Build Muscle Blog

Build A Lean Body - 6 Things You Should Know

2011-12-10T10:16:00.000-08:00

1. Workouts are designed to focus on specific muscle categories or groups, and foods are consumed with the intention to build the body's metabolism and increase body mass.

2. Boosting your protein intake is an essential weight training tip to follow when you want to build muscle fast. Quality (complete) protein is needed to build healthy, lean muscle.

3. However, the body will only use so much protein each day. It's best to take your weight in kilos and multiply by 1.2 grams to figure out how many grams of protein to eat for the best results. Less than that, and you won't be able to build muscle. For Example 200 lbs=90. 718 kilos x 1. 2= 108 grams.

4. Weight training uses the force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscles through contraction. Weight training uses a variety of specialized equipment designed to target specific muscle groups and movements.

5. If you want to gain muscle and lose fat, you need to make a commitment to your workout and diet in order to be successful. begin to visualize your self in the shape and tone you desire. SET A GOAL And then stay focused on that goal. You Will succeed.

6. You ought to detox at least one time a year. A light detoxifying plan is generally safe; as a matter of fact, scientific fields of study show that a detox is beneficial for health. You ought to be heedful if you are a nursing mom, youngster, and patients with chronic degenerative diseases, cancer or TB. Confer with your healthcare practitioner if you've questions about whether detoxing is proper for you. At the start, lighten your toxin load. Do away with intoxicants, coffee,smokes, sugars and saturated fats, all of which act as toxins in the system and are obstacles to the process. Minimize utilization of chemical-based home cleaners and personal healthcare products (cleaners, shampoos, deodorants and toothpastes), and replace with natural alternatives.

Let's face it. Fitness can be a fight, particularly when you're trying to be successful at physical and mental wellness. And like all fights, to succeed you must find the winning techniques and apply them.

We need support and family to help us along the way. We as well know that the best success is self discipline. We can agree with all this, however at the same time it's reasonable to remind you of something more significant than all those things taken together - your health.

Top 5 Things You Must Do To Have The Perfect Male Body

2011-11-19T10:15:00.000-08:00

Thousands of men look at themselves every day and wish they had the ideal body. Unfortunately, there are very few that are even in descent physical shape at all. Obtaining the perfect male body is easier than you think if you follow these 5 easy steps.

1. Your Reason for Wanting the Ideal Body.

No matter how much you try, if you do not have the right reason for wanting to change your physical appearance and get fit you will fail. I will not insult you here by saying it is easy to do so, it is not.

Most people try to exercise and get fit because of pressure from family, friends, society and the media. These people are never able to keep motivated.

Do yourself a favor and find the reasons why you want it for yourself. If you are doing it for the right reason, because you want to feel better, live longer, have a happier, healthier, and more productive life, then you will succeed.

2. Lift Weights.

If you are going to have the perfect male body, you need muscle. Lifting weights will provide the muscle you need. Muscle is one of the major components to keeping your metabolism kicked into overdrive and burning fat. Muscle burns fat and calories even when you are at rest. So build some muscle to have something to show off once the fat is gone.

Guys, you all know that there is nothing sexier to the ladies then a set of defined abs, chest and arms. Women don't like those meat-head steroid freaks either though, which are not sexy. However, a lean healthy, muscular and defined body drives them crazy.

3. Do Cardio.

When it comes to having the ideal body for men, you need to incorporate cardio into your routine. Now when I say routine, I don't mean to do the same thing day after day after day, that's too boring to maintain. What I mean is to do different exercises that get your heart rate up for at least 20 minutes.

Find some exercises or sports that you like to play and get your cardio workout that way. Change it up to keep it exciting and do it with a partner to have even more fun. The tread-mill works, but only has a back-up. Find a more exciting and stimulating way to get your heart racing when possible.

4. Nutrition

I know everyone talks about nutrition, that's because it's so important. Without a good nutritional plan you are only doing half of what will get your results. Knowing when and what to eat are very important to a balanced and well cared for body.

You must incorporate lean, wholesome and natural foods into your diet if you are going to reach the desired level of fitness to attain the perfect male body. Foods like fresh fruits and vegetables (organic when possible), lean meats and fish, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

5. Rest

we all need rest, unfortunately very few of us get enough each night. Our bodies are bombarded by toxins on a daily basis and if we don't get enough rest or sleep, our bodies just don't have time to heal. So take my advice, get 8 hours of rest a night, your body will reward you with increased energy and mental clarity.

