Ectomorph Workout: How To Build Muscle Mass For Skinny Guys

Home  »  Weight Training Programs  »  Ectomorph Workout: How To Build Muscle Mass For Skinny Guys By Dan Merrell, CPT   |  Comments

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If you would classify yourself as a “hardgainer” or “ectomorph” (otherwise known as a skinny guy), it’s vital that you put together a specific ectomorph workout that is going to get you the results you’re looking for.

By far, the single biggest reason why most skinny guys never see the results they’re looking for is simply because they don’t have the right workout plan in place for their body.

There is a huge difference between what it takes an average male to build muscle and what it takes you, the skinny guy. The minute you get this through your head and stop looking at all the newsstand magazine workouts is the minute you finally start moving in the right direction to success.

Until then, you’re just going to continue to spin your wheels in the gym and you may in fact get even thinner than you are now.

By understanding what must be in place in a proper ectomorph workout however, you can finally begin to get the body that you’re dreaming of.

Let’s give you the low-down on a proper ectomorph workout.

For most guys, the general approach to building muscle goes something along the lines of ‘the more, the better’. They think if they do one exercise for biceps, two will be better. If they perform three sets of squats, six will yield faster results.

But for you, the skinny guy, volume is your enemy. Due to your natural body type and your ultra-fast metabolic rate, the more volume you do, the more time you’re going to need to recover. It would literally take you a week or longer to recover from the typical bodybuilding workout you find in most muscle building magazines.

So your goal for your workouts is to significantly cut the volume. Basically, get in, go hard, get out. That should be your mantra. Lower volume means performing 4-6 exercises per workout, and doing 3-4 sets per exercise.

That’s it. As hard as it may be to believe that this will actually build muscle faster than a high-volume workout. Trust me, for your body type this is what will yield superior results.

Now with this reduced volume, you really want to keep the intensity up. This is also one of the keys to your success. If you go into the gym and perform 5 exercises where you put in a mediocre effort, you won’t see any progress.

You really need to push yourself. This is part of that ‘get in, go hard’ mantra. If the ‘go hard’ is missing, you might maintain your muscle, but you won’t build more muscle.

High intensity for you means lifting as heavy of a weight as possible. You’ll want to keep the rep ranges on the lower end of the scale, close to 5-8 reps per set and make sure that you’re lifting a weight that will have you fully fatigued by the time you reach your last rep.

If you aren’t, then it’s time to increase the weight for your very next set. Just remember that increased weight should never mean you sacrifice on proper form. Do that and you’ll just wind up injured and then you really won’t be growing.

Form is a must and once that’s in check, load on as much weight as possible while staying within the 5-8 rep range.

Moving along, the next element of success when putting together an ectomorph workout is exercise selection. You often see muscular guys in the gym doing all their ‘pump’ work. This includes moves such as bicep curls, hammer curls, barbell curls, tricep press downs, tricep kickbacks, lateral raises, and so on. Basically, movements that draw a high amount of blood into small muscles which makes them look larger.

Remember, while this may look amazing while they’re in the gym, it doesn’t last.

Instead, since you do have your limited recovery ability, you need to perform exercises that really count. That means doing movements that work as many muscle groups at once as possible. This is what will ensure that you’re able to hit every single muscle group in the body effectively and still maintain that 4-6 exercises per session range.

Smart choices include squats, deadlifts, the leg press, step-ups, lunges, bench press, incline bench press, push-ups, shoulder press, bent over rows, horizontal rows, and pull-ups.

Choose your exercises from this list only and you’ll start packing on more muscle mass pretty fast.

Finally, the last element that must be discussed with regards to building yourself an effective ectomorph workout is cardio training. Many guys often think that cardio should be added to their workout because it’ll help them stay leaner as they go about the process.

There are two main things for you to consider here.

First, do you need to worry about staying lean? I’m 99% confident you don’t. In fact, if you take a good look at yourself in the mirror right now, you’ll find that you’re almost already too lean. A burger may actually do you some good.

Ectomorphs by nature don’t put on weight very easily – fat or muscle. So staying lean shouldn’t be your main concern. At least not right now.

Second, even if fat gain was an issue, this is much better controlled through your diet than through cardio training. Guys who are doing cardio during a bulking phase should really re-evaluate their approach. Exercise in general is going to tax recovery reserves and if their muscles are broken down from the gym, what’s that cardio doing to them?

It certainly isn’t allowing them to build themselves back up stronger.

So the same thing goes for you. If you’re in the gym performing cardio, you’re not only decreasing your recovery rate (which is already lower than normal), but you’re also burning up precious calories that could have gone towards building muscle mass.

You can do one or two 20-minute sessions per week just to keep your heart healthy but keep this to a brisk walk only. Nothing more intense as it will simply work against you.

So there you have the must-know tips for designing an ectomorph workout. If you make sure that you get these in place then you can finally start seeing the progress from your workouts in the build of a more muscular body.

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Following A Weight Gain Program To Bulk Up And Build Muscle Mass

If you’re a skinny guy and you want to pack on muscle mass, then this video will outline what to look for when choosing a weight gain program.

There are certain things that all successful weight gain programs have in common…

Gaining weight and building muscle means you’ll need to hit the gym. 3 days a week is optimal for the best results.

Contrary to what most guys think, going to the gym 5 or 6 days a week is actually COUNTERPRODUCTIVE!

I don’t have time in this video to explain all the details of why this is, but you can check out the article on weight training programs to build lean muscle to see what a good weight training program looks like.

Believe it or not, 90% of your effort to gain weight will be focused on your diet.

The reason is because if you work out 3 days a week for an hour each, that’s 3 hours of weight training per week. The rest of your effort will be focused on eating and resting.

Your weight gain program should include a specific diet for you to follow and tell you WHY you are following this diet so you can customize it and eat food that you like.

The program should also give you specific details about your weight gain diet that will maximize your muscle gains.

For example, do you know the difference between getting your protein from chicken vs. cottage cheese?

What’s the difference? Cottage cheese contains casein protein, which your body will absorb at a slower rate…

This kind of protein is good to eat at night before you go to bed, because the protein will be released slowly throughout the night, keeping your body in an anabolic state LONGER and allowing you to gain weight faster.

Your weight gain program should educate you about supplements that work… and supplements that DON’T WORK.

Fact is, there are only a handful of supplements that will help you get results. Do you know which ones they are, or are you getting sucked into the hype?

I’ll tell you there’s no magic supplement that is going to automatically pack on muscle for you. At most, supplements will account for 5% of your muscle gains.

Rest is a very underrated component of most weight gain programs. Probably because it’s not “sexy” or complicated so people tend to overlook it.

The fact is, rest is when all the magic happens. It’s when your muscles grow. You don’t get bigger when you are working out in the gym. Your body grows and you gain weight as you’re resting.

So keep that in mind. Your program should go into detail about how much rest is necessary, what kind of rest you need, when to take breaks from the gym, etc.

If you’re not tracking your results then you don’t know how effective your weight gain program is.

If you step on the scale and it says you gained 5 pounds that’s great! But do you know how much of that is FAT and how much is MUSCLE?

You should use a workout log, body fat calipers, and a scale to track your progress.

In case you still haven’t found a good weight gain program yet, that’s no problem… Check out the Weight Gain Blueprint program.

Yep, that’s my weight gain program… The same one I used to pack on 38 pounds of muscle in just 19 weeks. It works. Give it a try, then come back and leave a comment and tell me how much weight you’ve gained after you use it.

Discover the 7 biggest mistakes you’re making right now that are actually keeping you skinny...

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How Long Does It Take To Build Muscle?

Home  »  Weight Gain Programs  »  How Long Does It Take To Build Muscle? By Daniel Cage, CPT   |  Comments

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If you're looking to pack on muscle mass, one thing that you may start to question after a while is how long does it take to build muscle? What's the maximum amount of muscle that you could gain if you did absolutely everything correctly?

Many guys often become very distraught when they just aren't seeing the rate of muscle gains that they thought they would from their weight-training program. They wonder if they're perhaps doing something incorrectly.

Maybe they aren't doing the right exercises in the gym or perhaps their diet just isn't up to par.

While both of these factors definitely will influence the results that you see with your muscle-building program, it's important to take some additional factors into account.

Whenever you ask the question, "how long does it take to build muscle," you really must evaluate your own situation personally. Each and every person will build muscle at a slightly different speed, so evaluating your own characteristics will help you set a goal that's realistic for your own body.

Let's take a look at the factors that answer this burning question, "how long does it take to build muscle?"

The very first element to take a look at when figuring out how quickly you'll be able to build muscle is what your past training history is. If you're someone who has been in the gym for years already, you're going to be building muscle at a much slower rate than someone who has never picked up a weight in their life.

Generally speaking, the more experience you have behind you, assuming you were using a properly planned workout program, the slower size gains will be.

