Behind Neck Press
- Shoulder Press

Stretching (For front Delts)

~Muscle Building-18 Benefits of Weight Training

2007-10-15T02:23:00.001+05:30

1. Weight training tones your muscles which looks great and raises your basal metabolism... which causes you to burn more calories 24 hours-a-day. You'll even burn more calories while you're sleeping.

2. Weight training can *reverse* the natural decline in your metabolism which begins around age 30.

3. Weight training energizes you.

4. Weight training has a positive affect on almost all of your 650+ muscles.

5. Weight training strengthens your bones reducing your risk of developing osteoporosis.

6. Weight training improves your muscular endurance.

7. Weight training will NOT develop big muscles on women....just toned muscles!

8. Weight training makes you strong. Strength gives you confidence and makes daily activities easier.

9. Weight training makes you less prone to low-back injuries.

10. Weight training decreases your resting blood pressure.

11. Weight training decreases your risk of developing adult onset diabetes.

12. Weight training decreases your gastrointestinal transit time, reducing your risk for developing colon cancer.

13. Weight training increases your blood level of HDL cholesterol (the good type).

14. Weight training improves your posture.

15. Weight training improves the functioning of your immune system.

16. Weight training lowers your resting heart rate, a sign of a more efficient heart.

17. Weight training improves your balance and coordination.

18. Weight training elevates your mood

Anti Aging-Live a Longer and Healthier Life

2007-10-15T02:19:00.001+05:30

You should balance your activities with the proper amount of rest. Some of the leading experts in the field of aging now believe that regular exercise along with the proper amount of rest may actually add years to the life span. Results from a number of tests indicate that speed and muscular strength of many of the elderly can be extended.

Leading authorities agree that this new data is going to shatter many of the myths about aging and physical performance. The conclusion now is that the performance and ability of the elderly has long been underestimated, diet, proper sleep and exercise along with rest and relaxation are all important factors in preserving our bodies.

Laughter is one of the best things for your mental and physical state. People are naturally attracted to someone who has a good sense of humor. You can develop a good outlook and a good sense of humor by associating with and surrounding yourself with pleasant happy people.

Recognize that stress is a killer. A life filled with stress can really wreak havoc on your body causing a number of illnesses such as heart attacks, strokes, asthma, gastric problems, menstrual disorders, ulcerative colitis, angina, irritable colon, increased blood pressure, ulcers, headaches, etc.

There are different types of stress such as mental, emotional and physical. Emotional stress seems to take the greatest toll on everyone. All stress is not bad; in fact, life would not be very interesting if it were not met with challenges. However, too much stress, too often with no effective and appropriate outlet, does not allow the body and soul to recuperate. You might review a typical week to see if you can identify things that might be making you anxious or causing you stress. Once identified, stressors can be attacked and eliminated.

Are you a worrier? Chronic worriers don't have more serious problems than others - they just think they do. Many worriers try to cope by trying not to think about their problems, but this just makes things worse. Doctors say that chronic worriers feel less anxious if they actually spend a half-hour a day thinking specifically about their problems.

Get plenty of exercise. People who are physically fit look good and feel good. A good exercise regimen will lengthen your life. Improve your appearance, build self confidence and help delay the aging process.

Remember that you need to do something physical every day. If you don't use your joints, quite simply they'll tighten up with age to create the stooped, bent and worn out appearance we so often associate with old age. Studies have shown that people with arthritis experience less pain if they continue to keep their joints flexible. As one gets older, the bones tend to get brittle which is why it is common for senior citizens to break bones and especially their hips when they fall.

Eating right, getting proper sleep and learning to relax are all very valuable in maintaining a healthy body and mind. And keep in mind that eating healthy foods and avoiding those high in fats, sodium and cholesterol will help to decrease your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and associated problems.

Weight loss-Stop Whining and Start Moving

2007-10-15T01:53:00.000+05:30

NOTE: I realize this article may offend some people, but I believe that you need to hear the truth about weight loss rather than some watered down "feel-good" version of the truth!

