Posts Tagged ‘muscle’

1 – Choose the right exercises for your fitness level

Choosing the right exercises for your fitness level is key to losing weight. You simply can’t go to the gym and straight away pile on pounds of steel on the barbell or select the highest speed and resistance on the treadmill. You should take it slow so that your body can adapt easily and to avoid injury which would completely ruin your exercise schedule.

The main resistance exercises you should be focusing on are pullups, pushups, bench press, squats, dips and lunges. These exercises involve all your major muscle groups and thus will allow you to build more muscle and burn more fat than if you tried resistance exercises that focuses on single muscle groups.

With respect to cardio you should set the resistance level and speed level to the lowest setting, overtime you may increase the speed and resistance.

2 – Your workout should be intense enough

When you workout you need to make sure that the intensity of the exercise is high enough. With high intensity exercises I DO NOT mean exercise through pain, I simply mean high intensity exercises to the point of moderate discomfort.

High intensity exercises will allow you to lose weight a lot quicker than if you did low intensity exercises. High intensity exercises will also build you more muscle which will allow you to prevent injuries from intense activities and also to allow you to move more freely and be able to lift and carry heavy objects with ease. As a rule of thumb “High intensity = Quicker results. ”

3 – Your workout should progress over time

As time flies by when you workout you need to take your exercises to the next level by either increasing the resistance of the exercise or by increasing the number of repetitions of that exercise. If you don’t progress by increasing either the resistance or the number of repetitions your body will not allow you to lose weight since it doesn’t have any reason to change. You need to force your body to lose weight.

For example, pushups. Once you could do 1 set of 12 pushups you can make the exercise more difficult by placing your legs on a higher surface such as a chair or a set of stairs or you could increase the number of repetitions of pushups from 12 to 13 or more.

4 – Decrease rest times

By decreasing the time you rest between the sets of your exercise you are allowing your body to adapt to the decreased rest times. For example, If you usually take a 1 minute break between each set then reduce that to 45 seconds. This will force your body to work more efficiently.

For more great fat burning and muscle sculpting tips visit Truth About Abs.


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A lot of people debate about which one is effective when it comes to exercising and producing muscles. They often debate whether machines are more effective or free weights. Basically, barbells and free weights are classified as free weights. On the other hand exercises that have pulleys or cables to help you lift the weight are machines. In order to gain muscles, you need to focus more on free weight exercises. For all machine enthusiasts out there, you might rethink about which one is more effective. Free weights are indeed more effective in promoting muscle growth. Although the exercises here are much more difficult to execute because nothing is actually assisting you to employ the correct execution, this fact alone is why free weight exercise is much more effective. Free weight exercises are able to stimulate most of the muscle fibers as possible. This is impossible to do with a machine. Why?Basically, machines lack in promoting stabilizers and synergist muscle development. Basically, these two muscles are what support the main muscles when you are performing a complex lift. For example, if you need to do bench presses, you need to be able to make use of the stabilizers and the synergist muscles in order for you to achieve lift. And, you need lots of it. If you bench press using a machine, it will not really need any assistance from the stabilizers as the machine itself is already supporting your main muscles. Machines basically fail to stimulate the muscles around the area you are working on, which are the stabilizers. You need to remember that in order for your main muscles to grow, the stabilizers should be strong. And, the only way to do this is by doing as much free weight exercises as you can. Free weight exercises, such as squats, dumbbell presses, dumbbell fly, bench presses, bent over dumbbell row, and others put a lot of stress in the supporting muscle groups, which is why you get tired really fast doing free weight exercises. However, even if you do get tired really fast, you will gain more muscles and you will become a lot stronger at a very fast rate. You can include machine exercises in your program but you need to do it after you execute all the free weight exercises. This way, you will be able to take advantage of the strength you have on free weight exercises and not deplete it on machine exercises. If you are a beginner, concentrate on lighter weights. Your primary goal is not muscle gain yet. You first need to properly execute the free weight exercises you have in your program in order for you to move on to heavier weights. Concentrate on strengthening the supporting muscles first and when it is able to support the weight you are lifting and that you are able to execute the free weight exercises properly, then it’s time for you to concentrate on the primary muscles. Also, in order to build muscle mass, you need to lift heavier weights. What heavy means is that weights that are challenging for you and weights that you will be able to lift with 8 to 12 repetitions for 3 sets. If you can do more than 15 repetitions before temporary failure sets in, then it will be considered as light weight. Remember these tips and you can be sure that you will be able to gain muscles fast. Always remember that one of the keys to muscle gain is to strengthen the supporting muscles. And, only doing free weight exercises will be able to do this efficiently.


