Chizeled

WHY CAN’T YOU GAIN WEIGHT?

Though there may be many reasons why you may be thin, the most apparent reason is because of your genetics. If your parents are naturally thin or have a small body frame, then you will most likely have the same small body type.

To some degree, your size can also be controlled by your metabolism. If you have a difficult time gaining weight of any kind (fat or muscle) then you most likely have a fast metabolism. That simply means that your body burns calories at a faster than normal rate. You must take this into account whenever you are considering a particular diet or training program. Is it geared towards someone with your metabolism and goal?

Now as you know, there are many ways to train. Hundreds, thousands even. Some work and some do not, but for the specific goal of gaining weight, there are a few UNIVERSAL things that all skinny guys must do.

Though much of the information I cover here is not as “magical” as you may like, I consider these rules to be the basics with regard to weight gain. These are not all of the answers, but they are definite elements that MUST be addressed in any successful weight gain program.

You should be able to easily integrate these rules into your current program to make it more suitable for your particular body and goals.

GENERAL RULES

1.Get the proper information that pertains to your SPECIFIC condition and goals.

The first big problem I find in most people is the lack of correct information. Yes you are motivated and doing things, but your effort is wasted on incorrect dieting and training information. Basically, skinny guys are taking advice from people who have never had a weight gain problem. Want to know how to gain weight? Then find someone who has walked your shoes. Someone who has been where you are.

2.Set a specific goal and create a plan of attack.

If you were to drive cross country to another city, would you just start driving randomly, or would you plan a route that would get you quickly and efficiently?

Think of your plan as a road map and your goal as your destination. Without a plan and a specific goal you will be without focus and can easily get lost or side tracked. This happens more often than you know. I see many people in the gym just doing whatever, or just eating whatever — no plan or specific goal. They wonder why they don’t make progress. They have no focus.

Having a specific program to follow allows you to take action each day. This action is focused on specifically getting you to your destination quickly. There is no thinking, debating or guessing. You just do it. A specific plan provides necessary daily structure that not only keeps you on the road moving forward, it also helps to develop good eating and training habits that will benefit you long after you have reached your destination.

3.Have confidence in yourself and belief in what you are doing.

Let’s face it; we live in a cruel world. Hate and jealously is everywhere. For most people who begin a fitness program to improve themselves, getting started will be half the battle. The other half will be staying motivated throughout the constant onslaught of negativity from others. A few negative words can do serious damage if you allow it.

The most insulting things you hear may be from friends, co-workers and acquaintances at the gym. People hate change. It makes them insecure, because they suddenly discover there’s more to you than they were probably willing to admit. They fear that you may actually achieve your goal. It makes them look less “superior”.

Once you have begun your plan, you must have faith and believe in what you are doing. Stay focused and avoid overly critical or negative people. If you have to, keep your business to yourself. When I first began my program, I stopped talking about what I was doing because I got tired of hearing things like “you can’t do that”, “that’s impossible”, “you’re wasting your time and money”. Funny thing is, now those people are constantly bugging me for advice.

It’s your life. It’s your body. It’s your dream. Don’t allow your success or failure to rest in the hands of others.

WORKOUT RULES

4. Stop listening to every ridiculous piece of advice you hear in the gym or read on a message board.

Recently a client of mine informed me that someone in the gym stated that he was training all wrong and he needed to train 5-6 days a week, and aim for more reps during his workout. Somewhere in the range of 15-20 reps per set.

The person giving the advice was quite confident about his recommendations, and he had an impressive physique that typically elevates him to the elusive “listen to me if you want to look like me” level in the gym. He was bigger than my client, so even though my client’s “intellectual” mind knows that advice is absurd; his “unrealistic dreamer” mind took this information very seriously. So seriously that he changed his program and didn’t inform me until a week or so later. This particular person had been making great progress on his current program, yet he allowed this one person’s comment to overshadow that progress and convince him that his program was inadequate. This is a mistake and it showed in his lack of further progress.

In addition, don’t judge the validity of what a person says by how they look. Just because the guy is huge doesn’t mean he is spewing pertinent advice for you. Many people that have big physiques are big despite of their training, not because of it. I know some huge guys that know very little about training and dieting correctly. They can do whatever and still gain muscle; unfortunately we are not that way, so we much approach things in a more intelligent way.

5.Workout Infrequently

This is the most difficult concept for many to grasp simply because it involves less action, instead of more. When we get motivated and start a new program, it’s natural to want to do something. We want to train and train and train. Thinking all along that the more you train, the more muscle you will build. Unfortunately, this could not be farther from the truth.

More training does not equal more muscle growth. Understand that the purpose of weight training is to stimulate muscle growth. That takes very little time. Once that has been done, the muscle needs to be repaired and new muscle needs to be built. That only happens when you are resting. You do not build muscle in the gym, you build muscle when resting! If you never give your body any essential “non active” time, when will it have a chance to build muscle? Think about that.

Now, add in the fact that you have a difficult time gaining weight and the importance of rest increases. Individuals who are naturally thin and have difficulty building muscle tend to require less training and more rest.

