Monday, 31 May 2010

Workout Routines For Building Muscle

When you just starting with weight training and building muscle, it truly is very important to begin slowly and give your muscle the ability to become conditioned to the burden weight training causes. If you don't you may well end up seriously hurting yourself. It can take up to a year for your muscle to get used to it, the point where they are able to lift weight with 100% efficiency and intensity. So don't try and do too much, too fast.



You also do not have to go and spend a fortune on fancy new, all in one gyms or a really expensive gym membership. You will only need to have in order to do the following exercises is a pull-up bar and a set of weights. And these don't need be expensive either. A fifteen year old set of used weights works equally as well as a brand new, shiny set. So please don't waste your money on these, as you can obtain some fairly good new and used sets from a place like Amazon's weights area.





Don’t forget, do not try to do too much too fast, as you need to give your body the chance to adapt to doing these kinds of exercises as a way to prevent injury. So every week, steadily raise the amount of weight you use for each exercise, do not attempt to add on as much weight as you have and try to lift it. You will only hurt yourself.



So to begin with, the exercises you shall be doing are not going to be that intense, so you need to do all-body workouts a couple of times a week. And do not dismiss the importance of cardiovascular exercise, as roughly 20 mins of cardio are required a day, to keep up your cardiovascular fitness. And of course it will assist you to lose fat, which will allow your muscles to show through more. Once you start to be able to do the below Workout Routines to Build Muscle easily, or can do tons of reps, move onto a more complex workout. You must be on this routine for at least 3 months but no more than 6 months.



Workout Routines To Build Muscle Fast For Beginners



Monday:



Back: Overhand Pullups. 3 sets. As many as you can do with 60 seconds rest between sets.



Chest: Pushups – 3 sets. Do as many as you can in each set, with 60 seconds rest between sets.



Legs: Lunges – 3 set. 6-12 reps for each set. 60 seconds rest between sets.



Abdominals: Crunches: 2-3 sets. As many as you can do with 60 seconds rest between sets.



Tuesday:



Cardio: 25-30 minutes. Either running, swimming or cycling



Wednesday: As Monday



Thursday: Same As Tuesday



Friday: As Monday And Wednesday



Saturday + Sunday: You can have the option rest or do some Cardio work.



For each and every set you need to be using enough weight for you to be able to do between 6 and 12 reps. If you are able to do more than this without your muscles fighting to make the last rep, you aren't using enough weight. Similarly if you cannot do more than 5 then you are using too much weight.



Bear in mind, this routine is just for beginners. If you are still undertaking this, or some thing the same as this after 6 months, you are not going to see any more results. After 6 months, move onto a more intense, routine

Sunday, 30 May 2010

Should You Do Cardiovascular Before Or After Weight Training?

A question that is often asked when it comes to effective muscle building and fat loss, is when should you do cardio work? Is it most effective before or after strength training? As is very often true in the topic of muscle growth and fitness, it completely is based on on the individual and what their goals are.



But what will be best for you? Below, you can find some frequent ambitions, and how to go about achieving them in terms of strength training and cardio training.



1. If you goal is essentially to build muscle fast, then doing your cardio exercise before you start hitting the weights it may drain you of the energy necessary to get the real gains you want. When you want to bulk up and add muscle mass, it is necessary that your body has enough stored energy to drive the muscles to the limit. you must be able to workout, until the muscles can't do any more, not until you have no energy left. If this describes your goal, then I would recommend doing a rigorous muscle building workout first, and then a short but intense cardio session. This needs to be roughly 10-15 minutes at the end of your workout, but should be done with lots of intensity.



2. Want to improve your fitness, such as training to perform a marathon or some other endurance sports then I would advise doing your training in a couple of sessions. In the morning do an easy muscle building training session, followed by your cardio work in the afternoon, or vice versa. But don't ignore the muscle growth training because you don't believe it will help out your endurance. Strength training is necessary for increasing the strength of the joints and will help you to avoid injury.



3. Is weight loss you goal, and you are looking to drop several pounds? Well in this case the best way to go is to combine weight training and cardio training into what's known as circuit training. You can do this by combining various strength training exercises, with not much rest in between. What this does for you is keep your heart rate fast, but also makes sure it is performing at several different rates, because of the different intensities of the exercises. The greatest way to lose weight and fat is to have your heart working at a selection of different rates.



4. If you really just want to keep and maintain what you have, i.e. don't add any fat or weight and not really add any more muscle, then it is fine to do cardio training before your strength training. Just be sure that you do both regularly.



So to reply to the issue of when to perform cardiovascular training, you first need to decide what your ambition is, and go from there. The above will help you decide.

Gain Muscle Fast

It would be great if you could build muscle fast, without having to put in a lot of effort, and while not having to be watchful about what you eat. Yet if it was that easy everyone would be in excellent shape, and folks with great bodies wouldn't be anything special. Reality is, if you want to build muscle fast you have to put in a substantial amount of work and dedication to truly achieve the outcome you would like.



