Weight Training and Self Esteem

Weight training can build a persons self esteem dramatically. Once you start seeing the results you will start to feel better about yourself. You will find yourself not just looking in the mirror but admiring what you see there. The more you see improvement, the better that you will feel about yourself. And that's not all just because of the muscle that you are seeing.

A big thing with weight training is that you have set goals for yourself, that you know you have to work for. There is nothing easy about exercise, diet, or weight training. You have to work for what you want, but trust me, it's well worth it. At one point in time, my goal was to be able to bench press 300 pounds. You can only imagine the feeling I had inside once I reached that goal. Now I'm shooting for more. Each time I reach a goal, my confidence grows. Everyday, I know that I am improving myself, and everyday, I feel better about myself.

Another way that weight training and fitness improves your self esteem is the attention. Once you start improving your physique, you will notice that you will be getting more attention. People who normally wouldn't have talked to you in the past will come start the conversation with you. The more you improve, the more attention you will get. You will start getting alot of compliments and that alone will start to build your self esteem. The added attention and compliments help to build your confidence and make you feel better about the way that you look.

Now this is a process and doesn't happen overnight. It takes time and effort. You have to want it, and want it bad. It's not going to be given to you. If you want to feel better about yourself, then exercise, fitness and weight training can help you do that. There are some free advice sites out there that will help you get the body that you have always wanted. But again I say "help" you get there. It will not be given to you, it will take a lot of work, but, it is well worth it. The choice is yours, and only yours, to make. Are you tired of looking down on yourself because of the way that you look? Well, do something about it. It's your decision, you have to take the first step. So let's get started.

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The Best Way To Gain Weight, Bulk Up, And Build Muscle

Home  »  Weight Gain Programs  »  The Best Way To Gain Weight, Bulk Up, And Build Muscle By Carlos DeFlavia   |  Comments

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You’ve set the goal: now is the time that you’re finally going to obtain that muscular body that you’ve been wanting for so long. As such, you’re starting to do your research to find the best way to gain weight that will help you pack on quality lean muscle mass as quickly as possible.

With so many muscle building programs and diets out there, it can be hard to decide which is worth your time and which is just going to waste it.

How do you know what the best way to gain weight is? Is there just one most effective method?

Let’s take a look at a few of the factors that you should know about when looking for the best way to gain weight.

The very first thing that you absolutely must do if you’re going to figure out the best way to gain weight is to take into account what your body type is. Simply put, each and every person is going to react slightly differently to any given muscle building plan.

If you’re an ectomorph (skinny guy) for instance and can’t seem to gain weight no matter what you try, you would not do well on an incredibly high volume weight training program. Chances are, that would just cause you to lose weight. Not quite what you’re looking for. Rather, you need a muscle building program created specifically for hardgainers.

On the other hand, if you’re a mesomorph who’s been building muscle for quite some time and are now looking to take your body to the next level, the best way to gain weight for you will be a plan that incorporates a variety of advanced training techniques such as drop sets, supersets, and so on.

Lastly, if you’re someone who’s a strong endomorph and has a clear tendency to gain body fat, for you, the best way to gain weight will be a slower and steady approach. If you use a very high calorie surplus in effort to build muscle fast, you may just end up gaining a high degree of unwanted body fat.

Your metabolism tends to run slower and as such, you must keep your calorie intake in check. Your weight lifting program should also likely incorporate a bit of cardio training as well to help burn off any excess calories should you start to gain body fat.

The next thing that you have to look at when you’re trying to gain weight is the diet that you’re using. You absolutely must have a higher calorie diet if you want to build muscle mass. How high those calories are will depend on your metabolic rate and body type as mentioned above, but you do need that surplus if you hope to have success. If it’s not there, you won’t be getting any larger.

You can’t build something out of nothing, so food needs to be coming in.

Additionally, you’ll want to take in ample protein with each meal and snack you eat along with higher doses of carbohydrates around the workout period.

Some people strongly feel that the best way to gain weight is by overloading on carbs before and after the workout when you’re most anabolic and then focusing on protein and fat based meals later on in the day. This can be a very effective strategy for maximizing recovery from your workouts while also improving the chances that you stay lean as you go about the process.

Just make sure that whatever weight gain program you use to bulk up does include a diet plan as well. If it doesn’t, you’ve left out half the equation.

The next step in finding the best way to gain weight is thinking about the various workout splits that you can do. This ranges from a full body approach to an upper/lower split body approach, to finally a body part workout program where you just work one or two muscles each day.

For most people, the best way to gain weight will be either with the full body workout performed three times per week or the upper/lower split set-up.

These options allow for a higher frequency of training each muscle per week, which is one of the most important requirements for good muscle growth.