6. Focus on Multi-Jointed Lifts

Multi-jointed exercises are those that stimulate the most amounts of muscle fibers. Unlike isolation exercises which only work individual muscles, multi-jointed lifts work many different muscle groups simultaneously. For those needing to gain weight, this is ideal because these lifts put your body under the most amount of stress. This is the stress that will shock your nervous system and cause the greatest release of muscle building hormones. This results in increased muscle gain all over the body.

You can still do some isolation work; however it should not be the focus of your workouts, and should only come after your multi-jointed lifting is complete.

7. Focus on Using Free Weights

Free weights are preferred over machines for many reasons, but most importantly because they allow the stimulation of certain supporting muscle groups when training. Stimulating these stabilizer and synergistic muscles will allow you go get stronger, and ultimately build more muscle faster. Yes, some can most likely still build large amounts of muscle using machines, but why make it more difficult if you already have a difficult time gaining weight?

8. Lift a weight that is challenging for you

Building mass involves lifting relatively heavy weight. This is necessary because the muscle fibers that cause the most amount of muscle size growth (called Type IIB) are best stimulated by the lifting of heavy weight. A heavy weight as one that only allows you to perform 4-8 reps before your muscles fail.

Using a lighter weight and doing more reps can stimulate some Type IIB fibers, but again if you have a difficult time gaining weight, why make it more difficult? You need to try and stimulate as many as you can with the use of heavy weights.

9. Focus more on the eccentric portion of the exercise.

When you lift a weight, it can be divided into three distinct periods. The positive, the negative and midpoint. The concentric or “positive” motion usually involves the initial push or effort when you begin the rep. The midpoint is signaled by a short pause before reversing and returning to the starting position. The eccentric, or “negative” portion of each lift is characterized by your resistance against then natural pull of the weight.

For example, when doing push-ups, the positive motion is the actual pushing up motion. Once you have pushed all the way up, you hit the mid point. The negative motion begins when you start to lower yourself back down. Most would simply lower themselves as fast as they pushed up, but I recommend extending and slowing down this portion. Slowing down the eccentric part of the lift will help to stimulate more muscle growth. It actually activates more of the Type IIB fibers mentioned about in Rule 7.

10. Keep your workout short but intense.

Your goal should be to get in, stimulate your muscles and then get out as quickly as possible. It is not necessary to do large amounts of exercisers per body part trying to target every muscle and hit every “angle”. This should only be a concern of someone with an already developed, mature physique who is trying to improve weak areas.

If you have no pec, don’t concern yourself with trying to target inner, outer, upper, lower or whatever. Just work your chest. You should do no more than 2-3 exercises per body part. That’s it. Doing more than that won’t build more muscle, faster. In fact it could possibly lead to muscle loss. Long training sessions cause catabolic hormone levels to rise dramatically. Catabolic hormones are responsible for breaking down muscle tissue resulting in MUSCLE LOSS. While at the same time, long training sessions suppress the hormones that actually build muscle.

If you don’t want to lose muscle during your workouts, I suggest limiting your sessions to no more than 60-75 minutes MAXIMUM. Less if you can.

11. Limit your aerobic activity and training

Honestly, I do not do any aerobic activity when I am trying to gain weight. This is mainly because it interferes with the important “non-active” time my body needs for muscle building and recovery. I do understand that people have lives and other activities that they don’t want to give up, so it must be kept to a minimum. It won’t hurt your progress as long as you don’t over do it. If you find that you are doing more aerobic activity weight training, that’s overdoing it.

I also don’t recommend it because people tend do it for the wrong reasons. Many start aerobic activity because they believe it will help them to lose fat. While that is true, it won’t do so on a high calorie mass diet. To lose fat, you need to be eating fewer calories.

12. Don’t program hop

Here’s how it usually happens. You’ve just read about a new exercise or workout that is supposed to pack on the mass. Now, even though you had already started another training program a few weeks ago, you are tired of it and really want to start this routine instead because it sounds better.

I call these people, “program hoppers”. They are very enthusiastic when starting a new program, but they never follow it long enough to actually see any results. They are easily distracted and love to drop whatever they may be doing to follow the latest “hot” workout or exercise.

My advice is don’t do it. This is a bad habit that never leads to a positive outcome. Understand that it takes time for any program to work. To be successful, you must follow your program consistently. Yes, there are many different training methods and interesting routines out there, but you can’t do them all at the same time and jumping around won’t allow enough time for any of them to actually be effective for you. Pick one that is focused on your current goal and stick with it. There will be plenty of time to try the others later, but NOT NOW.

EATING RULES

13. Eat more

This rule is pretty simple, but usually the one that is not done correctly. If weight gain is your goal, then you will need to eat more food. Period. In most cases, you will need to eat more than you are normally accustomed to.

One large problem that I had when starting out is I just had no appetite. I knew I needed to eat more, but I just did not want to. I had to force myself to eat at each meal. Thankfully, after about 2 weeks, my appetite grew. I was becoming hungry before each meal, and if I didn’t eat my meal at the normal time, my body knew it.

