Muscle Building Advice That's Easy To Do

By Anthony Leonce

Although every single person dreams of looking incredible, the truth is that the majority of people do not want to put in the time and hard work that is required. You, though, have searched out more information, which means you are ready to build muscle the right way! Continue on for some simple muscle building tips that will quickly help you.

Focus on squats, dead-lifts and bench presses. Incorporating these three exercises to your routine are paramount to achieve a successful bodybuilding plan, and for many reasons. They are exercises that are proven to build strength, increase bulk, and improve your overall conditioning. Try to fit some form of these exercises into your workout.

Research whether you are using the best exercises for increasing muscle mass. Different exercises achieve different results; some are better for toning while others are better for bulk. Choose a number of different exercises so you can build all the muscles that you want to build--your leg muscles, arm muscles and chest muscles, for example. Learn techniques for building each group of muscles.

If you are trying to build muscle, you are going to have to start eating more over all. You will want to focus on eating enough for you to gain roughly a pound each week. Research healthy ways for you to add muscle mass, and if increased caloric intake does not improve your mass, then consider muscle building supplements.

Recognize that the requirements of serious muscle building and intense cardiovascular exercise (such as marathon training) are not compatible. Cardio is important in achieving good fitness, but a lot of it could impede your attempts to bulk up through muscle building. If adding muscle is your primary goal, focus on strength training and reduce the amount of cardio your perform.

Eating enough protein is a great way to build muscle. Protein shakes and powdered supplements are some of the most popular ways of boosting your protein intake. For best results, use them immediately after your workout and immediately before your bedtime. Take one each day if you desire weight loss and muscle strengthening. If you are trying to achieve increased muscle mass, you should drink up to three every day.

If your goal is to build muscle, you must increase your protein consumption. One of the essential building blocks of new muscle mass is protein, so consuming too little might actually degrade your existing tissue. This is the opposite of what you are trying to achieve. It's likely that you'll have to consume around one gram of it for every single pound that you weigh every day.

Make sure you're getting enough calories. Plenty of health sites offer free calorie calculators to help you decide how many calories you need to be consuming. Use a calculator, and then adjust your diet accordingly.

With this new knowledge, you are armed and ready to add muscle building into your everyday life. Muscle-building can give you confidence and a great looking body. The key is to stay committed. Keep your eye on the prize and you'll see results sooner than you may think. Some people see greater muscle mass in as little as four weeks. You can do it.

Original Source: http://exercise24.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/muscle-building-advice-thats-easy-to-do.html

Looking To Develop Lean Muscle? Attempt These Suggestions!

By Ginz Magindle

What's the best way to build muscle quickly? What do I've to do to develop the most muscle? There are people everywhere asking these questions every day. The answers aren't readily accessible. Study the following tricks to see what the specialists need to say about growing muscle mass within the quickest way possible with the least danger of injury.

You should not emphasize speed more than a good technique. It doesn't matter which physical exercise you carry out, slowing down your reps to ensure that your method is perfect can help you to get better leads to a shorter period of time. Take all of the time you'll need and make sure you carry out the workouts like you need to.

Warming up and stretching is essential to creating your muscles. As muscle tissues grow stronger, they're more stressed and prone to injury. In the event you spend an adequate amount of time warming up, your danger of injury will decrease. Prior to you do any severe lifting, lightly physical exercise for five to ten minutes, and then do 3 or four light and intermediate warm-up sets.

Maintain the core trio of workouts in thoughts and always have them in every of one's routines. These are big muscle group exercises like dead lifts, squats and presses. Along with adding muscle, these exercises help you enhance your strength and situation your body. You should aim to consist of these exercises in some manner regularly.

In the event you want to build stronger, larger muscles, you have to get enough protein inside your diet. A terrific method for making certain correct protein intake is to use protein supplements and drinks. These protein-rich goods are very best consumed following working out or before going to bed. You have to consume about 1 shake each day. To acquire muscle mass, try consuming about 3 per day.

