Awesome Exercises For Building Lean Muscle Mass

by Tim Ryan

There are hundreds of different exercises you can do with free weights and resistance machines or with just your body weight to build muscle mass. You should include mainly multi-joint compound exercises in your workout as they build muscle fastest. The most popular and effective of these are: dead lifts, squats, bench press, pull ups, shoulder presses and rows.

Whilst they are very effective your body needs to be constantly challenged in new and different ways if your goal is building lean muscle mass. Here are a few awesome exercises that are often overlooked yet work really well. From time to time try and include these exercises in your workouts. Variety prevents boredom setting in and provides new reasons for your muscles to grow.

Try running on the sand, donkey raises or a jump rope for getting big calves. Running on the sand is very taxing and the bouncing motion in skipping will provide a real burn. as your calf muscles are generally used to endurance activities like walking all day they tend to respond better to longer endurance type exercises when seeking muscle growth. Donkey raises are when you place your toes on the edge of a 3-4 inch high block bend over to 90 degrees at the waist and rest your hands on a bard or bench at that height. have a training buddy jump on to your back so that you can pump your calve muscles up and down shifting two lots of body weight. stabiliser muscles all around the calve have to be used in order to perform these correctly making them more difficult.

Can you remember the last time you performed dips to hit your chest muscles? A great mass builder for the chest muscle is dips which are great for triceps also. Many older gyms have two long bars that run parallel to each other for exactly this. Often a v shape is formed which provides scope for different grips. This means you can really hit different areas of the chest and triceps effectively.

Try performing stiff legged deadlifts to nail your hamstrings. These are an awesome hamstring exercise seen very infrequently. Simply do deadlifts but you legs have to remain straight throughout meaning you bend at the waist and keep a straight back to lift the barbell or dumbbell. Maintain control of the weight by keeping it close to your legs whilst raising it and be warned that this exercise can leave your hamstrings very sore the next day.

Try hammer curls if you want big arms! The pal of your hand is kept facing in towards your body at all times, this is the only difference from regular curls. This places great stress on the inner bicep muscle that gives it thickness and size throughout called the brachialis muscle whilst also still developing the main bicep too. Stand with your back straight and flat against the corner of a wall to prevent yourself from using moment to assist the movement for a real burn.

How long is it since you saw someone do lunges at the fitness centre? These are awesome for your quads providing both mass and shape. With a pair of dumb bells in your hands take a decent stride forwardsand bend both knees down to 90 degress step backwards and repeat with the other leg. A superb workout alternative to squats.

For creating muscle definition and for a superb aerobic workout why not try boxing padwork it is very effective for the hitting the entire upper body or do uphill sprints to shred your leg muscles or even get on an exercise bike for uphill intervals immediately following a leg workout. That is a real killer!

With those group of classic exercises in your thoughts change your routine around a bit to gain more lean muscle mass.

Original Source: http://goarticles.com/article/Awesome-Exercises-For-Building-Lean-Muscle-Mass/1773720/

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/

Lean Muscle Weight Gainer Supplements And Products For Men And Women

by Elvira Filinovich

Lean muscle weight gainer supplements and products for men and women are designed to increase lean muscle mass in the body to maintain healthy weight, strength and higher energy levels. Lean muscle mass gets converted into muscles which improves a person's strength, stamina and muscle mass. People trying to increase muscle mass gets benefited by using supplements which have been prepared to increase effects of nourishing diet and exercises to produce lean muscles. Sportsperson, athletes and bodybuilders use these supplements for gaining maximum muscles in short time and also to increase energy and endurance level of muscles to perform long strenuous exercises and physical activity.

People following a healthy diet and exercising regimen do gain lean muscles but these measures alone are slow in bringing positive changes, in some people who have slow and sluggish internal systems these are ineffective and cannot build lean muscle mass. If diet and exercises are complimented with muscle weight gainer supplements and products for men and women, results can be surprisingly much better and can be achieved in much lesser duration.
Fat, carbohydrate, protein, vitamins and amino acids all are vital and crucial for growth of muscle mass in human body. These vital nutrients shall be consumed regularly and in proper balance everyday and supported by exercises for building muscles. Even if a person can consume a proper diet which supplements all the above said nutrients and exercises regularly due to slowness of digestive or circulatory system or poor lifestyle these nutrients may not get absorbed in the body and muscles may not get sufficiently nourished. This can stop lean muscles from forming and weaken the muscular system of the body. Lean muscle weight gainer supplements and products for men and women like FitOfat capsules not only supply all the nutrients in right doses but also ensure their absorption in the body to provide nourishment to muscles, this promotes growth of muscle mass and paves way for healthy weight gain.