I receive hundreds (yes, hundreds) of questions every month with this general theme... "HELP... I'm doing all the right things but I'm still not losing weight." After talking to hundreds of these people over the years, I've come to a few general conclusions. Keep in mind that these are generalizations, but they would apply to over 95% of people in this situation. Also, please note that these ARE in order of importance...and I'm not pulling any punches! :)

1. The vast majority of these people (I call them "non-losers") are not exercising anywhere near enough (if at all)! You can only decrease your caloric intake so much. Your other alternative is to increase your caloric expenditure. You can write this in stone... ** VERY FEW people are successful at losing weight AND keeping it off without exercising almost everyday!!

If you're having trouble losing weight, 20 minutes of exercise three times a week isn't going to cut it! Most people who tell me they are *really serious* about losing weight are not willing to do what it takes to get where they want to be. If you're not willing to make exercise a *serious* priority in your life, your chances of succeeding at losing weight and keeping it off are VERY small! Many of my clients who are serious about weight loss are exercising 1 to 2 hours per day. Many split it up and do some in the morning and some in the late afternoon or evening. If you're having difficulty losing weight, I would recommend that you average at least 30 minutes *everyday*, ideally more.

2. Most "non-losers" that are exercising are not weight training. Weight training is *critical* to maintaining your muscle mass and tone. If you're not weight training while trying to lose weight, you will lose muscle mass and tone and your basal metabolic rate will decrease causing you to burn fewer calories 24 hour-a-day!

3. "Non-losers" are actually consuming about 600 calories more per day than they think they are. Recent research with a large group of "non-losers" determined that they were significantly under-estimating the number of calories they were consuming on a daily basis. If you're not sure, write down everything you eat for a few weeks.

4. "Non-losers" want *instant* results. When it doesn't happen they either give up or go on some crazy diet. You HAVE to be resolved to the fact that it WILL be slow!

5. "Non-losers" are actually consuming more fat than they think they are. Limiting fat intake to 20 to 30 grams per day is critical for "non-losers".

6. "Non-losers" are notorious for skipping meals! This is really bad news because it slows your metabolism causing you to burn fewer calories 24 hours-a-day.

7. "Non-losers" consume far too much sugar or simple / refined carbohydrates such as white rice, white (non whole wheat) flour products, white (non whole wheat) pastas, soft drinks ("pop" for you northerners), sweetened drinks, and the hundreds of products that contain addded sugar that's deceptively listed on ingredient lists with names like sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, etc.

8. Some "non-losers" don't want to give up their alcohol. Alchol is a triple whammy...it stimulates your appetite, slows your metabolism, and it's loaded with calories! Enough said.

9. Many "non-losers" consume far too few fruits and vegetables.

10. Many "non-losers" always eat until they're full. Practice stopping before you're "full" and see how you feel 30 minutes later. You will probably feel satisfied by then.

11. Many "non-losers" consume artificial sweeteners which stimulate the pancreas to release insulin just like sugar would. Insulin causes your body to store fat and prohibits your body from burning fat for fuel.

Weight loss is VERY difficult! Simply put, If you don't want it bad enough to do what it takes, it's NOT going to happen. If you really want to lose weight, quit playing around with it. Get serious about it and make it an absolute, non-negotiable priority in your life... and it will happen! :)

~Muscle Building-10 things you must do to gain muscle mass

2007-10-11T20:39:00.000+05:30

Now there are many other things that you can do to help you build mass, BUT these 10 things are the bare essentials. In other words, they are absolutely necessary for a successful program.

1. Weight Train

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.

For anyone trying to gain muscle, several things must be done. One is to train with heavy weights. By heavy I mean a weight that is challenging for YOU. The average guy in the gym usually works with a weight he can lift for 10-15+ reps. For mass gaining purposes, this is too light. Using an appropriate weight, you should only be able to do 4-8 reps. That's it! Using heavy weights and low reps puts your muscles and nervous system under much more stress than using lighter weights for many reps. This added stress causes the involvement and stimulation of more muscle fibers, which will cause rapid muscle growth.