Neck Training: Points and Reminders

2011-11-15T10:14:00.000-08:00

Some of this seems quite elementary, but a few of the videos posted on the Internet lately have made me feel like it's worth going over. I hope that we can agree that the muscles surrounding the cervical spine should be strength trained. However, there's been a lack of attention to important strength training principles in the examples I've been watching. It's not good enough to just do it, it's how you do it.

First and most important, be safe! There should be no acceptable room for error while training the neck. Understand acceptable ranges of motion, loads, direction of loads, speed of movement and anatomy. Cause no harm should be your motto when engaging in any neck strengthening program. If you don't know how to do it safely, don't do it. Period. Hurting your (or someone else's neck) because of poor training is completely unacceptable. Of course, accidents happen, and we can't control everything, but do your best to understand what should and should not be done and always take care when performing any neck exercises.

Do neck training that has a purpose. We only get so much time to train, so don't waste it slopping through a set of manual back neck so that you can claim you trained the neck. The tension on the muscles should be sufficient enough to stimulate a strength gain. The rest between workouts should be sufficient enough to allow an adaptation to occur.Then, repeat.

Use rules of progression just like you would on any other exercise. Everyone has their rules for moving up in weight for their squat and clean, but what about neck flexion in the hammer 4-way neck machine? A 10-15 repetition rule will work well. Once the exercise can be completed for 15 or more repetitions with a certain weight, increase 2.5-5 lbs. for the next workout.

As a side note on progression, some of the literature is claiming that you should not train your neck to failure. I assure you, if you are performing the repetition correctly and the weight is appropriate for your rep-range, there is nothing wrong with demonstrating failure on a neck exercise.

Control your speed of movement. You'll never eliminate momentum when performing a repetition, but it's important in neck training, to limit it. Emphasize the negative portion of the repetition when you're training the neck. You can put great emphasis on it by giving a 3 second rule for the negative. The counting should be like this: One Thousand and One-One thousand and Two-One Thousand and Three. This rule can make your neck training safer and potentially more productive.

Along with taking your time to perform the negative, it's important to pause in the contracted position of the muscle. For example, if you're using a neck harness to perform a set of neck-extension, pause when your neck is extended at its end range of motion for a One Thousand and One count. Just like emphasizing the negative, emphasize the pause where there's great tension on the muscles.

Train the neck comprehensively. There's been plenty of talk lately on all of the movements that should be trained in order to train the neck the right way. Do some research and find out how you can work several different planes of movement for the neck, traps, and upper back into your workouts.

Be consistent when training the neck. It should be trained all year round, including in-season. Doing it in the off-season and pre-season is going to allow you to head into the season performing the same or similar exercises. Obviously careful and logical planning for an in-season neck training protocol should be well thought out.

Overcome Your Muscle Building Genetics

2011-11-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

This article is primarily aimed at people who are struggling to put on any form of muscle on their bodies. These people are typically labelled as 'hard-gainers' and generally tend to blame this on their genetics. While genetics and do play a part in whether you gain muscle and not, how quickly you gain muscle and how much of it you gain, the advantage genetics seemingly give lessens when a trainee with "poor genes" applies proper bodybuilding techniques and follows a solid dietary plan. Genetically disadvantaged trainees can put on a sizable and respectable amount of muscle within a relatively short time period when these practices are called upon and applied.

After all, the aim is to look attractive, while being strong and healthy at the same time. Not all of us want to look like muscular freaks of nature. So without further ado, we will look back in the top five reasons why you can't overcome your muscle building genetics.

1. You do not eat anywhere near enough -- This one may come as a bit of a surprise, but I've noticed that a lot of people who are unsuccessful with their muscle building conquests tend to consume food infrequently and inconsistently. They go for long periods without eating and suddenly gobble down copious amounts of food in a single sitting. If you want to build muscle, you will have completely transform the way you look at food and how you eat.

Meals have to be frequent (5 to 6 times a day), small to medium sized, varied and nutritious. Collectively, when you eat 5 to 6 and medium-sized meals a day, the overall calorie count becomes a lot higher than that of two or three large meals. All this contributes to muscle growth as you create the calorific excess needed for muscle repair and muscle gain given your overall nutrition is in order.

2. You have no clue what you're doing in the gym -- I always see the same people when I go to the gym and their physiques never seem to change. Why is that? The truth is, whether it's Monday or whether it's Saturday, these unfortunate souls continually perform the exact same exercises which are almost always isolations of the biceps and chest muscles.