FitOfat capsules, muscle mass weight gainer supplement and products for men and women, is purely herbal product prepared by using rich and powerful herbs and is very effective and safe. This has been made without using any synthetic or artificial material which makes its effects natural and suitable to both men and women and people of all ages. FitOfat capsules have been made by using herbs which are so effective that these are capable of resolving the problems like under-weight and debility as single treatment; their use along with many other strong herbs makes FitOfat one of the most effective muscle weight gainer supplement and product for men and women.
Herbs like Withania Somnifera, Asparagus Racemosus, Asparagus Adscendens, Swarna Bhang, Saffron, Zingiber officinale, Phyllus Embilica and Paniculates aromaticus are chief ingredients of FitOfat capsules which supplement the body with all the vital nutrients, ensure proper absorption of nutrients, increase appetite, strengthen digestive, nervous and excretory system and promote healthy blood flow to energize and nourish muscles. All of these effects of FitOfat capsules promote healthy weight gain and build lean muscles in a short time to increase overall muscle mass in men and women.

Original Source: http://goarticles.com/article/Lean-Muscle-Weight-Gainer-Supplements-And-Products-For-Men-And-Women/6584179/

How to build arm muscles

The human arm has a lot of muscles and in this article we will focus on two of them: Biceps brachii and Triceps brachii. A common mistake in fitness training is to work too much with biceps brachii and not giving enough attention to triceps branchii.

Biceps brachii, commonly referred to simply as biceps, is a muscle found on the upper arm. As the name suggests, it has two heads. Both heads arise on the shoulder-blade. The main functions of the biceps is to flex the elbow and supinate the forearm. Many different exercises exist for strengthening the biceps, including the famous biceps curl.

Triceps brachii is a large muscle located at the back of the upper arm. As the name implies, it has three heads. Triceps brachii is used for extending the elbow joint, i.e. to straighten the arm. Exercises intended to strengthen the triceps brachii can be divided into two categories: isolation exercises that focuses on the triceps only and compound elbow extensions movements. Cable pushdowns is an example of the former, while pushups and bench press are examples of the latter.

Concentration Curls

This exercise requires one dumbbell. It will chiefly target your biceps, but your forearms will also benefit. Suitable for beginners:

1. Sit down a flat bench.
2. Place a dumbbell in front of you between your feet.
3. Spread your legs. Your feet should be resting on the floor and your legs should be bent, not straight.
4. Pick up the dumbbell with your right hand.
5. Place the back of your upper right arm on top of your inner right thigh. Extend your arm.
6. Rotate your right hand until your palm (still holding on to the dumbbell) is facing forward (i.e. away from your thigh). This is the starting position for this exercise.
7. While exhaling, curl the dumbbell forward while contracting your right biceps. It’s important not to move the upper part of your arm, only the lower part should be moving. Continue the curl and exhale until you have a fully contracted biceps. Your dumbbell will now be positioned at shoulder level, and the little finger on your right hand should be higher than the thumb.
8. Remain in contracted position for 1 second while squeezing the biceps.
9. Slowly and gradually move the dumbbell down again while exhaling. It’s very important not to swing. Lower the dumbbell until you’re back to the starting position.
10. Repeat.

Once you’re finished with your right arm, proceed to do the exercise with your left arm.

Alternate Hammer Curl

The alternate hammer curl will primarily target your biceps, but the forearm will also be involved. You need a dumbbell for this exercise. Suitable for beginners.

1. Stand up.
2. Pick up a dumbbell in each hand.
3. Check that your torso is upright.
4. Hold the dumbbells at arms length (near you hips) with both elbows near your torso. Also, the palms of you hands should be facing your torso. This is the starting position for this exercise.
5. While you exhale, curl the dumbbell in your right hand forward while contracting the biceps. It’s important that you keep your upper arm still; only the lower arm should move. Continue curling until you have a fully contracted biceps. The dumbbell will now be at shoulder level.
6. Remain in contracted position for one second while squeezing the biceps.
7. Slowly and gradually move the dumbbell back down while breathing in. Continue until you’re back in starting position.
8. Repeat point 5-7 but with your left arm.
9. Continue alternating between right hand and left hand exercise.