To truly get the relatively speedy results you desire you must work hard, have a proper workout routine and have a good muscle gaining diet. It is also very important to commit yourself to this and put in the highest effort to each training session.



Diet: When you want to build muscle and not gain fat, the most effective way is to only eat fresh, whole foods, as these will really help to lower your body fat. So sto pbuying those pre-packaged dinners! In case you are unsure as to what is a good, whole food, an easy rule to stick to, is to only eat foods that contain only one ingredient. You can combine these single ingredient foods in any way you want, but single ingredient foods won't contain any undesired additives, preservatives and hidden fats. So get lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, fish and poultry in addition to nuts, seeds and healthy fats. The next time you come accross a meal in fancy wrapping, look at the ingredients. I'll guess there are tons of things in there that you have no idea what they are. They are precisely the stuff you want to stay away from, as the body isn't designed to digest them effectively.



Not only is what you eat important, but so is when you eat. Right after working out, your body requirs a continuous stream of protein to assist repair and build the muscles. So you must eat more often throughout the day, and present the body enough protein in each and every meal. You should be looking to eat a small meal every 2 or 3 hours, which should result in 5-6 meals a day. Not only will this help build muscle, it will also help lose fat, as spreading out your daily intake of food all through the day, in similar sized portions like this increases the metabolism and decreases the body's need to store energy as fat.



How much protein do you need daily? Usually, if you really want to build muscle fast, you should be trying to eat 1 to 1.5 grams of protein for each pound of lean body weight you have. So if you weigh 190 pounds and have a 10% body fat, your lean body weight is 171 pounds. In this scenario, you ought to be trying to get at least 171 grams of protein a day, and as much as 240 grams (171 x 1.5) and this needs to be spread out evenly between each meal.



Aside from the amount of protein you get, the amount of carbs is also crucial, as these provide the body energy to repair and grow. For swift muscle growth you should be getting 1.5 to 2 grams of carbs for every lean pound of body weight. So for the 190 pound person above, they need 240 to 340 grams of carbs each day. This is the area you can experiment with to get the top results. If you are not building muscle as swiftly as you'd probably like, try eating more carbs throughout the day. Or if you seem to be adding fat instead, try dropping the amount of carbs.



It is vital that you have an efficient muscle training routine to work out the body in the most effective way possible, and get the lot done in good time. Generally speaking you do not want to be investing any more than 45 minutes performing exercises, as after this the body begins eating up the muscles, and this will damage your progress. So make a routine that will permit you to get in and out of the gym in less than 45 mins, whilst still working out all the muscle groups you want to work on.



By using productive training practices and a proper diet, along with a little hard work and dedication, you really can build muscle fast. Many people assume that just doing the training routines is enough, but in reality, a proper diet is crucial to build real muscle mass.

Ab Workouts For Men And Women

A lot of people assume that to get a six pack, you should spend never ending hours doing all kinds of ab exercises. Well the truth is, if if you believe this, you could not be more wrong! If you want to achieve a six pack, most of your time shouldn't be taken up with ab workouts. Men and Women that do any sort of strength or fitness training, probably already have pretty good ab muscles, since they are used in basically every exercise and are the basis for true core strength, as well as strong back muscles.

But I don't have a six pack, I hear you say? Well the actual answer can be found in what is covering those abs. The the majority of people don't have a six pack due to the fact that they are being covered up by a layer of belly fat, that is hiding them from view.

So if you really wish to have six pack abs, the first thing you need to do is get rid of that unwelcome layer of fat from your stomach. How do you do this? Quite simply, you will need to eat less, eat better foods and do more cardiovascular exercise.

Another myth that many people seem to believe is that you can choose where in your body to lose fat from. And this is something that several deceitful business men and women exploit by selling machines, workouts and other products that allege to be able to lose fat from your stomach. Well let me set you straight on this right away. You cannot achieve spot fat removal. You are not able to choose to get rid of fat from your belly, love handles, chest etc. This is something that really angers me when it comes to strength training and fat burning. The quantity of people that introduce products saying they will achieve you XY and Z, but in reality their products are virtually useless. Generally, they won't do anything like what they promise, they cost a load, and in some cases can be really dangerous. Don't buy them! What you can do is lower your overall body fat, and the body will choose where this will be taken from. Unfortunately for anyone that wants washboard abs, the belly is usually one of the last places that fat is lost from.

So to get good abs you must

1. Eat less
2. Eat better: Cut down on the fats and sugars. Easy things like not drinking sodas and not eating ready made meals can get you some awesome results.
3. Do more cardiovascular exercise: Fat is covering your abs. To get them showing, you have to lose this fat.
4. Do 5-10 minutes of ab exercises once you have finished your standard workout and you will build muscle fast. While ab exercises are certainly not the most crucial thing in getting a six pack, they are still very useful. Strong abdominal muscles will help you in virtually any sport as they will help strengthen your core and make you stronger. Strong ab muscles will also help you avoid injury to the back.

