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/

Body Building Routines - How To Build Muscles Quickly

by Peter Harris

Getting started if often the hardest part of working out. Performing a body building routine to build muscles quickly does take time, dedication and persistence. Once you start the process it can be addictive!

Once you've made the decision to start body building you simply have to set some goals and then stick to your plan to accomplish those goals. You'll find that this is not as hard as you might think, provided you have and keep the right mind set and that you have a good outline to follow.

Most people will quit the sport before ever really starting. If you haven't worked out in a while then you should expect some aches and pains the first few weeks into it. These symptoms will get better in time and soon you will be able to complete a workout without every muscle and joint aching. You will soon begin to feel energized and you will look forward to conquering more weight.

Always start a body building routine slowly. If you are new start working out three days a week and allow your muscles sufficient rest in between workouts. Be sure to vary your exercises and rotate the body parts that you want to work. Some weeks you may work a certain muscle group twice a week; then the next week only once. This is how you keep the muscles stimulated and prevent them from accommodating.

If you want to build muscles quickly then you will need to modify your diet in addition to lifting weights. Eating the right foods is as essential to buidling muscles as lifting weights is. Without proper nutrition the rest is useless.

Once you get past the first few weeks of lifting weights and working out the rest will get easier. You can continue to challenge yourself so that your workouts are rigorous, but the more you do this the better your body will respond. In this way you will feel invigorated, not defeated in the gym.

Original Source: http://goarticles.com/article/Body-Building-Routines-How-To-Build-Muscles-Quickly/2037964/

5 Methods to Build Lean Muscle

by M. Powers

There are two styles of muscle that people tend to want to build up with a good workout. One style is bulky, large muscle. The other, far more common, type of muscle for people to be interested in gaining is lean muscle. Unlike bulky muscle this type of muscle is relatively small in size. The main advantage to lean muscle is that it isn't as heavy, which results in a lower impact on speed and flexibility.

Methods of Building Lean Muscle

1. Avoid lifting heavy weights: When working to develop this far more flexible type of muscle a person wants to avoid lifting extremely heavy weights. Instead the focus should be on a greater number of reps or repetitions using a lighter weight. You should not go to light with the weight but you should be able to consistently do 50 to 100 reps with the selected weight.

2. Perform free motion weight lifting: Free motion weight lifting aims to work both the primary and control muscles. This is important for developing lean muscle because it helps to balance the development of both types of muscles. Balanced muscles not only work more effectively together but it also reduces the overall bulking up achieved through very specific weight lifting. Another major benefit of this is that it improves your overall lifting ability because the control muscles play a vital role in the actual process of lifting objects.

3. Use a combination of weight lifting and cardiovascular exercise: When developing lean muscle it is important to also keep your heart rate and blood flow up. This will help to oxygenate the muscles allowing them to work more effectively and reducing the damage caused to the muscles.

4. Eat a healthy diet: Like all forms of exercise, if you are looking to obtain lean muscle you should eat a healthy diet which is rich in protein, anti-oxidants, vitamins and nutrients. You can also consider taking a multi-vitamin or vitamin shake to help overcome a deficiency in your daily vitamin intake.

5. Take breaks: Whenever you are doing any type of exercise routine it is important to take a break. This means you should only workout 3-4 days a week. This will give your body the time it needs to repair your muscles after you have caused damage through an intense workout. It is also good from a mental stand point because frequently when people put forth an enormous amount of effort for a short period of time and wear themselves down considerably, yet see a lack of results, they become extremely discouraged and lose interest in continuing the process. Limiting the amount of fatigue experienced helps to reduce the likelihood of this occurring.


Like all forms of muscle, this type of muscle takes time and effort to develop. Unfortunately there is no overnight trick which can help you develop this type of muscle. The good news is that if you are willing to take the time and put forth the effort you can and will develop lean muscle.

Original Source: http://goarticles.com/article/5-Methods-to-Build-Lean-Muscle/1607287/

Weightlifting 'reduces men's diabetes risk'

"Pumping weights five times a week can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by a third," The Daily Telegraph has reported.

The news is based on the results of a large US study which found that men who performed weight training reduced their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Previous research has shown that regular moderate or vigorous physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day reduces risk of type 2 diabetes. The authors of the study also reported that other studies have shown that resistance training can improve blood sugar control in people with diabetes. This is the first significant piece of research that has also found a link between weight training and a reduced risk of actually developing diabetes.

This study found that at least 150 minutes of weight training a week reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by just over one third (34%). Performing at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise a week (such as brisk walking, jogging, running, cycling, swimming, tennis, squash and rowing) reduced risk to a slightly greater extent (52%). The greatest risk reduction was observed when performing a combination of both weight training and aerobic exercise (59%).