For maximum muscle gain, the focus of your workouts should consist of free weight exercises. Not machines or bodyweight exercises. This is not to say that you shoud not use machines or bodyweight exercises, but they should not be the focus of your training. To get an effective, muscle blasting workout, you must stimulate the most 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 more stabilizers and synergists worked, the more muscle fibers stimulated. Multi-jointed free weight exercises like the bench press, require many stabilizer and synergistic muscle assistance to complete the lift. On the other hand doing a bench press using a machine will need almost no stabilizer assistance.

2. Eat More Calories

The most important thing that I cannot emphasize is that you need to eat to gain weight. You need to eat like you’ve never eaten before. If you are not eating enough calories, you will NEVER gain weight, no matter what you do. In order to build new muscle, you must eat more calories than your body burns off, creating what is called a caloric surplus. To gain mass, you should strive to eat around 18-20 times your bodyweight in calories. The extra calories will be used by your body to repair muscle tissue that is damaged during the heavy workouts, and to build new muscle.

Now, when I say eat, I do not mean just anything. All calories are not created equal. In other words, some types of calories are not equal to others for gaining muscle. For example, if I said that you need to eat 2,000 calories per day to gain weight, and you eat 4 bags of potato chips each day, do you think you would gain muscle? Not likely. The majority of your weight would be fat. Why? Because potato chips, like most processed junk food, contains empty, totally nutritionless calories. These foods do not provide you with the correct nutrient breakdown essential for gaining muscle.

3. Eat More Protein

Without protein, your body will not be able to build new muscle. Years ago, a higher carbohydrate and lower fat diet was the rage, recommended by professional bodybuilders and trainers. They claimed that this was the only way to eat for muscle gain. Unfortunately, the only people gaining muscle on that type of diet were a genetically gifted few. The rest just got fat.

Carbs serve mainly as energy for the body, while protein provides the necessary amino acids to build and repair muscle. For muscle growth, carbohydrates are not as essential as protein and fats. High quality protein, which the body breaks down into amino acids, should be the center point of all your meals. There are many studies that show intense exercise increases demand for amino acids, which support muscle repair and growth.To build muscle, you should try to get at least 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight.

Whether you believe it or not, the fact is: High protein diets build more muscle when incorporated with intense training. Low protein diets do not. Period. Only protein can build muscle. Carbohydrates and fat cannot.

4. Eat More Often

To gain weight, you will be eating a large amount of calories. Unfortunately, your body can only assimilate a certain number of calories at each meal. For our purposes, eating three meals per day is not beneficial. If you had to eat 3,000 calories per day, then you would end up eating 1,000 calories at each meal. The average person can only use a portion of those calories. The excess will be stored as fat or removed from the body.

To enable your body to actually assimilate and use the 3,000 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 . I always eat six meals each day, evenly spaced out at three-hour intervals.

My goal is to provide my body with constant nourishment throughout the day. So if it typically takes about 2.5 hours to digest most meals, want to be eating another meal just as my last meal is leaving my stomach. I do this because my body is constantly in need of nutrients to repair itself. I do a lot of damage during my workouts and completely stress my system. My body is trying to "adapt to the stress," but in order to do this, it needs consistent fuel.

If I ate only three meals per day, then my body would be without nutrients for about six hours between each of those meals! This is unacceptable for skinny guys. Without food, your body will quickly begin to breakdown muscle tissue for energy.

5. Eat More Fat

If you want to gain muscle mass, you must eat enough dietary fat. Dietary fats play an essential role in hormone production, which in turn is responsible for growth and strength increases. I have never gained muscle on a low fat diet, though many people still believe that eating fat makes you fat. This is absolutely false. In fact, there is a very popular muscle gain diet that been around for years, called the "Anabolic Diet" that requires you to eat only fat! Butter, bacon, and heavy cream are all on the menu. Though quite extreme, this diet does work.