Likewise, the more muscle you've already gained in the past, the slower additional muscle is going to come on.

If you were to keep building muscle at the same rate as you continued on about your program, we'd have gigantic 400-pound men walking around.

There comes a point where muscle mass gains will be incredibly slow as you reach close to your genetic potential.

The second factor to consider in terms of how quickly you can build muscle is what your body type is. If you're someone who's naturally skinny (an ectomorph), you're going to see slower muscle gain results compared to someone who easily adds muscle without a problem.

These various body types are referred to as ectomorphs, endomorphs, and mesomorphs, and by learning which body type you have, you'll be in a position to set some clear expectations.

Ectomorphs may only be able to add a pound or two of dry muscle per month while a mesomorph who is in the beginning of his muscle building career may double or even triple that in some instances.

Keep in mind when I say 1 – 2 pounds of muscle per month I'm talking about "dry muscle." The TRUTH is, with the right weight gain program, it's possible to gain more like 8 pounds of solid muscle weight per month if you include the water and glycogen weight that the new muscle tissue holds.

Endomorphs have a higher tendency to gain body fat, so while you may see the same weight gain as you would for a mesomorph, not all of it will be lean muscle tissue.

For this reason, many guys who have this body type tend to approach muscle building slower to avoid putting on excess body fat in the process.

The next thing that you also need to consider is your dietary adherence. You can really only build muscle as fast as you can eat. Stated another way, if you aren't eating more calories than you need to maintain your body weight, it's not going to matter what you do in the gym, you won't see results.

Food is an absolute must to pack on more muscle mass, so generally speaking the more you eat the faster you gain.

Realize though, that there are limitations to this. If you sit around all day long and shove too much food down your throat, you'll gain a high amount of muscle, but you'll also be gaining too much additional body fat.

Since your body can only gain so much muscle each day, excess calories consumed beyond that point will be converted to body fat.

But, by making sure you are eating enough, you can maximize your muscle gain.

You're overall recovery rate is the next thing that you'll want to consider. How fast you recover from any given gym workout is going to dictate how quickly you can get back into the gym and train once again.

If it takes you two to three days to recover fully from a workout session, this means that your overall rate of progress may be slower.

The more frequently you can train, assuming that you are in a recovered state, the faster muscle will be built.

Doing whatever you can to maximize recovery rates such as getting enough sleep, eating well, and supplementing with glutamine will all help move you in the right direction.

Finally, you also need to think about your hormonal level. Generally, guys who are in their early to late twenties will have the highest level of testosterone present in their system at this time, so are in the prime muscle building years, so to speak.

If you're already in your 30's or entering your 40's, this doesn't mean you can't still get good results, but your muscle building hormone profile will have shifted so it may be slower moving.

Understanding this and adjusting expectations accordingly will be important.

So there you have the main things to note about your question, "how long does it take to build muscle?" Most people training properly can build 1 - 2 pounds of dry muscle mass per month at the start of their weight gain program and as they advance onwards, rates of ½ pound to one pound become more appropriate.

Keep in mind you may see more weight gain than this amount (up to 2 - 3 pounds per week) due to additional muscle glycogen, water, and any extra fat added in the process, but this is a good estimate for the amount of raw muscle tissue that will be added if you're following a high-quality weight gain program.

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Workout Supplements: Get Ripped With Ease

Men with a muscular exterior attract everyone's attention around them. Just how a man would take notice of a beautiful slim woman its only natural for a woman to take notice of a muscular well built man. Body building is now easy with a number of body building supplements that help pump up the muscles for a longer time.

There is generous information available on burning fat and building muscles, but most of the information available refers to joining some body building gym, heavy duty exercise and high discipline and commitment towards building tough muscles which is out of reach for most people, who have to attend to their other work life priorities.

The best choice for building body in a shorter period of time is to take workout supplements to reduce the belly fat, increase muscle mass around the arms and back and to get ripped fast. With the help of workout supplements it is now conceivable to achieve an impenetrable iron like body. There are various such supplements that can help one get ripped in a matter of few months. Here are some powerful workout supplements:

A workout supplement with protein isolate helps to digest food faster. The isolate protein supplement aids to deliver amino acids to the muscle tissues instantly. Taking the isolate protein shake after a strenuous workout helps to build muscle mass and a lean body.

Another effective workout supplement to build a macho body is the pre-workout supplement rich in Creatine and Nitric Oxide. Creatine is the principal constituent of the molecule that stimulates exercise and physical workout. When the body is soaked with creatine it helps in all forms of training exercise for body building. It is appropriate for athletes and sports persons who require high intense burst of energy.

When creatine is complimented with nitric oxide then the muscles get a noticeable "pump", nitric oxide expands the blood vessels and allows the oxygen to flow into the muscle tissues and further into the muscle cells. Higher oxygen into the muscle cells improves the creatine delivery as well. Together, Creatine and Nitric Oxide combat fatigue and increases the energy levels in men.

Yet another workout supplement with effective results is the intake of Glutamine. The glutamine workout supplements are ideal for people who are engaged with heavy enduring physical work such as lifting heavy equipment. Continuous heavy lifting can weaken the immune system and the nervous system of a man. It can make him nauseated and sick and affect the over all metabolism.

Although food stuff such as cabbage, milk products, fish and eggs, beans, chicken and beef contain glutamine but it is not sufficient for people who are involved with heavy weight lifting activity. Therefore, Glutamine supplements can help men who are dealing with intense physical laborious weight lifting work.

Saule Health has been an authority on vitamins and nutrition for over 5 years. Covering topics from diet and weight loss to general health.

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Look Muscular and Feel Masculine With Workout Supplements for Men

Do you want a muscular, well built, iron like body? Are you fascinated by body building? It is now easy to get ripped fast; with the support of effective workout supplements body building is now achievable by self efforts without the strenuous training under a perfectionist. This is possible because of bringing home the perfectionist itself, the body building workout supplement. These workout supplements come with many advantages, it helps to increase muscle power and speed, amplifies the endurance level, relieves stress and helps in faster workout recovery.

There are many sports people who depend upon workout supplements to perform better. Particularly those who play high energy sports and games like baseball, basketball, boxing, football, hockey, rugby, soccer, softball and running. The workout supplements help to improve the endurance, speed, agility, strength and the over all performance at the game.

However, to pick the most appropriate work supplement is a flustering task with endless options to choose from. Most of these supplements are available as powder shakes or tablets in an appropriate dose. Here are some of the best supplements to get ripped fast.

Whey protein is a workout supplement that aids to refurbish muscle cells and tissues. There is a direct proportion between the muscle gain and the protein consumption. It works best when taken with carbohydrates and a well planned nutritive diet.

Another important workout supplement is fatty acids, which are found in unsaturated fats, which aid to release free testosterone in the body. This helps in muscle build up and also helps the body to absorb protein.

Multi-vitamins are rich in vitamins and minerals. These supplements replenish the essential nutrients that get exhausted during a workout session and enhance the muscle mass.

BCAA's that stands for Branched Chain Amino Acids is an amalgamation of vital amino acids that comprise 35% of muscle tissue. It helps to elevate muscle mass and power.

Creatine helps to increase the body endurance and take up physically enduring work. It boosts the muscle cells with oodles of energy. It is recommended to have enough water if one is on a creatine supplement.

Glutamine is generated naturally within the body; it helps to ease out the stress levels during the workout. It strengthens the immune system of the body.

While taking workouts supplements it is also essential to plan a well balanced nutritional diet for long term effective results. This is essential to have the required nutrients for the body that help to build muscles and a tough exterior.

Saule Health has been an authority on vitamins and nutrition for over 5 years. Covering topics from diet and weight loss to general health.

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Dymatize Elite Primal - Get To Know The Benefits

Dymatize Elite Primal is a supplement that purportedly offers protein to the body. Proteins are needed to produce hard and lean muscles. They are also needed for the burning of fats to make way for more lean muscles. Getting our daily source of protein from food sources alone is insufficient. There are times when the proteins or amino acids taken from food cannot be absorbed sufficiently. This is why we need supplements. Find out today how it can help.

It is a supplement loaded with beef proteins. Beef is a good source of protein, as you probably know. In comparison to pork, it contains less fat. This supplement features the benefits of a blend of primal beef proteins. It has also been loaded with hydrolyzed peptides and hydrolyzed beef protein isolate. They are healthy sources of proteins that can support the muscle-growing process of the body.

It supports the recovery of muscles and improves muscular strength. One of the benefits of supplementing proteins is it speeds up the recovery of muscles. Our muscles usually suffer from damages especially when we are working out. This supplement features creatine. Creatine is known for its ability to target damaged muscle tissues in the system and repair them. Creatine is also beneficial in supporting muscle strength.

It has been equipped with high grade BCAAs. Branch Chain Amino Acids play an indispensable role in the production of proteins. They also help the body recover faster from muscle tissue injuries. By working together with creatine, they help speed up the damages in muscle tissues. Also, these are the amino acids that can protect the muscles from future damages.