Pushups in Close Triceps Position

This exercise will target your triceps, but your chest and shoulders will also be active. It doesn’t require any equipment. Not recommended for beginners.

1. Position yourself lying on the floor face down.
2. Place your hands on the floor, closer to each other than shoulder width.
3. Lift your torso at arms length, balancing your body on your hands and on the toes of your feet. This is the starting position for this exercise.
4. While breathing in, slowly lower your torso by bending your arms. Keep lowering your torso until your chest nearly touches the floor.
5. While breathing out, use your triceps and some of your pectoral muscles to press your upper body back to starting position. Squeeze your chest.
6. Remain contracted for a second.
7. Repeat.

Reference: http://www.bodymusclegain.com/how-to-build-arm-muscles/

Information on Protein shakes, Whey Protein, Protein Bars

by Allaric Saltzman

Proteins are essential substances that your body needs for performing functions like being a building block for the bones, muscles and all the other tissues of your body. Natural protein sources are meat, milk, soya etc. Sometimes the protein requirements of the body are so demanding this normal amount that is obtained from these sources is not sufficient. This is so in the case of the athletes whose rigorous training has to be supplemented by having the protein. The proteins supplements are available in the form of protein shakes for these men. These protein shakes also come in suitable combination with other things like the fats or the carbohydrates. Proteins shakes come either in the liquid form in packed condition or in the form of powder when it is supposed to be mixed with milk and taken. Some scientific studies say that regular intake was found to decrease the exhaustion, infections and muscle cramps in a test group.

Whey protein is another form of protein that is obtained as a by-product from synthesis of cheese. The whey proteins act as a supplement over the normal requirement of the proteins. It is found to be beneficial as it may have some properties that can resist cancer or inflammation in the body. Some studies show that that the lean body mass of people using this showed an increase.

The third forms of protein are the protein bars that are being used very commonly by the health conscious people around the world. It is highly nutritious and is packed with lots of energy, exactly what your body needs after a very hard and tiring day. Taking the protein bars serves a dual purpose as one, it gives the energy your body needs and two, it controls your hunger. These bars are rich in protein and less in fats and the carbohydrates therefore is the best meal replacement one can imagine. One main advantage of taking the protein bar is that they are very easy to carry around and is suited for people who are always on the move and don't have the time to have their food. It can be taken while travelling or driving too. Also if you are a vegetarian there are protein bar preparations that are made from peas, pumpkins, Soya or the rice protein. These are quite tasty at the same time it provides the much needed filling for your hunger. 

http://goarticles.com/article/Information-on-Protein-shakes-Whey-Protein-protein-bars/6391506/

How to gain muscle for skinny guys

By Ben Greenfield

I used to be skinny. Really skinny. In high school and up to my first year of college, I was a complete stick -- until I made the decision in my freshman year that I needed to put some muscle on.

Eventually, by my senior year of college, I went from just “putting on muscle” to actually becoming a bodybuilder – standing on stage and posing 35 pounds of muscle above my original starting point.

If you were born skinny, you may not have the potential to gain the bulk of an NFL lineman, but it’s completely possible for a skinny guy to put on muscle. The bonus for you is that your body fat levels are naturally low, so when you do gain muscle, you’ll be able to achieve a very ripped look, which bigger, bulky guys often envy!

Here are seven things I learned from my own journey.

Supplements

Normally, you can get from food all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that you need. But if you’re trying to put on significant size and you’re exercising at a level that is constantly stripping your body of fuel, you’ll need help from supplements.

For calories and upping your protein intake, a protein powder is important. If you don’t want the typical gut distress that comes from eating protein powders, don’t just settle for any version of protein powder. Try to choose one without added soy and corn, with no artificial sweeteners, and with added digestive aids such as digestive enzymes and probiotics.

Other supplements that can effectively help a skinny guy gain muscle are:

• Creatine: 0.3 g/kg bodyweight for 5-7 days followed by 5 g/day.
• Carnitine: 750 mg, 2,000 mg/day, in 2 doses.
• Citrulline: 6-8 g, 30-60 minutes before exercise.
• Beta-Alanine: 2-5 g, 30-60 minutes before exercise.

