Never Hit A Training Plateau In Your Workouts Again

Your workouts should be very demanding. They should be intense and very focused. With this intensity comes the need to rest to allow your muscles to fully recuperate from the demand that you have placed on them.

Muscle growth is achieved by progressively overloading the muscles and forcing them to adapt by adding new muscle to handle future demands. However, if you never allow your muscles to fully recuperate, they will not be able to handle any new demands placed upon them.

They'll start getting weaker from less rest. That is how plateaus happen.

We're going to take necessary steps to combat this problem. We are going to systematically wipe out long-lasting plateaus, forever. We do this by training smarter, not just harder.

Proper rest and recovery from working out is so important, it literally is the deciding force behind results and no results. We need an in-depth look as to how to fully recuperate and ensure max recovery.

Here are some steps you can use immediately to avoid over training and hitting a plateau.

1. Keep workouts short and sweet. Your weight training should be just that, training with weights and not mixing cardio with it. Workouts do not need to be long to be effective, in fact, if they are too long, they are counter-productive.

The goal of weight training is to go into the gym and stimulate muscle growth, not to annihilate the muscles. By stimulating them with progressive overload, you are forcing them to respond and adapt to this progressive overload. Anything more is futile over training.

2. Do not turn your weight training workouts into endurance events. Do not try to burn fat while weight training because you will not achieve it.

Do not make your workouts longer thinking that more time equals more results. Keep your weight training brief and focused. Complete your workout in less than 45 minutes. This short time period will ensure you do not over do it, it will ensure intensity.

It?s much easier to focus for 30-45 minutes than it is an hour. The growth-assisting hormones secreted in your body actually peak after about 30 minutes of weight training and then begin to decline rapidly. So keep it quick and intense. No total body workout. Choose one or two muscle groups, train them well, and leave under 45 minutes.

3. Keep a lower rep range. If you can lift a weight more than six or seven times on the last set or two of an exercise, the weight is too light and is not producing overload for your muscles.

However, if you cannot get at least three or four, the weight is too heavy and you may not be benefiting from it. Keep your range between four and six reps give or take a rep. This low range will ensure maximum overload and increased intensity. Four to six reps get the job done efficiently and more effectively than higher reps with lower weight.

Remember, overload (weight) builds muscle, not reps. Keeping reps low ensures more overload and it is also easier to intensely focus on four to six reps than it is for more than ten.

4. Keep a low number of sets. Again, weight training is no marathon. You only need one to two heavy sets of an exercise to stimulate muscle growth. Less may not be enough stimulation and more may lead to over training. If you feel that you did not work a muscle sufficiently after your two heavy sets,

I question the amount of weight or your intensity on those sets. You should feel as though you probably couldn?t do another set as effectively as your last one. Remember, its not the quantity of sets that matter, it?s the quality. You will achieve better results with two fabulous, hard-working sets than would you with three or four less-intense sets.

Believe me, there is a very fine line between doing too many sets and not enough. The line seems to be around one to two heavy sets. There is no law that states if you double the amount of sets, you double your results. More isn?t better, better is better.

5. Rest enough between your sets. Rest at least a minute between your warm-up sets and at least two minutes between your heavy sets. You need to recuperate enough to handle the demand the next set is going to place upon your muscles.

You cannot expend maximum energy on an exercise if you are still fatigued from the last set. You will not be able to lift as much weight or as many reps if you are not rested enough. There is no set amount of time to rest, just feel rested enough so that you can meet or exceed the efforts of your previous set.

If you performed a 250-pound bench press for six reps, you need to rest enough so that you can meet or exceed that set. Think of it as a high point that you must reach each and every time you do a set. Without adequate rest, that high point cannot be reached. If the high point isn?t reached again, that set was a waste of time.

6. Get adequate rest before working the same muscle group again. Heavy and intense weight training produces microscopic fiber damage to the muscles. It is this damage and rebuilding which causes a muscle to get bigger and stronger.

Without proper rest between workouts of the same muscle group, you will not recover sufficiently to handle placing more overload on that muscle group. Again, if your muscles cannot handle the overload, results are diminished. You should wait at least five to seven days between working the same muscle group. If you train biceps on Monday, wait until the following Monday to ensure they are rested enough.

Training them prior may create an over training environment. Remember that they will get worked while performing other exercises, so they actually are not fully resting all week. One of the most important things you can do for yourself is to start listening to how your body feels. Learn to gauge your recovery time and start training more on how you feel rather than on a schedule set in stone.

For example, if you train your biceps Monday and then come next Monday, for whatever reason, they are still aching sore, give them another day's rest. Do you truly feel you will be able to lift with maximum overload and intensity with overly sore biceps? You are lifting for progress, not just for the act of lifting some weight. If a muscle group is still very sore, there is still some fiber damage creating that soreness that needs to heal.

Training with sore muscles is like trying to shovel your way out of a hole. You get nowhere. Taking an extra day off to rest will ensure the next day's workout produce results. If increasing muscle strength and size is a goal, you need to create an environment where they are able to perform at their maximum, not when they are sore.

7. Take a break after two months of training. After every two months of intense, solid training, take an entire week off from weight training and cardio. Two months of constant training likely will take a toll on your muscles? ability to recover.

You must allow them to recover by having them take a break. Do not allow the alleged psychological barrier of taking a week off stand in your way. You may be thinking you will lose ground by taking time off, but nothing can be further from the truth.

8. To avoid over training and hitting a plateau in the weight room, do not over do your cardio workout. Keep your cardio at three to four sessions per week, 20-30 minutes a session.

Too many cardio days or too long of a cardio session negatively impacts our muscle-building efforts. Cardio actually reduces the body?s production of testosterone, the main hormone responsible for building lean muscle. Too much cardio will cause you to be sore more often. Again, learn to listen to your body.

This week will allow your body to rest and heal and come back stronger and more energetic. You will be more focused and intense. During this week off, continue proper nutrition for it is during this week that you need to ensure your muscles are getting fed properly.

This week off is where much of your muscle growth takes place. You are letting your body recover from the previous cumulative weeks of working out and it is time for them to recharge. I was skeptical about taking a week off the first time I tried it.

When I came back to the gym after the week off, I was more energetic and stronger. My bench press increased by over five pounds my first day back. I am no longer a skeptic.

If you feel you have hit a plateau, immediately take a week off. You may just need some rest. Use this time to heal and continue to eat properly.

Make sure your protein level is high for this is the time your muscles need the building blocks to work with. This rest and proper nutrition will be very anabolic (muscle building) to your body. It may be all you need to bust through that plateau.

One way not to overcome a plateau is by trying to work through it. You cannot make something better by doing what it was that caused it in the first place!

These are a few things you can do to avoid over training and hitting a plateau. Stick with low reps, short workouts, plenty of rest between heavy sets, and take time off every 2 months of training. Keep setting high standards and strive to reach them each time you step into the gym. Do not talk yourself into a plateau.

This article was taken directly from the Simple Steps To Get Huge And Shredded diet and training program by personal trainer and natural bodybuilder Shawn LeBrun. Simple Steps To Get Huge And Shredded

Bodybuilding Let's Do a Fun Set

Are you ready for a Fun Set? You may be asking yourself what set could fun? Let me describe the situation by using typical bicep routine.

Let's suppose when I go the gym today to blast my biceps, I start off with standing barbell curls. I work four sets with 8 to 10 reps. My partner is no way letting me off easy, so he loads the bar to make every set heavy. On the last set, I know 4 reps is going to be tough, the 5th will be almost impossible and 6 through 8 will be done only with his help. My bi's are beginning to fry and I have just gotten started.

Next we move to seated alternating dumbbell curls. The movement is more concentrated because you only have to focus on one arm at time. Again, my partner sees an opportunity to torture me a bit more. He forces me through the last reps of every set. Remember I said fried before; well now we are really pumping in the blood. The head of the bicep is getting down right full from this workout. I feel the growth coming on!

Now I move to another bi blasting exercise, the seated curl machine. This machine isolates the bicep movement and eliminates any possibility of cheating. Again, I do 4 sets of 8-10 reps.

So what the heck is FUN SET? None of the above sounded like fun...right? Hold on I'm getting there. I just had to set the stage for defining the Fun Set.

The Fun Set is a set that you do in addition to your normal routine. However, with the Fun Set you choose any weight and number of reps you want to do. In my mind, if you have just pounded out the hard and heavy sets, the Fun Set should be light weight and done with higher reps. Often I will stay with the last exercise in my arm routine and just lighten up and rep out. In this case the curl machine does the trick for my Fun Set.

My biceps will flush with blood for the best feeling pump on the planet. Try it; you'll know what I mean. Heck I might even do 2 Fun sets if the feeling is there. You'll know when to stop. Do too many and the Fun Sets will become counter productive.

You can do a Fun Set with any muscle group! Some suggested funs for other body part are:

*Triceps- do bent over tricep kick backs with a light weight dumbbells

*Pecs- do light weight cable flies or flat bench dumbbell flies

*Back- do wide grip cable pull downs

*Legs- do high rep squeezing leg extensions

*Calves- do calf extensions on box or other elevated surface with just your body weight

The key to a Fun Set is to add it periodically to your regular routine. Keep it spontaneous. Also, keep it light and increase the reps. You will have a blast.

This technique was introduced to me by a very good friend (Tom Hahn) in Louisville, KY. My thanks to him. There is nothing like a FUN SET!