Don't work on enhancing the size of your muscle tissues if you are taking part in a marathon or participating in intense cardio workouts. Although cardio can help improve your common physical health and fitness, it could negate the effects of strength coaching workouts. In case your objective is gaining muscle, you need to do strength coaching much more frequently than cardio.

Muscle developing isn't just about obtaining ripped. Plenty of different muscle developing regimens are accessible, and it's important to choose the proper type for you before you start. Adding a supplement to your routine will help you acquire muscle.

You are able to cheat when lifting weights as long as you don't do so excessively. It's okay to cheat by not totally engaging your body within the name of pumping out some bonus reps. Nevertheless, you do not want to cheat too much. Maintain a controlled rep speed. Do not compromise your form.

Whenever you exercise, it's important you train with various muscles; like, chest with back, or hamstrings together with your quads. This way, 1 muscle can get a rest whilst you are working out the other. This may permit you to bump up your workout intensity and you will not have to be in the gym as long.

Be picky of what moves you go heavy on, as some are unfavorable to excess weight. Neck work, split squats and dips sometimes consist of unfavorable joint positions that may place you at risk for severe injury. You should use heavy weights for deads, presses, rows and squats instead.

In order to effectively build stronger, larger muscles, you've to be educated on how to do so. Take the guidance from this article and apply it for your own muscle building regimen for the very best opportunity of achievement.

You are able to be of any age to advantage from obtaining into shape, and building up your muscle tissues may be just what you'll need. Hopefully, the article that you simply just read supplied you with useful information on how you can build muscle, and enhance your strength and conditioning so you can have a healthy body which will final throughout your life.

Original Source: http://kelli-sport-articles.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/looking-to-develop-lean-muscle-attempt.html

Should I Do Cardio Before or After Weights?

One of the most common questions I get is, “Should I do cardio before or after weights?”

While the long answer is “it depends”, most people will be better off completing cardio after weights whether their primary goal is muscle gain, strength gain, or fat loss.

Here are 7 reasons why you should consider doing cardio after weights:

Cardio After Weights Reason #1) Increased Energy For Lifting Weights

During exercise, the body uses stored energy in our muscles called glycogen. If glycogen levels are low, it affects our energy levels for workouts. For example, if you’ve ever gone on a low carb diet and experienced less energy during workouts, then you know what it feels like to have low glycogen levels. The same phenomenon happens if you do cardio before strength training – you use up your body’s preferred energy source for intense exercise. If you use up that energy, it won’t be available when you need to lift heavy weights, making a goal of building muscle, increasing strength, or maximizing calorie burn through weight lifting compromised.

Cardio After Weights Reason #2) Favorable Changes in Blood PH

Completing cardio can make your blood more acidic. As you exercise, energy gets broken down and utilized to make lactic acid. Although lactic acid helps to replenish your fuel sources for continued exercise, it does so by creating excessive hydrogen ions. These hydrogen ions need to be buffered, which your body handles at an ineffective rate, lowering your pH (which makes your blood plasma more acidic). This acidic environment causes muscular fatigue and performance drops. So besides using the energy you need for heavy resistance training, doing cardio first also makes it harder for you to contract the muscles.

Cardio After Weights Reason #3) Favorable Hormonal Changes

By completing cardio first, cortisol is released without a concurrent increase in testosterone. Cortisol breaks down muscle in order to give your body the continued energy to workout. This works fine when doing cardiovascular exercises and happens extensively in long duration cardio (think marathons), but is detrimental to building muscle if there’s not a concurrent increase in testosterone. For example, when you’re strength training, cortisol levels will go up but so will testosterone levels. This hormonal shift not only allows you to have energy for the workout, but also helps to rebuild muscle after the session. Without these changes in hormonal profiles, it becomes much harder to gain muscle.