It contains A-AKG. One of the benefits of Arginine is that it loosens up blood vessels and makes way for better blood flow. When this happens, nutrients also flow better in the blood stream. It allows better distribution of nutrients. In so doing, your body can have more energy. You can also sidestep extreme physical exhaustion after working out.

It may even support metabolic functions. A lot of our body's functions depend on our metabolic processes. Fast metabolism is needed to prevent fat collection in the unlikely areas of the body and to speed up nutritional absorption. This supplement has been equipped with special acids that can help support metabolic functions. It may also work in metabolizing the amino acid leucine.

It is a supplement that has a good taste. It tastes good due to its Potassium content. This is a natural sweetening ingredient that will not leave an aftertaste in the mouth and will not cause damages to the enamel of your teeth.

It has features that you can benefit from. It contains proteins taken from beef sources that will help improve your body's muscle growth. It can also work in speeding up muscle recovery. Loaded in this supplement are BCAAs that support muscle growth and protein synthesis. It also contains arginine that improves blood flow. It helps speed up metabolism as well. If you are searching for a supplement that tastes good, you should consider looking for Dymatize Elite Primal.

To get a taste of Dymatize Elite Primal 2lb, visit this Dymatize supplements website for a sample.

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Dymatize Xpand Xtreme Pump - What Are The Advantages Of Using This Supplement?

Dymatize Xpand Xtreme Pump is a wonderful supplement to try simply because it has the benefits of a post and a pre workout supplement. You don't have to spend so much money because this is an all-in-one supplement that is beneficial for you. Now is the best time to learn more about the advantages of using it.

Advantage #1: It is different because it contains complete creatine content. Many other post workout supplements contain only one or two creatine components. But this one features a fusion of creatine such as creatine ethyl ester, creatine AKG, creatine ester phosphate sodium and tricreatine citrate. These are kinds of creatine taken from bioavailable sources so they are not made from chemical materials that might be harmful to the health.

Advantage #2: It offers you different kinds of arginine. If you want to improve the results of your workout, you have to look for a supplement with arginine. What is great about arginine is that it can be depended on to increase the quality of our pumps, to make our muscles look and feel fuller and to give us more strength and stamina. It improves your workout results unlike any other.

Advantage #3: It ensures the correct distribution of nutrients in the system. This is the supplement that features the benefits of Betaine. It is a kind of hydrochloric acid that has a major role to play in the core functions of our digestive system. This is needed for the proper distribution of nutrients taken from food.

Advantage #4: It has been loaded with Branch Chain Amino Acids. It is important to make use of branch chain amino acids if you are working out. That is because it can facilitate full body recovery. This supplement has Leucine that ensures faster growth and repair of muscle tissues. Its amino acids content can actually prevent catabolism to hamper the loss of lean muscle tissues. You can also find the amino acid valine in here that will support muscle metabolism. This is essential in repairing damaged tissues.

Advantage #5: It contains Xpansion Matrix. This supplement contains amino acids that will work in ensuring the recovery of active individuals. Active individuals suffer from lots of damages during workout or training. To help your body recovery completely, you need the help of this supplement.

Advantage #6: It also features the benefits of Taurine. This amino acid is needed for rapid muscle recovery. Just like the other ingredients, it does its work in repairing damaged tissues and supporting the growth of muscles. This will also ensure higher energy levels.

It can do a lot of wonders to your body. It has complete creatine components that can facilitate recovery and muscle growth. You also need this to increase your strength and stamina. With its help, you can ensure the correct distribution of nutrients in the system. Use this to supply your body with amino acids that will completely allow your body to recovery. It also features its benefits. And to ensure that you have high energy levels during the day, you need Dymatize Xpand Xtreme Pump.

Get the best prices and deals on Dymatize Xpand Xtreme Pump by visiting this website about Dymatize supplements.

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Dymatize Elite Recoup - How Can It Help You Out?

Dymatize Elite Recoup is very beneficial for body builders and athletes because of its ability to support the body's recovery. The body sustains lots of damages during workout or training. More often than not, these damages cannot be corrected by the usual repair process of the system. You have to give it a nudge with the help of certain nutrients. This is why you need it. Find out what ingredients in it can help you out.

It can offer you the benefits of L-Glutamine amino acid. If you want faster muscle tissue repair, you have to look for L-Glutamine amino acid. This supplement contains L Glutamine Alpha Ketoglutarate amino acid that will effectively get down to the root problem and repair the damaged tissues and nerves to help your body recovery faster. With its help, recovery will go without a hitch.

It has been equipped with the benefits of L-Leucine. This is another amino acid that makes this supplement beneficial for active individuals. That is because it can help in the body's muscle-growing process and the recovery of damaged muscle tissues. It is also beneficial for the production of growth hormones. These are the hormones that you need to have better muscle growth. You can also rely on this supplement to maintain good glycogen levels in your system.

It has also been loaded with L-Isoleucine. This is another kind of branch chain amino acid. What it does is it looks for damaged tissues in the body and repairs them. You also need this if you want to speed up muscle metabolism. It can help remove fats in the muscle tissues to make way for the growth of lean muscle tissues. It is also beneficial in balancing your nitrogen content.

It features L-Valine benefits. This ingredient works wonders in facilitating an anabolic environment in the system. During intense physical workout, the body produces acids that promote catabolism. When this happens, lean muscle tissues are in danger of being damaged. This is why you need this supplement. By promoting an anabolic state in the system, the body can prevent the deterioration of lean muscle tissues.

It can give you the benefits of the ingredient Beta Alanine. This ingredient also has a large role to play in muscle recovery. It helps in the production of dipeptide in the system. This is a kind of agent that works in preventing the failure of muscle tissues.

It is beneficial because of Citrulline Malate. Another ingredient that makes this product effective is Citrulline Malate. This can increase nitric oxide levels to support the distribution of nutrients in the body. It is also beneficial in driving energy into cells.

It is indeed a wonderful supplement to add to your regimen. With its help, damaged muscle tissues can be repaired easily. It also has the amino acids you need to improve the body's muscle growing process and hormone production. It also works in ensuring the correct balance of nitrogen for faster nutrient distribution. This can also prevent catabolism. It helps in producing more carnosine in the body. And to ensure that you have boundless supply of energy, you should use Dymatize Elite Recoup.

Do you want to test the effects of Dymatize Elite Recoup 345g? Check out this website about Dymatize workout supplements to find out more.

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Dymatize Iso-100 - Benefits Of This Supplement

Dymatize Iso-100 may give the impression that it is just like other whey protein supplements but it actually has lots of benefits you don't want to miss. Whey protein is arguably the healthiest protein source. Athletic people who need protein supplementation in order to gain more muscles or build their body shape can always check out what whey proteins have to offer. Learn more about its benefits.

It has been loaded proteins. What makes this supplement stand out from the rest is the bioavailability of its proteins. You can be assured that no other synthetic proteins are included in this supplement. The proteins are taken from natural sources. This product is rich in amino acids that you need for protein synthesis and faster muscle growth. Because it is natural, it can prevent allergic reactions.

It has not been incorporated with fats or carbohydrates. You can bet that most whey protein supplements out there contain a reasonable amount of fats and carbohydrates. These can be fattening if you are not careful. This is why you should go the extra mile in finding a protein supplement that is completely devoid of these fatty substances.

It can stave off the breakdown of lean muscle tissues. Lean muscles tend to break down during catabolism process. This happens when lactic acid settles in the muscle tissues. By promoting an anabolic environment, this can be significantly prevented. The breakdown of these tissues can also be caused by the aging process. Taking whey protein supplements can slow that down.

It allows your body to recover from injuries faster. The body tends to be inundated with injuries because of intense physical fitness activities. Although the body can heal these injuries, you still need something to speed things up. This way, nothing can get in the way of good workout results. This supplement should be a good remedy for that.

It can be relied on when it comes to improving immune system response. One of the benefits of taking whey proteins is that it can help improve your immune system. This supplement strengthens your immune system so you do not succumb to viral diseases or infections easily.

It is a supplement you can easily take. This supplement can easily used as a post or a pre-workout supplement. The benefits are still there no matter how you use it. This can also be used as a meal replacement supplement.

It is worth including your routine. With the bioavailable proteins in it, you can see those muscles grow faster and easier. It is devoid of carbs and fats so it is non-fattening. You can also use this to prevent the breakdown of lean muscle tissues. You can rely on this supplement to help your body recover from injuries faster. Make sure you strengthen your immune system with the help of this supplement. For an all-around supplement you can easily incorporate in your daily routine, make sure you look for Dymatize Iso-100.

Check out the benefits that Dymatize Iso-100 can offer by visiting this website about Dymatize supplements.

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Dymatize Creatine Monohydrate - What Are The 6 Benefits Of This Supplement?