They never seem to focus on other areas of their bodies. Not only does this hurt their proportions, it hampers their muscle gains because the body likes to grow collectively as a unit. Besides, the body is quick to adapt to a routine and what they end up with are conditioned muscles and not necessarily large muscles. A more holistic approach that uses compound exercises is needed in order to transform your physique and create the kind of physique that is envied and admired by many.

3. You waste your time and money on the wrong supplements --I frequently overhear people recommending some of these obscure 'nitro blaster exercises super gainer' supplements as their secret to building muscle. The truth is much simpler than that and there are only a handful of supplements which have been scientifically proven to positively contribute to muscle growth and they do not cost as much as you think yet the difference they make quite large.

Of course, supplements such as whey protein and branched chain amino acids are invaluable and they should always be part of a body builders diet. However, some supplements (which I will not name) should not even be sold! Trainees should never waste their money and time on these.

4. You aren't realistic about just how much dedication it takes -- I've always noticed that some people feel dejected about the lack of muscle gain after just two weeks of going to the gym! Unfortunately, noticeable muscle growth does takes some time. Sadly, this is longer than most people expect. Generally speaking, the body resists change, so for the first few weeks, it may seem as if nothing is happening.

Once you overcome this barrier with persistence and dedication, you will notice that the changes start occurring rapidly and suddenly, everyone begins to notice the changes in your physique. This is rewarding, but it does take a little bit of time to get to that stage. Therefore you need to stay dedicated and accept that this is a lifestyle change which will become permanent.

5. You don't have goals toward - Sometimes while socializing after my workout in the gym I ask people what they are working towards and I get blank expressions! It is rather worrying that so many people do not know exactly what they're going for and why are working out in the gym. I sometimes get vague answers like 'I want to get bigger' or 'I want to gain more muscle'. Little do they know that a pound of muscle gained IS more muscle. What they need to do is specify just how much muscle they want to gain and how long it will realistically take to get there and then set up an assault on that particular goal. If you don't know where you're going, how will you know when you've arrived?

These are extremely crucial points which can take you to from one level to the next in your bodybuilding conquests. I use bodybuilding as an umbrella term that collectively covers anyone looking to modify their physique by adding muscle. It does not strictly apply to just apply to people looking to compete professionally only.

How Adding Two Largely Neglected Exercises Have Allowed Me to Gain 15lbs of Muscle This Year

2011-10-25T10:13:00.000-07:00

2011 has been a good year so far! Why? Well it is mostly because I have already put on 15lbs. Most of it is muscle as I am very careful with my diet. Keep in mind that prior to this, I'd been struggling to gain even a single pound. For lack of a better word, I'd hit a seemingly insurmountable 'plateau'.

So what made the difference? Why am I 15lbs heavier today than I was just two months ago? Why are my arms just over an inch thicker? Why do my trousers fit so tightly around my thighs and I've had to start investing in a new wardrobe?

Well, it seems my secret lies in a radical decision I made at the beginning of the year. As part of my new years resolutions, I decided to attend the gym a LOT more. I then joined an Olympic weightlifting club after a friend invited me to a session and I was instantly hooked.

I liked the atmosphere, the encouragement and the discipline. Everyone was your teacher and they all offered input on how I could improve my form. A single set of squats would be scrutinised by 6 different people. In truth, the changes weren't many as a lot of the exercises I am doing now, I was already doing before joining the club. But a few minor changes made the difference. So my first tip is this;

1. Join an Olympic weightlifting club or get a partner. You can push to the very limit and not fear getting stuck under the bar. You can perform that one extra half rep. You just go that bit further. The other benefit to this (if you join an Olympic Weightlifting Club) is that you learn how the pros lift their weights. My coach happens to be a former world champion and was British Champion for 8 years in a row. It's safe to say he knows a thing or two about proper weight lifting and strict form.

I joined the club nursing a troublesome left thumb and left wrist injury. Both injuries have completely vanished. Why? because I was taught how to lift weights in a more graceful manner. In a way that didn't exacerbate the injuries I was already carrying. I do accept that some injuries will not allow you to work around them. But my point is, through my ignorance and that of the 'personal trainers' at my gym, I was working out in a way that worsened my injuries. Therefore, I had to learn how to lift weights all over again. it was a humbling experience.

2. My second tip is an important but largely neglected exercise: the Powerclean. Some of you wonder why I may have picked this and not the clean and jerk. The Clean and Jerk is too involved. You can do a set of 4-6 power-cleans in the time it takes to do a single well executed Clean and Jerk. Besides, it's way too complex for the average trainee.