Cardio After Weights Reason #4) Clear mTOR Pathways

Another nail in the coffin for doing cardio before strength training is the inhibition of the mTOR pathways. Many people have not heard of the mTOR pathway, but in essence, this is the pathway that tells your muscles to grow. In fact, one of the biggest genetic differences between those that gain muscle easily and those that really struggle to gain muscle size is due to the differences of expression for the mTOR pathway. In other words, “genetic freaks” have easy access to this pathway, whereas “hardgainers” don’t. When you do cardio with strength training and especially before strength training, this muscle building pathway becomes inhibited, making an already difficult situation that much harder. 1

Cardio After Weights Reason #5) Greater Afterburn Effect

The workout that causes the largest afterburn effect will be the most effective for fat loss because you will not only burn calories during your workout, but also for up to 48 hours afterwards. While the research is inconclusive (some studies show the afterburn effect to be greater with cardio before weights), an intense metabolic resistance training workout can create a very large afterburn effect and increase your cardiovascular health. A traditional bodybuilding workout on the other hand will not create a very significant afterburn effect so in that case, cardio before lifting may make sense from a fat loss perspective.

Cardio After Weights Reason #6) Exercise Feels Harder Doing Cardio First

The “perceived exertion” rates (how hard exercise feels) is higher when you do cardio before strength training – even if the results you get from both routines are the same. This simply means that if you do the same routine, but do cardio first, it will feel much harder then if you did the same exact workout by doing the strength portion first. In other words, all of those reasons listed above truly do make your workouts feel harder. The sad part is that this method is not more effective for fat loss or muscle gain than if you simply did the strength first. 2

Cardio After Weights Reason #7) Less Risk of Injury Due to Fatigue

If you try maxing out on squats after an intense cardio session, you may be mentally and physically fatigued, which increases the chance of injury. Besides needing the mental fortitude to put a heavy weight on your back after cardio, you will also need the help of a number of smaller “assistance muscles” to help with the movement. These may have become fatigued from the cardio beforehand. By tiring these stabilizer and assistance muscles before performing heavy strength training, you risk the chance of completing an exercise incorrectly or with improper form.

Why Not Combine Cardio and Weights?

If you’re truly pressed for time, you can combine strength and cardio movements. An example would be to complete two strength training exercises – think lunges and cable rows – followed by bike sprints for 30 seconds. By combining the strength and cardio portion, you are satisfying the need to create damage to the muscle, keep your heart rate high throughout the session and have more spikes to your heart rate creating a greater oxygen debt.

The Wrap Up

While there are several benefits for lifting weights before cardio, at the end of the day, the best fat loss plan is the one you will stick to and that continues to produce results. If you enjoy completing cardio first, then by all means go for it! I would caution using the “weights after cardio” approach, however, if your main goal is building muscle.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below. 

Original Source: http://www.builtlean.com/2011/11/07/cardio-before-or-after-weights/

When Should You Do Cardio When Trying To Build Lean Mass?

first off, this is a very general rule to go by, and takes 1st precedence.

resistance training should always take priority over cardio. here's why....

the long term gains of increased lbm (lean body mass) and increased secretion of hormones like gh and test far outweigh the calories burnt during a cardio session..

by doing cardio before weights you are simply reducing the amount of glycogen available that could have been used more effectively to fuel your muscles throughout the weight training session...this point cannot be stressed enough.

here are the top 3 scenarios for doing weights and cardio in order of importance:

#1 - on non-weight training days

#2 - weights in the am and cardio in the pm

#3 - light-cardio after weights

now, that being said, here are a couple scenarios that are most proposed/asked about by folks, so different protocols need/can be effective. for the person who is lean and wanting to save muscle mass while burning fat, then the above scenarios cannot be altered in any way! you are asking for loss of lean tissue if you do cardio on an empty stomach or any such nonsense. you are already into a catabolic state from the overnight fast, and you are compounding this by doing cardio without fuel. cortisol will be running rampant, and eating at your lean tissue for fuel. the body is very adept at breaking down amino acids for glucose, and will greedily do so. cortisol will liberate amino acids to produce glucose (glucose cannot be synthesized from fats) and can lead to muscle loss. i would propose the best scenario here would be to treat your cardio session as you do your resistance training session. albeit a different pwo formula (protein/fiber/fats will fit the bill here, no impact on insulin, thus keep any lypololysis induced during your cardio session intact)), but still with the same intensity and purpose. you would not dream of working out on an empty stomach, would you? never work out on an empty stomach. true, you will burn a buttload of calories, but they will be as much lean tissue as fat. never sacrifice lean tissue (long term results) for a short term fix.

