Posts Tagged ‘Muscle Gain’

When we finally decide and start going to the gym, we are all full of hope, inspiration and energy. This enthusiasm is key factor for the fast advancement towards our goals and it’s crucial to know the ways how we can maintain and increase it. Enthusiasm is that drive which gives us power and force to go over all the obstacles and go on. If you desire to witness fast muscle gains (and fat loss) there is nothing more dangerous than loosing that energetic drive of enthusiasm.
However, hundreds and thousands of people simply stop, they just give up on their plans to get in shape and build nicer and healthier bodies. Why?
I’ll explain here reason I consider most common and I’ll understand if you are shocked (or even angry) at first but if you continue reading you will be more than benefited and happy. So here it is: – many people stop gong to gym because they read and believe in Bodybuilding Magazines!
Inaccuracies and Fallacies.
I’ve been reading bodybuilding magazines for about 16 years. Anyone else that has read them for that long will probably agree that although the pictures and the paper upon which these magazines are printed have become better quality, the content has essentially stayed the same. Why?
Muscle magazines are not designed to educate. Their one sole purpose is to provide a medium in which marketers can sell supplements. Muscle magazines have always been nothing more than a monthly supplement brochure (that you pay top dollar for). However, todays magazines run advertisements that sell anything from penis and breast enlargers to anabolic steroids! Almost every one of the major bodybuilding publications are owned by supplement companies. The magazine that is not, blatantly prostitutes its editorial space to any company that buys the most advertising space!
Therefore, the editorial content of these magazines becomes rather unreliable and distorted. Bodybuilding magazines do not “fact check” their content before (or after) publishing. Many of the articles are written by freelance journalists or staff writers (on behalf of illiterate bodybuilders) that have a very limited ability to make accurate interpretations of the scientific literature.
For these reasons, inaccuracies and fallacies about bodybuilding training techniques and supplements are perpetuated, repeatedly until they become gym-gospel. Need some examples? How about “high rep training is the way to provide cuts and definition to your physique” or “side crunches will tighten the waist and obloquies” or the classic, “low intensity cardio is the best way to burn body fat”. Where do you think all these bogus ideas came from?
This is actually simple point to understand. People are misguided and therefore they don’t get desired results. In same time they do see all the pictures and all promises they read about ate becoming more and more distant with the time. In first few months our muscles are very responsive to the resistance training therefore people do get results with following even most crazy routines and exercise programs. Problem starts showing up usually after 3-5 months when plateau borders are hit.
Solution.
Whatever I say you will anyway decide what you think is the best for you. That is exactly what I want you to do and I hope this information is more than enough to make you think. “Follow the money trace” is good advice to follow, think over it. Magazines – supplements industry is huge machinery which needs to have all possible ways for recruiting “fresh blood” in order to keep running.
I assure you that without complete and proved muscle building routine you can not achieve any significant changes of your body shape and form, especially after you reach your muscle plateau levels. There are examples of people who although having magazines as their main guideline go on, continue with some weight lifting routine and they seems to achieve results. I had chances to see quite few of those in last 16 years and ALL of them prove to be juice users sooner or later. I would be very surprised to meet such magazine freak and learn that he/she is not using steroids.

Think putting yourself on a muscle building diet has to be a painful process? Whether your goal is fat loss or muscle building, getting proper nutrition is at least 80% of the game. If you don’t have that figured out, you are going to be a long time away from seeing results.

The good news is that your tastebuds don’t have to suffer if you don’t want them to. There are plenty of ways to get in your proper nutrition while keeping things interesting. If you think gaining muscle means suffering through can of tuna after can of tuna or pounding back a protein shake as fast as humanly possible, you need to think again.  Read more... (1539 words, estimated 6:09 mins reading time)