If you have this problem, you still must eat something, no matter how much. Start off making yourself eat something small like fruit every few hours. Then, as your appetite becomes more active, gradually move into more real food.

What this will do is gradually get your body accustomed eating at regular intervals. Eventually you will be hungry before each meal time.

When eating more, you will need to make sure that you are getting plenty of good quality protein. Protein is a nutrient that is essential for building muscle. Every meal that you eat should contain some form of protein. Meal Replacement Powders like Myoplex are excellent for this purpose. They enable you to eat large amounts of good quality protein in a very convenient manner.

14. Eat more often

In addition to eating more calories, you should also strive to eat more often throughout the day. Eating infrequently, or going long periods without eating, will cause your body to breakdown muscle tissue for the calories it needs. This is especially true for those with fast metabolisms.

Spreading your meals throughout the day will give you more manageable meal sizes, improve nutrient assimilation, and make sure that your body always has the calories it needs for muscle building and repair. I recommend eating a high protein meal every 3 hours. During normal waking hours, that usually equals about 6 meals.

Now, I know what you are saying, “I’m too busy to do this”, or “how can I do that with a full time job and school?” Don’t let the thought of this being too difficult keep you from doing it. It may seem very inconvenient at first, but once you get in the habit of doing it, it becomes second nature and you don’t have to give it much thought. Trust me, I’ve been doing it for years and do not feel that it’s limiting or time consuming.

15. Use Nutritional Supplements.

Before you buy any product, remember that supplements are not magic. Too many people think that just because you buy the latest product, it guarantees that you will automatically begin to pack on the pounds. The truth is that supplements are only there to enhance an already solid diet and workout program.

They can give you the extra edge by:

* Adding More Convenience: Using food supplements like Myoplex or Designer Protein help to eliminate the common problem of ‘not enough time’, by providing you with a quick, efficient way to get your required nutrients each day. They make eating large amounts of calories and protein easier for people with low appetites.

* Increasing Strength Levels: Products that contain Creatine, like Phosphagen HP or Cell-Tech enable you to swing the odds of gaining more weight in your favor by increasing your strength output. Creatine enables you to lift heavier weights, which will stimulate more muscle fibers and cause more muscle growth.

* Decreasing Recovery Time: Vitamin C is essential to prevent free radical damage, which is accelerated after the heavy trauma of weight training. It is also essential is helping to repair connective tissue. All of this helps decrease the amount of time you are sore.

* Enhancing Your Immune System: Weight training increases the body’s need for many minerals like magnesium and selenium. I always use a good multi-vitamin ensures that I am not deficient in any major essential vitamin or mineral. Deficiency symptoms include muscle weakness and suppression of the immune system, muscle cramping and fatigue.

I can honestly say that I could not have built the body I have today without the convenience and enhancements supplements provide. I simply don’t have the time or desire to do it any other way. This is a choice that you must decide for yourself. You will be spending your money on these products, so make sure that you know their place in your program.

IS THIS POSSIBLE?

Yes, but I have to be honest and say that from my experience, gaining weight is much more difficult than losing fat. Even if you ar

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Create An Attainable Goal
The most important step to creating an effective exercise program is to know what results you want before you begin. It sounds obvious, I know, but do yourself a favor and have a specific goal in mind - it will make your efforts seem more worthwhile.

Write Down Your Exercise Goals
Whether your goal is to gain 10 pounds of muscle, or lose 20 pounds of fat, write it down. Be very specific about what you want to achieve. The more specific you are, the greater your chances of success.

Create A Plan To Reach Your Goal
Write down the steps that you will take to reach your goal. If you are trying to gain muscle, you should be weight training. If you’re trying to lose fat, you better be hitting the cardio. You can find free weight training routines here and cardio routines here. Bottom line, your exercise program must be consistent with your goals.

Be Consistent With Your Effort
Do you want to know the secret to succeeding with your exercise program? Follow your routine consistently, day after day - and week after week. Nothing takes the place of consistent effort.

Don’t Give Up
Take your exercise program one day at a time. Don’t worry about yesterday, you can’t change what has already happened. And don’t worry about tomorrow, take it as it comes. Quitting is a sure way to never reach your goals. If life is dragging you down, it’s better to change your exercise program than quit.

Change Your Exercise Program Often
If you start noticing that you’re getting burned out, it’s time for a change. Don’t be afraid to change your exercise program every six weeks. Mix it up and add variety. Nobody can go full blast 100% of the time. You’re not alone. Add a new exercise to your program, and throw out the exercises that aren’t producing the results that you want.