Scott Jameson is a bodybuilder and trainer for over 30 years. He has a passion for bodybuilding and helping other achieve this success. He regularly applies the techniques in this article. See more of his articles at http://www.bodybuildingprogramzone.com

If you want to more information on a Bodybuilding Program - Check out the Zone, the site with a passion for you to succeed.

This article may reproduced on your website provided you acknowledge Scott Jameson as the author and must show link to http://www.bodybuildingprogramzone.com

Muscle Building is Not Just for the Young

Older men and women can enlarge and strengthen muscles in the same way that younger people do.

The stimulus to make muscles stronger is to exercise them against increasing resistance. When you push against great resistance, you feel a burning that is a sign of muscle damage. When the muscle heals from that damage, it is stronger than before. You feel sore on the next day and should not exercise that muscle against heavy resistance until the soreness goes away.

Most young people can lift very heavy weights and continue to lift through the soreness, but older people should stop lifting as soon as they feel the soreness during a workout. Younger people recover faster so they can lift heavy weights every second or third days, but older people take longer for the soreness to go away, so they may be able to lift heavy only once every week or two.

A study from Washington University in St. Louis showed that a supervised weightlifting and continuous exercise program can improve function in older people who have difficulty walking and taking care of themselves. Supervised exercise improved older people's ability to feed themselves, take care of bowel habits, and perform their activities better than a low-intensity home exercise program. Exercising vigorously in later life gives older people a far better quality of life, and allows them to be more independent and do most of the things that they could do when they were much younger. It's never too late to get started.

Journal references on this article can be found in the Fitness section of my website, listed below.

Read my Good Food Book FREE, with 100 healthful recipes.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com.

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Common Cause of Ankle Injury and How to Avoid It

Many ankle injuries can be avoided by simple prevention methods. I will go through the most common ways to prevent ankle injuries. Being in medical school and seeing ankle pain quite often, I am aware of the issue - and it is a large one.

My wife has had ankle issues for a number of years and lately ankle surgery. Now I am getting some issues in my right one.

A podiatrist told me a very common cause of ankle injury:

Tight Achilles Tendon [calf muscles

Bottom Line:

• To reduce ankle injury, stretch your calf muscles. Keep them limber.
• Avoid high heels if you can - they shorten calf muscles
• Visit a podiatrist if you have ankle issues - avoid a chronic problem

If you have weak ankles, consider prolotherapy.

If you have slight ankle pain, an adjustment by a chiropractor may solve the problem. My talus was slid forward out of alignment and in two seconds it was popped back into place. My ankle pain was gone. A sign of this is if you get pain when you try to point your foot upwards. You will feel a limitation there as the talus is hitting the tibia instead of sliding under it.

Don't let that simple issue cause you to have a major surgery. Get it checked out and adjusted.

Glucosamine. You've all heard it. Which one and how much to take? Glucosamine Sulfate is the only one you want to take - not glucosamine HCl - it is garbage. All research has shown that glucosamine sulfate is the superior type. The research has shown effective results with 500mg of glucosamine sulfate taken 3 times a day for 8 weeks. Don't stop though - keep going if you want the joint to maintain a healthy environment.

If your ankle is absolutely trashed due to arthritis and you're young, you may consider ankle allograft. I know nothing about this but your doc may.

Hope this helps ya.

In health, Ben

Benjamin Lynch has a BS degree in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Washington. Currently, he is obtaining his doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine at Bastyr University. Visit Ben's natural health product store, HealthE Goods where one can use our free health information service where one may ask specific health questions. We provide physician-grade non-prescription natural health products. Wholesale spa products are available to all that qualify. Do visit our Natural Health Information Center. We are here to help serve the public with proper health information and effective products. Products described in the article are available at HealthE Goods.

Giddy When Lifting Weight In Gym? Training Big Muscle Groups Cause Nausea?

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.

About The Author
Chris Chew is a fitness personal trainer of actors, male pageant winners and fashion models. Check him out at http://www.sgfitness.com and http://www.sgfitnessonline.com.

Six Bodybuilding Dieting Mistakes

You have probably noticed that muscle doesn't miraculously appear overnight. Building muscle takes time, patience, and accuracy in training and nutrition. Let's fact it, bodybuilding is a science, and with all the information available to us, it's that much easier to make costly mistakes that can hamper muscle gains.

We have all made the same bodybuilding mistakes, but many fail to acknowledge, or even realize they are even making them. Bodybuilding errors can slow muscle gains and decrease fat loss. It can also be the leading cause of plateaus. To prevent you from being a statistic, let's go over a few bodybuilding errors.

Mistake #1 - Being Impatient
The most common mistake bodybuilders make is dieting impatiently. Far too many constantly jump from one diet to the next without giving any of them a chance to work. Come on now, I know you are guilty of it too. It takes at least twenty-one days for your body to adapt to any dietary change, and changes do not happen overnight. Give your current diet a chance to prove itself. Then, if you need to make adjustments, include small tweaking.

Mistake #2 - Eating Haphazardly
The second mistake bodybuilders make is eating haphazardly. Are you still suggesting you are guilt free? Did you know that random eating works against you because it does not keep a steady flow of nutrients moving through your system? In order to build quality muscle, your body must continually have a positive nitrogen balance. The secret to building muscle and losing body fat is consistency! Yes, it is that simple! In order to be consistent, it is best to plan your meals. Pre-cooking helps to take the guess work out your next meal. So this means you will have to invest in some Tupperware and perhaps an ice chest so you can have meals handy.

Mistake #3 - Overeating
The third mistake bodybuilders make is overeating. Come on now, we have all done that. It is true that many calories are needed to provide energy for training and building muscle, but excess calories that are not absorbed will be stored as fat. Keep macro nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) in balance, and shock the body every once in a while with a high calorie meal. Eating is good, eating to grow is great, but overeating is unacceptable.

Mistake #4 - Not Logging Calories
The fourth mistake bodybuilders make when dieting is not logging calories, which can lead to either overeating and/or under-eating. I am not saying a thing because we all dislike tracking every blessed calorie. Not only should calories be logged, but also each macro nutrient, the time eaten, and the amount. To properly add muscle and lose body fat you must keep accurate records of food consumption. Estimating caloric intake leads to miscalculating, hence, failure.

Mistake #5 - Using the Scale
The fifth mistake bodybuilders make is using the scale solely to gauge progress. A hand raise please for all who have used this method only. Yes, it is true that a scale is a measuring tool, but it is unable to distinguish between water, fat, and muscle. The best method is to track your progress through body composition. Scales are beneficial if used in conjunction with body fat instruments.

Remember, bodybuilding is a visual sport so photos are an excellent source to gauge progress, as well as taking precise measurements. Also, having an unbiased eye to provide you with constructive criticism will keep you on the right track. A body fat composition is a starting point, and if you don't know where to begin you will just keep running around in circles.

Mistake #6 - Copying Pro Bodybuilders
The sixth mistake, which is made by many beginners, is relying on professional bodybuilders for advice. This is like spitting in the wind, as it will only come back to smack you in the face. We have all admired the physique goddesses that take over the stage, thinking they have all the answers. This is true, but professional bodybuilders have accomplished a great deal. They are on a professional level, and there is a big difference between professionals and amateurs. Professional bodybuilders have been training for years, diet for months, and supplement heavily. Learn to read between the lines about what is displayed in the latest muscle magazine and what reality is.

If you can take some extra time, patience, and planning, you can avoid these mistakes and be on your way to amazing results!

Karen Sessions has been in the fitness industry since 1988. She embarked on weight training to overcome an eating disorder, Anorexia Nervosa in its early stages. She overcame the eating disorder, received her personal training certificate, competed in many local bodybuilding contests, and qualified for Nationals. Since then she?s went on to write six e-books (weight loss, female bodybuilding, contest preparation, leg training, figure/fitness secrets, and cellulite removal). She writes articles for several fitness websites, as well as her own, www.theelitephysique.com, and also distributes a monthly e-newsletter. She has a very active and lively forum, filled with positive and supportive people with informative content. Karen?s sole goal is to educate others and help them apply that knowledge.

Stroke Prostate Cancer Laughter and the Melting Mood

My recovery from a stroke suffered in 2001 seemed glacially slow while it was taking place. Now, howeverI feel almost completely recovered, and the difficulties with my right hand and arm and the speech problems are like dim recollections of something that happened decades ago.

I still have difficulty with cuff buttons on starched cuffs. My handwriting is slow. My singing voice is on furlough and recent attempts to throw a ball have been errant embarrassments, but I haven't taken the time to practice in order to restore either of those activities to previous levels of ability. Still, my golf game is pretty much back to where it was. I am exultant at having escaped the permanent serious disabilities that are visited on so many stroke victims.

One persistent symptom is pathological laughter. When I think of something funny or just vaguely silly or ironic, I crack up so badly that I am unable to speak for a minute or two. I never, previous to stroke, exhibited such idiotic laughter. On the plus side, my hysterics can be contagious. In social situations I often manage to get my companions laughing with nearly the same uncontrollability that plagues me. Technically, the symptom may result from lesions in the internal capsule and thalamus, basal ganglion, hypothalamus and ventral pons or from a cortical infarct in the territory supplied by the superior division of the middle cerebral artery.

Such laughter is often associated with weeping. I have not done much blubbering since my stroke, but I did some research on these matters In recent weeks I have discovered in myself new or at least altered emotions. I am not merely getting in touch with my feminine side but being overwhelmed by it. About a month ago I was injected with a time-released dose of Lupron, an activator of female hormones. Each day I also ingest one tablet of Casodex, which along with the injection serves to limit my ordinary testosterone production, thereby shrinking my hyperplastic prostate gland and stopping the development of the malignancy contained therein. The doctors told me I could expect weight gain, loss of muscle mass, diminution of energy, hot flashes, possible development of breast tissue and loss of body hair. Fortunately, the latter two items have not manifested themselves and I don?t think I?ve had anything like a hot flash. I wouldn?t have minded some hair growth in the area of my male pattern baldness, but that too has not occurred. Most surprising have been the changes in my emotional reactions.