it is also perfectly fine to do a “warm up” session of cardio before your weight training session if you are mid range, not real lean but not lots of fat stores either. but, here you are on that borderline of getting a lean hard body, and building lean tissue should be your number one priority. but make sure this is no more than a warm up, just to get blood flowing. 5 minutes at most should suffice. i personally prefer to warm up with the exercise i am going to do…i.e…weights.

now, on the other hand, if you have plenty of fat to spare, it can really become a non issue. i believe this is/should be obvious. you can do your cardio even before if you like, or even on an empty stomach, as in this case total calorie burn is your issue and not saving lean mass, for you probably don’t have enough to save or you have as stated plenty of fat stores to give up. your body will freely give up fat stores in this case, but still, make your weight session your priority as per the long term benefits.

but, no matter what your physique may be at the time, do not center your workout around cardio. make certain you incorporate resistance training, as this will in the long run be your best friend in the battle of the bulge. lean tissue is a fat burner 24 hrs. per day, a cardio session ends when you stop doing it. (a little different with hiit, but this is another whole subject.)

Original Source: http://www.worldfitness.com/fitness/990/when_should_you_do_cardio_when_trying_to_build_lean_mass.php

Tips On Preparing A Body Building Workout Routine Schedule

by Darren Lintern

The advantages that a body building workout routine offers to someone are abundant and extremely positive as muscle building features determination and discipline as a foundation. Thus, it is essential that there's a bodybuilding exercise schedule workout that one can follow.

In selecting or preparing a body building workout routine, you ought to take note of the following:

Food Preparation - The food intake needs to comprise of carbohydrates, protein, and essential acids that the body utilizes. This food will provide fuel to the body to maintain healthiness and to function well.

The requirement to gain muscle mass is critical in order to achieve your objective set in the muscle building workout. If you desire a good looking and lean muscled physique, then eating meats, dairy products, and greens is essential. Combine with various vitamin supplements to allow your stamina to keep up with the workout schedule that you've mapped out for yourself.

Weight Training Routine - There are no definite rules on preparing a workout program. The physical body build will affect the style of workout that suits an individual. It may be circuit weight training or split routine, dependent on what your personal time can adapt to.

The split routine can allow someone to exercise for instance on lower or upper body regions on alternative days. The circuit weight training offers progressive phases on the body areas that need working on, for example, starting at the upper torso extending to the lower regions of the body as the workout plan moves forward.

One more factor that can affect the body building workout routine is the equipment that will be utilized on the workout. Bodybuilders can select between machine weights or free standing or a combination of both. Finally, a recovery cycle shouldn't be taken for granted. Sooner or later, over-training can do more harm than good.

Original Source: http://goarticles.com/article/Tips-On-Preparing-A-Body-Building-Workout-Routine-Schedule/729271/

How to Get Bigger Triceps

The triceps are the muscle on the back of the upper arm. It is formally known as the triceps brachii. The muscle is composed of three heads: long, medial, and lateral. The triceps makes up roughly 2/3 of the upper arm circumference, and therefore should be a focus of those who want bigger arms.

Steps

1. Use compound exercises.

Compound exercises are those which use 2 or more joints. This translates into heavier weights, which means more muscle mass for your. In order to stimulate all 3 heads of the triceps it is essential that you use heavy loads. This means exercises like dips and close-grip bench presses.

2. Don't neglect the long head.

The long head of the triceps is more difficult to target in pressing exercises than the other two heads. For this reason you should include some specific work for this head, such as overhead dumbbell extensions.

3. Use a rep range of 4-12 reps.

This is optimal rep range for muscle growth. You can occasionally do more or less than this, but the majority of your work should be in this range.