If you have any strength training experience at all in an effort to gain muscle or strength, you know that the goal is usually to lift very heavy weights.  While this goal is certainly good for those looking to add strength and mass, it should be noted that the actual lifting of heavy weights is not the main stimulus for muscle building.  Instead, building muscle seems to be induced primarily by the lowering of weights.You see, most exercises include three distinct phases:1. ConcentricThis is the actual lifting portion of the exercise.  This is when you curl the bar up during a biceps curl or push yourself up during a push-up.2. Eccentric (Negative)This is the lowering portion of the exercise.  When you lower yourself after completing a pull-up or lower the bar to the chest in a bench press you are performing an eccentric, or negative, muscle action.3. IsometricThis is the portion of the lift where the weight is not moving at all.  For most traditional weight training exercises this portion of the movement only lasts for a very short time.The interesting thing is that exercise scientists have determined that most muscle damage occurs during the lowering (eccentric) portion of the movement.  Since we know that muscle damage is what stimulates muscle gain, this has led many to focus on the eccentric phase in their muscle building efforts.Whether or not this is a good strategy is still open to debate, but the vast majority of scientific evidence and personal trial and error has led most to believe that emphasizing the eccentric portion of an exercise, while still performing the other two phases, may lead to better muscle gains.There are several strategies for doing this.  The most popular and easiest (no coincidence there) is to simply slow down the eccentric portion of a movement.  It is usually recommended that the eccentric phase take anywhere from 2-8 seconds.  The exact duration will depend on your specific goals and the movement you are using.Another option for prioritizing the eccentric portion of the lift is to use eccentric-only reps.  For instance, in the bench press you would simply lower the weight to your chest and then have a partner assist in lifting the weight (concentric phase). Another useful fact is that you are stronger eccentrically than you are concentrically.  What this means is that you can use more weight for an eccentric-only lift than you can for a traditional lift which includes all phases.  The upsides to this method are huge, but so are the downsides.  Eccentric-only lifts can lead to rapid strength and size gains, but the potential for injury is huge since you are using such heavy weights.  For this reason I seldom recommend eccentric-only lifts with more than you can safely lift on your own, unless it is included in a properly designed training program under the guidance of a professional strength coach.There are many other ways to incorporate eccentrics into your training program, but I think you get the idea.  Just remember, if you are struggling with how to gain muscle it’s not just how much you lift, it’s also how much you lower.

So you think you have heard everything there is to know about muscle building? If you have read everything, tried everything and heard everything about muscle building but still resemble the silouette of a Calvin Klien model instead of a buff fitness model than I promise these next three ‘little-known’ muscle building tips will accelerate your muscle gains immediately!

4. Never Train More Than 2 Days Consecqutively  Read more... (1098 words, estimated 4:24 mins reading time)

Copyright (c) 2009 Jim Suzak

If you are just starting out a muscle building and fat loss routine, you will see how easy it is to learn. Then, you must prepare yourself to workout diligently. If you work out by incorporating some of these common rules of muscle building, you will see results like you have always desired.

These are some muscle building tips that you can use to build muscle fast:  Read more... (648 words, estimated 2:36 mins reading time)

6th part

Read 5th part here:MUSCLE BUILDING AND NUTRITION:DISGUISED UNHEALTHY FOODS

Till now in this series of articles devoted to effective muscle building we saw :

- that muscle building concerns the general population and not only certain groups of people.We saw in other words that it is not a luxury but a real necessity.

-some strategic principles of supportive nutrition which we accepted as a very important determinant for proper muscle building.

   Read more... (557 words, estimated 2:14 mins reading time)