Dymatize Creatine Monohydrate should be a part of your workout regimen. This can help you get better workout and training results. Elite athletes are not the only ones that can benefit from this supplement. Even those average individual with needs for intense workout can try using this. This is a fitting option if you have intense physical fitness activities. Now is the right time to find out more about its benefits.

It can increase the intensity of your workout routine. Having a workout routine alone is insufficient. A lot of people are mere followers but they do not pay attention to how much effort they are exerting in their routine. Because of that, their workout results are oftentimes lackluster. If you need to take your workout to the next level, you can rely on this supplement. In comparison to steroids, it is a safer and better treatment.

It can also help you in speeding up the growth of muscles. Are you on the lookout for something that can help you gain thicker and fuller muscles? This should be the right supplement for you. It can deliver the right amount of creatine into your system. In fact, supplementing creatine to your body can help you gain up to 4 pounds of lean muscles in less than week. Additionally, it can also help you get more strength to your muscles.

It is a good source of extra energy. It is not uncommon for active individuals to go home feeling exhausted after a long day of work and exercise. You tend to use up all of your energy reserves during intense physical fitness activities. But to ensure that your body will not succumb to crippling fatigue, you should use this supplement. Creatine is actually an extra source of energy.

It is what you need if you want to speed up the recovery process of the system. The body tends to suffer from lots of problems and damages during the workout process. If your nerves and muscles are damaged, you might have a hard time with the next stages of your workout routine. But this supplement can help you minimize those damages. It also targets the damaged areas of your system to speed up the recovery process.

It is not a hormone-altering product. Many body builders and athletes rely on muscle-building products that alter hormone production. These are legal steroids or prohormones that might have side effects. This is a better option since it will not affect the natural course of hormone production in the system.

It will not cause side effects. It is a naturally existing compound. You are only supplementing what is already there. Take it correctly and it will yield positive results minus the usual side effects experienced with other supplements.

It is really a wonderful supplement to try. This can help improve the intensity of your workout. It can also speed up the growth of muscles. This is what you need if you want to have more energy. This can also be relied on when it comes to speeding up the healing process of damaged nerves and tissues. It will not alter hormone production. For a more effective supplement that will not cause side effects, look for Dymatize Creatine Monohydrate.

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Best Foods For Learning How To Gain Muscles Quickly

If you want to learn how to gain muscles quickly, one thing that you absolutely must be making sure that you do is eat the right foods. Maintaining a proper diet is going to be your ticket to success with being able to gain muscles fast because of the fact that food is what supplies the raw materials that you need to assimilate this new muscle tissue.

If you aren't eating the right foods at the right times in the day, you aren't going to see the results you're hoping for.

So, which foods are best? Which foods will help you gain muscles fast?

Let's go over the top choices that you should be including.

Chicken Breast
Topping the list of foods to learn how to gain muscles quickly is chicken breast. Chicken breast earns top marks because it's high in quality protein while being very low in fat. Plus, it's very versatile. You can cook chicken a number of different ways, which makes it ideal for creating a wide range of recipes with.

Steak
Second on the list is steak. Steak is also a good source of protein, and in addition to that, it also contains iron, which is important for keeping your energy levels up. If you start to suffer from low iron stores, this will take away from your ability to gain muscles fast as you won't be putting forth a full effort in each of the workouts you do.

Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a quality source of carbs for those looking to gain muscles that you can't overlook. Oatmeal is low in sugar, high in complex carbs, and will provide you with the energy you need to start your day.

If you're really struggling to meet your calorie needs to help you gain muscles fast, you should be considering eating oatmeal raw as it's much more calorie dense than the cooked variety.

Pasta
Pasta is the next food that you must be eating on your mass gaining diet plan. Pasta is also very calorie dense and will be perfect immediately after a workout session. Just be sure to serve it up with tomato sauce rather than cream at this time as you do want to keep your dietary fat intake to a minimum after a workout session is completed.
Pasta is also fast to prepare and relatively cheap to purchase, so a good staple for most diet plans to gain muscles fast.

Nuts
Finally, don't forget about nuts. You definitely do want to take in some healthy fats with your diet and nuts fit the bill perfectly. They're very calorie dense so eat a handful or two throughout the day and you'll be doing your part to make sure that you add more quality lean muscle to your frame.

Natural nut butter is also another great option to add into your diet, so be sure that you don't overlook that one as well.

So there you have the best foods to eat so that you can learn how to gain muscles quickly. If these currently aren't in your diet, take the time to get them in there now so you can see better results.

The author of this article is Kevin and he believes in good old fashioned healthy living, eating well and training hard. He believes fitness plays a vital role in each of our lives.

To learn more about how to gain muscles quickly you can check out his website here:

http://www.howtogainmusclesinfo.com/

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How to Manage a Fitness Program When Bodybuilding

As we all observed, to have a well planned and well established set of fitness workout programs will help you reduce potential risks of acquiring chronic illnesses and diseases. On the other hand, it will also assist you to socially improve your self-esteem, how you coordinate things, how you harmonize your balance and even the synchronization of your sleeping habits. Having a set of fitness workout programs in your life are good and worthy for your health in addition to your general and over-all personal well-being. There are a number of steps that you can put into consideration to make certain that your health is in maximum habit and highest custom.

Assessing and evaluating the level of your fitness is the very first thing you need to think through in dealing with your fitness activities. Before embarking on any fitness workout programs, you must measure the level of your fitness first for this will help you distinguish and identify where to start and how to regulate your entire progress. To have this accomplish, there are several measures you can think through. You can measure your pulse rate before you take a walk and after you've done walking. You can also take note how many push ups that you can take part in at one given time. You can also check and pay attention on how fast or slow you can walk for about one (1) kilometre distance. Another important mechanism that you can perform is to regularly check your Body Mass Index (BMI) to know if your weight is satisfactory and adequate to your height.

As compared to a few other dreams or visions, your fitness workout programs must be well planned and deliberately scheduled. Designing a workout program is very significant as it will give you the assurance that you have a regime or a system to follow to keep you fit and healthy at all times.

You should have a simple motivation and a modest inspiration to always keep you going in the right place. This provocation might be something that you think will surely help you to keep following your fitness workout programs whether if you are at the right phase and level or deceptively misleading. To make it livelier, throw in something different to make it more exiting. That will also help you kill the state of being in a monotony period. Most importantly, create a good stability that is in line with the recommended work out procedures.

Work at your own speed. You may start as a beginner with the basic workouts and progress it slowly as time goes by. It is essential to consult with your physician if you have any medical condition before starting any fitness activities. Your fitness workout programs should be followed seriously like you any other daily appointment.

When you keep an eye on these simple guidelines, it will be possible to come up with an appropriate fitness workout programs that you have confidence in as effective and operational for you.

Fitness You Need is a blog for everyone who shows interest not only in learning fitness but also for those who wants to stay active and healthy. The blog contents will help you by learning some tips and techniques. If you are interested to learn some effective workout routines, this will be a good resource for you.

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Optipep Hydrolysed Whey Protein

Optipep is becoming the number one hydrolysed protein for taste performing significantly higher than leading products on the market in terms of overall taste and palatability. When tasted in an end product by serious sports enthusiasts and users of sports nutrition products, the new clean tasting hydrolysed whey protein was evaluated significantly better on overall taste, aftertaste, mouth feel, aroma and appearance.

A raw material supplier commissioned the in-depth sensory study to better understand consumer attitudes towards taste and acceptability in the sports nutrition arena. 300 serious sports enthusiasts between the ages of 26 and 35 based in the Netherlands participated in the study, each tasting one sample and providing detailed preference data. The research carried out by Opinion-Group who specialise in sensory evaluation of food & beverage products.

Optipep allows sports nutrition manufacturers to incorporate WPH without any compromises in terms of customer experience or flavour in final products. Nutritionally, Optipep offers high levels of di- and tri-peptides which are ideal for rapid delivery of essential peptides for recovery and strength building. Optipep also enables manufacturers to make a WPH claim on their product labels to appeal to specific customer sectors.

New research has highlighted the increased insulinotrophic effects of WPH, Optipep, compared to native whey protein. Research carried out at the Department of Physical Education and Sports Science at the University of Limerick highlights the value of an increased insulin response in aiding recovery and reducing muscle injury post exercise.

What is Optipep?

Optipep is a range of protein hydrolysates manufactured from whey proteins, whey being the liquid recovered following cheese production from cow's milk. Whey Protein Concentrate hydrolysates contain 80% protein and Whey Protein Isolate hydrolysates contain 90% protein. The hydrolysis process enzymatically digests the protein into smaller peptides and fractions. The Optipep range includes products with varying degrees of hydrolysis and many have been developed for maximum performance in a variety of applications.

How is Optipep produced?

Optipep is produced by enzymatic hydrolysis of WPH and WPI. Non GMO Food Grade enzymes are used with specific emphasis on reduction of bitterness. After the hydrolysis step, the preparation is heat treated to irreversibly inactivate the enzymes. Optipep is spray dried and instantised for optimum solubility in water.