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#8 - Understand that application and consistency is EVERYTHING! You can have the most effective workout schedule possible, the most intelligent diet approach available and the most intimate understanding of muscle growth from every possible angle, but without the inner drive and motivation to succeed you will get nowhere, and very fast. Just as the famous saying goes… “Knowing is NOT enough. You must APPLY!” Those who make the greatest gains in muscular size and strength are the ones who are able to continually and systematically implement the proper techniques on a highly consistent basis. The people who see serious results and end up with standout physiques are the ones who can consistently execute all of the little daily tasks that must be completed in order for success to be had. Building muscle is a result of the cumulative effect of small steps. Sure, performing 1 extra rep on your bench press will not make a huge difference to your overall results, and neither will consuming a single meal. However, over the long haul, all of those extra reps you perform and all of those small meals you consume will decide your overall success. If you work hard and complete all of your muscle-building tasks in a consistent fashion, all of those individual steps will equate to massive gains in overall size and strength. It is those who are willing to persevere that will succeed. It is those who are willing to rise above laziness that will end up with impressive results. I mean let’s face it, everyone wants to be strong and muscular. If this is the case, why isn’t everyone strong and muscular? It’s because only certain people have the proper drive and motivation that it takes to get there. Do you have what it takes? How much does a powerful, defined, muscular physique really mean to you? Are you willing to put forth the required effort in order to reach your goals? If you answered “YES”, then good for you! Digging down deep and finding the necessary motivation to take a stand and make a change is the most important step of all. I can’t force this upon you, it’s something that you’ll need to create on your own. This report has armed you with 8 very powerful, effective muscle-building principles that you can start applying to your program right away. Here’s a quick recap of the 8 points that we covered… (1) Provide your body with a surplus of calories by ensuring that your caloric intake exceeds your caloric expenditure. (2) Consume the right types of calories from the proper food sources every 2-3 hours throughout the day. (3) Increase your water intake. (4) Keep a detailed record of every workout that you perform. (5) Be prepared to push your body to the limit. (6) Avoid overtraining by limiting your overall workout volume and by providing your body with sufficient recovery time in between workouts. (7) Stop placing so much of your emphasis on dietary supplements. Understand that consistency is EVERYTHING! http://muscle-gain-truth.blogspot.com/2007/05/8-of-8-things-you-must-do-to-build.html Best regards, S Nalewanyj Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=S_Nalewanyj

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Monday	(10-15 minutes of some type of cardio before workout)
Body Part	Exercise	Sets	Reps
Upper Abs	Crunches	3 sets	10-20 reps
Chest	Bench Press	1 set	12-15 reps
	Bench Press	3 sets	10-12 reps
	Incline Press	3 sets	10-12 reps
	Machine Flys	3 sets	10-12 reps
Triceps	Triceps Pushdowns	3 sets	10-12 reps
	Dips	3 sets	8-10 reps
Tuesday	(10-15 minutes of some type of cardio before workout)
Body Part	Exercise	Sets	Reps
Lower Abs	Leg Raises	3 sets	10-20 reps
Back	Cable Rows	1 set	12-15 reps
	Cable Rows	3 sets	10-12 reps
	Lat Pull Downs (front)	3 sets	10-12 reps
	T-Bar Rows	3 sets	10-12 reps
Biceps	Barbell Curls	1 sets	10-12 reps
	Barbell Curls	3 sets	8-10 reps
Thursday	(10-15 minutes of some type of cardio before workout)
Body Part	Exercise	Sets	Reps
Upper Abs	Crunches	3 sets	10-20 reps
Quads/Hams	Squats	1 set	12-15 reps
	Squats	3 sets	10-12 reps
	Leg Press	3 sets	10-12 reps
	Leg Extension	3 sets	10-12 reps
	Leg Curls	3 sets	10-12 reps
Friday	(10-15 minutes of some type of cardio before workout)
Body Part	Exercise	Sets	Reps
Lower Abs	Leg Raises	3 sets	10-20 reps
Shoulders	Military Shoulder Press (to front)	1 set	12-15 reps
	Military Shoulder Press  (to front)	3 sets	10-12 reps
	Barbell Upright Rows	3 sets	10-12 reps
	Side Dumbbell Lateral Raises	3 sets	10-12 reps
Calves	Standing Calf Raises	1 set	12-15 reps
	Seated Calf Raises	3 sets	10-12 reps

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By the time you finish reading this you will have the basics down to eating to gain weight fast!

If You want to gain weight fast you have to eat right to gain weight! So here we will focus on this crucial yet misunderstood element to gain weight.

Gaining weight fast takes much more than just eating though. In following Parts of this course we will cover:

Lesson 2: Training To Gain Weight Fast
Lesson 3: Rest And Recuperation To Gain Weight
Lesson 4: Planning A Routine For Gaining Weight
Lesson 5: Supplements To Gain Weight
Lesson 6: Answers To Some Commonly Asked Questions about Gaining Weight.

If you would like to receive all 6 parts of this Mini Course to gain weight by email, you can go to here and sign up.

http://www.gainmuscleandlosefat.com

Each one of these jam packed lessons needs to be applied to your gain weight routine if you truly want to gain weight as fast as you can!

Let’s now continue with the rest of my Eating Tips To Gain Weight!

Gain Weight Tip-6: Eat “Power Meals” For Added Energy and To Gain Weight.