For example, I lost control once on the telephone with a long-time friend discussing an ailment that had befallen the family dog. I feared the situation might necessitate euthanasia. To my surprise and shock, I dissolved into uncontrollable sobs. I don?t remember weeping so violently since I began to count my age in double digits.

Another time, I had just finished reading a novel by a favorite author. A subplot involved some tense scenes such as the discovery by parents of their high-school-aged son?s involvement in a gang rape. I found that I had a strongly empathic response to the mother, who was shamed and devastated and felt that she herself had been attacked and dishonored by her beloved son. I looked down on the father, regarding him as more of a proud, egocentric, disgustingly macho jackass than I would have had I read the book six months ago. Possibly in this fortieth novel that I have read by Robert B. Parker, he has suddenly improved his craft and is handling dialog and description with greater effectiveness. Or maybe I have shed some layers of callus from my emotional response centers and am more susceptible to sentimentality. I have a new understanding for the Player King in Hamlet, who breaks down in his speech about Hecuba and occasions Hamlet?s ?O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!? soliloquy Is it not monstrous that this player here, But in a fiction, in a dream of passion, Could force his soul so to his own conceit That from her working all his visage wan?d; Tears in his eyes, distraction in?s aspect, A broken voice, and his whole function suiting With forms to his conceit? And all for nothing! For Hecuba? >

And then came the news of my brother?a hard-drinking, robust giant?felled by a mysterious ailment that put him in the intensive care unit for a month. Listening to his wife struggling with tears as she told me of his precarious condition, I found myself once again prostrate with sadness. In recent years I have handled the deaths of my father and mother without great distress. Orphanhood, after all, is in store for all of us who live lives of normal length. But the possibility of becoming a 65-year-old only child brought on a period of abject grief that has been relieved slightly by guarded news of Kevin?s improvement.

Is my recent susceptibility to the lachrymose mood merely an aspect of advancing age, or can I blame my recent health problems and the hormone-releasing cancer treatment. I think of Othello? Of one whose subdued eyes, Albeit unused to the melting mood, Drop tears as fast as the Arabian trees Their medicinal gum.

On a more cheerful major chord. Chloe, our beloved Wheaton Terrier, seems to have shaken off the apparent pinched nerve that for a while had rendered her nearly catatonic. She?s leaping about and chasing seabirds at the beach just as she used to. Sean is out of intensive care but not out of the woods. He is no longer hallucinating or requiring the almost constant supervision of the hospital?s biggest male nurse to keep him from tearing out his IVs and trying to leave the hospital. I will fly down for a visit this Saturday and Sunday when I have a break from radiation treatments.

* * * * * *

Yes, two years after my stroke I was diagnosed with prostate cancer and underwent the treatments mentioned above. Whether the tear floods mentioned above were triggered by cancer treatment or a result of stroke is unimportant. I have had no recurrences of the weeping?only of the laughter. Given a choice, I'll go for laughter every time. And Sean is himself again?back at work full-time.

Kerry Michael Wood, retired from a 37-year career as English teacher and textbook co-author, lives in Pacific Grove, California with his wife of 42 years. He taught in public and private schools in California as well as Istanbul, Turkey. He is the author of Past Imperfect, Present Progressive, a memoir. Further information is available at http://www.kerrymwood.com and he can be contacted at kerrywood@redshift.com.

The Most Valuable Supplement On The Market

We know that the key to permanent and effective weight loss is to speed up our body's metabolism. Metabolism simply means the speed in which our body utilizes and burns through food.

A fast metabolism means that your body processes and utilizes the nutrients which it needs and then eliminates those it doesn't.

There are primarily two ways to naturally speed up your body's metabolism.

The first is through resistance training, lifting weights. Lean muscle tissue is a very metabolically active tissue, it requires a lot of energy to maintain. The body gets this energy from burning calories. So the more lean muscle you have, the faster your metabolism becomes and the more calories that you will burn at rest.

The second way to effectively speed up your body's metabolism is by eating small, well-balanced, nutritious meals or snacks every three to four hours. This alone can drastically improve the efficiency of your body's metabolism.

Now, for those of us with busy, often hectic lives, eating every three to four hours can be challenging, if not impossible.

What are the chances of eating something healthy and nutritious every two to three hours? Unless you have a lot of time to prepare and package meals or hire yor own personal chef to cook for you, this can be a daunting task.

Well, now there is a solution: Meal replacements.

Meal replacements are probably the most valuable and underrated supplement on the market. People are always looking for the magic solution to weight-loss by buying some drink or pill that promises miraculous results.

We gain weight and body fat by having poor eating habits, so the only way to undo the damage is to reverse the cycle by developing good eating habits. Meal replacements make this possible.

Meal replacements are pre-packaged powdered drink mixes that you mix with water, milk, or juice and then drink in the place of a meal. They are convenient, inexpensive, and most taste pretty good.

For optimum fat-burning and muscle-building results, we need to consume a high-protein, moderate-carb, low-fat meal about every three to four hours. This is approximately five to six meals per day.

So, replace two or three of your whole food meals with meal replacements and you will drastically start cutting out unneeded calories, calories that can add up and, if not burned off, be stored as body fat.

Meal replacements provide a perfect, compact meal in a packet that is high in protein, low in fat (some have no fat) are low in carbohydrates, and contain a wide array of vitamins and minerals. They are low in sugar and cholesterol. They are very nutrient dense and can be mixed easily and conveniently.

In order to get the same benefits from whole food as some of the high quality meal replacements, you would have to put together a large meal like a chicken breast (protein) a potato for some carbs, and a salad for the vitamins.

You would have to intricately construct the unique amino acids profile for a huge variety of intact foods and you would have to combine enough different nutrient dense foods to yield a complete 100% recommended daily allowance of all vitamins or minerals and antioxidants.

At the same time doing this while keeping unwanted fat and sugars to a bare minimum. Now imagine doing this five to six times a day.

Why bother when you can just rip open a meal replacement packet and toss it into a cup with some water or skim milk. Presto! Instant nutrition.

One of the meal replacements I have tried and really liked is Nature?s Best Perfect Rx. This shake comes in chocolate and vanilla and mixes up smooth and rich. It costs only about $2.00 a shake. It?s hard to find something that nutritious and low in calories for fewer than 2 bucks.

I also like AST Sports Science Ny-Tro Pro-40, which is delicious in the Strawberry flavor. Met-Rx is the granddaddy of all meal replacements. It?s been around for 10 years.

If something did not have any value to a consumer, it would not be around for 10 year. Met-Rx and AST Ny-Tro Pro-40 are a bit more expensive than Natures? Best Perfect Rx. They are about $3.00 per packet.

Choose a meal replacement that is high in protein, with about 30-40 grams. Carb sources should be from maltodextrin, a corn derivative that provides a slow energy release.

Carbs should be around 20-22 grams, but no more than 3 grams of those from sugar. Fat should be no more than 3-4 grams. Pick one that mixes up rather thick. The mouth feel helps with the satiety feeling. If you are left full by these meal replacements, you will not have the urge to eat again for at least 3 hours.

Check the ingredients. Stick with meals replacements that use a combination of whey, milk, and egg proteins as the first ingredient. Most meal replacements, if taken with water, offer at least 40 grams of protein with minimal fat. Most are under 300 calories, chock full of vitamins and minerals, and taste rather pleasant.

Many people I have spoken to over the years attribute meal replacements being on of the biggest reasons why they we able to lose weight. They are able to get vitamin-rich, high-protein, moderate carb meal for less than 300 calories.

All of this for about 2 dollars. You cannot even buy a Happy Meal for fewer than 2.00 dollars and Happy Meals are loaded with fat!

For more information on the proven supplements that personal trainer Shawn Lebrun recommends to his personal training clients, check out his supplement information page by clicking here

Fitness and Body Building

There are statistics which show that, after years of training in body building, many of the persons who practiced this sport turned to fitness. The reasons of this change are different, from the most common ones, like the boredom which intervenes at a certain time, to health problems.

It is well-known that body building training of anaerobic type is very demanding. In most of the cases, the aerobic programs are avoided because sportsmen are afraid of losing muscular mass.

Another disadvantage of body building trainings is the fact that sportsmen have to work a lot with their chest blocked, in apnea, because of the great weights they use for increasing their muscles.

The respiratory blocking during the force effort is also known as the Valsalva phenomenon and it was initially studied in the case of weightlifters. Applying this technique can have as consequences, in time, rising of blood pressure, low blood feedback through the veins, varicous veins, etc. It is obvious that because of the ageing process, the blood veins become more rigid, a process favored by the arteriosclerosis which appears to younger and younger people. The elasticity of the walls of these blood vessels decreases, so while making force effort with really heavy weights, the sportsmen are in danger of having a stroke, because the vessels can break. This risk is much smaller in fitness.The weights used in this sport are small or medium, because the purpose of doing this sport is not a spectacular hypertrophy of the muscles, but fortifying, putting into relief and reshaping the muscles.