Thursday, 20 May 2010

Muscle Building Diets: Muscle Building Foods

Remember that a muscle building diet isn't a “normal” diet. Its goal is to help you put on weight by using a lot of high protein foods. Lots of individuals believe the word “diet” to mean eating less food or on certain types of food as a way to lose weight or lose fat, but this is the improper use of the word. The term diet points to the food decisions you make from day to day. So fundamentally what you choose to eat is your diet.



What are the Goals of Muscle Building Diets?



Basically the only objective of a muscle building diet is to build high quality muscle mass without putting on fat. The up coming 6 point plan will help you attain this goal to build muscle fast without gaining fat.



1. Stick to Your Diet



If you're genuine about building muscle and getting rid of fat you've got to keep to your diet the whole year round. Therefore you have to eat the same when you are training less as when you are seriously pushing yourself to the maximum. So don't instantly shift from chicken breasts to hamburgers, or from eggs to bacon just because you haven't been training as much lately. Many body builders have an “off season” where they won't train anywhere near as much as they normally would and give their bodies a break. But they stay in good shape by keeping to their typical muscle building diet.



If you really want one of your fave (unhealthy) foods, only have them in your treat days.



2. Plenty of Protein



For every meal you have to ask yourself “Where is the protein?”



To gain serious muscle you need to eat approximately 1.5 grams of protein for every pound of lean body mass you have. To discern your lean body mass, you have to find out what your body fat percentage is then use this percentage to find out how much of your weight is fat. Then simply take away this from your overall weight.



Don't just use the same supply of protein all the time. Vary it and get a wide assortment of protein sources. Most people will get their majority of protein from chicken breasts, but on top of that your body needs dairy products and beans.



While your busy its alright to get you protein from a protein supplement (but steer clear of protein meal bars!)



3. Cut Out Junk Food



Junk food has a type of fat that you want to keep away from at costs and keep away from your muscle building diet – trans-fatty acids. They critically obstruct you muscle building.



While “good” fats switch on your muscle building switch, junk foods do the reverse. Junk foods incorporate a lot of additives that the body simply isn't built to process, such as preservative, stabilizers and tenderizers.



These substances are like a poison to the body and bring about a process called oxidisation to happen, which heightens muscle breakdown at a cellular level. You already get this in the gym, so don't worsen it by eating junk food.



You have to be set up towards countering muscle damage, instead of recovering from the poison of junk foods. Simply, if you eat junk foods you will be small and sick. If you eat fresh, natural foods you will be healthy and strong.



4. Eat Regularly Throughout The Day



A good number of people eat a big meal 3 times a day and think that is what the body wants. But for anybody looking to Build Muscle this isn't the right way to approach it.



Not many bodies can handle eating just 2-3 large meals a day without getting fat. It is important to eat smaller meals, more frequently throughout the day, which will keep your energy levels up and stop you feeling hungry.



I would tell you to eat every 3-4 hours, which ought to result in 5-6 meals per day. Since you have to pack a lot into the day, its best to start off as early as you are able to. So your first meal should be taken no later than 20 minutes after waking up.



It is also crucial to get an even amount of your daily protein from each meal. So if you are to eat 200 grammes of protein per day and have 6 meals, each meal will need to contain around 33 grams.



The tactic is to listen to your body. When you begin to feel hungry, your body is informing you it needs food, so give it what it want. You may possibly find that every 3 hours is too much. If so wait until you start to feel hungry before getting a meal. You will soon find a routine that works for you.



5. Eat the Foods Your Body Enjoys



If you cannot digest dairy products, try to stop eating these and get your protein and carbs from another source.



Everyone is different so listen to what yours is telling you. There is no sense in eating foods that your body can't handle or digest.



On the other hand if you find a source of protein that is good for you, try to incorporate it into your diet more so you can get the most advantages.



I can't tell you what will and what won't work for you as everybody is different. You need to listen to your body and produce your own Muscle Building Foods for your diet.



6. Know Your Carbohydrates



Probably the most significant challenges facing everyone that wants to build muscle is eating the correct types of carbs at the right time. Your objective should be to get at least 2 grams of carbohydrates for every pound of lean body mass.



So if you are 200 pounds with a 10% body fat, you have 180 pounds of lean weight. As a result you need at least 360 grammes of carbohydrate per day.



Carbs are exactly what you should alter if you aren't progressing in the way you want. So if you are not adding muscle and weight as fast as you think you should then elevate your consumption of carbs. Or if you're gaining weight, but it appears to be fat, cut back on the carbs.



All carbs are not identical and you should focus on the good quality carbs that have a slow release factor, as these are less likely to be stored as fat.



These are usually found in foods such as whole-grain bread, oatmeal and sweet potatoes. But if you are really skinny, then you can eat more fast releasing carbs such as potatoes, bananas, cereals, pasta and white rice.