Power meals is the term I came up for a particular meal structure that if eaten at specified times during the day can boost your bodys abilty to Gain Weight.

A power meal is basically a meal which comprises of a quick digesting source of protein and particular energy foods which also digest quickly and help to increase blood glycogen levels as fast as possible.

An example of this would be a quality whey protein powder blended with certain fruits.

Power meals are for these specified times only. Too many power meals will compromise building lean muscle by increasing fat gain and lowering your sensitivity to insulin.

Gain Weight Tip-7: Eat Foods Your Body Requires For Optimal Growth Hormone Production and Health.

To naturally produce hormones your body requires for gaining weight, specifically testosterone, you need to give it the building blocks it requires. Testosterone is made from cholestrol ( simplified). To gain weight by building muscle you need testosterone. This is the main difference why males are more muscular than females. It is because men have higher testosterone levels than females. To give your body what it requires for optimal hormone production you require the right fats in your gain weight diet.

Examples of these fats would include:

coconut oil

animal fats

eggs

Essential oils

butter

cheese

Stay away from trans fats and hydrogenated fats!!

Gain Weight Tip-8: Eat Enough Fibre

Fibre is not talked about much in relation to gaining weight but is important for digestive system health and nutritional assimilation. It is also important to keep your digestive system moving and assimilating as much nutrient as it can per day. Kind of like an assembly line! The more production you can get out of your digestive system the more you can fuel your muscles for gaining weight!

Gain Weight Tip-9: Eat Enough Protein Per Meal

It is crucial you get enough protein per day and spread it out throughout your day. Protein requirements have been exagerated for many years in the interests to sell more protein.

On the other hand protein requirements are definitely higher for a person or athlete training to gain weight than for a lazy couch potato hunting for his next show with a remote control! At least one gram per pound of lean body mass is required to build muscle to gain weight and up to 1.5 grams per pound of lean muscle mass is optimal for heavy intense weight training.

Gain Weight Tip-10: Choose Your Supplements Wisely.

There are lots of supplements to choose from on the market and 99% of them are inferior to natural food for building muscle to gain weight. Natural food is higher in many naturally occuring vitamins and minerals benficial for muscle growth. Stay away from weight gain powders. These are just empty calories not much different than most junk foods on the market. Supplements that are worth trying are Creatine monohydrate , L Glutamine ( in moderation and carefully) and a good healthy protein powder without artificial sweeteners, colors and flavours( more on in a later lesson).

Gain Weight Bonus: Sample Meal Plan to Build Muscle:

As a little bonus here is a sample muscle weight gain meal plan for 2092 calories per day on your weight training days:

Meal 1:

1 banana
1 cup oatmeal

Meal 2:

1 scoop whey protein
1tbsp MCT Oil*
(several tips and recipes are available in my book to add delicious flavor)

Meal 3:

4oz chx brst
1cup spinach
1tbsp MCT Oil*

Meal 4:

1cup frozen strawberries
1 banana
1 kiwi
1 cup orange juice
2 scoops whey

Meal 5:

3 whole eggs
1 tbsp coconut oil

Meal 6:

1 scoop whey
1tbsp MCT Oil*
1/2 cup whole milk

Daily Totals: protein 166 grams/carbohydrates 144 grams/fats 84 grams/Calories 2092

Building muscle and gaining weight is no Fluke! You need to follow the above eating tips to build muscle mass fast to gain weight and combine your eating with an effective and proven training and recuperation program.

God Bless!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Jordan

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Bodybuilders wishing to increase their muscle growth often turn to numerous types of supplements to achieve their goals. Because of the growing use of steroids in major league sports muscle building supplements are often a subject of controversy but the legal supplements available can be the perfect compliment to any workout. For increased muscle mass, a bodybuilder should consider safe and legal supplements such as protein and amino acids, vitamins and minerals, creatine, and nitric oxide. This article will discuss each type of supplement and describe what it can do for a bodybuilder’s success.

Because protein is the main building block for muscle tissue it is an important substance for everybody and most people can get all they need from the foods they eat. But if you are a bodybuilder then protein is even more necessary because you are constantly breaking down and rebuilding muscle and protein supplements aid in recovery from intense training and repairs and rebuilds broken down muscle fibers. Protein from natural sources is not as complete and as high quality as protein from muscle building supplements because protein supplements are engineered to help a bodybuilder achieve their goals. It is recommended that a bodybuilder takes one to two grams of protein per pound of their weight. Supplements are available in pill, bars, powders, and shakes and because liquids are digested faster, a protein/carbohydrate shake can be advantageous.

Amino acids are the essential building blocks of protein and serve various purposes. Branched chain amino acids protect muscles from the catabolic effects of dieting and intense training programs and a continual influx of amino acids also blunts appetite, making you feel fuller longer, which helps you control calorie consumption and, consequently, body fat. Both plant and animal sources of proteins contain an abundance of essential amino acids and most people get enough through diet but for the bodybuilder, the essential amino acids are ones the body cannot make on its own and an outside source is required. Consider that muscle isn’t really built by protein ingestion, but rather the breakdown of that protein into individual amino acids, which then build the muscle.