Another advantage of fitness is a richer and more varied area of exercises, inspired from the complex training of body building but also of many other sports. For example, we find in fitness plyometrics exercises used in athletics, gymnastics, weightlifting, fight sports, etc. These programs have as consequence the forming of much more functional muscles, which can cope with demanding situations in real life, not only with posing during body building contests.

Because there is no obsession for muscles, aerobic training can be introduced in the programs. Its advantages are: making the blood vessel walls more elastic, decreasing cholesterol and making excellent prophylaxis of cardiovascular diseases.

Time is another factor which must be considered. While in body building the simplest divided program requires a minimum of four weekly trainings, in fitness, where all or most of the muscle groups are exercised during one training, three non-consecutive days a week are enough. The aerobic exercises can be done either in the free days, or additional to the training in the gym, in this case the total time of training being of one hour and a half at most.

Passing from body building to fitness does not have as consequence significant loss of muscular mass, even if the volume of the muscles is diminished. Anyway, the fortifying and relief of the muscles are not lost. This small loss is fully compensated by the advantages of practicing much more complex exercises and, why not admit, much safer for the health of the people.

Gaby Munteanu is a fitness trainer, with over 15 years experience, and editor at http://www.healthfitnessworld.com HealthFitnessWorld.com - Health, Fitness, Body Building, Weight Loss, Nutrition - Articles and Resources.

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Solutions for Shin Pain

A large majority of runners and exercisers in general experience shin pain. This condition is commonly referred to as ?shin splints? which really is a catchall term for the condition. A more appropriate term is medial tibial stress syndrome.

This condition is more common in females and is often noted in beginner runners, or even experienced ones that have recently changed some aspect of their training regimen (new shoes, worn-out shoes, downhill running/overstriding, different surface). There is a strong relationship between the mechanics of the foot and the resulting torque (twisting forces) being transferred to the bones of the lower leg. It is suspected that these repetitive forces may over time, cause tiny fractures in the bone called stress fractures with the tibia being the most common site. Pain is usually worse in the standing position ? especially on one leg or while hopping. A common condition is for a runner to have a hypermobile or flat foot and muscles that are unable to control excessive internal rotation of the tibia and to toe off efficiently. Runners with this condition should stretch their calf muscles if tight and exercise the posterior leg muscles. Straight-leg and bent leg calf raises are excellent exercises, but also try doing single leg heel drops (on a calf machine or step press up with two toes and let down with one) this strengthens the muscles eccentrically to help slow down pronation and internal tibial rotation. People with a rigid or hypomobile foot may not be able to sufficiently absorb the ground reaction forces associated with repetitive running and are also at risk for developing bone stress injuries. These individuals may try stretching the calf muscles if tight by walking barefoot on the inner border of their feet and performing dorisflexion exercise (pulling the foot toward the shin) against resistance.

In conclusion, medial tibia stress syndrome or shin splints can be a debilitating condition but there are some interventions that can be made with corrective exercise. The best way of finding out what type of foot you have is to have a foot biomechanic and running shoe assessment.

David Petersen is a Personal Trainer/Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and the owner and founder of B.O.S.S. Fitness Inc. based in Oldsmar, Florida. More articles and information can be found at http://www.bossfitness.com

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How To Get Incredible Gains If You Aren't Getting Them Already... And... How To Get Them Fast!

The key to rapid muscle growth, is to perform all your exercises well outside your comfort zone. If you had performed the barbell curl to the point of complete and momentary exhaustion, instead of ?copping out? at the tenth. Then your bicep muscles would be forced to work harder than normal. Much harder. As a result, they would grow and build size rapidly.

What matters here is not the number of repetitions performed beyond the initial ten. What?s most important is that you understand the reason behind the need to force yourself to work at higher levels of intensity. To produce the greatest possible muscle gains in the shortest possible time frame, you must continually strive to perform at a level well beyond your comfort zone.

If you perform a set of barbell curls until you can no longer lift the bar, no matter how hard you try, or how many pair of strides you split, then you will be involving the highest possible number of muscle fibers. It may not be the total number available, but it will be enough to produce massive increases in muscle size.

Muscle gains produced by a very small amount of intense exercise, will always be much, much more, than that produced by a large amount of low intensity exercise. It is never the quantity of exercise that produces muscle gains, it is always the quality.

Most guys who exercise today are completely ignorant of the need for maximum intensity in their workouts. And as a result, most are blind to their true potential. Even when they are training six days a week, most guys make have no muscle gains to show for it. They just don?t know that they need to workout at a much higher level of intensity. But, in many cases they?re just too damn lazy to do so.

If they don?t exert the level of intensity needed, they will never achieve astounding muscle gains. So, unless you are content to train for years and have nothing to show for it like Frankie No-Gains and Jermima Got-No-Brains, you must accept and respect what is required of you. Your exercise must be brief, but it must be intense.

Trent Brook is the Author of ?Huge Gains Fast - How to Get More Rock-Hard Muscle Mass In A Month Than You Now Get All Year. His ?Huge Gains Fast? muscle building program is an easy-to-follow system so simple and understandable it?s fully explained to you in just 4 easy steps! The Revised Edition is now available online at his website, http://www.hugegainsfast.com

The 3 Core Muscle Building Exercises You Should Be Doing

When it comes to building muscle I like to keep things simple. It?s easy to get caught up in the hype of hot new products and exercises that promise to be the next best thing in muscle building. Theses fancy exercises and products use long ?scientific like? words and explanations to show you they work to build the most muscle.

In this article I am going to get back to basics. I am going to show your three muscle building exercises you can?t afford not to do and why you should be doing them. These three exercises are the grass roots of building muscle and are essential for any serious training program.

You might find it hard to believe, but with these three exercises alone you can pack on a serious amount of muscle. I refer to these exercises as the ?core? to any good program. When I start planning I muscle building program for a client I always start with these three basic exercises and build the program around them.

3 core muscle building exercises:

Squat
The squat is the biggest exercise for packing on serious poundage. There?s no argument about it. The squat is primarily a leg building exercise. You start the exercise with a barbell resting across your shoulders standing straight up. Then bending at the knees and hips you lower the barbell down until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. And then push the barbell back to the starting position.

The main muscle groups pulled into action for the squat are your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes. Secondary muscle groups include the lower back, adductors and to a certain extent your shoulder muscles. As you can see many muscle groups are recruited for this exercise making it the biggest exercise and biggest potential muscle builder.

Like all the core muscle building exercises, you should make the squat the first exercise you do on your leg training day. Because it?s the biggest exercise you want your legs to be fresh and ready. If muscle building is your goal, aim for about 8-12 reps on the squat. Because you?ll be lifting heavy weights a good warm up is vital. Squatting is very stressful for the lower body, especially the knees, so 5-10 minutes on the treadmill and some lights squats first up are recommended.

Bench Press
The bench pres is the king of upper body building exercises. For years the bench press has been used to measure a lifter?s strength. How many times have you been asked ?how much do you bench?? I bet you?ve never been asked how much do you squat or how many chin ups can you do.

The bench is a simple yet extremely powerful exercise that targets the entire chest (pectorals), front shoulders (deltoids) and triceps. To perform a bench press you must lie on your back on a flat bench, grip the barbell at slightly wider than shoulder grip and press the bar straight down to your chest.

The bench press is the biggest upper body builder because it allows you to move the most amount of weight possible. This is its advantage over the dumbbell press. With the help of a spotter you can also push yourself to lift heavier weights. There are also other advanced bench press techniques like board presses, bench press negatives and chain presses. See our link at the bottom for more details.

Wide grip Chin Up
If you were only going to do one exercise to work your back this would be it. The wide grip chin up is the ultimate test of a lifters power to weight ratio. This muscle building exercise is very demanding on the body.

The wide grip chin up primarily hits the lats, but also targets the entire upper back, biceps and forearms. To execute this exercise you need a chin up bar or assisted chin up machine. Hold the bar in a wide grip (greater than shoulder width) with your palms facing away from your body. Start in a ?hanging? position with your arms fully extended. Pull yourself up until your can get your chin over the bar and lower back to starting position.

Most people will not be able to do wide grip chin ups without some lat/back training first. You can use the assisted chin up machine or lat pull down machine to strengthen your lats before attempting wide grip chin ups. This is the most demanding back exercise you can do so it must be the first exercise in your session.

When you should be doing these exercises

Like I mentioned previously in this article, these exercises are the biggest muscle builders and also the most taxing on your body so they must be done at the beginning of your workout to get the maximum benefits. I recommend that you do up to 5 sets on each exercise and vary the way you perform these sets each week. For example, the first week you do pyramid up sets, the second week you pyramid down and the third week you do straight sets. This keeps your muscles from getting accustomed to your routine. Good luck packing on some serious pounds!

For more information on muscle building exercises visit our muscle building megasite. We have muscle building exercises, workouts, articles and forum and more.

Six Things You Must Have In Any Muscle Building Program

If you're looking to pack on solid muscle mass, you'll definitely want to read this article.

Because there's a lot of confusion on how to gain muscle mass and what it really takes. I want to give you 6 areas you absolutely, positively must focus on in any muscle building program you decide to use:

1: The proper amount of calories.

Since your diet is one of the most important keys to gaining muscle mass, you really need to know HOW many calories to eat, WHAT types of food to eat, and WHEN you should be eating them!

If you consistently under eat, you will NOT gain muscle mass. However, if you tend to overeat a lot, you will likely gain body fat.

So you have to be pretty accurate with your calorie intake in order to gain muscle mass without a lot of fat.

2: The correct approach to training in the gym.

Any muscle building program should give you MASS building techniques so that you can gain quality muscle weight, not just fat.