Building muscle mass is not a luxury.It is a necessity!!ChrisWhether you are a 20 year stallion or a 60 year housewife you will need muscle mass to confront small everyday challenges and fulfil your duties however humble might they be!I consider strength training and muscle mass development as an absolute must for every man and woman of whatever age! The reasons are firm:-better physical appearance(any volunteers?),improved posture.-better physical performance.-enhanced self -confidence,self-esteem,self-worth!-higher basal metabolic rate since muscle mass is much more metabolically active than fat!-fat reduction usually accompanies muscle gain-muscles are the engines of our body!With stronger engines we are bound to have a better performance in our work,common daily duties and chores,beloved hobbies and sports,sexual activities (I have just blushed scarlet!),etc. With a more efficient powerhouse we can feel and be more alive!-stronger and denser bones,stronger tendons and ligaments.Reduced danger for osteoporosis.-improved cardiovascular health.Strength training has been found to help reduce Low Density Lipoprotein or LPL (the bad guy,what we call bad cholesterol).At the same time it is beneficial for the good guy:LDL-lower blood pressure-as we age-we won’t be young for ever,shall we?-muscle loss and body fat increase are inevitable consequences as long as we are not engaged in some kind of strength training. I strongly urge you to keep this in mind since years flow like water!Muscle loss decreases life quality in a dramatic way!I have a strong conviction that all people can enjoy a vibrant life until their very late years!But they will have to include strength training in their every day rituals!-stronger muscles and joints will function as shock absorbers to prevent from injuries. This is critical for aged people-improved balance ,stability and coordination-strength trainining shows an inverse correlation with obesity.As one can easily conclude strength training is not an option but a must!Muscle development needs mainly two things:- the right supportive nutrition-an effective strength training programNutrition is a domain that many people ignore.Nutritional mistakes halt the progress towards muscle development for many fitness enthusiasts.What’s more, nutrition is by far the most important parameter for novices at muscle building.These people could achieve spectacular results with only minor adjustments to their nutrition strategy and tactics!!Muscle development and nutrition1. If you need to gain some muscle mass your first concern is to create a slight caloric surplus.Though,you will have to move very cautiously if you want to minimize the possibilities of fat storage.Thus,while some fat gain is inevitable in this phase, you could control it by taking the appropriate measures:-the caloric surplus should be slight-the caloric surplus should be gradual :start with a 10% increase over your caloric maintenance level and make it bigger when and if you reach a plateau.2. Meals frequency is of strategic importance.Spread your daily caloric intake into 5-6 equivalent meals and try to eat every about 3 hours.Include a premium protein source in every meal otherwise your body might cannibalize its own muscle tissue!Some benefits of frequent eating-among many else-are:-your metabolism is boosted into high gear -you are never hungry and the danger to pig-out is minimal-you have a constant flow of nutritional constituents and energy-your blood sugar and insulin levels are kept under control-there are less possibilities for fat storage3. How much protein? For an average fitness enthusiast-who is actually the “target group” of my articles-2gr of premium source protein per kg of body weight will suffice.If you are a bodybuilder you will definetely need more (but these articles are not addressed to bodybuilders anyway!)4. Protein sources:just good plain food.Please refer to my article:”Fitness/exercise:nutrition to boost your results”.I am a strong opponent of any kind of supplementation and a fervent advocate of feeding only on unprocessed,unrefined,natural foods!!5. Supplementation:I will put it explicitly: don’t be suckers!Don’t even touch the chemical,man-made supplements!You can perfectly -and you should – receive all the necessary micronutrients from whole,real foods amply provided by mother nature.A real food is something much more complex than the total of its constituents.It is a unique combination of nutrients which work synergistically to satisfy our nutritional needs in the most efficient and idoneous way.You don’t have to part with your hard-earned money only to buy garbage that eventually will harm you!Eat abundant quantities of vegetables and if you have some money to spare go for organics.6. And what should my nutrition base be?We have touched on this subject many times. Please take a look here:FITNESS/EXERCISE:NUTRITION TO BOOST YOUR RESULTS I will limit myself here to the biggest no-nos and yes-yes.Supportive nutrition:biggest no-nos-white flour-table sugar-high fructose corn syrup-artificial sweeteners-hydrogenated oils(trans fats)-sodas and all typical sugary refreshments-visible fat in red meats-processed meats and fish that contain sodium nitrite.Also sausages,hot dogs and the like- all candies and pastries-white bread-white pasta-white rice-fried oils-margarin-all foods that contain substantial amounts of monosodium glutamate-all deep fried foods:French fries,potato chips,doughnuts etc.They are full with acrylamide and trans-fats-all types of canned soups-mayonnaise and similar oily condiments and dressings-all commercial baked foods:biscuits,cookies,cakes,bagels,croissants etc.Supportive nutrition:biggest yes-yes-all kinds of vegetables in season.I eat broccoli nearly every day.-all fruits but in moderation due to their high sugar content.Prefer to take your antioxidants from vegetables which are nutritionally denserexceptions(you can eat more from these):cranberries and most types of berries,pomegranates-whole eggs:you can eat at least two yolks/day.Yolk protein is really valuable.Additionally yolk contains precious choline for your mind as well as lutein and zeaxanthin which can play a serious role in the prevention of macular degeneration.Don’t buy into the myth of high cholesterol! This myth has been debunked from the findings of multiple studies.Try to find omega-3 eggs.-sunflower and pumpkin seeds(I keep a reservation for flax seeds)- mixed raw nuts-avocados(they belong to fruits!)-extra virgin(cold pressed) olive oil-turkey and chicken breasts-low fat cottage cheese-low fat plain yogurt with active live cultures.Avoid funny alternatives as frozen yogurt,yogurt with fruits and tons of artificial sweeteners etc.If you have a creative imagination you can try endless combinations with yogurt,raw nuts,seeds,fresh or dried berries etc.