Vitamins and minerals are the naturally occurring in fruit, vegetables, and meat and if one eats a well balanced diet, they should get all they need. Of course in today’s fast paced life, many people don’t get the well balanced diet they need and may choose to take multi-vitamins to compliment their diet. And lets face it, bodybuilders are not exactly normal people from a nutritional standpoint and therefore require the additional vitamins and minerals that they are using up as they workout. Vitamins are catalysts not fuel so some bodybuilders feel that, because they don’t help feed muscle growth, they are not necessary. But a lack of the proper vitamins and minerals will quickly start to tear the body down and your workouts will be wasted.

Creatine Monohydrate is an essential supplement for those extremely serious about body building and is often considered to be the second most famous of all muscle building supplements. Creatine is a substance manufactured in the body from amino acids or obtained from animal proteins in the diet but if you are a bodybuilder then combining a creatine supplement with your workout can make a positive impact on muscle growth. For best results you should take 3-5 grams immediately before and after your workout.

Nitric Oxide, or NO2, was designed to increase strength and power while delaying the onset of muscle fatigue and in a double-blind clinical trial conducted at Baylor University, NO2 was shown to be both safe and effective. The first benefit of NO2 you’ll experience is new pumping power and over the first several days after you may notice a slight decrease in body weight. One of the most positive benefits of NO2 is the increase in workout recover time where you will recover from your workout in minutes, not hours or days. To maximize results, you should drink at least 64 ounces of water daily while using NO2 and remember that taking caffeine, ephedrine, or ephedra based products may reduce the effectiveness of NO2. Because every person’s reaction time to NO2 varies somewhat, it is impossible to say exactly when you will see results but this supplement has been proven to work for increased workout effectiveness and muscle growth.

As outlined by this article, there are safe and effective bodybuilding supplements that can be used as an alternative to the illegal and dangerous supplements. This article has touched on four of the most common available but research will show that there are even more safe alternatives available. Good luck with your bodybuilding endeavors.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Morton

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One of the most common goals of fitness enthusiasts is to have low levels of body fat covering their hard-earned muscles. Whether the individual is an athlete that wants to look good in and out of uniform or a fitness instructor that wants to have “toned” arms, everyone is looking for the most effective exercises to reach their goals.

There is certainly no shortage of opinions when it comes to training programs and exercises that trainers and magazines seem to promote to reach these goals, so it is understandable that many bodybuilders and gym-goers can be overwhelmed by information. But what really confuses me is the claim made by gym employees and fitness authors that certain resistance training exercises are for definition and “cutting up”.

Believe it or not, but no strength coach or exercise physiologist has been able to prove that one exercise rather than others can promote more “definition” or “toning”! Can someone explain how leg extensions are a better exercise for muscle definition than squats? This article will dispel these myths and will reveal the best exercises for meeting the goals of increased muscle definition, which is the correct term for “toning”, “cutting up” or “getting ripped”. In fact, let’s just eliminate “toning” from our vocabulary all together.

First a little background for those without a long history of weight training experience. Bodybuilders (that includes any man or woman that is seeking to improve their body’s appearance!) traditionally perform a number of exercises for a body part during a single resistance training session. For example, in a chest workout one might start with bench presses, move to incline dumbbell press, and finish with dumbbell flyes or the pec-deck.

Now according to many personal trainers and fitness magazines, the rationale behind this type of program is that the pressing exercises are best for strength and mass development and the pec-deck would provide for definition. Also, people believe that these “definition” exercises should be emphasized in order to develop a “ripped” body (that is, low levels of body fat). Unfortunately, it seems bodybuilders and fitness buffs alike have been led astray, and the end result is a poorly planned program that does not lead to the desired results.

Next we need a brief, yet simplistic, review of human anatomy and physiology to reason why these “cutting” exercises (i.e. pec-deck) do not do the job. For our purposes there are 2 components determining body composition, muscle and fat. For most people it is the amount of fat that is the limiting factor for them in the development of muscular definition and not the “quality” of their muscle. If an overweight individual were to be stripped of all their fat, they too would have muscle definition.

On the other hand, a skinny individual can increase their muscle definition by lifting weights and increasing muscle hypertrophy (growth). The body cannot tell the difference between exercises! It responds according to the demands applied to the body. If you lift weights the muscle will grow so that it is stronger and can lift the weight easier the next time. If you eat too much and do not exercise, the energy is deposited as fat and your muscle definition will be lost. It is a very simple equation!

The pec-deck can still be incorporated into workout designs, but it is not the best exercise for promoting a better body composition. In fact, this isolation exercise recruits only the chest muscles and ignores the triceps and deltoids, unlike the previously mentioned presses. And remember that more muscles result in greater energy expenditure and a greater overall training stimulus.