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By following this training program you can not only enhance your muscles in the chest region but it will also benefit you body in every possible ways.   Mike’s training is personalized and when buying the Critical Bench Program you need to tell him where you stand, interns of your current one-rep max. You receive a training program accordingly. You will have to follow the tips mentioned to have that goal accomplished. Personalization actually facilitates the use of this program and makes it simpler. You are given a weekly target and as weeks pass by, you go a step ahead with your mission.   You get Mike’s email address, what else ca be a bonus for you guys out there. Mike is willing to help you out with your questions regarding the program and will help you gain the maximum out of it. You’ll hardly get the kind of advice that Mike has for you. He is an expert after all. The program will include a number of books on bodybuilding which can be very helpful in your workout plans.   There is also an interview with Ken Lian, the world class bencher.   There is also a program from him in the book.   There is also the addition of a workout by Shawn Lattimer included as well.   The book by Charles Staley is a great addition to the program also.   You will find a collection of articles by him included in the program. This extensive program even has a number of books included to give you even more information on bodybuilding.   There is a great interview with Ken Lian.   The book has an exclusive program that is designed by Ken Lian as well.   The inclusion of a workout by Shawn Lattimer is also a included in the program.   The articles that you will find will help you with your goals. The use of spotters is also discussed in the program and you will learn of the importance of working with a partner.   When you are pushing yourself as hard as you will with this program, you will need the assistance of a spotter to help you on those tough workouts. The program is ten weeks long and at the end you will have achieved some great results.   Remember, that your bodybuilding will be very hard work and you will have to stretch beyond your limits.   The physique that you create at the end of the program will be well worth all of your hard work.   Mike has a great amount of knowledge to share with you and this program will give you the best of his best. It is one of the top programs on the market for creating a great look with your bodybuilding routine.   You must understand all aspects of bodybuilding and you will receive a great education with this program.   If you wish to receive some great results from your workout, you should consider giving this program a try.   There are a number of books and programs on the market and this can be a worthwhile addition to your workout.   Get it, use it, and share it and soon you will have the body that you have dreamed of.


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Say “strength training” and most people think the gym and pumping iron.   It is all about barbells and dumbbells.   But this is a narrow view of what constitutes strength training.   And in taking this view, they do not take advantage of a great way to work out that does not involve going to the gym nor require expensive equipment, other than a pair of shorts and sneakers.   I am talking about using just your own bodyweight.

The general belief is that strength training, or muscle building, requires lifting weights.   And for big growth, that is getting huge fast, it means pumping some serious weights to put your body in its maximum anabolic state, whatever that means, though it sounded pretty good.

Your body does not know how it is being stressed.   It knows that you are putting undue and unnecessary strain on it.   And your body probably hates you for it and thinks you are a horse’s behind.   But it does not know, in a larger sense, the difference between a pull-up and a pull-down.  

Sure, different angles and variations will not impact or work the same muscle groups exactly the same, but a pumped set of Pecs will be a pumped up set of Pecs.

So, here is what I recommend.   First, explore your neighborhood and locate a few parks that are within an easy drive away.   Your objective is to find a park that has an exercise course on it or has a jungle gym of sorts on it.

Your exercise routine, which should take no more than 45 minutes maximum consists of light jogging and basic bodyweight movements.

Warm-up:  Take a light jog around the perimeter of the park for 10 or 15 minutes.   Then before exercising, you should stretch lightly to limber up before starting the core work out.

Core Workout:

1.   Deep Knee Bends:  For the movement, begin with your hands on your hips and your feet about shoulder width apart.   Keeping your back vertical, you want to roll up on your toes as you squat down; simultaneously extending your arms in front of you for balance.   In the down position, your arms are out in front, parallel to the ground, and you are rolled up on your toes.   Do as many repetitions as you can.

2.   One Legged Squat:  Holding onto a pole for balance, squat down as far as you can on one leg.   Initially, you may only be able to do a half squat.   That is okay; just go deeper each time out.   Do a set for one leg, and then do a set for the other leg; this would be one complete set.   Do 2 complete sets of as many as you can.   Try this; one leg and switch; with no rest, immediately go back to the other leg.   I want you to switch legs with no rest between sets.

3.   Dips:  Find the parallel bars and do dips.   I want you to bow your back and stick your chin on your chest.   Also, lift your feet off the ground by bring them behind you, but also move your knees forward, so that your knees are directly below your eyes.   This will help you maintain your form.   Again do 3 sets of as many repetitions as you can.   But if dips are hard at first, or you are not yet strong enough, start with the good old pushups.   Do 2 sets of pushups, then you can attempt a set or two of dips.   Your objective is to faze out the pushups and do just the dips.   Later, you can supplement with elevated pushups.