Most people are overweight because of a diet high in simple carbohydrates, not from eating fats. If your diet is too low in fat, your body will actually make a point to store any fat it gets, because it doesn't know when it will get more. A low-fat diet will also lower testosterone levels, something we do not want when trying to gain weight. Studies have shown that dietary fat has a direct relationship with testosterone production. An increase in dietary fat intake seems to bring on an increase in testosterone levels. The inverse is also true. A decrease in dietary fat intake is usually accompanied by a decrease in free testosterone levels.

However, you don't want to increase your intake of saturated fats. Saturated fats are what cause disease and coronary problems. Though you will always have some saturated fats in your diet, your main focus should be to increase your intake of Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs).

EFAs are unsaturated fats that are necessary for thousands of biological functions throughout the body. Because they cannot be manufactured by the body, the must be provided by your diet. These fatty acids not only help increase testosterone production, but they also aid in the prevention of muscle breakdown, help to increase your HDL level (good cholesterol) and assist in hormone production. To get your recommended amount of EFA's, I recommend supplementing your diet with either Udo's Perfect Oil Blend (which combines omega- and omega-6), or Cold-Pressed Flaxseed oil (which is mostly omega-3).

6. Drink More Water

To make sure that your muscles stay hydrated, you must drink plenty of water. Dehydration can happen easily if you train hard. A dehydrated muscle, takes longer to repair itself than one sufficiently hydrated.

Drinking a sufficient amount of water not only increases your vascularity (more visible veins), but it will also help to quickly remove toxins from the body. Protein generates metabolic waste products that must be dissolved in water. Without enough water, the kidneys cannot efficiently remove these wastes.

7. Take a Multi-Vitamin

There are many supplements and specific muscle gain enhancing products that I recommend using in my book, but I have to remember that this is only the 10 most important elements of a successful mass program. So, I have to keep this brief and to the point. All of the other products will help, but they are not essential. So, I will only touch on two vitamins supplements.Multi-Vitamins and Antioxidants.

If you want to gain muscle, you must make sure that you are not deficient in any vitamin, mineral or trace element that your body needs. I know many people are going to disagree with me, but I believe that in this day, we absolutely need to supplement our diet with vitamins and minerals. I know that those who are against using vitamins are going to say that if we "just eat a balanced diet. . . ", You know the rest.

Well first, eating a balanced diet is easier said than done. America is the most overweight country in the world. Most people don't even know what a "balanced" diet is. Balanced with what? Experts will continue to spout, "eat a balanced diet," while Americans feast on nutritionless fast food and sugar.

Second, not only do our bodies have to deal with the ever-increasing external stresses of everyday life, they also have to combat nutrient-depleting exercise. Food today is, for the most part, nutritionless - almost totally void of the body strengthening vitamins and minerals it contained one hundred years earlier. Instead, we now ingest over-processed, fiberless meals, and under-ripened vegetables grown in barren, over-farmed soil, laden with pesticides.

How healthy can that be? If you want to ignore the facts and continue on about "balanced diets," fine. It's your decision. But I, for one, eat a balanced diet, and I still take a multi-vitamin supplements.

Many mult-vitamin manufacturers try to put "everything" in their product, but it's not necessary. At minimum, your multi-vitamin should contain the USRDA (recommended daily allowance) of vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, E, K and the minerals calcium, magnesium, zinc, iodine, selenium, and possibly iron (for women). Men should find a multi-vitamin without iron. You typically get more than enough iron from your food. Extra iron is needed only for menstruating women.

It should also contain other essential nutrients like biotin, chromium, copper, manganese, molybdenum and pantothenic acid.

There are some vitamins and minerals that are best taken separately. Vitamin E, vitamin C, folic acid and calcium are best taken at higher dosages. Many proponents of multi-vitamins cite that taking that many vitamins and vitamins together causes negative interactions because they compete with each other for absorption. For example: magnesium, zinc, and calcium compete for absorption; copper and zinc also compete for absorption.