You want to make sure you're not training too many days. That will stop your body from recovering and your muscles from repairing themselves.

You also want to make sure you're not doing too many exercises, reps, and sets because that too could lead to overtraining.

We'll touch more on it below, but the best approach for building muscle is to stick with the basic compound exercises (bench, squats, deadlifts, barbell curls) and use lower reps and just a few heavy sets.

3: The best possible supplements to help pack on weight.

Let's get this straight...you do NOT need supplements to gain muscle. You need calories. And I've used just about every supplement on the market and many are a complete waste of money! However, there are a few exceptions and some can help you in the muscle gaining process, if you decide to use them.

The main supplements worth taking to gain quality muscle would have to be protein (whey, milk, or egg), creatine, glutamine, EFA's, a multivitamin, and meal replacements.

Save your hard-earned money and time by avoiding the useless ones.

4: The proper amount of sets and reps for muscle growth without muscle breakdown.

Like we talked about above, you want to make sure you're setting up your weight training to be the best use of your time and energy.

Most people train the wrong way for muscle growth. What I mean is, they do way too many reps and sets, thinking more is better.

A lower rep and set range is proven to speed up lean muscle growth while minimizing muscle breakdown.

After all, muscle growth occurs from overload. And it makes sense that one of the quickest ways to increase overload (weight lifted) is to lessen the amount of reps and increase the amount of weight.

5: The right balance of protein, carbs, and fats.

If you don't get enough protein, you WILL NOT gain muscle. If you consume too many fat calories, you'll gain mostly fat and not muscle. So it's important that you get the right breakdown of protein, fats, and carbs for your specific body type.

Most advice shows that 50% of your calories should come from protein, 40% from carbs, 10 % from fats. But this is just a guideline. Find what works best for you and stick with that.

6: The right approach to cardio so that you do not burn off all your hard earned muscle weight.

Depending on your goals, cardio may help or actually hurt your chances of gaining weight. If you're really looking to gain more weight fast, you may not want to be doing cardio at all.

That way, you don't risk losing weight and muscle by expending calories that could have been used for muscle building.

If you're looking to lose body fat while still gaining muscle, 3 to 5 cardio sessions a week is plenty.

For someone wanting to pack on the weight, I'd stick with just a couple sessions, none if you're really desperately trying to gain weight.

Those are 6 basic areas you want to focus on with any muscle building program you use.

The main points again are:

1. Find out the proper amount of calories you need to gain muscle weight without adding a lot of fat.

2. You want to set up your weight training to be the best use of time and energy in the gym. This includes how often to train, how many muscle groups, and how long to rest, both between sets and between workouts.

3. If you decide to invest in supplements, stick with the proven ones like protein, creatine, and glutamine.

4. Using lower reps and fewer sets means you can use more intensity and overload on the muscles. High reps with low weight does nothing for muscle building.

5. Out of your total daily calorie needs, you want to ensure you're getting the proper ratio of protein, carbs, and fats. You can start with the 50-40-10 ratio or 40-40-20 and go from there, depending on your results.

6. If you want to gain mass quickly, you may want to consider dropping cardio altogether. Or else, 3 to 5 sessions should be more than enough to continue gaining muscle while shedding fat.

If you're looking for a muscle building program that's proven to help you build muscle fast, check out the Simple Steps To Get Huge And Shredded workout program

5 Reasons Why Alcohol Will Destroy Your Muscle Gains

I receive emails every single day from aspiring muscle-builders all over the world, and one of the most common questions I?m asked is ?does drinking really affect the muscle growth process?? I?m sorry to say it, but yes, too much alcohol will almost definitely have a significant negative impact on your muscle-building results. Alcohol is far more harmful than most people think, and it?s very important that you understand how this drug (yes, alcohol is a drug) is affecting your progress. This is not an anti-drug speech, but if you?re serious about achieving a truly impressive physique, you should definitely be aware of the 5 main ways that alcohol is slowing down your gains?

1) It negatively affects protein synthesis.

Protein synthesis is the process where amino acids are joined together to form complete proteins. Excessive alcohol consumption slows this process down by up to 20%, and since your muscles are made up of protein, you can see how this is a problem.

2) It lowers testosterone levels and increases estrogen.

Testosterone is the most important muscle-building hormone in your body. One of the limiting factors that determines how much muscle a person can gain is their level of free-flowing testosterone.

3) It causes dehydration.

The kidneys must filter very large amounts of water in order to break down the alcohol, and this can result in severe dehydration within the body. Water plays an absolutely crucial role in the muscle-building process, and being even slightly dehydrated is a recipe for disaster. The muscles alone are comprised of 70% water.

4) It depletes the body of vitamins and minerals.

Alcohol consumption causes vitamins A, C, the B's, calcium, zinc and phosphorus to all be drained at rapid rates. Vitamins and minerals keep every little process in your body functioning properly, and many of these processes involve muscle growth and maintenance.

5) It increases fat storage.

With 7 empty calories per gram, alcohol can actually be quite fattening. Alcohol also disrupts the Kreb?s Cycle, which plays an important role in fat burning.

It?s important to have fun in life, but too much fun can lead to problems. If you?re serious about achieving significant muscle-building results, you definitely need to monitor your intake of alcohol and make sure that you are consuming it in moderation. A few drinks here and there shouldn?t be a problem, but if you find yourself drinking every weekend you can almost certainly kiss your muscle gains goodbye.

If you do decide to go out and party, make sure to drink plenty of water and to properly nourish yourself with vitamins/minerals and a protein rich meal.

I don?t recommend revolving your entire life around your muscle-building program, so don?t be afraid to go out and have a good time once in a while. Just make sure to keep your drinking nights infrequent (no more than once a month) and properly nourish yourself to lessen its effects. As long as you monitor what you?re doing you can achieve an impressive physique and have a social life at the same time.

Sean Nalewanyj is a bodybuilding expert, fitness author and writer of top-selling Internet Bodybuilding E-Book: The Truth About Building Muscle. You can learn more by visiting his website: http://www.MuscleGainTruth.com/

Bodybuilding and Overcoming Daily Workout Fatigue

How can you have a great workout without having to feel so tired the rest of the day. The answer might surprise you.

You probably know women and men that are so busy, that the only time they can workout is at 5:00 in the morning. Maybe you have to do that too. I worked out with several of these people and found out what they do for a living and why they're working out so early.

Turns out that they are doctors, lawyers, sports therapists, construction workers, security guards, parents, one was even a US Congressman. They all enjoy working out, but several mentioned about feeling fatigued the entire day (after having a good workout).

So I set out to find an answer to this problem.

Many of these people were taking protein supplementation. It's great for helping you to be relaxed, but can contribute to the feeling of being tired. Kind of like the sleepy feeling after having a large meal. But with a good workout, you really have to be taking protein to fully realize the benefits of these intense workouts.

I also found that many of these people weren't getting enough sleep. They were lucky to get 7-8 hours of sleep, although some claimed only 5-6 hours at most, as the rest of their lives were very busy (hence the reason for early morning workouts). So even just adding an hour of sleep each night, if possible, can really help.

Some of these people were drinking workout drinks with caffeine. While this is great to get going in the morning, the residual effect can be a tired feeling the rest of the day, unless they drink some more caffeine (which can then keep one from being able to go to bed that night to get enough sleep).

But... the most surprising answer came from someone that had been working out for 25 years. He told me he found a new supplement that was college documented to improve strength in the gym, and yet prevents fatigue while working out. He said he did not get nearly as much fatigue during his workouts anymore, and he did not feel fatigue during the day either.

The supplement he was referring to is called GAKIC from Muscletech (GAKIC is their trademark). I'm not putting any type of self-serving affiliate link in this article, as you'll have to find this supplement on your own. I got some at GNC. This guy said he'd just started taking it and has felt great during the day, after an intense workout.

GAKIC stands for Glycine-l-Arginine-alpha-Ketoisocaproic Acid Calcium. It doesn't have creatine or any stimulants (as far as I can tell). You may recognize that it has l-arginine which is the main ingredient in many of the nitrous oxide type of supplements... but I can't tell if this product enhances the NO pathways or if it's the calcium that seems to delay fatigue. Either way, I heard it's good stuff. The manufacturer claims that it works the first time you take it and that it's powerful enough that you are supposed to only take GAKIC on workout days, so one container lasts about a month.

I tried it and did not get a tired feeling when working out, and did indeed feel good all day long. If you find yourself just getting exhausted during or after a workout, GAKIC could be worth checking out.

Jessica Deets has been researching the internet for over 4 years and finds valuable information to help people. The website at http://www.legalsteroidalternative.com has information, news and a current blog regarding steroid alternatives.

Metabolism: How to Increase Your Metabolic Rate?

Metabolism is a process by which the body burns the calories and convert them into useful energy. High metabolic rate uses up the energy stored in the form of fat. Metabolism to some extent depends on:

a) Our Body Structure (our genes, our health conditions).

b) Depends on our daily schedule, our daily activities.

c) Depends on our age.

d) Depends on the type of food we have.

CAUTION: Pills with the tag fat burning, increases Metabolism do not work for long time. They disturb your digestive system.

To increase Metabolic Rate,

a) MUST MUST MUST..... Do Exercise. Doing regular Exercise uses up the extra calories and in turn increases the Metabolic Rate. Most important of all. Muscle Building and Aerobics is one way to increase Metabolic Rate.