4.   Pull-ups:  For your pull-ups, use a grip that is a little more than shoulder width apart.   If you are not strong here, your objective is to just get your chin over the bar.   Most studs will shoot to touch their chest to bar, but let us just stick to getting our chins over it.   Instead of sets and repetitions, I want you to choose a total.   I think 20 are good.   Your initial objective is to do 20 repetitions with the least number of set as necessary.   For the first set, you may do 6, and then 3, and then 2, and then 2, and then 1, until you get to 20.   After the second set, rest no more than 10 to 15 seconds between sets.   Your final objective is to do 20 in one set.   After that, your objective should be to do 30 repetitions.   Not easy.

I want you to do this simple, yet effective routine every other day.   To add more zest to this, do 6 all out wind sprints to finish the work out.   Sprint hard for 20 to 30 seconds, rest about 30 seconds, and then sprint again.   Keep doing this until you do 6 or so, this will leave you completely breathless.

Deep knee bends, one legged squats, dips, and pull-ups will work you hard.   As you progress and get stronger; you can add handstand push-ups, hanging leg raises, one legged calf raises, elevated push-ups, close grip pull-ups, and so much more.  

The truth is; your body can provide more than enough resistance to give you a ridiculously hard workout.   Wow, fresh air and warm sun while you are working out.   Now that is a combination that is hard to beat.


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Most people know that in order to build up muscle in the upper body one of the best exercises to do is the bench press. A frequent question bodybuilders ask each other is how much you can bench press. Let us examine what it takes to build muscle and how to achieve a bigger bench press. This can be done in a few very effective ways that will make a noticeable difference fast. Develop your triceps. Almost two thirds of the total muscle mass on your arms is comprised of the triceps muscle. Strengthening your triceps is very beneficial to increasing your bench press. Some excellent exercises that will help build muscle mass on your triceps are using both barbells and dumbbells and doing close grip bench-presses as well as skull crushers. Do not do exercises that just isolate the muscle because they are not good, as they will isolate the muscle completely. Working your triceps will certainly assist in adding weight to your bench press. Work your triceps separately. The majority of bodybuilding regimens advise that you workout the chest in the same session as the triceps. If you train the triceps separately, you can concentrate on them and get the muscle growing very quickly. Try this over a few weeks and then have a look at how many more kilograms you can bench press. Change is good. Have you been doing that same old workout regimen for months now? When your muscles have done the same workout a few times, they become used to it and therefore the need to keep growing muscle is not needed. Keep changing things around, it can be slight changes like changing the grip width or even reversing the order of your regimen or they can be more drastic changes such as doing supersets or compound sets and others. Do not over do it. Most of the time more is better, but in regards to muscle building that is not the truth at all. If you over do it and over train your chest, then you will find it difficult to recover and to grow further. Instead, focus on intensity, technique, and not quantity. A short vigorous workout is much more effective than a long one. Rest well. Your muscles will not be growing at the gym! You need to be getting a good amount of rest, as muscles will grow as you are resting. If you do not give enough time for growing then they will not grow. A good rule to set is to is to limit yourself to 6-9 sets per session for each muscle group otherwise, you will risk overtraining. Take a break from training. If you find yourself reaching a training plateau, then think about taking a complete break. This will allow your body recover from all the strain you have put on it. After you have taken a break for a couple of weeks, you can return to your workouts with more conviction. Look at your diet. Are you eating 6 meals a day with a minimum of 1 gram of protein for every pound of bodyweight you have? If you are not, then you are most likely limiting your gains by not following a muscle building diet. Following a proper muscle building diet is essential in building muscle mass, so in every meal try to consume 50% carbohydrates, 30% proteins, and the rest can include fats. Pay attention to your technique. Are you bench-pressing the proper way? It is imperative to pay close attention to your technique and to use proper form when doing your exercises. If you practice bad technique it can take away focus from the chest muscles and can put you in great risk of injury as well. Make sure you are not lifting your feet up off the floor and that your hands are not grabbing the bar too close together. These are the two most general mistakes people make when bench pressing. By following this guide, you will be giving yourself a good advantage to building muscle mass on your chest rapidly, and showing off to other bodybuilders on how much you can bench press!