Another myth that seems to propagate is that sets performed for a very high number of repetitions are most effective for “cutting up”. Refer back to the basic anatomical principle that the body’s appearance is determined by the amounts of both muscle and fat, and most importantly that low levels of body fat are necessary for muscle definition. Using a lightweight to do a huge number of repetitions might not “show off” your muscles better than using a moderate weight and performing a moderate number of repetitions.

Why not? Because there would likely be no difference in the amount of total calories burned between the two workouts provided each performed a similar exercise volume in the workout. The greater number of repetitions in the one workout would be offset by the greater intensity (weight) used in the other workout. However, a heavier weight will stimulate more muscle growth. More muscle results in a faster metabolism and theoretically greater energy expenditure at rest. So over the long haul the more intense (heavier lifting) workout may be the optimal choice for reducing body fat. In addition, larger muscles are easier to see!

Okay, so what is going to bring you the results (i.e. definition) that you want? Keep the exercises basic and intense (i.e. moderate to heavy weight). Most bodybuilders are better off to do 4-5 sets of bench and incline presses (for a total of 8-10 sets) rather than including 3 sets of pec-deck in the traditional manner. The volume of exercise will be the same but the difficulty of exercise will be harder and the cumulative effects will greater.

Aerobic exercise is not essential for low levels of body fat but can certainly promote greater cardiovascular fitness and help prevent excessive weight gain. Interval training has now been shown in 2 studies to be more effective than slow cardio.

So stick with multi-muscle strength exercises and interval training to burn more calories out of the gym. It really adds up to more calorie burn and less body fat. That is a far better approach than relying on cutting exercises.

And finally, make the proper dietary changes to promote muscle gains and body fat reductions. Nutrition is the #1 factor for fat loss. If you don’t have good nutrition, no exercise program will help you lose fat. In the end you will be healthier and will achieve superior muscle definition!

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Craig_Ballantyne

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Every bodybuilder and weight trainer will have his or her favorite exercises for each body part. That’s how it should be - as you progress through the various stages of learning you’ll understand what works best for you. It is useful, however, to take stock of your progress every so often and carry out an analysis of where you are and what changes, if any, are needed to move onwards and upwards. Part of this analysis should include an assessment of the core exercises that make up your bodybuilding training program. In this article we’ll look at the leg exercises that have proven their worth to serious bodybuilders for many years. Where appropriate a series of exercises suitable for achieving pre-exhaustion will be presented. All exercises should be performed to failure with one set of six to eight reps. 1. Leg extension - this exercise will allow you to isolate the thigh muscles preserving the strength of the other leg muscles for the compound exercise to follow. - Push the pads until the knees are almost locked. - Pause. - Lower with control to the starting position. 2. Leg press - you can move straight on to this exercise if you are sufficiently experienced. - Place your feet firmly at shoulder width on the foot board. - Bend the legs until they are almost touching the chest. - Pause. - Return with control to the starting position. Richard Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding Advice to learn more about the issues covered in this article. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Mitchell