So why the powerclean? Because if done properly, it can do wonders for your physique. Shoulders and traps can be the most frustrating muscle groups to work on as they can be utterly non responsive. Incorporating power-cleans into your routine can return positive results within a few months.

Power-cleans are quite difficult to master. The hip movement has to be explosive and the arms mustn't bend during the shrugging part of the exercise. Also, trainees need to have very supple wrists. If I've completely lost you, go on YouTube and perform a search for the term 'powerclean' and it will all make sense.

3. My third tip is another largely neglected exercise: the front squat. Why do so many people neglect the almighty front squat? Because it is so difficult to do. For novices, Front Squats can be downright painful because the bar rests on your shoulders with your wrists in a supine position (clean grip) acting as a support. Therefore, they need to be very flexible. Other trainees may find the 'arms crossed' grip more comfortable.

However, most trainees will not have that flexibility right off the bat and will need to perform flexibility drills on their wrists to improve wrist mobility. Overlooking the minor drawbacks, the front squat is particularly good for leg development as the majority of the weight is emphasized on the legs (the lower back takes some of the load during a back squat). This is especially good for anyone with any back/spinal issues.

An added benefit of the front squat is the core stability training. The need to keep your torso erect works your abdominals and the heavier you go, the harder they work and the stronger they get!

So what I've given you is a very condensed version of what has made 2011 especially successful for me. I deliberately simplified my suggestions so that they could be applicable TODAY.

Go out and incorporate power cleans and front squats into your routine and watch what happens. Of course, you still need to seek advice on strict form (not just good) and you will still need a comprehensive, balanced and effective muscle building program.

I also do not discount my diet for one second. I can eat a lot of food. I'm careful with what I eat. I try and avoid carbs, I eat a lot of nuts plus I LOVE greens and beans. In other words, I'm very careful with my food and so should you be. Without it, a lot of my hard work in the gym would have been rendered useless.

Muscle Size Workout Tips - 7 Steps For A Better Strength Training Routine

2011-10-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

If you'd like to improve your body composition by adding muscle and losing some fat, some form of strength training is necessary. The seven tips in this article will give you a good start to developing an exercise program.

First, come up with a plan. Make sure it's one that you will be able to follow. It should challenge you, but if it is excessively difficult, you may be setting yourself up for failure. A good routine may be a full-body workout on three non-consecutive days a week. If you don't have much experience, and don't want to work with a personal trainer, it may be good to find a workout plan online or in books, to ensure that your routine is balanced and targets all important muscles.

Experiment a bit. Your workout shouldn't be exactly the same every day. You can vary the exercises by finding several exercises that target the same muscles, and doing one with each workout. Alternately, you might choose to alternate a few weeks of high weight and low reps with a few weeks of lower weight and higher reps. It is important not to let your body adjust completely to any routine, or your progress will eventually stop.

Make the basic, multi-joint movements the focus of your workouts. Squats, bench press, and dead lifts are highly effective, efficient ways of targeting several muscles at once. Learn proper form for these exercises, and try to avoid machines, which don't work as many muscles at once. If you have the equipment and someone to teach you proper form, the Olympic lifts (the snatch and the clean and jerk) can be great additions to a weight lifting routine.

Change the order of your exercises between workouts. The major lifts, like back squats, should be at the beginning of your workout, but after those are done, change up the order of smaller exercises. This will force your body to keep adapting to each new challenge. Additionally, it means that no exercise will always be done last, when you are most tired, ensuring similar progress on each exercise.

Get adequate rest after each set of an exercise. You will probably need thirty seconds to a minute of recovery, or even longer once your workouts become very intense.

Make sure that you work your body evenly. Do the same exercises with your left arm as with your right. If you worry that your dominant hand is compensating for the other, weaker arm, use dumbbells instead of barbells some of the time. Don't neglect your back muscles while focusing on your chest, or your hamstrings while working on your quads. Strength imbalances can put you at risk for an injury.

Start each workout with a cardio warmup and some dynamic stretching. Then do a few light sets of each exercise before getting into your work sets. This will allow you to lift better, and it decreases the risks of injury.

Strength training is an ideal form of exercise for improving your health and appearance. By following the advice in this article, you will be able to get maximum results from your workout routine.

Marc Ouellette is a personal trainer who has helped thousands of people reach their goals by incorporating workout routines and simple meal plans to build muscle and lose weight.

I'm writing this article to make you realize how important exercise is to your overall health and physical appearance.
Exercise helps with arthritis, depression, motivation, losing weight, lowering cholesterol and muscular definition.