Regular exercise, in addition to other healthy lifestyle behaviours, is the best way to reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes. This study supports general health advice, finding that weight training or aerobic exercise reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes in professional men. Weightlifting may be a useful exercise addition, or alternative, for people who have difficulty in performing aerobic exercise, but as with all forms of exercise it is advisable to exercise within your own limits. The key advice is to take regular exercise – weightlifting may not be the best workout for everyone.

Where did the story come from?

The study was carried out by researchers from Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the University of Southern Denmark and the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. It was funded by the US National Institutes of Health. The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal, Archives of Internal Medicine.

This story was reported in The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail. The Mail’s headline made it clear that the study had only been performed in men.

The coverage of the report in both papers was accurate.

What kind of research was this?

This was an analysis of data collected from a prospective cohort study of professional men in the US: the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS). This particular analysis aimed to determine whether there was a link between weight training and the risk of type 2 diabetes. This is the ideal study design to answer this question. However, cohort studies cannot show that weight training is the cause of any change in risk of type 2 diabetes, as researchers cannot exclude the possibility that other factors (called confounders) are responsible for any link seen.

In particular, as the HPFS was not set up to specifically to answer this study question, it is possible that other relevant factors may not have been considered.

What did the research involve?

This study used the HPFS, an ongoing cohort study, which followed up male health professionals aged between 40 and 75 in 1986. Information on weightlifting and other forms of exercise had been reported from 1990 onwards. Therefore, for the purpose of this particular study, the researchers excluded men who in 1990 had diabetes, cancer, angina or past heart attack, coronary artery bypass graft, other heart conditions, stroke or pulmonary embolism.

This left 32,002 men who, between 1990 and 2008, completed a questionnaire every two years on diseases and personal and lifestyle characteristics, such as height, weight, smoking status, diet and physical activity. Weekly time spent on weight training and aerobic exercise (including jogging, bicycling, swimming, tennis and calisthenics) were obtained.

The development of type 2 diabetes was also assessed on the questionnaires, and men who reported a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes were asked to complete supplementary questionnaires so that the diagnosis could be confirmed. The diagnosis of diabetes was confirmed by medical record review in a subgroup of participants (97% of the participants had their diabetes confirmed). Deaths were also monitored.

The researchers looked to see if there was an association between weight training or aerobic exercise and the development of type 2 diabetes. When looking to see if there was a link, they tried to adjust for other factors that may explain the association, including:

• age
• smoking
• alcohol consumption
• coffee intake
• ethnicity
• family history of diabetes
• diet (including total intake of energy, trans-fat, polyunsaturated fat to saturated fat ratio, cereal fibre, whole grain and glycaemic load)

What were the basic results?

The researchers found that there were 2,278 new cases of type 2 diabetes follow-up, and that:

• More time spent on weight training or on aerobic exercise was associated with decreased risk of type 2 diabetes (a dose-response relationship).
• Performing weight training only for at least 150 minutes a week was associated with a statistically significant 34% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, compared with doing no weight training (after adjusting for aerobic exercise, other physical activity of at least moderate intensity and television viewing). 
• Performing aerobic exercise for at least 150 minutes a week was associated with a statistically significant 52% lower risk of type 2 diabetes, compared with doing no aerobic exercise (after adjusting for weight training, other physical activity of at least moderate intensity and television viewing).
• Men who did both aerobic exercise and weight training for at least 150 minutes a week had a 59% reduction in risk of type 2 diabetes, which was the greatest reduction in risk (when compared with doing no aerobic exercise or physical activity).

How did the researchers interpret the results?

The researchers concluded that weight training was associated with a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and that this association is independent of aerobic exercise. They concluded that their results support that “weight training serves as an important alternative for individuals who have difficulty adhering to aerobic exercise, but the combination of weight training with aerobic exercise confers an even greater benefit”.

Conclusion

This cohort study found that weight training is associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, with increased training associated with reduced risk in male health professionals. This association was independent of aerobic exercise. However, although the study has focused on weightlifting, performing aerobic exercise was actually associated with greater risk reduction than weightlifting. The greatest reduction in risk was seen in men who performed both weight training and aerobic exercise for 150 minutes a week.

This study has both strengths and weaknesses. The strengths include the large number of participants, the long follow-up and the fact that both physical activity and other factors that may explain the association (such as diet and alcohol consumption) were assessed regularly. However, the data was collected by self-reported questionnaires, which may be subject to reporting bias. The researchers also did not collect data on the type or intensity of the weight training.

Only male health professionals aged between 40 and 75 years old at baseline were included, and most of the men were white. This means that the findings may not apply to women, younger men or other ethnic groups.

The latter factor may be particularly important as rates of type 2 diabetes can vary significantly between ethnic groups. For example, the condition is more common in those of South Asian, African-Caribbean or Middle Eastern descent.

Finally, the researchers cannot exclude the possibility that the association seen may be explained by another factor that they have not controlled for. The fact that the Health Professionals Follow-up Study was not set up specifically to study whether weightlifting influences risk of diabetes may further increase the possibility that other relevant factors have not been taken into account.