What is the shelf life of Optipep?

Optipep is a spray dried powder that is stored in high quality packaging. When stored under the correct conditions - under clean, cool dry conditions not exposed to direct sunlight or strong odours and avoiding direct contact with walls and floors - Optipep has a recommended shelf life of 24 months.

How does Optipep taste in comparison to other hydrolysed proteins on the market?

All hydrolysates are bitter in nature because of the exposure of bitter amino acids during the hydrolysate process. The manufacturing process and the enzyme cocktail selections have been optimised to produce the best tasting hydrolysate. Our hydrolysates have been evaluated in a specialist sensory lab against competitor products, showing our superior sensory profile.

What are the advantages of using a hydrolysed whey protein (Optipep) instead of an intact whey protein?

During the production process for Optipep, the protein is pre-digested into di- and tri- peptides resulting in faster absorption into the bloodstream and hence promotes quicker recovery after exercise.

Optipep may help in the following:

Accelerates recovery from exercise

Helps faster recovery

Helps enhance endurance

Increases the time to fatigue during exercise

Helps better performance

Helps to increase physical performance

Is Optipep Lactose Free?

No, however within the Optipep range there are a number of options for low lactose. The whey protein isolate hydrolysate has a lactose of ~<0.1%. The whey protein concentrate hydrolysate has ~ 2-3% lactose. Optipep is available as a whey protein concentrate hydrolysate with a lower lactose level where the lactose has been hydrolysed into its component monosaccharides glucose and galactose. This product has <0.5% lactose.

Is Optipep Kosher and Halal?

Yes, Optipep is Kosher and Halal.

Does Optipep have Low Glycemic Index status?

Yes, Optipep has low Glycemic Index status

Is Optipep suitable for vegetarians?

Yes, Optipep is suitable for vegetarians.

What sort of applications can Optipep be used in?

Optipep can be used in a wide variety of applications including:

- Instant Powder Beverages
- RTD Beverages
- Protein Bars
- Protein Gels
- Tablets/Capsules
- Protein Fortified Juice
- Protein Fortified Smoothies

Sports Nutrition Europe Optipep Whey protein blend is one of the newest innovative whey protein blends on the UK market today.

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Do You Have Salt Hiding In Your Foods?

Salt is made from the combination of two minerals called sodium and chloride. Consuming too much sodium has been linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure. Many people get more sodium than they need because sodium is also present in a lot of preservatives and in other ingredients used in processed and packaged foods.

Experts suggest consuming no more than 1500 to 2500 mg sodium per day and if you eat a diet high in processed foods, you're probably getting much more.

Eliminating the extra sodium in your diet is not as easy as hiding the salt shaker. You need to look at nutrition labels, ingredient labels and read How Do I Avoid Sodium?.

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Post-Workout Meal For Building Muscle Mass

Home  »  Weight Gain Diets  »  Post-Workout Meal For Building Muscle Mass By John Blackwood, NSCA CPT   |  Comments

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In This Article:
If the first step in packing on muscle mass is having a solid muscle building workout plan, the second step is putting together a smart post-workout meal. Don’t ever let yourself think that you’ve finished your job the minute you step foot out of the gym.

If the truth is told, you’re far from finished. At that very minute, you’ve just caused yourself to lose muscle. Yes, that’s right – lose muscle. Not making much sense?

Let me explain. Each time you step foot in the gym and lift heavy weights, you’re tearing your muscle tissues down. You’re exposing them to an overloading stress that they aren’t able to handle. As such, they tear and become broken.

So in order to build more muscle now, since getting stronger and larger, not weaker and smaller is your goal, you need to provide the second element in the equation – food.

Without food, your muscles stay in that broken down state and you will find you’re getting weaker over time.

So now that you hopefully realize the importance of the post workout meal, let’s look at what it must consist of in order for you to gain as much muscle as possible.

The very first thing that you’ll want to consider is the calorie and macronutrient make-up of that post workout meal. This refers to how much energy you’re supplying your body and what mix of nutrients.

This is going to vary slightly depending on your current body weight, how quickly you want to build muscle, how high your daily calorie intake is, and how long your workout session is.

The longer the workout, the faster you want to gain weight, and the higher your daily calorie requirement is, the more food you’ll want to consume.

For most guys who are training intensely, anywhere from 400-600 calories tends to work well. Keep in mind that about an hour after your post-workout meal, you’ll want to follow it with another solid meal to really consolidate the nutritional process during this post-workout period.

For the first post-workout meal, you want to aim for high protein, high carb selections. Avoid fat at all costs. Fat during this time is only going to slow the delivery of the nutrients into the muscle cells and is certainly not what you want.

On average you should be taking anywhere from 30-50 grams of protein and then the remainder should come from carbs. This will work out to around 50-100 grams depending on your total calorie requirement of that meal.

Looking at the food choices that should make up your post-workout meal, choose a fast digesting protein along with a fast digesting carb.

While the goal throughout the day is to keep blood sugar levels stable, immediately after your workout you actually want to spike your blood sugar levels up.

Why?

Simply because by doing so, you’ll create a high release of the hormone insulin, which will drive both the amino acids and glucose straight into the muscle cells. This is an ideal situation for muscle growth.

So smart food choices would include whey isolate protein powder, white fish, or egg whites for protein. Smart carb choices would include foods such as white bread, white bagels, sugary cereals, dextrose, or maltodextrin.

Some people often use fruit for their post-workout meal and while this will contain some simple sugars, it also contains fructose which won’t go into the muscle cells. So all in all it’s not most ideal. The best case scenario is 100% pure glucose since that is what will re-saturate muscle glycogen levels the fastest.

Most guys do find that using a protein/carb shake works slightly better for their post-workout meal as opposed to whole food sources, so they’ll choose to combine whey protein powder with a powdered form of carb such as dextrose, waxy maize, or maltodextrin. If you can’t get a hold of those, Gatorade powder will also work great.

Now we must talk about timing. Some guys do get very caught up in thinking that if they don’t consume their post-workout shake within 2 seconds of being out of the gym, they’re going to really hinder their results.

While timing is definitely important, there’s no need to take it to this extreme. Generally speaking, the sooner you can get that shake in the better. But, if you need to have a quick 5-minute shower first, that’s fine.

As long as you get your post-workout meal in within 15-30 minutes, you’ll be on top of the game. Don’t stress yourself out over this as that stress is likely to cause more harm than the delayed interval of the meal.

Finally, the last thing that you might want to think about when looking at your post-workout meal is additional supplements that you can add to take your muscle-building progress one step further.

It’s no secret that many guys will see slightly better muscle building results when certain supplements are added, so by making the most of this, you can accelerate your mass gains.

Two very smart supplements to add during the post-workout meal or shake is creatine and glutamine. These are both recovery-oriented supplements that will help prepare you for the next time you enter the gym.

Always remember that the main mission of that post workout meal is to speed up the recovery process so that you can get back into the gym again and train sooner.

Creatine will restore the higher energy precursor that will help fuel every single muscle contraction you perform and glutamine will ensure that your immune system is strong and ready to carry out the muscle tissue regeneration process.

Both of these can easily be added to your shake, or if you’re having solid food, you can just take these with some water or juice.

So there you have the in’s and out’s of a smart post-workout meal. If you want to see the best results from your training program, getting this in order will be vital to success.

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How To Lift Weights Effectively

There are times where every beginning weightlifter will wonder if he is wasting his time or living up to his potential in the gym. Everyone wants to build muscle, but those who build the most muscle are the ones who are knowledgeable on all the aspects of training. Any seasoned lifter will tell you that in order to build muscle and bulk up effectively you have to have good form in all of your exercises.

1. First off, it should be noted that compound exercises are the most effective routines for building mass and bulking up. They are also considered supreme for building overall strength. Compound exercises work the body so much that human growth hormone levels are elevated and thus bulk increased. Your body will stack on the pounds. Just make sure that you have a good routine and diet in place.

2. It is relatively simple to practice good form for many isolation exercises like lat pull downs and tricep extensions. However, once you enter the realm of compound lifts, it becomes increasingly difficult to manage great form. A precursor to good form is research, check out animations in magazines and watch videos on YouTube. Being educated is the most important step!

3. Always use warm-up sets to hammer out any weaknesses in your form. Make sure you are in front of a mirror and able to see yourself for the duration of the set. Do not let yourself lose concentration and go sloppy at the end of a heavy set, this is when it matters the most!

4. Focus more during the eccentric part of the rep. The eccentric phase of any lift is the phase when the weight is being lowered. Essentially, it is traditionally viewed as the easy part of a rep. This has been called the number one mistake beginning body builders make. Put just as much effort into lowering the weight with good form as you do lifting the weight! This can really make a difference in your bench press efficiency.