Know more muscle building workouts and exercises at http://www.weightloss-health.com/Articles3.htm

b) Diet also plays a major role. Right food do increase your metabolism. Taking proper meals at proper time with proper nutrition increases the Metabolic Rate. Makes sure you have your breakfast as it sets up the momentum for the day. Other wise you are starving yourself which is decreasing your Metabolic Rate. Least number of calories per day for a good Metabolism is 1200 calories.

c) Don't get duped by false pills. Keep patience and follow normal workout.

d) Try to eat more carbohydrates. It shoots up your Metabolic Rate.

e) Avoid alcohol.

f) Park further away and walk. Use the stairs instead of the elevator when possible. Walk to the post office instead of getting into the car. Take your dog on a daily walk. Do more activities around the house to burn energy instead of wasting money on pills and potions that don't work.

g) Incorporate a walking routine to increase metabolism at least three to four times a week. Walk 30 to 40 minutes each time. This is the best way to increase your metabolism. The magic key lies with the walking or running on treadmill as per your body need. YOU CANT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS.

h) Be committed to eating smaller meals at regular intervals. Prepare food in advance and bring it with you. Never eat sporadically and plan each meal. The common mistake is to skip meals and eat too little during the day. This makes you vulnerable for eating junk food later in the day. Eating to lose weight takes planning.

About the Author:

Jasdeep: for http://weightloss-health.com/ your complete and most comprehensive family guide on Health.

Look out for highly effective and recommended muscle building programs from the best in this field and a chance to go through muscle building articles directory at Muscle Building Supplement, Tips, Programs and Workouts

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Isometric Exercises

Isometric exercise means that you push against something that doesn't move, such as a wall. Thirty years ago, most weightlifters and athletes is sports requiring strength used isometric training to make themselves stronger. Athletes don't use isometric training much anymore. The strength gained through performing isometric contractions is only within 20 degrees of the angle you hold. On the other hand, when you lift weights, you become strong through a wide range of motion. Isometrics cause your blood pressure to rise higher than the other methods of strength training. If you have weak blood vessels or heart trouble, you can rupture a blood vessel or develop an irregular heart beat.

According to Dr. John D. Fair, Chairman of the Department of History at Auburn University, the popularity of isometrics was the result of the success of some weightlifters who took synthetic male hormones called anabolic steroids and then claimed that their isometric exercises made them strong. They claimed that they were doing a revolutionary new training method of pushing against bars that didn't move. The steroids made them stronger by helping them to recover faster from tough workouts so they could do more work. The only stimulus to make a muscle stronger is to exercise that muscle against resistance. You can lift heavy weights, push against special strength machines and push against something that doesn't move, such as a wall or bar attached to the ground. Isometrics are not used much any more, but the steroids are still used, even though they are banned by most sport authorities.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

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How to Master Your Own Intelligent Power Plant

Want to get in shape for the summer huh? Understanding your body will get you the results you need. No matter what your goal is, by understanding your body you can change the way you look forever. Bulk up good weight or simply loose the plump. Thousands of people keep asking questions and finding different answers about health and fitness. Why is that?

People are different. Every one of us has a unique type of body; therefore what may work just fine for me might not work for you and vice-versa.

Our inherited characteristics (genetics) make us exceptional. Many people are concerned about their physical appearance especially in summer because of the sudden increase in the exposure of their body. Some people start looking for fat loss or weight gain diets and end up spending a lot of money on exercise and diet books, but some people decide that they want a radical change and start starving or eating a lot of food. This psychological phase may cause huge health problems like anorexia nervosa (An abnormal loss of the appetite for food) or bulimia nervosa (An eating disorder in which the sufferer eats huge amounts of food and then vomit).

The secret behind a healthy & fit body lays in the basic facts. Knowing the basic facts will help you find your own way of dieting according to how your digestive system works. Only this will ensure long term health and fitness. For example, reducing your daily food intake is not necessarily the best way to loose fat. Understanding the quality of food, how the body uses energy, how the digestive system works, and other related information will give you the base ?know how? to make the change you want.

How does the digestive system work? Simply explained, our body works like an intelligent power plant as suggested in the heading of this article. The food we eat is the fuel. Our muscles are the motors that enable us to do our daily functions such as breathing, moving objects and walking from one place to another. When our stomach is empty and our body needs energy, our brain sends signals requesting food (hunger). The food we (ingest) is temporarily stored in our stomach. Our brain will then command our stomach to send the required acids to break down the food (digestion). After the food is broken down it will become the source of energy for our muscles.

Where does body fat come from? The food we eat is made up of different substances namely carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, water and salts. Carbohydrates and Fats are the main sources of energy and protein is normally used by the body for muscle repair and growth. Any excess food that we eat is either excreted or stored in the body as fat.

Why do some people look like a Michelin commercial? The body keeps fat stored underneath the skin to prevent the body from death as a result of severe starvation. When the body is starving the brain sends a message to the body to reduce the amount of energy being burnt; in this case the brain will command the body to feel tired and to break down muscle and fat tissue for energy. Why? The muscle burns energy just by being there. The bigger the muscles are the more energy they burn. Therefore by breaking down muscle tissue for energy the brain will be both reducing the amount of energy needed per second and also getting some extra energy in return.

Eat like a pig look like a stick! In the above paragraph I explained how, when starving the body breaks down fat and muscle tissue right? And I also explained that the more muscle mass we have the more calories (unit for calculating energy) we burn no? Ok now I want you to combine those together. The best solution would be to maintain the good mass (muscle mass) and get rid of the fat. Sounds impossible? NO! In fact it?s easier than you think. Well here?s the formula. The average man burns around 2500 calories per day and the average woman burns like 2000. It doesn?t matter what you eat unless you don?t exceed your amount of calories per day. If you eat more often and in a more regular way your brain will think that there is enough food to eat and that there is no need to store food like crazy. The result is? You are feeling better (food is a great antidepressant) and satisfied more often and you won?t pile up the plump.

A very good timetable would be:

(Wake up + 20min walk + cereals)
[3 hours
(meal 2)
[3 hours
(meal 3)
[3 hours
(meal 4)
[4 hours
(meal 5)

Now if you want to loose fat you will have to work out a calorific deficit of not more than 600 calories per week. Take a walk every morning on an empty stomach for 20 minutes and drink a glass of water every 3 hours. Try to reduce carbohydrates and fats. Eat more protein and drink more fruit juices.

Do some weight training to tone up any flab that you might get as a result of less fat under your skin and get ready for a new wardrobe!

Bulk up Mr. Thin!
If you have been pulled around or joked about at school or at work just because every one ?thinks? you cant bulk up muscle, I have good news for you.

What is happening to you?
Your digestive system works at a higher than normal rate and burns everything that you ingest as fast as it can. Your system is so fast that it burns both the fats and the proteins you ingest nearly as fast as it burns carbohydrates.

Ok let?s get to the point?
What you need is to reverse engineer what is happening to your opposite genetic type. Eating small meals often will only trigger your body to burn food faster. Your main aim should be to slow down your metabolic rate (the rate by which you burn food). Eat more fiber rich foods especially in the morning. Do not eat fats like there?s no tomorrow because that is very unhealthy and no matter how much fat you pack on it will look ugly. You must pack on muscle. Eat larger meals less often and eat more carbohydrates.

Your typical timetable should be something like this:

(Wake up + cereals)
[4 hours
(big meal 2)
[4 hours
(big meal 3)
[4 hours
(big meal 4)

And yes you must add weight training to your daily timetable. Do some resistance training to increase strength. Day on day off weight training is the best for you. If you change your eating style and do your weight training regularly you will start seeing results after a couple of weeks.

Happy shaping up!

Joe Camilleri writes about everything that can enhance the personal well being of a person. He also likes to write about personal image improvement and life etiquette. Get more information about health and fitness, wealth and realtionship here.

Learn How to Build Lean Muscle Quickly With These

There are many different techniques and ideas when talking about how to build lean muscle. Some are effective and some aren't. The key is to understand some of the basic fundamentals so that you can put together, and use, programs that will help you build muscle mass as quickly and easily as possible.

Here are some tips you can use to build lean muscle and develop effective weight training programs.

It?s important that you use a training program that is designed to help you gain weight and build muscle. I know this sounds obvious but many people miss the point.

I?ve had people ask me for training advice because they can?t seem to add weight. Then I find out they are eating only two or three meals a day, not getting enough protein, not getting enough total calories, and they are extremely active, participating in endurance, calorie burning sports such as basketball and soccer.

Not to mention the problems with their weight training routine ? wimpy isolation exercises on machines, two hour workouts, not training with enough intensity, etc.

Use Multijoint (compound) Exercises

This seems like an obvious tip but I?m reminded every time I step foot into a gym that very few people understand it. It amazes me how many people who are trying to build lean muscle are toiling away on machine dominated weight training routines and isolation exercises with wimpy weights.

And when I say wimpy weights, I?m not knocking anyone. We all start somewhere and we all have limitations. Heck, there are a lot of people that can lift heavier weights than I can.

What I mean by wimpy weights are based on exercise selection. Anyone can use a lot more weight on seated shoulder presses with a barbell than they can on a lateral raise machine. If you want to learn how to build lean muscle, remember this tip. Always substitute multijoint exercises for isolation exercises.

Basic compound movements are an essential key when it comes to how to build lean muscle. This means exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, stiff legged deadlifts, bent-over rows, close-grip bench presses, chin ups, lat pulldowns, close grip bench presses, and barbell curls.

When your focus is on how to build lean muscle, stay away from isolation exercises. This means exercises like flyes, concentration curls, leg curls, leg extensions, lateral raises, etc. Stick to the basics.