The body part split doesn’t allow for this, so that’s its big drawback. Additionally, since you’ll be performing so many compound lifts when doing a full body workout or an upper/lower set-up, you’ll also be releasing the greatest amount of anabolic hormones as well.

This further enhances your chances of seeing muscle size increases.

Finally, the full body workout along with the upper/lower split program allows for three to four days off in total each week to recover, which is more than the body part split does.

Since you only grow if you’re recovered, that’s one element that can’t be overlooked. Always remember, when you’re in the gym, you’re breaking your muscle tissues down. It’s only when you’re out of the gym that you’re body is working to build them back up so you come back bigger and stronger.

So at the end of the day, what is the best way to gain weight? Well, it all boils down to this:

You need to use a program that’s most suited for your body type! So if you’re a hardgainer, or ectomorph who wants to add muscle mass, you should NOT be following the same workout plan as an endomorph or a mesomorph.

Instead, you should be using a customized weight gain program for hardgainers.

Remember that you will need an overloading stimulus to be in place (weight lifting), plenty of rest, and good nutrition for any size gains to occur.

On top of that, other key elements that you want to seek out (as they will help you gain weight faster) are the use of compound exercises in the program, the use of heavier weights in the 5-10 rep range, and enough rest days off each week to prevent overtraining and allow full recovery to take place.

If you can get all of those things in order along with the higher calorie diet and appropriate macronutrient (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) level, you’ll be well on your way to building the muscular body you want.

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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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Best Ways To Gain Weight: 3 Exercise Techniques For Skinny Guys

Home  »  Weight Training Programs  »  Best Ways To Gain Weight: 3 Exercise Techniques For Skinny Guys By Daniel Page, CPT   |  Comments

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Try These 3 Ways To Gain Weight:
If you’re looking for the top ways to gain weight, it’s important that you consider a variety of different approaches so that you can clearly see which will help you reach your end goal the fastest.

There are a number of effective ways to gain weight that can be used if you structure them into your workout routine properly and fully understand what it is you are to be doing as you move along.

But, if you use some of the weight gain techniques improperly, you could end up overtraining and actually doing more harm than good… So pay attention!

It’s going to be imperative that you take the time to learn about these different ways to gain weight, how they work, and who they are best suited for. This way you’ll know exactly what you need to do in order to start making gains.

Let's start off with this video from Jeff Masterson:

Jeff Masterson is the creator of the Weight Gain Blueprint Program - A step-by-step muscle building program that shows you how to pack on 20... 30... even 40 pounds of muscle or more in the shortest time possible.

The first type of technique that you can use to take your progress up a notch is a superset. A superset is a form of training where you’re going to pair two exercises immediately back to back working the same muscle group with no rest in between.

So for example, you might do a set of dumbbell bicep curls followed by a set of EZ-bar reverse-bicep curls. Once both exercises are finished, then you would rest for 30-60 seconds before carrying on.

Who This Is Best Suited For:

This technique is going to be best suited to those who are more advanced lifters who are looking to induce a higher state of fatigue and bring about more lactic acid in the muscle cells.

Supersets are great for ‘pump’ training as the blood flow to the region will be enhanced, so it will really make you feel fuller after performing them.

They’re also really good for those who are short on time in their workout session as by doing these you can dramatically cut back on how much total time is necessary to move through each workout.

Adding It To Your Workout:

When adding supersets into your workout routine, you generally want to choose to do them for two muscle groups that oppose each other. So for instance, you would pair the biceps with the triceps or the quads with the hamstrings.

While this isn’t a rule, it’s generally the best way to go about setting them up.

Don’t do them on all exercises, but rather add one or two sets to each workout.

Another one of the best ways to gain weight is with drop sets. Drop sets will be where you perform one set of one exercise and then rather than stopping to rest, you drop the weight by five pounds and then perform a second set.

Once that second set is completed, you’ll drop the weight one more time and then perform a third and final set before taking your rest break.

Who This Is Best Suited For

Drop sets are great for those who also want a higher amount of fatigue generation with their workout and who are currently plateaued at a given weight on a particular exercise.

By adding a drop set into the mix, you can help overcome that plateau so that when you do go back to straight sets again, you’re able to push harder and see increases to your strength level.

Adding It To Your Workout:

Since drop sets are such a high fatigue type of technique, aim to add these towards the end of your workout program when you’re finishing off for the session. This way, you can bring about a total state of fatigue and then move on from there.

Pre-fatigue sets are another good way to bust through weight lifting plateaus and gain weight. Pre-fatigue sets entail you performing one set for an isolated exercise first before moving on to a compound movement.

This way, by tiring out that smaller muscle group, you ensure that it’s not being called into play for the compound exercise you perform and instead, it will strictly be that larger muscle group doing all the work.