5. It's not a bad idea to record your lifts on video for later analysis.

If you are seeing lackluster or minimal gains, make sure your form is in check. Your goal here should be perfection in every compound exercise. Cleaning up your form will also ensure that your muscles grow in a balanced manner. Proper form can also lower your injury risk significantly, especially during dead lifts and squats.

Learn how to gain weight fast with a proper diet, workout routine, and cutting-edge supplements.

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Human Growth Hormone Releasers - How Do They Help Promote Muscle Development?

When you think of growth hormone releasers, the first thing that probably comes to mind is HGH pills like HyperGH 14x. These products are said to work by helping your body to grow its lean muscle mass quickly and efficiently. They are used as a supplement to your workouts and you will not gain muscle mass if you do not put the work into the process.

It doesn't matter how old you are when you begin using growth hormone releasers, as these products are known even to improve health of men later on in life. Remember that studies have shown certain pills can actually help improve your health, rather than hinder it -- these pills are not an allopathic medication; they are a nutritional supplement that promotes the release of Growth Hormone. In the end, you have the choice to select a growth hormone releaser to supplement your diet and help you tone your muscles without the use of any illegal products, as this will help your overall levels of fitness and health.

If you are looking to purchase any kind of HGH pills, you should first look at the benefits that these items will provide for you. Just like anything else, some of these products can harm you if not taken properly. And some of the better hormone releasers, such as HyperGH 14x, are said to work well because they help you reduce your body fat percentage and increase your muscle mass in a natural way.

These pills do not pump extra HGH into your system, but rather help your body to produce more naturally, leading to healthy muscle gains. It is dangerous to rely on synthetic HGH for muscle gain because it can cause health problems in the future. By getting your body to produce additional growth hormone, however, you do not have to worry about these drawbacks.

Supplements like HyperGH 14x can also help you to recover from a workout, as they allow your muscles to return to their previous state at a quicker pace. Whenever you workout heavily, you will end up with tiny tears in your muscle fibers from the weight that you have lifted.

In order for your body to grow, you must wait for those tears to heal. The tears heel by generating additional muscle fibers, which is why your muscles grow. HGH pills can help this muscle fiber regenerate at a faster pace, which means that you need less time in between your workouts. In the end, this can allow you to gain results in as little as six weeks, without taking any illegal supplements.

Exercise also causes your body to produce growth hormone, although people produce this at different rates. Those who find themselves producing the hormone at low rates often look to HGH pills to help them out. The problem is that synthetic HGH can be harmful and once you begin seeing the results, people often find it difficult to stop.

Products like HyperGH 14x, however, are not synthetic, as they simply help your body to produce more of the hormone on its own. This is perfect for those who are willing to put the work in, but simply want their bodies to respond and recover faster.

HyperGH 14x is safe for men of all ages and unlike anabolic steroids or synthetic HGH pills, it is completely legal. If you want to get better results when working out without taking drugs, a natural growth hormone releaser is probably right up your alley.

Christian Spears has written an excellent HyperGH 14x article. You can also read his HyperGH 14x Reviews post here.

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Build Bigger Biceps and Show Off Those Arms

Building bigger biceps is one of the more popular areas that bodybuilders like to concentrate on.

As with other areas of the body such as the abs, back, chest, and legs the abs have specific bodybuilding exercises to promote building muscle in the biceps.

Arm Exercises

There are three main parts of your arm:

*The biceps (often called "guns" by body builders).

*The triceps (which are on the opposite side of your biceps on your upper arms).

*Forearms and wrists.

Here are some arm exercises that will help you build muscle:

FOR THE TRICEPS:

*Tricep Dips - You will need a bench do this exercise. Stand in front of the bench lower your body and put your hands slightly more than shoulder width apart on the edge of bench behind you. Now straighten out your arms and keep a little bend in your elbows. Now slowly bend your elbows and lower your body down towards the floor until your arms are at about a 90° angle, be sure to keep your back close to the bench. Then slowly press off of your hands and push yourself straight back up to the starting position. Repeat

*Tricep Cable Push Downs - You will need a cable set up to do this exercise. Face the high pulley and grab the cable T-bar attachment with an overhand narrow grip. Extend your arms down and then return until your forearm is close to upper arm. Repeat

* Close Grip Bench Press - Lie down on a bench and grasp barbell from the rack with a shoulder with grip. Lower the weight to your chest with elbows close to body. Push the barbell back up until your arms are straight. Repeat. Note the grip can be slightly narrower than shoulder width but not too close.

FOR THE BICEPS:

*Dumbbell Curl - Grab the dumbbell on a preacher bench. With arm bent and palm facing shoulder, place back of arm down on pad. Lower dumbbell until arm is fully extended. Raise dumbbell until forearm is vertical. Repeat and continue with opposite arm

*Preacher Curl - again sit on the preacher bench, placing back of arms on pad. Grasp the curl bar with shoulder width underhand grip. Raise bar until your forearms are vertical. Lower barbel Angel arms are fully extended out. Repeat.

FOR FOREARMS AND WRISTS

*Farmers Carry - Start with a set of dumbbells placed on each side that are about 2/3 of your dead lift max. Reach down and with your chin up grip the barbells and raise them till you reach a standing position. You will now walk with the dumbbells about 100 feet to complete a rep

*Wrist curl - Sit on a bench and hold the dumbbell underhand grip and rest your forearm on your thigh beyond your knee. Let the dumbbell roll out of your hand down your fingers. Then raise the dumbbell up by gripping and pointing your knuckles up high as you can. Lower and repeat.

These exercises will not only shape your biceps but will also increase the strength of your grip. This will help you with your heavier exercises when you need that added grip.

For complete information on what diet aids help men lose weight and build muscle instead of flab I have created a seven day eCourse that will get you started at http://www.mensfitnessexercise.com/.

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10 Ways on How to Get Ripped Fast, Build Muscle, and Get Results

#1 30 Minutes Of Cardio Or Less#2 Drink protein supplements#3 Changes, changes, and more changes!#4 Complete full-body training#5 Tear / Repair#6 One Pound = One Gram of Protein#7 One word - stretch#8 Eat regularly#9 Less is more#10 Full Body or Split#11 (Bonus) 500 More Calories

You don't want to do too much cardio. Limit it. Keep it to two days of lighter jogging and no more than 30 minutes per session. Build your workout around a nutrition plan that involves a high-protein, high-carbohydrate meal about an hour beforehand and then a protein shake to follow that you can slowly sip throughout your workout. Post-workout, mix a new drink and throw it down quick. Alter, change, settle, refine, and repeat! You want to keep your body guessing. Every four-to-six weeks, change the number of reps, your rest time, the exercises you perform, your regular routine, etc. You want to keep your brain guessing. The more muscles involved = the greater the hormone release you'll get from training. These hormone releases is what's going to keep stimulating your muscle growth ALL DAY LONG.

Ensuring that your training is safe and balanced by hitting each muscle group with roughly the same volume also helps avoid serious injury. A regular person's ideal intake of sleep is anywhere from five to nine hours. You don't want to overdo it. Weightlifting, bodybuilding, etc. - it's all about tearing the muscle and repairing the muscle. Tear, repair. Tear, repair. That's how we get big. Keep training down to four sessions per week and give your body the time it needs to rebuild itself. You may use this time to mentally prepare yourself for your next session. Aim to take in one gram of protein per pound of body weight EVERY DAY.

Any kind of stretching will keep you feeling lose and flexible, prevent injury and aid in recovery. You should be scarfing down five to six small meals per day. Keep that fuel coming, particularly the carbs and the protein. These will keep the calorie intake up to help build that muscle AND it'll help keep your metabolism high to help you lose fat. Do no more than 20 sets per muscle group. As a matter of fact, try to keep it as close to 12 sets as you can. Limit reps to between 6 and 12 per set for the most growth. Limit your workouts to 45 minutes, keep those weights heavy and lift, lift, lift! The best results from your workout will come from training all your muscle groups in a single workout or by concentrating on the upper body in one session and then the lower body in another. Concentrate on lifts that use multiple muscle groups at once like squats, deadlifts, rows, and presses. You got to start reading the labels to get an idea of what your calorie intake is. Find that number and add 500 to it.

Another great resource: http://www.buildmusclesystem.com

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Discover How Oblique Exercises Compliment the Abdominal Muscles

Many people who start working out have delusions of instantly acquiring a chiseled body with incredible pectorals and an amazing six-pack. The truth is: it takes an enormous amount of time and effort with an unrelenting focus on every muscle group. One of the muscle groups that often gets overlooked are the obliques. These are located to the sides of the abdominals and are easily targeted by performing specific oblique exercises.

Due to the fact that the obliques are so close in proximity to the abdominals, they add a phenomenal visual appeal to the abs if properly trained. Individuals that execute oblique exercises and abdominal exercises regularly will see this aesthetic difference. Imagine the abs as a beautiful painting and the obliques are the frame around that painting. Sure the abdominals will look good but they will look ever better with a solid set of oblique muscles.