4. Eat big!

If you expect significant muscle growth then you need to take in a large amount of calories to fuel your workouts and recovery. Only by eating and resting optimally will you maximize the muscle building benefits of your workouts.

Original Source: http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Bigger-Triceps
Feel free to comment at bottom.

How to Get Lean Muscle - Lifting Heavy Weights VS Lifting Light Weights

by Cheng Kee

If you're new to building lean muscle, you usually have a choice between two different kinds of weights: heavy weights and light weights. Light weights are obviously easier to lift and as a result, you can lift them for a longer period, but many professional body builders say that lifting heavy weights is the only way to build lean muscle. This article will discuss the difference and which weight you need to lift if you want to build lean muscle.

Lifting light weights is typically only useful for one thing: burning calories. Say you lifted a light weight 20 times and you could lift a weight twice the mass of the light one 10 times, you would not build muscle by lifting the lighter one. To better explain it, use logic to show why it makes sense. If you lift a pencil 1,000,000 times a day you might be doing the same amount of work as lifting a 10 kg weight 10 times a day. However, doing the same amount of work does not equate to the same results.

You aren't putting any pressure on your muscles by lifting a pencil 1,000,000 times a day, while lifting a 10 kg weight 10 times a day would require more muscular focus as you're lifting. Lifting heavy weights helps you build lean muscle, but you have to lift them for a considerable amount of repetitions. What do you think would build more lean muscle? lifting 20 kgs once or 5 kgs 4 times? It's the latter, since your muscle has to be focused for longer.

So how about when you have a muscle building program and it tells you to follow a strict lifting schedule, like 3 sets of 15 reps. Should you opt for lifting a heavy weight and failing to finish the sets or using a lighter weight, finishing the sets but not really putting your muscles under any major strain? In this case, it's better to lift with heavier weights to push your muscles to failure. You shouldn't be bound by how many sets or reps you do. You should listen to your body for which weight it reacts to better. Having said that, don't lift an outrageously heavy weight. If you want to build muscle, lift a heavy weight many times.

Original Source: http://goarticles.com/article/How-to-Get-Lean-Muscle-Lifting-Heavy-Weights-VS-Lifting-Light-Weights/1352675/

The benefits of whey protein in your training

Whey protein is a health supplement that has lots of benefits for both professional athletes and those who like to exercise on a more casual basis. Whey protein is derived from cow’s milk and is usually sold in powdered form – either as whey protein isolate or whey protein concentrate. Whey protein isolate is lower in fat than the concentrate version so is probably the better choice for athletes or body builders.

Whey protein has a number of benefits but it is most often used in order to promote muscle gain. Research has suggested that milk based proteins may be superior to the protein found in meat and fish, as it helps improve the rate at which protein is deposited in muscle and also promotes amino acid uptake.[i] When combined with resistance training whey protein can help you build muscle mass more quickly and with better results than would the case if you were only getting protein from meat, fish and eggs. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t include these things in your diet. Remember, whey protein is a supplement not a replacement.

If you are a strict vegetarian or vegan, however, then you may not be getting all the protein you need in your diet, in which case whey protein is an excellent replacement. It contains all the essential amino acids your body needs in order to build and repair tissues. It is also low in carbohydrates, which is a plus if you already eat a lot of vegetables, rice and pasta which are high in carbs.

Although athletes and body builders usually take whey protein when they want to put on muscle mass, some research suggests that adding whey protein to the diet could help you lose excess weight as it can act as an appetite suppressant. It also lowers insulin levels by slowing the rate at which glucose is absorbed by the blood stream, which in turn facilitates the body’s ability to burn fat. This is good news for anyone on a diet who needs a little bit of help to kick start their weight loss.

The easiest way to add whey protein to your diet is to buy the shake powder which you can add to water to make a drink. Make sure you read the instructions carefully and don’t consume more than is recommended as too much whey protein can damage your liver and kidneys. 

Original Source: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Health/Commercial-features/The-benefits-of-whey-protein-in-your-training.htm