-wild fatty fish and especially the miraculous,humble sardines.Sardines are a real food treasure: they contain omega -3 fatty acids, the much rare coenzyme Q10,selenium,calcium,phosphorus ,iron,potassium vitamin D and premium quality protein.The best thing is that they contain practically zero mercury, a poison that has completely changed our tuna-eating habits.6. In the third part of this comprehensive article on the appropriate nutrition for muscle building we recited very succintly and explicitly the big nutrition no-nos.It’s much easier to fight an enemy if you can see him!But what happens if the enemy is lurking in the durk seeking to devour on first chance your precious muscle earnings?And-much worse-if he is disguised as a caring friend?This is our subject for today!Unhealthy foods disguised as healthy6.1. Tuna fish:I quote its name and my heart pains because tuna is -or better was-one of my most favourite dishes.Cheap,convenient,available everywhere and highly nutritional.The big concern with tuna is its relatively high content in toxic mercury. Recent research both in Europe and in the USA have found mercury levels in tuna fish to be alarmingly high.I suggest that you should do your own research because mercury levels differ from sea to sea and from kind to kind.Depending on your weight, check your safe consumption rate.I have switched to sardines. Luckily in Greece they are abundant,cheap and of excellent quality.Sardines practically contain zero mercury because of their small size and their short life. They are a gift from the sea for us.Humble but of inestimable value!6.2. Protein bars or energy barsWhile you can find few products with a decent quality and nutritional value ,most of them are mere rubbish.They are full with table sugar,artificial sweeteners,high fructose corn syrup,highly processed soya protein isolate,hydrogenated oils(trans-fats) and the like!Search very carefully in order to find bars of acceptable quality. Double check the labels!Most producers market energy/protein bars as nutritionally sound alternatives of meals with real food.Alas,this is far from the truth! Unprocessed,unrefined,natural food is what our bodies really need and deserve!Our human engines need the right kind of quality fuel in order to function well and to their maximum potential.Why eat a bar with added protein and fiber of questionable quality when we can have the real thing naturally packed with excellent quality protein while accompanied by tenths of indispensable micronutrients?Keep protein or energy bars only for emergency situations and plan ahead so as these emergency situations should be kept to a minimum.Don’t use them to justify your lousy eating habits!!6.3. Sports drinks:Most sports drinks are nothing more than artificially colored,sugary water.The only established fact with these products is that they bring crazy profits to their producers!Ah,another one is that they make your wallet lighter!Or is it the same thing?It doesn’t stop to amaze me how easily,evidently sane people leave themselves to be deliberately misled!!Is it a kind of collective paranoia the fact that we deny to discern the obvious , namely that we are overtly suckered?Or is it our illogical,extravagant desire for quick and easy fixes?In a future entry we will see simple recipes for nice,homemade sports drinks.6.4. Breakfast cerealsDespite their pretentious and highly pompous claims many breakfast cereals are nothing else but well concealed cereal killers.Those marketed more heavily have most often the poorer nutritional value.The majority of the products :-are based on refined grains and the quantity of fibers is minimal-have excessive sugar content-use fancy artificial colorings-contain big amounts of salts(sodium)-contain saturated or/and hydrogenated fatsBe very careful to select breakfast cereals of the proper quality. Leave taste aside and search for nutrition.They should be based on whole grains with minimal salt ,sugar and trans fats content.Don’t fall victims to the marketing hype!6.5.Many fat free products:To compensate for the lack of taste these products are loaded with sugar,high fructose corn syrup-brrrr!- or artificial sweeteners.6.7. Many sugar free products:They are packed with saturated fats or trans fats from hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.6.8. Commercially packaged fruit juices:Though generally they won’t harm you,they have very little to offer you either. No fibers,very few vitamins and quite a lot of empty calories. You can instead opt for homemade, freshly squeezed juices. By far the best option is to eat the whole fruit .This will give you valuable fibers plus a satiety feeling. In general try to avoid liquid calories.6.9. Fruit smoothies:Usually they won’t differ a lot from a milk shake,packed with sugars,fats and dead calories.6.10. Liquid meal replacements:Use them sparingly and only in case of emergency. One or two meals at the most per week. If you want real results go for real food!Till now in this series of articles devoted to effective muscle building we saw :- that muscle building concerns the general population and not only certain groups of people.We saw in other words that it is not a luxury but a real necessity.-some strategic principles of supportive nutrition which we accepted as a very important determinant for proper muscle building.-that supplementation is a real waste of money-at least for the ordinary fitness enthusiasts.-the biggest nutrition no-nos-the most important nutrition yes-yes-and finally the top nutrition traps which are unhealthy foods disguised as healthy, usually for humble profit seeking reasons.Now it is high time to speak about the training part of the equation.Strategic principles of strength training1. General axiom:aim for simplicity.Learn to appreciate the magnificence of simplicity.2. Prefer free weights which can tax the totality of your muscles in the most appropriate way. A pair of adjustable dumbbells would be fine.3. Keep your workouts short:20′-30′.But they should be really intense:decent loading of the muscles and minimal breaks.4. Aim for three workouts per week.If it is hard for you, go at least for two and never for less.5. Forget about split workouts.You are not a bodybuilder!Go for total body workouts.6. The best range of repetitions if you want to build some muscle mass is 6-8 per set. So you will have to adjust your weights accordingly.If you aim for strength development you should go for less.Conversely ,if you seek muscle endurance you should go for more repetitions.Attention!:a big number of repetitions won’t bring muscle definition as many people erroneously thing.Muscle definition is mostly a matter of low fat percentage.Make sure that you read my article: “Muscle definition:the absolute article”.7. Prefer to perform only compound/multijoint exercises which tax big muscle groups and more joints .These exercises are the best investment for your limited time.The best movements are the classic ones: squats,lunges,deadlifts,presses and rows.Things are simple and it’s contrary to our interests to make them seem more complex!8.Don’t forget symmetry.If you train one group of muscles don’t forget to train the antagonists as well.9. Don’t fall into the trap of overtraining.Balance quality with quantity.10. Challenge yourself to brake some records.Excellent motivation indeed! You will need to coordinate body and mind. Make full exploitation of your most powerful weapon:your mind!11. Pay due attention to the basics:excellent style,warm up and cooling down with some static stretching,blah blah blah….12. Last but not least:if you are struggling to build muscle you will have to limit long ,strenuous cardio.Opt instead for short but real intense HIIT workouts.These workouts will help you save muscle while shedding fat.Sprints are excellent!ConclusionLousy nutrition habits are a conspicuous violation of the muscle building laws.Eat right ,train smart,watch your cardio ritual and muscle development will be a logical consequence!Chris Strogilis