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Awesome way to get ripped FAST!!! (or not…)

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Awesome way to get ripped FAST!!! (or not…)

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If you are considering adding some bulk to a thinner frame, and you wish to accomplish this through varied methods it takes some creative thinking on different ideas to start with. Because of this it is necessary for you to know the various advantages that bodybuilding in general has to offer.
Body Building Exercises Defined
Deciding what body building exercises to use can be somewhat challenging due to the fact that there are so many variations available. However, once you figure out which body parts you want to work on you can narrow down your choices quickly.
Numerous up and coming body builders are of the mindset that the only real way to build muscles on their arms is to lift weights. This is not exactly the case, since lifting weights is certainly a beneficial body building exercise, it is not a good idea for beginners to do that prior to getting some arm strength through other ways.
Specifically, an ideal exercise to build the back of your arms (triceps) is pushups. Depending on the physical condition of a person prior to starting exercise pushups may be difficult to do, but pushups are an excellent way to begin and at the same time it reduces the chance of injury.
Gradual Increases
Start with just a few pushups, and as soon as you feel your the muscles in your upper arm begin to burn, stop.
If you are not in shape it is wise to start with only two sets of 15 repetitions each. Some even advise starting with as little as 10 repetitions. Gradually you will you will gain strength in the back of your arms. Pushups also have a strengthening effect on your shoulders due to the movement of the exercise and because you are supporting your upper body weight with this exercise.
For strengthening and building your legs the exercises of squats and leg lunges are an effective option. For those just starting out it will tend to be uncomfortable until your body becomes accustomed to it.
For those who are looking for more information on the numerous exercises that can be utilized to build up your body, you can go to your local gym to sign up for a membership and enlist the help of a personal trainer.
Another avenue to get more information is to go onto the internet for advice on the various exercises for beginners. With the right research, you are certain to find some beneficial body building exercises.


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Rightly or wrongly the bench press is one of the most popular bodybuilding exercises. It’s certainly a terrific upper body compound movement, but not as important an exercise as the major lower compound movements like the squat, dead lift or leg press, because it doesn’t cover as many large muscle groups as those exercises.

Some would argue that the chin, dip and overhead press are more important exercises than the bench, but it seems to have a sort of mystique about it anyway, so in this article I’m going to talk about how you can improve your bench, and as a result help to transform your body.

There are two ways of looking at the bench;

1/ As a muscle building exercise

2/ As a power lifting exercise

The difference is that by improving your technique you can become more efficient at the bench press, which will enable you to like heavier weights. Please note however that this may not necessarily mean you’ll build more muscle.

As an example, if you arch your back when you lie on the bench, which you can do by bringing your heels towards your head (if you can visualise this), you provide a more stable pressing base, which will help you to lift more weight.

It’s important not to over exaggerate the arch in your back, or this could lead to injury.

Another tip would be to take a wider grip on the bar – this means that the bar has less distance to travel, which in theory makes the exercise easier.

These are power lifting tips, which is not really the point of this article. The point of this article is to give you some form tips that will help you to bench more and build more muscle as a result of benching more.

The two biggest mistakes I see in gyms when people are benching are;

1/ They bench from too high up their body

2/ They train the exercise from the top instead of from the bottom.

Lets look a these two faults, and why they are faults;

1/ If you bench from too high up your body you put your shoulders in a very bad position. I see even experienced body builders, sometimes contest winners, pressing from as high up as the neck. This is incredibly dangerous, but the trouble is that because elite bodybuilders have stronger joints than most of us, they can get away with this style, although it will catch up with them eventually.

What really makes my blood boil is that inexperienced bodybuilders see this technique used by well developed weight trainers and they copy it.

The bar should be at nipple level of even an inch or two lower than that.

When you start pressing this way it will feel weird at first, and you’ll need to start with lighter weights and then build back up. As you get used to this, you will have a much more safer and more stable style that keeps you injury free.

2/ Unless you’re a power lifter (which this article is not really aimed at) you should train the bench from the bottom, and not the top – here’s why;

Most of the old fashioned bench press units (still on sale unfortunately) make you train the bench from the top because the catches are set about a foot and a half above your head. This means you have to reach up to take the bar before starting the bench press, and you have to return the bar there at the end of it.

This is very bad for a number of safety reasons. If you take a weight that’s too heavy, you’ve got to return it to the catches, which means somehow manhandling it back up. This is a sure route to injury.

In my view, the only way to train the bench is from the bottom. Here’s how it’s done;

You need either a power rack (also called a power cage) or a half rack. Set the pins or catches at chest level, so the bar is only just above chest level when you get under it. Now simply press from there.

This is so much safer than benching from the top. It also gives you more confidence to press heavier weights, because if the weight is too heavy you just can’t move it. If you press from the top with a weight that’s too heavy, you have to find a way of getting the bar back up to the catches to rack it. This is how a lot of injuries occur in the bench.

The other way of getting injured is if the weight just crashes down on your neck – I’ve seen this and it’s horrible to watch, and a really good way to permanently injure yourself.


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