There?s a reason the basics are hard and a reason the guys who avoid them don?t gain muscle mass the way they want. You can devise a fantastic muscle building weight lifting program with a handful of the big, basic exercises.

Stick To A Limited Number of Sets

You?re not training for a marathon. You want to build muscle mass. Forget two hour workouts with an endless number of exercises and sets. All you?ll do is burn out, overtrain, and NOT build muscle!

It?s just not necessary to go to the gym every day, do 20 set body part routines with a gazillion different exercises to ?blast the muscle from all angles.? What a joke! Forget the routines of the ?champion?s?, or the big guy in your gym who gains muscle mass just by thinking about training.

Workout hard, heavy and infrequently on the big basic exerices, get enough rest and good nutrition, add weight to your exercises whenever possible, and you?ll build muscle. Some of you will learn how to build muscle and build a lot of it and fast, and some of you will take a long time to add a measly five pounds. That?s where genetics come into play. But you can maximize your potential as quickly as possible by following these rules.

Use Heavy Weights

When I say use heavy weights, I mean what?s heavy for you. I mean stick to lower rep sets. Forget the high rep ?pumping? sets for now. If 100 pounds on the bench press is heavy for you, then that?s a heavy weight. Don?t compare yourself to anyone else.

Sure, you?ll probably want a little variety but you can get that when you stick to low reps. You can use such weight lifting techniques as the five-sets-of-five system (2 warm-up sets of five, and then three sets of as heavy a weight as you can use for five reps per set); the three sets of three format; the five, four, three, two, one system; progressively heavier singles, and, when you crave something really different (not to mention brutally tough and very effective try the eight by eight system (you can read about it at http://www.buildleanmuscle.com).

Get Some Rest!

Your muscle grow when you are resting, not when you are working out. You need to give your muscles enough rest and recuperation to allow the building process to take place. If you head back to the gym too soon, you won?t build muscle. Eventually, you?ll get weaker, lose muscle mass, feel like crap, and stop working out. And you definitely don?t want that to happen.

Your whole body needs rest. Working back one day, chest the next, and legs the day after that may give your individual muscles some rest but this is definitely not how to build lean muscle. Why? Because each workout puts a systemic stress on your entire body, no matter what muscle groups you are working. Your kidneys, etc. don?t understand or care that you are working different muscle groups each day. So get out of the gym, get some rest, and grow!

Gregg Gillies is the founder of Buile Lean Muscle.com His articles have appeared in Ironman Magazine. He has written two books and is a regular contributor to Body Talk Magazine. He publishes a free fitness newsletter available at his site that includes lots of weight training tips, fat loss, nutrition and exercise program information to help you build your best body as quickly as possible. See how you can get a customized nutrition plan at http://www.mynutritionjournal.com

Should I Use a Personal Trainer?

Someone asked me if they could write into smart-bodybuilding and get the same advice that they would from a personal trainer? The answer is yes, and no. I give the same information that you may get from your personal trainer. But my answers to your problems will be general in nature, not specific for you the individual. A personal trainer will be able to give an answer that is more tailored to you specific needs. Personal trainers will be able to help you in areas where working out on your own just won?t. If you are new to working out and you have the money get a personal trainer for your first month or so, I suggest that you get a personal trainer.

Some people that are already confident working out on their own still get personal trainers. The reason for more advance trainers going back to a personal trainer can be any number of things, here are just a few that you might consider.

?Motivation is one of the most important value of a personal trainer for the neophyte to the gym as well as the more experience bodybuilder. In the case of the new comer a personal trainer will help to keep you on your schedule and help you reach your goals.

?If you are new to exercise then a personal trainer can help you develop a beginner?s routine that is in line with your goals.

?A personal trainer can help you with form and the correct working of the machines

?A personal trainer can help you with break though plateaus and shorten non-progressive time in the gym.

?A personal trainer watches your form, monitors your vitals and can provide objective feedback about your limits and strengths.

Many professional bodybuilders have trainers that guide them in not just how to do an exercise but also the nuances of muscle movements. More importantly a good trainer is not afraid of hurting your feeling. He/she will say when your legs chest or arms are lagging behind, or that your present diet is not what it should be. Remember your success is also his/her success so you best interest is (if he is worth a dime) also his best advertisement.

No matter what level of lifting, you can always find a very knowledge trainer that can help you re to reach higher goals.

About the Author With over 25 years of bodybuilding experience. 15 years as a competitive bodybuilder 15 years as a personal trainer and 10 years as a trainer of competitive bodybuilders. You can tap into the years of experience of this bodybuilding savant at http://www.smart-bodybuilding.com

NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this article within your website or newsletter as long as you leave the article fully intact and include the About The Author resource box. Thanks! :-)

How To Reach All Your Fitness Goals

If you're looking to achieve all your fitness goals and get the body you've always wanted, this article will drastically speed up your results.

First, you need to know what it is you want to achieve:

My fitness goals are:

What is necessary to achieve my goals are:

**Desire- desire is the force that drives you towards your bodybuilding goals. It is what motivates you to endure those intense, physical workouts. You have to want your goal badly. If you don't want it, believe me, nobody else wants it for you!

**Belief- You must believe, without a doubt, that you can achieve your bodybuilding goals. Belief is the foundation of success.

**Write it- your goals need to be written, or they are merely wishes. If a goal is worth setting, then it is worth writing. Write it in as much detail as possible.

**Determine the benefits- why do you want this goal so badly? If you cannot think of a good enough reason, is it worth going after? Make a list of all the benefits you will receive from achieving your goal.

**Analyze your current status- where are you currently in your bodybuilding endeavor? Until you know where you are now, you will never know where you need to be. The most detailed map in the world is useless if you do not know your current location.

**Set a deadline- when do you want to achieve your goal? On most goals, you need a deadline, or you will not strive to achieve it in a timely manner. Deadlines create a sense of urgency.

**Identify obstacles- be prepared to face hurdles along the way. But if you are prepared to handle the worse, everything else that comes your way is a walk in the park.

**Identify the knowledge you will need- we often must learn new things to completely accomplish our goals. Whether it is a new program or a textbook you are reading, identify the knowledge you will need to know in order to reach your goals.

**Identify people or organizations to assist you- we often need others to help us get what we want. And we should reciprocate the process; help others get what they need and want. Don't be ashamed to admit you need help achieving your goal. Surround yourself with people that have a positive impact on your life. Get rid of those who don't.

** Devise a plan- put down, on paper, and in detail, how you are going to achieve your goal. Put down the activities you will need to get involved in so that you reach your goal. Most people do not have a fitness plan devised, they just wander from machine to machine, exercise to exercise. Develop a plan to get to where you want to be.

**Create a mental image- Imagine your goal already attained. Create a crystal clear picture of you enjoying your goal. The more you think about enjoying your goal, the more your subconscious begins to work and move you closer to the attainment of your goal.

**Resolve never to give up- finally, resolve to never, ever quit. You must determine the price you have to pay to achieve your fitness goals, and then resolve to pay that price. Be persistent and determined to reach that finish line. You will be a much stronger person for it in the end.

The more of these items you can include in your routine, the closer you will be to success in your fitness endeavors.

Shawn LeBrun is a personal trainer and natural bodybuilder that shows his clients how to build muscle and lose fat in the least amount of time possible. Check out his site to get in the best shape of your life: Shawn LeBrun Fitness

8 Simple Ways To Lose Fat

1. Set a goal for yourself and get real about achieving it.

Until you set a goal of how much body fat you want to lose, you are just dreaming. It needs to be specific and written down. If losing body fat is what you want to do, you must be willing to achieve it at all costs.

If you do not want to lose body fat enough, you will continue to give yourself reasons not to work out. Get real and tell yourself that you are going to do this, no matter what. Before any other step, this is the most important one.

If you are not real and serious about losing fat, all the other steps will not help you.

YOU MUST SET A GOAL FOR YOURSELF. You need a reason to keep going, to do cardio first thing in the morning, to skip that extra slice of pizza. You need a reason or you will not follow through.

So step 1 is to stop dreaming and start doing. Tell yourself you are going to achieve your goal no matter what. Write down what you want to achieve and then go after it!

2. Drink your life away! (well, not really)

If you have ever doubted the importance of water, try going a few days without it. You can live weeks without food, but only days without water. It is used in EVERY single physiological process your body undergoes.

It's importance cannot be stated enough, especially when it comes to fat-loss and fitness training. Shoot for at least a gallon a day, preferably more. The inconvenience of constantly using the bathroom is a minor drawback compared to the benefits you will receive.

Keep a bottle wherever you spend most of your day, at your desk at work, in your car, hell, wear a water bottle around your neck, but just get enough water.

3. Eat 5-6 (or more) small meals a day consisting of high protein, moderate carbs, and low-fat.

This is important in keeping your metabolism efficiently burning calories. Constantly grazing on meals every 3 hours will allow your body to burn off what it has consumed quicker and more efficiently.

Eating one or two larger meals will actually cause your body's metabolism to slow down. Skipping meals altogether will actually cause your body to store fat as a defense mechanism.

Your body is not sure when its going to get its next meal so it tends to store more in case of perceived famine. Make each meal consist of higher protein (builds muscle), moderate carbohydrates (fuel for the body) and low fat (energy and protection).

Use the 50-40-10 rule as an approximate guideline. 50% of your calories coming from protein, 40% carbs, and 10% fats.

4. Do INTENSE cardiovascular workouts 3-4 times a week.

This is where the majority of the calorie burning takes place.

Not necessarily from the cardio you just did, but from the fact that doing cardio increases your metabolic rate so that the rest of the day you will burn off more calories as well.