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Weight training involves the use of equipment that enables variable resistance. This resistance can come in the form of “free weights” like barbells and dumbbells, machines that use cables or pulleys to help you lift the weight and bodyweight exercises like pull-ups or dips. Free Weights vs. Machines vs. Bodyweight Exercises For maximum muscle gain, the focus of your workouts should consist of free weight exercises. Not machines or bodyweight exercises. This is not to say that you should not use machines or bodyweight exercises, but they should not be the focus of your training. To get an effective, muscle blasting workout, you must stimulate the most muscle fibers as possible, and machines do not do this. The main reason for this is a lack of stabilizer and synergist muscle development. Stabilizer and synergist muscles are supporting muscles that assist the main muscle in performing a complex lift. The more stabilizers and synergists worked, the more muscle fibers stimulated. Multi-jointed free weight exercises like the bench press, require many stabilizer and synergistic muscle assistance to complete the lift. On the other hand doing a bench press using a machine will need almost no stabilizer assistance. Since machines are locked into a specific range of motion and help to support the weight along that path, they fail to stimulate the muscles that surround the area you are working (stabilizers). This is a mistake. If your stabilizer muscles are weak, then the major muscle group will never grow! Free weight exercises like the dumbbell press or squat, for example, put a very large amount of stress on supporting muscle groups. That’s why you will get fatigued faster and not be able to lift as much weight as you did on the machine. But you will gain more muscle, become stronger very quickly and have a true gauge of your strength. If you use machines in your program, they should be used to work isolated areas and only after all multi-jointed exercises have been completed. Beginners should begin with a limited combination of machine exercises, bodyweight exercises and mult-jointed free weight exercises. Before increasing the weight levels, they should work on becoming familiar with the proper form and execution of each. Soon, bodyweight exercises will become insufficient to stimulate growth and they will need to focus on more free weight exercises. Multi-Jointed Exercises The exercises that work the large muscle groups are called compound (or multi-joint) movements that involve the simultaneous stimuation of many muscle groups. These compound exercises should be the foundation of any weight training program because they stimulate the most amount of muscle in the least amount of time. Here are the basic movements: * Bench Presses (works the chest, shoulders, tricep) * Overhead Presses (shoulders, tricep) * Pull-ups/Barbell Rows (back, bicep) * Squats (legs, lower back) * Deadlifts (legs, back, shoulders) * Bar Dips (shoulders, chest, arms) I cannot overemphasize the importance of these exercises. Do not start an advanced weight training program without them! They will overload your entire skeletal and muscular system like no machine could ever do, giving you and effective workout in a very short period of time. If you can only do a few exercises, then do these. They have been proven (and not just by me) to encourage muscle and strength gain unlike any other exercises. Lift Heavy Weight To build mass, you must weight train with heavy weights. By heavy, I mean a weight that is challenging for you — not me, or anyone else. To consider a weight heavy, you should only be able to do a maximum of 8-12 reps before your muscles temporarily fail. A weight is considered “light” if you can do more than 15 reps before muscle fatigue sets in. Heavy weights stimulate more muscle fibers than lighter weights. It’s that simple. More muscle stimulation means more muscle growth. Don’t Overtrain Heavy weight training puts a huge strain on your body, so adequate rest and recuperation after your workouts is essential. If you are prone to train too often, several things happen: You don’t give your muscles enough time to recuperate between workouts. If your muscles have not repaired themselves, you will not be at maximum strength for your next workout. Rest is essential. Other than eating, this should be your main focus. You are setting yourself up for burnout or an injury. I know you are motivated and excited about working out, but don’t be careless. You must pace yourself, you want to be able to keep this up for a long time, not burnout before you reach your goals. I only weight train 3 times per week, that’s all. Anymore than that and I would not give my body enough time to repair and build new muscle. Contrary to popular belief, you do not grow while working out, you only grow when you are resting. Below is an example mass workout. I did 4 heavy sets for 4-8 reps each. Wednesday (legs, abs) * Heavy Squats, leg extension superset * Seated Calve Raises, 4 strips sets * Crunches (4 sets of 20) ——- Friday (chest, shoulder, triceps, abs) * Flat bench press, incline dumbbell flyes superset * Shoulder press, side raises superset * Tricep pushdowns * Reverse incline leg raises (3 sets of 20) —— Sunday (back, biceps, abs) * Wide grip pull-ups, latbar pulldown superset * EZ bar bicep curl, incline dumbbell curls superset * Crunches (4 sets of 20) Nothing fancy, but effective. Former “skinny guy” Anthony Ellis is the author of Gaining Mass! The most widely used weight gain program in the world. This unique program designed to help people gain weight and build muscle, is currently being used in over 90 countries and boasts the largest private weight gain forum on the Internet, with well over 13,000 members at http://www.fastmusclegain.com Click here to view over 200 user testimonials: http://www.fastmusclegain.com/testimonials.html Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anthony_Ellis

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If you have always wanted to sculpt your body and you do not have the money to pay for memberships at the gym, bicycling can help you to achieve a stunning physique by burning the excess fats, strengthening the muscles and reducing calories as well. If you feel that bicycle does not work simply because you see people who bike but are not sculptured, then you are very wrong.

When you bike, your hips, stomach, arms, side and so on are built. For maximum success when you are bicycling, try to include endurance workouts and resistance to your muscle sculpting activities every week. To gain more resistance in your muscles, you will need to try riding uphill, this exercise will strengthen the muscle. You can also include brisk walking to your exercises. This will eventually bring out an amazing and stunning physique in you.

In case you do not have a bike, you may consider going to anywhere to look for a low cost bike such as on Ebay or anywhere you can find one. The need for a bicycle is very important if you must develop your body to bring out all the natural curves. You will notice that once you have started the bicycling exercise that you gradually gain energy, stress around your joints and muscles are relieved, though you may feel some tension while this is going on. When you notice this feeling, then understand that the muscles is adapting itself to muscular changes.

To help boost your rate of sculpturing, you would also include aerobics exercises and walking. This combination will help you a lot in speedily achieving a better shape with well defined muscles. Always remember to warm up and stretch as always.

When properly done you will agree with me that bicycling is a fun exercise that most people will eagerly engage in. As you bike, you receive fresh air while building your muscles strength and intensity. The reason you need to add aerobics workouts in this form of body building is because your respiratory system will be enhanced while improving the breathing process. The purpose of this is to allow the beating rate of the heart to accommodate future workouts.

When you bicycle, you can truly get all that much desired natural curves around your muscles and overall shape. Sadly, many may argue about this, but i have seen it happen all the time when people engage in it and get results. All you need to believe is to try it out and see for yourself.

Once you believe that this form of exercise will work for you, the next thing you will do will be to set goals. Use your goals as a fuel to propel you to action. Also plan on the best type of exercise for your body type. You will also avoid over working your body as this can cause severe health problems. You have to allow for resting periods to give your body time to recuperate from the exercises you are engaging it.

Now, are you ready? You may need more information before you commence like visiting your doctor to find out the nature of your health before you can give it a go.

Joe Okoro Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_Okoro

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