Properly executing oblique exercises also leads to muscle overlaying on the ribs giving a truly "ripped" look. These newly formed muscles will typically flow quite nicely into the abdominals by forming a very symmetrical and streamlined look.

Aside from the visual aspects, the oblique muscles work in conjunction with the abdominals and lower back muscles to properly support the upper body. The abdominals support the front, the lower back the rear, and the obliques are like two pillars on the side, forming a powerful combination that can greatly reduce the potential for injury while improving balance. This is especially helpful for the weekend warriors out there.

Another great way oblique exercises aid with abdominals is that typically, to perform any oblique exercise, one will engage part of the abdominal muscle sections. These will typically be the upper and outer regions of the abs. This is particularly useful for those looking to save time in their workouts by performing a single exercise that takes care of two muscle groups. Some examples of exercises that do this are bicycle kicks, side knee raises, and elbow-to-knee sit-ups.

As much as the obliques compliment the abs, this should not be one's only motivation for performing oblique specific exercises. Taking the time to focus on every muscle group in the body promotes uniformity. Uniformity leads to balance which is what the Ancient Greeks often defined as perfection relating to the human body. When formulating a workout routine, do not neglect the obliques for they are just as important as the abdominals, pectorals, or quadriceps muscles.

Mike has always found it particular frustrating to perform oblique exercises correctly. A resource he uses for visual confirmation is Chunk Fitness. They boast an excellent resource made for average people, not just bodybuilders. One can view the complete library of oblique exercises here: http://www.chunkfitness.com/exercises/ab-exercises/oblique-exercises. Remember to continuously mix up the workout routine to keep the body guessing for the best results.

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Increase Your Strength in Every Lift - The Basics

In this article I will explain the bare minimum keys of lifting that athletes and gym goers need to understand in order to consistently increase their strength, week after week, month after month, year after year. While these concepts are basic, I challenge everyone who reads this article to go through this checklist and see how many of these concepts you are employing on a daily basis. I have been in many gyms and I train clients 50 hours a week and I can tell you through personal experience that 99% of the people that I see working out, even those of you who are genetically gifted and naturally athletic, do not employ these simple guidelines and are therefore retarding your fitness level and keeping you self from becoming stronger. And yes, I am talking to all you big guys with the fake macho attitudes and the 500 pound "half bench press." Please read this article and employ these tactics before you hurt yourselves.

1. Reps, Range of motion and Bar speed.

Everyone loves to move heavy weight. Everyone loves to "max out." It gets their juices flowing and makes them feel like they are working hard. This is a common misconception. Maxing out is good because it pushes your body to the limit. However, it is extremely taxing on your central nervous system and if done too often will ultimately throw your body into a regression, or rather a catabolic state where your muscles and nerves cannot recover in a timely fashion. Your central nervous system sends the messages to your muscles to contract, so you can imagine if the CNS is extremely taxed you will not be able to send those messages efficiently to your muscles. This will result in reduced strength and fatigue. That being said, maxing out is important, but you must max out at the appropriate times. For a major lift like squat you should max out no more than every three weeks. And that is if you are on a very intense training regimen. I personally only max out 2 times per month but only on one major lift. For instance, this month is deadlift so I will max out on deadlift on the 1st week of training and the last week of training for the month. This allows me to see progression but at the same time keep my central nervous system functioning optimally. Keep in mind my program is quite a bit more intense than most of humanity. Two times a month for maxing for any lift may be too much for you.

Instead of trying to push up as much weight as possible or as many times as possible, try something a little different. Try lowering the reps of your set, decreasing the weight, and increasing the speed at which you move the weight or the bar. If it takes you 7 seconds to get your final bench press from your chest to the lock position, you are not performing the bench correctly and you are training to be slow and weak. The mathematical formula for power is work/time. This means you are producing more power and training your body to be more efficient by moving 225 pounds of weight through full range of motion in one second, than you are if you are trying to press 350 pounds and it takes you 5 seconds. So athletes, please increase your power. If you do this your maximal strength will increase naturally.

I referenced those bench press champs a minute ago...the ones who lower the bar 3 inches and then take ten seconds to move a huge amount of weight. What is the point of this? Just stop. It not only looks ridiculous but it's also extremely dangerous and pointless. TRAIN YOUR BODY THROUGH FULL RANGE OF MOTION. There is nothing more to say about this ridiculousness.

2. Stretch your opposing muscles and strengthen your secondary muscles with heavier weights.

When performing any lift it is always important to stretch your opposing muscles. These are the muscles that naturally counteract the movement that lift you are about to perform requires. For instance if you are about to perform a bench press...why the hell are you stretching your chest? Warm your shoulders up, warm your chest up. Get a couple of practice sets in but please stop stretching your chest. You can stretch it after the bench press but if you stretch it before you will lose the much needed cross tension in your muscles to perform an effective lift. Instead stretch your back. Stretch your rhomboids, stretch your biceps. These are muscles that oppose or counteract the contraction of the triceps, anterior deltoids of the shoulder, and the pectorals. THESE ARE THE PRIME MOVERS OF THE BENCH PRESS! If you stretch the opposing muscle groups you will have an easier time moving weight. Those muscles need to be loose and slightly deactivated so that they do not oppose the movement of the prime movers.

3. Strengthen your synergistic secondary muscles with heavy weights.

I will use the bench press once again as an example. If you want a huge bench you have to have a huge chest right? Wrong! While having efficient pectoral muscles is important, it is NOT the only thing you need to produce a large bench press. In order to increase the amount of weight you can move in any major lift, you must strengthen the synergist muscles - THE MUSCLES THAT ASSIST THE PRIME MOVERS! And notice that I said strength. Not power. While power is important in all movements, especially compound movements, it is essential that when isolating a muscle you push it to its maximum potential or close to it. For instance, being able to do a triceps kick back with 35 pounds for 15 reps really serves very little purpose when looked at from an athletic standpoint. Instead perform your isolated shoulder movements and triceps and lat movements for 8 reps and 5 sets. Or whatever is comfortable, but please work them heavy.

4. Breathing and core conditioning

One of the most essential things that almost everyone neglects to do is train their core properly. Your core has 3-4 times the nerve innervations as most muscles. Therefore your core was designed to perform more tasks in more directions and even move in multiple directions at one time. It is imperative that you focus on strengthening your entire core musculature from your neck to your lower abs (TVA) to the stabilizers in your lower back. If your core is weak how can you expect the rest of your body to function properly? I find it interesting that most people in the gym focus on their extremities so much more than their core and fail to remember that all of their extremities attach to the core. I'm sure that everyone has heard the saying one must build a house on a solid foundation. The same applies to your body. If you have strong arms and a weak core, YOU ARE WEAK! END OF STORY. If your core is weak you are not maximizing the potential of your body. Someone who has a weak core is unstable, not properly proportioned, and most definitely not as athletic or as explosive as they could be. Train your core properly and you will become stronger.

I recently read a study that showed that the average American breathes 18-22 times per minute. This is perfect representation of how humans have become so de-conditioned that they don't even know how to breathe properly. In order to maximize the amount of oxygen your body can intake and utilize we should all learn to breathe into our diaphragms rather than taking these short lung breaths that do nothing for increasing our vo2 maximum. Not only do we perform at higher levels with more oxygen in our body but we are also happier human beings when we slow our heart rates down by taking these larger deeper diaphragmatic breaths.

Breathing into your diaphragm also has a direct correlation to controlling your lift in any exercise. By "charging" the belly, or filling it with air before our lift. We increase the stability in our core and spine, resulting in a much more stable environment for our bodies to produce maximum force.

As I stated above these concepts are the basics of exercise. 99.9 percent of people I see everyday do not follow these basic principles. That means that 99.9 percent of people are either hurting themselves in the long run, or hindering their overall performance.

The staff and I at Primal Athletic Performance will be writing another article soon on the more advanced techniques to power production and athleticism. Please, if you choose to use the techniques that we employ on a day-to-day basis, start with basics and master them before you move onto the more difficult techniques.

David Gentile
Owner/ Head trainer
Primal Athletic Performance

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Gain Weight And Bulk Up By NOT Eating Fast Food!

When I was a teenager, I was so desperate to put on weight that I spent a ton of money eating fast food every other meal in a desperate attempt to put on weight. Little did I know, that doing bicep curls twice a week and eating Taco Bell and McDonald's daily weren't going to give me what I was looking for. You can't look good and eat fast food at the same time, it just doesn't work.

Fast food should be a cheat day joy-ride at most, you should never count on a fast food meal to provide you with any nutrition. I would go through and spend 6 bucks on tacos and then wonder why I felt like crap all the time. I looked like crap too, I was six feet tall and weighed in at a whopping 130 pounds. Not exactly what a person would call "healthy." The truth is, there are hardly any nutrients in fast food, and they are filled to the edge with preservatives. I wouldn't recommend eating fast food more than once a week. It can really hinder your bulking progress. Think of eating fast food to be on the same level of severity as skipping the gym.