If you are interested in getting into shape, or want some information on this subject. I have just completed my report, "How To Start A Fitness Program And Get Results In Just 30 Days."

Could Building Muscle For Skinny Guys Be Impossible?

2011-10-09T10:11:00.000-07:00

I have seen skinny guys come into my local gym, work so hard for the best part of 2 hours, repeat this for over 3 months and still see no significant changes in their physique. This begs the question; "Is building muscle for skinny guys impossible?". It's a good question to ask because however many weight training programs they try, they just can't seem to put on muscle.

Skinny guys tend to be at a big genetic disadvantage. Their bodies don't respond to conventional training and therefore, the average skinny guy finds it impossible to put on any muscle. The main reason is that he chooses to consult magazines, body building websites and some fraudulent DVDs for advice. As I previously mentioned, their bodies do not respond to conventional training methods. This means any amount of money spent on body-building supplements, DVDs and magazines is wasted.

The known term for skinny guys who struggle to gain muscle is 'hard-gainers'. Hard-gainers suffer from a genetic disadvantage that makes conventional training ineffective. However, different training methods will work very well and make incredible changes to their physique.

So then, building muscle for skinny guys is definitely possible! If you are too skinny, there are three areas to focus on in order to relinquish that title.

1. Diet - This is double, triple, quadruple important. high quality calories must be consumed and a calorific excess must be created in order for mass gain to occur

2. Intensity - Skinny guys need to use High Intensity Training methods in order to make massive changes to their physiques, This revolutionary training method ensures that they stay in the anabolic phase during a workout.

3. Lifestyle - Being skinny can be down to a number of factors. Some of it can be diet, some of it genetics and some of it lifestyle. Marathon runners are skinny because of a lifestyle choice. Running burns calories and makes it difficult to gain weight. Either way, a lifestyle change can dramatically change your appearance. The most effective being ofcourse, using the correct weight training program. A hard gainer must make sure that in between their gym days, they are not engaging in excessive cardio. If they do, they must only partake in...

4. Intense Cardio - Sprinting and rope climbing are two fine examples of intense cardiovascular exercise. To support this rationale, search for 'olympic sprinter' in google images and see what I mean. Sprinters are muscular, agile and very physically fit. This is a great physique to aim for and intense cardio really aids towards attaining this physique.

5 Simple Tips To Get Big Fast Today! Why Wait?

2011-10-02T10:10:00.000-07:00

Right, let's get to it. These are 5 very easy steps to help you get big fast today. You will gain layers upon layers of muscle and you will get even stronger if you follow this weight training routine. Your physique will change forever but you have to be consistent. It will happen fast, but not overnight. If you are looking for an instant solution, go to your favourite sports magazine and buy their supplements (hint; sarcasm).

1. Unified Theory - I call it the unified theory because a smart man told me that the body likes to grow as a unit. Something to do with the universe and its propensity towards balancing stuff. Curls can only do so much. I work out with Olympic level weight lifters who don't do biceps curls at all. Yet their biceps would put most trainees to shame. Work the body as a whole. The best way to do that is...

2. Compound Movements - Big lifts like power cleans, dead-lifts, pulls and the dreaded Olympic squat involve the movements of multiple joints in one single rep (hence the name, compound a.k.a multiple a.k.a more than one.. triceps kick-backs and biceps curls do not qualify). Now... the way you lift these weights is crucial. The amount of reps and the cadence (speed of lift) makes ALL the difference That is why a body-builder can get big fast dead-lifting 100kg and a weightlifter can look tiny in comparison while they are dead-lifting twice the amount. Also, the other differentiator is...

3. Technique - The reason I train with weightlifters is because I want to learn how to lift weights the correct way and minimise the chance of injury. Weightlifting clubs are plenty but check the credentials of your coach. If you cannot access a weightlifting club, many Olympic websites offer motion charts to show you the correct positioning. Once your work is done in the gym, you must...

4. Rest - Doing those big movements serves another purpose. It stimulates the release of natural growth hormone and testosterone. Testosterone has other benefits. Increased sexual libido being one.. your wife/girl will love you for it. Back to my point, resting is where the muscle is made. Sleep, lounge, just relax and let your muscles recover. But then while recovering, don't forget to...

5. Eat - You have to eat a LOT. This is another difference between body-builders and weightlifters. Food is the building block of muscle. Eat and eat some more. You will get big fast, I kid you not. Your diet needs to be targeted toward muscle growth. You have to make it work for what you want to achieve!