Perhaps you have tried to gain weight and build some muscles in the past and fialed. It could be you just want to look and feel better or perhap you want to look more like the professional fitness people such as Vince Delmonte. Truth is you are not alone!Several years ago, I was skinny and not able to find the right size pants for myself. Even though I was not happy with my situation, I did not know what to do about it. I was not looking to be like a professional fitness trainer or anything like that. I just wanted to be thick enough to find the right size pants for my age. But you don’t have to be like me. By reading this review of No-nonsense Muscle Building today, you are pointing yourself toward success. There are no shortages of books, equipment, diets and organization that purport to help you build muscle and gain weight, but there is an acute shortage of ones that can really deliver on the promises and your desires. It takes discretion and some due diligence to be able to find these valuable few. Vince Delmonte’s No-nonsense Muscle Building book appears to be a handy and useful resource for anyone who desires to build muscle and loose fat.In his book Vince takes you through the whole range of what you need to do to loose the fat and build the muscle that you so much desire. He takes you through everything from the what, when and how of exercises, diet, rest and recuperation to the nine growth principles and the role of hormones in your quest to loose fat and gain muscles. What exercises you need, when and how much of each, what foods to eat, how much and when to eat, when to rest and how much rest is necessary are all covered.No-nonsense Muscle Building workout methods are couched on what Vince call the nine growth principles. Vince is careful to drill into you the need to understand and properly implement each and every one of your workouts to ensure proper gains. As part of the 9 growth principles, Vince Delmonte explains the importance of rest and recovery in your path of Fat loss, muscle building and muscle gain, giving attention to techniques for speeding up recovery.No-nonsense Muscle Building also teaches that hormones play a crucial role in muscle building and does not ignore this importance. It actually devotes a whole section to this and gives you tips on diet and training that enhance muscle building hormones. One basic and obvious fact that we tend to forget, that Vince Delmonte points out is that the muscle we are looking for has always been there. When we talk about building muscle, we seem to forget that the muscles have always been there, but being covered by fat. It is when we burn the fat and feed the muscles as Vince points out that we are able to reveal the ripped body that we so much desire.No-nonsense Muscle Building is more like a plug and play type program. Everything is worked out in detail for the user and all you have to do is to follow his lead.Be warned that you might have to re-read some sections to get the proper understanding of what No-nonsense Muscle building is talking about.That could be negative or positive depending on how you look at it. It is positive if you think of it as giving you detail and a better understanding of what you have to do to achieve your goal and negative if you think of it as more work.Altogether, Vince Delmonte has done a great job with this resource for fat loss and muscle gain. For anyone desiring to loose fat, gain muscle, Vince Delmonte’s No-nonsense Muscle Building would be a valuable to there resource base.

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2:  Learn exactly how to eat and which foods naturally build slabs of muscle on your body.   Read more... (281 words, estimated 1:07 mins reading time)