In conclusion, this study supports general health advice by finding that weight training or aerobic exercise reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes in professional men. Weight training may be a useful exercise addition, or alternative, for people who have difficulties in performing aerobic exercise.

However, further studies are required to confirm the association between weight training and diabetes, to see whether it also applies to women and to examine whether the duration, type and intensity of weight training make any difference.

Two-and-a-half hours of weight training a week is a big commitment and shouldn’t detract from other forms of exercise. It is also important to be aware that, as with all forms of exercise, it is advisable to exercise within your own limits. The key advice is to take regular exercise – weightlifting may not be the best workout for everyone.

Orignal source: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2012/08august/Pages/Pump-iron-not-insulin-diabetes-weightlifting-risk-reduction.aspx

Muscle Building

Muscle building is an excellent choice for a workout routine. If you are interested in building muscles look into specific routines that you can follow in order to build muscles in your body. If you are already a little on the heavy side, you may think it would be harder for you to build muscles since it would take you a lot of hard work and determination in order to have a body that you can boast to the world.

If you want to take Muscle Building seriously then you would want to remove the fat and replace it with muscles, therefore you need an exercise routine that will help you burn fat as well as build the muscles in your arms, chest, legs, and back. Remember each person is different, so ensure you do your research to find out the exercise sets dependent on your body type.

Another big factor is diet so you will more than likely need to change your diet, cut down on junk food and fast food, and try and to eat nutritiously. It is important to change your diet because; you will need to have the proper energy to do the regular workout plan. It is important for any bodybuilder to be aware that building muscles require lots of patience and determination. Muscles cannot be built and then stop the routine you have. You will need to stick to a workout plan that you will need to maintain up until you build the muscles and then gradually change the exercise routines according to how you see fit.

Muscle building is very easy, if you have access to the right tip and follow them as stated. Before now, most people have tried to build muscles and have been unsuccessful, this is very common. The reason for this is that, either they don't have access to the right information or are not following them seriously. There are some tips you must take note of, if you want to build muscles successfully and quickly. Some of them include working hard, eating the right food, training consistently and resting properly.

One of the most important ways to build muscle quickly is by eating the right food and in the right way. If you really want to build muscles, you will have to eat more of protein food and less of carbohydrates. Avoid unhealthy fat, eat healthy fatty foods. You can eat protein foods like boiled or baked chicken, beans and turkey. Also carbohydrate foods like brown rice and whole wheat bread. If you must use oil when cooking, use olive or coconut oil, do not use groundnut of vegetable oil. You should also consume lots of vegetables and drink plenty of water.

The second tip is to work hard, take your routine seriously. Try always to do your daily exercise until you are unable to continue, this will stress your muscles and provide more opportunity for growth. One very important exercise you must add to your routine is weight lifting, without this you won't be able to get a good result quickly. Also you will have to work out consistently; you can't do your routine once a week and expect to get the same result as someone who does his routine three to four times a week.

Another important bodybuilding tip is having enough rest. After your daily routine, it is advisable to rest for at least 24 hours as this will allow your muscle to heal and grow. If you don't allow your muscles to heal before you continue with your workout, you might injure them thereby making growth difficult. Do not lift heavy weights every day. Also you should sleep for 7 to 8 hours a day, because your muscle grows best during sleep. Another very important tip is to take a week off after 8 weeks of extensive workouts.

Follow the above tips strictly and in less than two weeks you will see a tremendous improvement in your muscle growth. You don't have to work out for months before seeing result.

Your workout routine will need to change to help you maintain muscle. Your focus should be on 8-10 repetitions per set, but the weight should be moderate, not moderately heavy. So, what does moderate weight mean? It means you should be able to fully complete all 10 reps without too much struggle, but enough struggle to feel a little burn. This is very hard to explain in words, but you will know the feeling when you feel it.

When you no longer want to gain muscle, you should have a good sense of your body and how it feels under physical stress. You should know when your muscles are fatigued. You should still feel a good pump, without taking your muscles to failure. Your goal is to give your new muscles a reason to stick around. The reason why your body gained muscle in the first place was because you placed unusual stress on your muscles on a regular basis, and the body responded naturally by increasing in size. Now, you must still give your body a reason to hold onto muscle because you still have a workout program that puts moderate resistance on your muscles.

Remember your body still needs protein to feed the muscle you have. If you deprive your body of protein, you will lose a good amount of muscle fast. Use a good quality whey protein powder daily and drink plenty of water. Your muscles also need lots of water to survive. Sleep should be your next focus. Surprisingly, your body won't need the same 8-9 hours of sleep to maintain muscle the way it did to gain muscle. You still need the recovery, but your body will now recover faster because your body will not be stressed to the same degree.

Original source: http://goarticles.com/article/Muscle-Building/7634736/