Who This Is Best Suited For:

Pre-fatigue sets are ideal for those who are looking to really take the intensity of their workout program up a level and who are good with dealing with fatigue and pushing through it.

They’re also great for those who are looking to specialize in building up the larger muscle groups such as the chest, quads, hamstrings, shoulders, and back.

Adding It To Your Workout:

When adding this to your workout, you would want to pinpoint the helper muscle groups in any compound lift that you’re doing and then target that first with the isolation exercise. So for example, if you’re doing bench press and want to work the chest, perform a few sets of tricep extensions first.

Or, if you’re doing squats and want to work the hamstrings, perform a few sets of leg extensions prior to moving on to the squat.

Keep in mind that since you are tiring out these helper muscles, it’s normal to see the amount of weight you should be lifting significantly decline. This is due to the reduced level of muscle fiber recruitment that will be present when doing that compound lift, which takes away from the amount of force you have to push the weight.

So there you have a few of the commonly used ways to gain weight that you should consider adding to your workout program. Keep in mind that these are all advanced techniques so not something to do if you’re a brand new beginner.

If you’re just starting out on your weight gain journey, then using a straightforward weight gain program that focuses on simply adding more and more weight to any compound exercises you perform will likely be your best long-term strategy.

Once you have a more solid base of muscle mass behind you, then using one of these different and unique ways to gain weight will be much more beneficial to keep your progress moving forward.

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Eating Protein After Your Workout To Build Muscle Mass Faster

Home  »  Weight Gain Diets  »  Eating Protein After Your Workout To Build Muscle Mass Faster By Jeff Masterson   |  Comments

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So you hit the gym hard, made progress on all your sets, and you’re ready to get your post-workout meal in. Digesting whey protein after a workout is essential to give your muscles the fuel they need to repair and grow bigger. Sure, you can go for solid food too, but a liquid meal is best after a heavy weight training session.

Why a liquid meal? Because your body can digest the nutrients easier and faster! It’s important to get both protein and carbs into your system immediately after your workout because your body is in a catabolic state and breaking down your muscle tissue for energy. The sooner you get nutrients into your body the quicker your body can switch back into an anabolic state and begin building muscle again.

Ideally you want to have your post-workout meal no more than half an hour after your training session ends. It’s easy to bring a whey protein shake with you to the gym and just pound it in the locker room after you’re finished with your weight training.

Time-saving tip: I always get the big tubs of whey protein powder. I grab a bottle of water, dump half of it out, and funnel 2 scoops of protein in. Give it a shake and it’s ready to go. Now I can take it to the gym with me, gulp it down after my workout, and toss it in the trash. That’s one less thing I have to carry around with me - and one less “dish” I have to wash.

You should get 1.5 – 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. Some research suggests that your body can’t use more than 20 – 30 grams of protein at one sitting. But there hasn’t been enough research to make that argument 100% valid. Most bodybuilders still consume 40… 50… 60 grams of protein after a workout. I say it’s better to go on the high end and take more than you need rather than not enough. If you’re trying to build muscle you don’t want to waste a workout by not feeding your body enough of what it needs. And it needs protein!

Well, it depends how much money you want to spend. There are 2 main kinds of protein you can look at taking after your workout: Whey protein concentrate: This is a lower-quality protein but it’s cheaper. It’s got more lactose and fat than isolate and may cause some people to get gassy and bloated.
Whey protein isolate: This is a more pure form of protein, which of course makes it more expensive. The good thing is, it’s more effective than the concentrate and you won’t be farting all over the place or feeling bloated which is always a plus.There are other forms of protein like casein, but for your post-workout shake, you’ll want to use either concentrate or isolate. Casein is a slower absorbing protein and we want something that will quickly replenish our muscles after a workout.

There are many different brands of protein available to choose from. And to tell you the truth, the brand you use really comes down to personal preference. Some taste good, others taste horrible. I’ve been using Nature’s Best Isopure Whey Protein Isolate and I like it. I get it in both chocolate and vanilla flavors.

Just look at the ingredients before you buy. The more “hyped up” it is the more unnecessary junk they usually add to it. Take a look at the sugar and carbs on the nutrition facts. A good whey protein shouldn’t have more than 5 grams of carbs. And ideally it would have 0 sugar.

We’ve covered why it’s important to take protein after your workout, how much you should be taking, the different kinds of protein, and what you should look for when you’re shopping around. Put this info to good use and start taking a protein supplement after each workout and you’ll start to grow faster.

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Prohormones and Their Effects on Building Muscle

Home  »  Weight Gain Supplements  »  Prohormones and Their Effects on Building Muscle By Jared Hawthorne   |  Comments

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What if you could acquire a muscle building supplement that provided some of the same benefit as anabolic steroids but was cheaper, safer, AND legal? Well, for quite a few years, you COULD.