But think about this for a minute. This is no different than eating different foods at the same time, as most people do. The vitamins and minerals in the foods compete also. Competition is expected and the body is designed to handle that.

8. Take Antioxidants

An antioxidant like Vitamins A, C, E, Glutathione, Glutamine, and Selenium are essential in preventing free radical damage, which is accelerated after the heavy trauma of weight training. Antioxidants protect other substances by being oxidized themselves.

9. Rest More Often

Rest is the most overlooked "skinny-guy secret". If you don't rest, you won't grow. Simple as that. Your body does not build muscle in the gym, it builds muscle while resting!

The key to successfully gaining weight is eating enough calories, training hard and then resting. No diet adjustments will make up for lack of rest. If you train hard in the gym, then you should be resting your muscles as much as possible. If you do not give them time to rest and repair, you will not grow. Period.

10. Be Consistent

O.K., so you want the secret to gaining muscle mass fast? Well, here it is: CONSISTENCY.

You can have the best diet, the best training schedule, join the best gym that has the best equipment, but without consistency it's all worthless.

Over the past 3 years, I've talked to hundreds of people who have successfully transformed their physique. Though most of them trained in totally different ways, there was one common denominator that appeared throughout each success story:

Day in and day out, they followed their pre-determined plan, consistently, without fail.

You must find the determination and drive within yourself to consistently put one foot in front of the other and see this through. If not now, then when?

"You never know what you can do, until you try to do more than you can."

~Muscle Building--Another advantage of Weight Training

2007-10-11T20:24:00.000+05:30

Life Strength

Men and women reach peak strength around 20 to 25 years of age. After age 25, strength generally decreases an average of 1% per year. Therefore, a 65 year old would only have about 60% of the strength they had at age 25. Individuals who are more active, or those who continue to strength train, can considerably decrease this tendency for declining muscular strength.

Anti Aging--For a less sweet but longer life

2007-10-08T14:34:00.000+05:30

In addition to diet and exercise, below is what I feel is important .I'm not a doctor so always check with your doctor before starting any nutritional program

Insulin Plays Central Role In Aging, Scientists Discover -"insulin regulates its own production and that it directly regulates tissue aging. The principle: Keep insulin levels low and cells are stronger, staving off infection and age-related diseases such as cancer,dementia and stroke"

"According to a research conducted recently, the fewer calories an animal consumes -provided malnutrition is avoided - the slower an animal ages and the lower the death rate from cancer, heart disease and diabetes" - Some theorize that calorie restriction slows aging because it keeps insulin level low "

So My Advice:Try to cut down on your sugar intake.instead of adding 2 teaspoon of sugar in your cup of tea or coffee,try 1 teaspoon (Decrease the sugar intake gradually otherwise you will find yourself craving for sweets,and that is not what we want.) ,and enjoy the tea or coffee at its best (you will get used to it that way and once you get used to it you will find the sugar rich version less appealing,believe me). This will mean lower production of insulin in your body,and also lower intake of calories,which according to the researches above results in longer life span.Also there is additional benefit of weight loss as you take in lesser calories.

Whenever you feel an urge to eat some thing sweet,instead of eating sweets full of sugar and fat,try eating Dates (my personal favorite). Also you could try any other fruit you want (in moderate amount ,too much of anything is bad).So go on. Try it.( I can't resist the temptation to say this"Sugar is a sweet and slow poison")

Weight Loss-Try this and NEVER get FAT

2007-10-08T10:57:00.000+05:30

People say that they eat just two meals a day and still can't get rid of the excess flab.What i want to say is the Almighty has designed our body for the purpose of survival and not Ripped body with six-pack abs.If we eat only two meals a day and deprive our body of the nutrition it needs,our body goes into the survival mode.It burns less calaroies then normal and the BMR(Basal Metabolic Rate) of our body goes low.

So what i am trying to say is this,the worst habits one could have is to skip breakfast,have a light lunch,over-eat during dinner and then round it up with midnight refrigerator raids.