Treat your cardio days like you do your workouts. That means, put all of your energy and intensity into your cardio. Do 20-30 minutes of cardio 3-4 days a week. During a session of cardio, warm-up for 5 minutes, then do 20 minutes at a high intensity pace.

Then cool down for the last 5 minutes. Go at a fast enough pace where you are sweating, panting, huffing, puffing, turning red. Get your body out of homeostasis (everythings normal and in balance).

Doing cardio for the sakes of doing it will not burn fat. Going for a leisurely walk will not sufficiently burn fat, unless you walk ten miles. Riding a stationary bike while relaxingly reading the paper will not burn much fat.

Hey, it's only 30 minutes. Bust your butt for this time and the return on your investment will be great. Choose cardio machines that get more of your body moving. The more you move, the more you burn.

Stairmaster and running on the Treadmill are good examples. The recumbent bike is good also, because you can focus on high intensity without worrying about falling off. The more your whole body moves, the more energy you expend.

5. Do INTENSE Weight training at least 3-4 times a week.

Do not mistake weight training w/ trying to burn fat. Weight training will not burn a sufficient amount of body fat. What weight training will do is help you burn fat in the future. When you add muscle to your frame, your body has to expend more energy (burn more calories) to maintain that muscle tissue.

So when you are at rest, even sleeping, the more lean muscle mass you have, the more calories you will expend. Weight training will not only strengthen existing muscle, but will add additional lean muscle tissue to handle any future demands placed on the muscle.

The more lean muscle tissue you have, the more calories you will expend at rest. Not bad, huh?

6. Figure out your daily energy expenditure and reduce it.

Most people do not like to calorie count, me included. But in order to properly lose body fat, you need to determine your daily energy expenditure or caloric maintenance level. You then need to reduce your energy consumption to be below your energy output.

It's difficult to place a number on how much below your consumption you should go, because everyone is different. A good place to start would be 150-200 calories below your maintenance levels.

Then continue to observe the effects in the mirror to determine if this number needs to be changed. If you continue to see no results, try reducing your energy consumption to 300 calories below your energy output.

7. Instead of a 30 minute cardio session, do 2, 15 minute sessions.

This is definitely a tough thing to do because of busy schedules, but if it is possible, do a 15 minute cardio session first thing in the morning and another session later in the afternoon or early evening.

Research has shown that compared with subjects that did a 30 minute cardio session, those that did 2, 15 minute sessions burned twice as many calories. Make each 15 minute session still very intense, which is easier to do if you are going 15 minutes.

Warm-up for 2-3 minutes and then go all out for 13-15 minutes, then cool down for 2-3 minutes.

Once again, if you can fit 2, 15 minute cardio sessions into your day (avoid doing it on weight-training days), you will burn twice the amount of calories than doing a 30 minutes session.

8. Continue to up your weight (overload) when doing resistance training.

Remember that building lean muscle will assist you in the fat-burning process later on. The more muscle you have, the more energy your body expends to maintain that muscle, even at rest.

In order to make constant and significant gains, remember to train intensely and for short durations. I like to call them bursts of exercise! Try and work no more than 2 muscle groups a workout, 3 workouts a week.

Or you can do 1 muscle group each workout, training 5-6 days a week in shorter bursts.

Keep reps lower than higher. This will cause you to maintain high enough resistance to add overload to the muscle, causing more muscle growth. Do only 2-3 heavy sets per exercise and keep workouts no longer than 45 minutes.

Keep your workouts intense and to the point. Do it and get out of the gym. DO NOT DO YOUR CARDIO BEFORE WEIGHT TRAINING! It's hard to focus intensely on both weight training and cardio in the same session. Do not rob one to pay the other.

These are 8 simple (well, not so simple if you do them well!) ways you can maximize fat burning while increasing the likelihood of not losing much muscle.

Cardio and proper nutrition are two of the most vital areas to focus on when attempting to shed fat and gain muscle.

Shawn LeBrun is an online fitness expert that will show you how to lose fat, gain muscle, and increase your strength in the least amount of time! Visit http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com for info.

How To Gain Weight

Until I started following a routine to eat, my gains were minimal. Once I set my eating times to a specific time during the day along with a protein boost, I could see the gains immediately. This sample program is a quick way to get your protein WAY up and generally increase your food intake. But it doesn't require the traditional sit down 6+ a day to eat 30 chicken breasts and spend all day cooking. I've got a full-time job at a corporate office. Cooking isn't an option. Nor is eating 6+ times a day involving meals with Tupperware and the likes. I need food and I need it fast. Try this program on for size and notice the size you just might see.

Meal 1 - 7:00am

• 1 packet of a meal replacement with 16 ounces of skim milk

• 1 serving of whole grain cereal

• 1 cup of non/low-fat yogurt

• 1 piece of fruit

Meal 2 - 9:00am

• 1 serving of whey protein mixed in 10 ounces of water

• 1 large apple

Meal 3 -12:00pm

• 2 grilled chicken breasts

• 1 serving of brown rice

• 1 cup of low-fat yogurt

• 1 serving of whey protein

Meal 4 - 3:00pm

• 1 packet of a meal replacement with 16 ounces of water and 5-10 grams of L-Glutamine

• 1 large banana

• Pre-Workout

• 1 workout bar of your choice (preferably some carbs and 20+ grams of protein)

Meal 5 - 6:00pm (Post-workout)

• 1 serving of whey protein combined with 1 5gram serving of Creatine mixed in kool-aid. (This is an important meal and is designed for an insulin spike at just the right time to increase creatine and amino acid uptake by the muscle cells).

Meal 6 -7:00pm

• 8 to 10 ounces of a lean round or flank steak

• 1 serving of rice

• 1 medium baked potato

• 1 large green salad

Meal 7 - 10:00pm

• 1 packet of a meal replacement with 16 ounces of skim milk

• 1 large banana

• 3 to 5 grams of L-Glutamine

And that's about it. Simple? You will be significantly increasing the protein uptake. Which means you should be increasing that water consumption as well. I'm not a fan of waking up at 1:00am to get more protein and therefore, I did not include anything beyond 10:00pm. I've noticed some significant gains from this program. My workouts were hardcore but my nutrition was lacking. By putting my eating times to a set schedule, I felt better during the day and was even more ready to tackle that workout later in the day.

Good luck,

Marc David is a bodybuilder, writer, and author of the the e-book The Beginner's Guide to Fitness and Bodybuilding (BGFB): What Every Beginner Should Know but Probably Doesn't. Marc has written over 20 articles and has been featured in several health and fitness websites. Marc's beginner's guide can be seen on http://www.beginning-bodybuilding.com

To subscribe to Marc's free b-weekly e-zine, visit the JustAskMarc website here: http://www.justaskmarc.com

Bodybuilding Magic In The Last Rep

Bodybuilding enthusiasts, as well as strength training participants, all want quick, visible muscle defining results. Their main goal is to add different degrees of lean tissue or fat burning muscle to their bodies all according to personal objectives. Bodybuilders want to add as much muscle mass as possible, while fitness enthusiast want to either maintain muscle mass, or slightly increase strength and size. It all depends upon the specific goals and objectives of each participant.

Bodybuilding magic occurs not during the first rep, but the last. Do you know the last, most difficult, repetition triggers 90% of muscle building results?

The main principle in increasing muscle strength and size is overload.If you place a greater stress on your muscles than you had during the previous workout, that specific muscle will be stimulated, and overloaded enough causing an adaptive responsive. This event results in greater strength and muscle tissue development. The adaptive response is dependent upon the intensity of that last magic, muscle producing rep.

Bodybuilding and strength training participants should really focus on conquering that last, near impossible muscle building repetition.A valiant effort of trying to move that last rep will trigger the muscle group to adapt, and grow stronger.

Don't give up too easily when you feel the weight is challenging. Battle that rep for at least 4 seconds. Even if you are unable to complete the full rep, you have succeeded, and the muscle building growth process will follow. That is, only if you have had sufficient rest between workouts. It is not during the bodybuilding workout when muscle building results occur, but rather after consecutive rest days to allow for muscle building compensation followed by overcompensation.

The last rep is the stimulus that triggers this whole process which bodybuilding and strength gains are based upon. Please note, this whole process can be short circuited by not allowing enough rest time between workouts for overcompensation to occur. If you allow your body sufficient rest, your muscle strength will continue to increase with each subsequent bodybuilding workout. If not, you need more days off to recover from the previous workout. You only have a limited number of resource recovery abilities available, so don't short circuit your results by not allowing the recovery process to finish.

Instead of focusing on which bodybuilding supplement brings good bodybuilding fortune, focus on what really matters - the last, muscle building rep. Then allow your body to do the rest.

Your primary goal should be to reach that repetition you can't complete after struggling four or more seconds. If you follow this last rep, maximum stress, followed by sufficient rest principle, then you will see magic in your bodybuilding results.

For even more detailed bodybuilding information, tips, and resources visit http://www.BodybuildingHub.com.

Jim O'Connor is a Beverly Hills Exercise Physiologist, and expert fitness author who created Bodybuilding Hub.com, a complete information resource for the bodybuilding truth. To discover more quick muscle producing secrets please visit http://www.bodybuildinghub.com/6-Simple-Steps-To-Catapult-Your-Muscle-Gains.html.

*** Attention: Ezine Editors / Website Owners *** Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine, Blog, Autoresponder, or on your website as long as the links, and resource box are not altered in any way.

Jim O'Connor - Exercise Physiologist / The Fitness Promoter

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