So, if you have been eating fast food for a while and wonder why you aren't putting on weight, look no further. But, what food do we replace this with in our daily routines? The answer is whole foods. You should be eating whole foods every meal. What are whole foods? They foods that contain no preservatives and haven't been processed or refined. Think of them as "all-natural." These are the foods that contain the most nutrients and will do you the most good. Your entire life will change for the better by eating whole foods exclusively. Here are some examples of whole foods:

OatsChicken breast, steak, lean ground beefPastaFruitsVegetablesFishEggs

Start getting most of your calories from these whole food sources and you will start to see the muscle pile on. I would also recommend finding a good weight gainer recipe in order to provide yourself with a daily caloric surplus. You need to be calculating your caloric and macro nutrient intake every single day. Make sure you know how much you need to be eating by calculating your caloric needs and pair this information with a weight lifting routine designed for bulking and you will be brawny in no time.

Here is a link to a really good weight gainer shake recipe. It is comprised most of whole foods and contains over a thousand calories.

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Advanced Workout and Nutrition Program

The following article is meant for advanced body builders who have been regularly working out for the past one year. The plans and advices put forward in this article are just suggestions. Feel free to make changes and substitute new exercises. An organized set of advanced workout program along with advanced nutritional supplements, pretty much guarantees your success.

Advanced workout program

Before starting with your advance workout program, please bear in mind the following points.

Always warm up before you start trainingDo the work outs slowly and work your way up.Set your goals taking into consideration your abilities.Increase the intensity, duration and reps whenever possible.Start slow, don't overload yourself with weights.Divide your workout program and schedule.Include proper rest period for your muscles.

The advance workout program that follows is just a sample work selected randomly from a list of thousands. Workouts vary from person to person and from trainer to trainer.

Monday -chest

For the following exercises, do three sets of 10 to 12 reps. try to finish your workout routine within 60 to 70 min.Exercises include -Dumbbell flys, dumbbell press, incline press, incline flys, hip push-ups.Do 20 min of cardio, which can include jogging, treadmill or cycling.

Tuesday -lats

Finish your workout in 80 to 90 min and include 20 min of cardio.Exercises include-Weight pull ups, dumbbell rows, narrow grip pull ups, bend over rows, alternating grip pull ups.

Wednesday - legs

Finish your workout in 70 to 80 min and include 20 min of cardio.Exercises include-Lunges, stiff leg dead lifts, hanging leg curls, weight calf raises, skateboard squats.

Thursday - shoulders

Complete your workout within 80 to 90 min, include 20 min of cardio.Exercises include-front raise, side race, alternating dumbbell press, shrugs, rotation both inner and outer.

Friday - arms

Complete your workout program in 80 to 90 min, include 20 min of cardio.Exercises include- Hammer curls, reverse curls, dumbbell curls, chair dips, dumbbell press, preacher curls, and skull crushers.

Saturday and Sunday

Give your body the much-needed rest.You can however do 20 min of cardio on these days.

For an advanced body builder, half of the work is done in the gym and the rest is through nutrition. During advance workout session you stretch and break your muscle fibers causing damage. For these muscle fibers to recover and grow bigger, diet rich in proteins is a must. Your diet should include 1 gram or more proteins per pound, and not more than 15 cal per pound per day. Here are some pointers that will help you with your diet.

Eat lots of fresh vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, beans, and meat.Avoid sugar, alcohol, fatty food, fast food, salty food, and starchy food.Drink plenty of water.Divide your meals and space them 4 hourly.Supplement your diet with protein powder.Remember to load your bloodstream with proteins, pre-and post-workout.Protein preferred for Pre-and post-workout is whey.Protein (casein) should be taken before sleep and after getting up in the morning.

The two keywords for success are hard work and proper diet. Once you start feeling comfortable with your workout program and your nutrition schedule, don't break the rhythm. Workout routinely and success will be yours.

Until the next article "Be Your Best"

Want to get fit quick? Head on over to Men-N-Fitness and get a free 7 day training guide.

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Break Through Your Weight Training Plateau With These Tips

Every bodybuilder that has continued lifting weight for a long enough period of time has experienced a "plateau" - a point where your gains in strength and size seem to completely stop. This occurs even when following nutrition, supplementation and workout routines perfectly. It is one of the most frustrating things about being a bodybuilder. And there are only two options when reaching a plateau: blast through it or give up.

If this is your first plateau, chances are it's time to increase your training intensity. Just doing three sets of 15 reps isn't going to be enough for your body any more. You've already taken your muscles to one limit, now blast through to the next. There are several methods for increasing the intensity of your weight lifting. We've outlined a few of them below.

Take a Break from the Gym

If you've reached a plateau, the first thing you should do is...rest. Studies have shown that weight lifters do not lose a significant amount of muscular strength or size if they stop working out for up to two weeks. Just avoid the gym for one week. You should stay motivated by reading bodybuilding articles on the internet or in magazines, and planning out your new workout schedule. After a week off, you could find that you have more energy because you allowed all your muscles to completely recover.

Also, sleep is very important to your body for recovery, especially if you lift weights. Make sure you are getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Just an extra one to two hours a night can make a huge difference in your gains as a weight lifter.

Change your Workout Schedule

If you are currently working out three days per week, increase your trips to the gym to four days per week. If you already go four times, now go five times (if you already go five times, consider going less - maybe you're going too often).

If you're currently exercising different body parts on different days, consider changing the days you do each body part. If you usually do chest and triceps on Monday, try doing them on Tuesday. If you are currently going three days each week, and do different body parts on different days, you will have to reorganize your workouts anyway. Below is an example four day body split routine:

Monday: Back and BicepsTuesday: Chest and tricepsThursday: Thighs and CalvesFriday: Abs and shoulders

Change Each Exercise
First, before adding any more intensity to each exercise, be sure that you are performing each exercise with excellent form. If you are jerking or swinging the weight, simply paying attention to keeping your form strict may be the change you need to start your muscles growing again.

One idea for increasing the intensity is doing what's called a "burn set". Let's use the biceps curl as an example. If you usually use a 50-pound barbell, and you can do 12 reps in each set, as soon as you reach failure on that 12th rep, immediately put that barbell down and grab a 25-pound barbell and crank out as many reps as you can. You'll then see why it's call a "burn set". Throwing this type of crazy pump after a standard set will certainly shock your muscles.

Reaching a bodybuilding plateau can be one of the most frustrating aspects of weight lifting. But you can get through it; you just have to push on through. As long as you don't give up, you won't be disappointed in the results.

"Until the next article "Be Your Best"

Want to get fit quick? Head on over to Men-N-Fitness and get a free 7 day training guide.

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Machines Versus Free Weights

Machines can be used as a learning ground, a smart device to teach you the proper execution of a particular exercise. The only disadvantage is that the rest of the body just sites there and waits for you to finish and move on to the next body part. You will make gains depending on how well rounded your workout is and how rapidly you move from one machine to the next, as well as the weight load you are using.

By using free weights, you enlist most of the body to assist you in the lifting and lowering of weight with most exercise. You have to recruit other muscles to help you lift the load for a single muscle group. Open and closed-chain exercises are what we are talking about here.

Open-chain exercise is just that, an open link of a chain, singular and unattached to the rest of the link system. This is what weight machines will offer. You sit on the machine and extend your legs against the weight affecting the quadriceps only, or you site on another machine and press against the bar that will exhaust only the shoulders. The key here is "only." These muscles are working alone.

Closed -chain exercise closes that link and promotes the chain to work as a unit, with each link working collectively to carry the load. Therefore, the same muscles that were described above using free weights would require doing a squat. The squat involves holding the weight and stabilizing the body by contracting the middle of the body; as you perform the squat, the entire lower body (butt, hamstrings, abs, lower back, and the quads) benefits, not just the quads. You are getting more work done in less time.

It's important to remember the mind body connection. If you're weightlifting using proper form yet you're not feeling the tension in the correct muscle groups, stop, take a breath, and refocus.

Don't worry about the weight you're trying to move, but rather focus on the movement itself. This is where lifting gloves like ProGrips can be important. The less you worry about holding or gripping the weight, the more you can connect your body and mind.

Give your body and your brain something to do together. You body will always look for the easiest way to perform (execute) an exercise. Your brain will help the body obtain the maximum benefits by developing your sense of postural balance and building stronger muscles.

With over 25 years of combined Health and Fitness experience, the ProGrips fitness team is comprised of several professionals from all facets of the Health and Fitness industry.

With http://buyprogrips.com/ we want to encourage and motivate you to commit to your workouts and exercise routines. With the ProGrips Fitness team at http://buyprogrips.com/blog/ we want to show you how!

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