REMEMBER THESE WORDS:To get lean,you have to eat at regular intervals.

If you just follow some basic rules about what to eat and when your body will become a lean fat burning furnace .The daily intake of calories depends on the individual,metabolism,age and activity levels.Always try to consume fewer calories then your body needs.Just avoid high fat and high calory items ,keep a record of what you eat and over a period of a monthyou will know where you are going wrong.It is advisable to burn your calories rather than starving yourself.

Carbohydrates are a very confusing issue.They are vital in breakfast,for normal brain functioning and are essential for people who workout.but on the othet hand,when the activity levels are low,the body stores them as additional fat. the easiest way is to have them around workouts.complex carbs like vegetables,whole grain breads,combined with protein like egg whites,pulses,chicken breast,fish ,about 90 minutes before breakfast,To fuel the training.

Take simple carbs like Fruit,milk,yogurt,honey immediately after workout to recover.

So my ADVICE:Keep the intake of carbs low,replace white breads with much healthier brown breads,or even better ,simple home made roti.Drink a lot of water to keep your sodium levels low.

MY RECOMMENDED meal timings:7 AM , 10 AM, 12 PM, 3:30 PM, 7:30 pm, 8:45 PM.

2007-09-23T01:02:00.000+05:30

Exercise Directory
Weight Training Exercises With Stretching

See the exercises for

Shoulders

Arms

Chest

Back

Thigh

Calves

Waist

Hips

Neck

2007-09-22T19:30:00.001+05:30

Blog Directory
Navigate Your Way Through The Blog

Exercise Directory

Find Out All the Body Building Exercises for all the individual body parts with full Descriptions and Illustrations.Along with Stretching Moves.

Body Building Articles

Motivate Yourself With these Superb Articles.

Weight Loss Articles

Browse Through The Collection Of Useful Weight loss Articles.

Body-Building Essentials

Basic Tips for Body-Building

The Way To A Great Physique

Basic Nutrition Guide for Body-Building

The Importance Of Proper Warm-up

80 things I have learned in the Gym

~Muscle Building-Weight Training Rules For Skinny Guys

Weight Loss-10 Tips For Long Term Weight Loss

** Neck Exercises-Rear Neck

** Neck Exercises-Front / Side Neck

**Hips Exercises-Deep Hip External Rotators

**Hips Exercises-Hip Flexors

**Hips Exercises-Hip Abductors

**Hips Exercises-Glutes ( Hips )

**Waist Exercises-Transverse Abs

**Waist Exercises-Abdominals ( Abs )

**Waist Exercises-Obliques ( Side Waist )

**Waist Exercises-Lower Back (Erector Spinae)

**Calf Exercises-Shins ( Tibialis Anterior )

**Calf Exercises-Outer Calves ( Soleus )

**Calf Exercises-General

**Thigh Exercise ( Inner Thigh )

**Thigh Exercises ( Hamstrings or Rear Thigh )

**Thigh Exercises ( Quadriceps or Front thigh )

**Back Exercises ( Rotatory Cuff )

**Back Exercises ( Traps )

**Back Exercises ( Outer & Middle Back )

Fixed Bar Hugging

**Back Exercises ( General )

**Forearms Exercises

**Shoulder Exercises ( Rotatory cuff )

**Chest Exercises (Serratus Anterior)

**Chest Exercises (Pectoralis minor)

**Chest Exercises (Upper Chest)

**Chest Exercises (General)

**Triceps Exercises

**Biceps Exercises

**Shoulder Exercises ( Rear Delts )

**Shoulder Exercises(Middle Delts)

**Shoulder Exercises(Front Delts)

~Muscle Building-18 Benefits of Weight Training

Anti Aging-Live a Longer and Healthier Life

Weight loss-Stop Whining and Start Moving

~Muscle Building-10 things you must do to gain muscle mass

~Muscle Building--Another advantage of Weight Training

Life Strength

Anti Aging--For a less sweet but longer life

Weight Loss-Try this and NEVER get FAT

Fixed Bar
Hugging