None of these supplements are a substitute for lifting frequently and lifting heavy, but they will certainly help to enhance results.

Eat Frequently

Strength training is very glycolytic, which means it burns a high amount of carbohydrates. Because of this, you shouldn't go into any muscle building workout without having eaten about 300-600 calories of a carbohydrate-containing meal two to three hours prior. This meal can include sweet potatoes, yams, oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice or any other healthy carbohydrate source. If you eat another similar meal after your workout, you’ll be able to put on size more quickly, as your muscles will rapidly absorb the sugars more quickly after a workout.

In addition, timing your protein intake with several small 20-25-gram portions split up through the day will be far more effective for gaining muscle, compared to a giant protein shake at the beginning and end of the day.

Ultimately, a skinny guy trying to put on muscle should be aiming to consume a pre-workout meal, a post-workout meal and at least four to five additional meals. This may seem like a lot of eating and food, but this is what it takes to build significant muscle if you’re skinny.

Use Amino Acids

A big secret among bodybuilders and strength training enthusiasts is a type of supplement called “branched chain amino acids” (BCAAs). These are special protein-building blocks that are rapidly absorbed and easily used by muscles during exercise. They’re cheap, easy to find and can be consumed without stomach distress both before, during and immediately after your workout, and can significantly increase muscle gain.

You should not train for size without amino acids in your bloodstream, and since digesting a steak can be tough during a hard workout, BCAAs are a good way to go. To gain muscle more rapidly, you should aim for 10-20 grams of BCAAs, consumed before, and then every 60-90 minutes during, your weight-training workouts.

Eat Meat

Skinny guys who are vegans or vegetarians may cringe at this advice, but meat is muscle fiber, and it’s chock full of fats, proteins and hormonal precursors that help you to put on size more quickly. While you certainly can get adequate proteins from plants, it’s far more difficult to go the vegetarian route, and the volume of food you must eat is going to be very daunting and a bit distressing to your gut.

To maintain muscle, you need to eat about 0.55 grams of protein per pound of body weight, and to build muscle, you need about 0.7 grams per pound. In addition, you’ll need to eat an extra 500-1000 calories each day over and above your basal metabolic rate. This high volume of food and protein should include foods that naturally increase testosterone, including grass-fed beef, eggs and seafood (other lower-calorie testosterone-supporting foods include garlic and broccoli).

Mix It Up

The advice to mix it up should not be misinterpreted. I don’t mean you should change up your workout every day (which is actually good for fat loss but not very effective for gaining muscle). Instead, you should stick to the same workouts each week for three to five weeks, but you should use different types of strategies during your sets to challenge your muscles. These strategies can include bouncing, explosions, quarter reps, ladder reps, stripping, supersets, super slow reps, forced reps, negatives and cheating.

Lift Heavy

Most skinny guys do not lift adequately heavy weights to build significant muscle. This is one reason why having a personal trainer or workout buddy at the gym will help you put on muscle faster -- you can lift more weight when someone is there to help you if the weight gets too heavy for you to safely handle.

While lifting with slightly higher sets (like 4-6 sets) and higher repetitions (like 10-12 reps) will help you build muscle faster than using low sets and low repetitions (which are better for power or brute strength), you still need to use weights that completely exhaust your muscles by the end of a set. For example, if you’re going to be doing 5 sets of 10 repetitions of a barbell squat, you should barely be able to stand for the last 3 repetitions. That is the kind of tough stimulus a skinny guy needs to build muscle.

Lift Frequently

Once you put it on, muscle is much easier to maintain than big lungs or good endurance. A runner begins to lose oxygen capacity within about three days of laying off workouts. But muscle only requires one workout a week for maintenance.

However, muscle is hard to put on initially, and for skinny guys typically requires 4-6 workouts per muscle group to build (you can build even faster if you lift twice a day, but if you do that, you’ll need to take a full recovery day at least once a week, and allow at least four hours between workouts).

So what does it look like to lift frequently? One popular split that works very well is to exercise your chest and back on day one, your shoulders, biceps and triceps on day two, your legs and core on day three, then take one day of rest, and repeat.

Reference: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/20/how-to-gain-muscle-for-skinny-guys/

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