Prohormones are a category of synthetic products that basically force the body to make more testosterone, or produce bi-products that then encourage the body to do so.

Prohormone basically means that the substance is not the hormone itself but causes a reaction in the body to make the substance. Anabolic steroids are actually synthetic versions of the hormone itself so if you take steroids, you are basically increasing the amount of testosterone in the body. By taking prohormones, you are taking something that CAUSES the body to make testosterone. Confused yet?

It can be confusing at first but if you look at it this way it is easily understood: Steroids basically act as testosterone. Prohormones cause the body to MAKE testosterone.

Because prohormones do not act as the hormone itself, they were legal for quite some time. It was legal because in the end, it is actually the body making the increased testosterone.

After some further research and investigation in their effects, prohormones were eventually banned from professional sports (the Mark Mcguire, Andro incident should come to mind) and most were eventually made illegal by a law based in 2004 by President George Bush. There are still some supplements that can be considered prohormones, such as DHEA that are legal, but if you are in doubt, make sure to do your research before attempting to acquire the product as possessing one of the illegal substances can surely land you in jail.

As far as their effects on muscle building, the proof was never 100% that all worked as they were touted to be effective anabolic steroid replacements, especially considering their relatively high price in the marketplace. They did increase the production of testosterone in the body, but the amounts were often thought to be quite a bit less than would be experienced with the use of regular steroids.

Because of the fact that they DID have an effect on your hormones, some of the same positive AND negative side effects were often experienced by users. This included skin disorders including acne cysts, increase hair grown in certain areas and hair loss in others, and even the growth of breasts in men. The usage was never properly regulated, as the products were not on the market long enough for consistent and effective usage to be demonstrated.

The fact is most prohormones are illegal so when in doubt, simply stay away from them. There are still plenty of natural substances, such as creatine and protein that can have extremely positive effects on muscle growth without the serious side effects or threat of jail time.

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Using ZMA To Boost Your Testosterone And Build More Muscle

Home  »  Weight Gain Supplements  »  Using ZMA To Boost Your Testosterone And Build More Muscle? By Jeff Masterson   |  Comments

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Another muscle building supplement that has hit the market as of late is called ZMA which stands for Zinc Magnesium Aspartate. In case you were thinking it doesn’t sound like a common ingredient that you can get from food, you would at least be partially right. ZMA is a man made supplement that was created in a lab. It contains a mixture of Zinc, Magnesium, and vitamin b6.

It was patented by a company called Balco labs and was developed to help supplement the mineral deficiencies of zinc and magnesium found in bodybuilders and weight lifters after strenuous workouts. But, why should you care if they lost some zinc and magnesium during a workout?

First of all, Zinc is largely responsible for the production of testosterone in the body. As Zinc is depleted, so is the production of testosterone and we all know how incredibly important testosterone is to muscle building. Supplementing with Zinc helps to increase the anabolic activity of the body and can greatly increase the production of muscle. Now, just by increasing Zinc levels you won’t experience massive growth, but in the world of muscle, every little bit helps.

The second ingredient in ZMA, Magnesium, helps bring oxygen to muscles which is incredibly vital for them to function, repair, and grow.

Now, you might have come to the conclusion that both Zinc and Magnesium are contained in fairly high amounts in your average multivitamin. If you did, you’re right, but there is still a good reason to look into supplementing using ZMA. The reason is because of a process known as COMPETING NUTRIENTS.

Competing nutrients exists when the presence of one nutrient negates or limits the effectiveness of another. In this case, calcium is the culprit. The presence of calcium in your system can severely limit the absorption of both Zinc and Magnesium and so those folks who supplement with protein powders that are high in calcium often don’t get enough out of the Zinc and Magnesium they get through their diet or even a multivitamin supplement making adding ZMA to their list of supplements a good idea.

In recent studies, supplementing with ZMA has show increases in testosterone by as much as 30% and strength gains that were two and a half times higher than with the group using a placebo. These results certainly make the case as to why using this supplement may be a good idea to help support your muscle building and strength building efforts. In addition, those using ZMA have also reported better sleep as well. Muscle grow while we sleep so this is another reason to look at giving this one a shot.

Because of the lessening effects discussed with respect to ZMA and Calcium present in your system at the same time, it is wise to try to take this supplement when there is little calcium present in your system.

Taking ZMA before bedtime, once your body has digested much of what you have ingested throughout the day is a good way to make this happen. For many, the jury is still out on just how effective ZMA really is at building strength and muscle, but considering that the supplement is relatively cheap, it may just be worth your trying out a bottle or two to see for yourself.

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