Muscle Building Tips burn the fat and become a body builder

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2010-01-15T06:53:00.001-08:00

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Goal Setting For The New Decade: Beyond The New Year's Resolution

2010-01-03T17:27:00.002-08:00

Goal Setting For The New Decade: Beyond The New Year's Resolution
By Tom Venuto

When you pause and reflect on the past decade as you look ahead to a new one, it makes you appreciate how short life is, how valuable time is and how quickly the time can pass you by - with nothing to show for it, if you don’t plan otherwise.

That’s why the passing of another decade can feel like a wakeup call as much as a fresh start: Looking at the technological wonders that surround us in 2010, I can’t help thinking it feels like science fiction.

In fact, modern technology is one of the reasons why some people have succeeded at body transformation while others have failed.

I’m still in awe of the web. The satellite navigation system in my car amazes me every time I drive. I can store a library of books in a device that fits in my pocket. It blows my mind that we can speak to each other face to face through the internet live on video. That’s straight from Star Trek! And those are just the everyday little things.

The cover story of the January 2010 National Geographic magazine is titled, “Merging Man and Machine” – it’s about bionic limbs. Richard Branson’s company, Virgin Galactic just unveiled spaceship two and is preparing to launch civilians into sub orbital space flights.

It’s the greatest time to be alive in all of human history! Unfortunately, today’s modern conveniences have brought a dark side upon us.

Rising obesity has paralleled the march of technology. The chair-bound, desk-job, computer, car, elevator, television based society of today is helping to make millions of people fat and lazy.

Our current way of life is less than a century old, yet our biology hasn’t changed in tens of thousands of years. Our bodies were designed to move and work, not sit and click.

We’ve become spoiled. Complacent. Dependent. And we are paying a price for it. We are fatter than ever before in all of human history. More than two thirds of Americans are now overweight. One third are obese.

People are dying because they‘re too fat.

Ironically, none of our new technology can solve our body fat problems. There’s no easy way. No pill. No machine. No drug. More knowledge isn’t going to help. We already have most of the answers. We know more about the human body than ever before. But it’s all academic.

The problem lies in the doing. You have to do the work – in the gym and in the kitchen. Hard work.

We are a quick fix society. It’s partly human nature, but technology is making us more impatient. We can have products delivered to us with one click and even do it from our cell phones. We have instant downloads, movies on demand, and drive through coffee shops. We get our food made and delivered in just minutes while we are sitting in our cars, and it’s still not quick enough. The internet is blazingly fast, but most people will abandon a web page in seconds if it hasn’t loaded. It’s no different with fat loss. We want six pack abs yesterday.

Simultaneously fighting the pull of human nature and the convenience of new technology is no easy task. But there is a solution: Future Orientation.

The most successful people in the world today are those who have a long term perspective. They plan 5-10 years in advance and beyond. They know how to enjoy and live in the present moment, but they take action and make decisions based on their future vision.

The passing of another decade makes you take stock of yourself and your achievements, or lack thereof. “What did I accomplish in the last 10 years? Am I a better person today than I was in 2000?”

If you don’t like the answers, then it’s time to finally get serious about your future because the next 10 years are going to fly by even faster than the last 10 as the pace of life and society gets even faster.

To succeed in the new decade, think beyond new year’s resolutions. Think beyond the 12 week fitness goal. As you write your goals this year, don’t stop with 3 month or even 1 year goals.

Project yourself into the future: 3, 5 and 10 years from now. For each point, dream, fantasize, visualize: if your body, your health your physical performance were perfect in every way, what would that look like? Describe it in vivid detail.

With our ingrained penchant for quick fixes, we often overestimate what we can achieve in the short term and set unrealistic deadlines on our short term goals. But the flipside is that we often underestimate what we can achieve in the long term, so we set our long term goals too low. Do you realize that people have gone from broke to billionaire in 10 years? In this internet age, some have done it even faster.

My challenge for you this year is to start thinking about your body and your life with the same type of creativity that has led to our greatest technological advances:

Not the same thoughts as yesterday. Not just positive thoughts. just bigger thoughts. NEW THOUGHTS! Creative thoughts! Inventive thoughts! From new thoughts will spring new goals, new actions and new achievements.

Fitness goals should not take over your life, they should enhance every other part of it. So take this opportunity to achieve balance by setting long term goals for every area of your life – health, fitness, finances, career, relationships, experiences, travel, possessions and spiritual growth.

Most people didn’t set any goals 10 years ago. They’re among the masses who are in the same place today as they were a decade ago.

Some people only set short term goals, so they accomplished a few little things, but then stopped, as if a goal were a final destination rather than a stepping stone along a path. Other people set goals but didn’t follow through on them. They forgot that goal setting and goal achieving are two different things.

Don’t fall into these traps.

If you need coaching in the goal setting process – from the daily and weekly baby steps to the long term goals and dreams that span a decade – read chapter one of Burn The Fat, Feed the Muscle. If you already have it. Now is the time to revisit it.

If you don’t own a copy yet, you can get the program BY CLICKING HERE

Most people make resolutions. Some people set well-formed goals. But long term goals are the goals that almost everyone forgets to set.

If you didn’t do this exercise 10 years ago, do it now. If you do, I guarantee that in 2013, 2015, 2020, you’ll not only find yourself living at a whole new level, you’ll find yourself living in another world - one of your own creation.

Happy New Year!

Tom Venuto, author of
Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle

Click Here To Learn More!

5 Excuses That Won't Fly in 2010

2010-01-03T17:27:00.001-08:00

5 Excuses That Won't Fly in 2010
By Tom Venuto

It’s 2010. Your old excuses for not getting in shape won’t work. As Dr. Evil (Austin Powers) said, ZIP IT! I don’t want to hear them anymore! Read em’, then haul your excuseless butt to the gym!

1. I have no time.

According to a story in a recent issue of Men’s Health magazine, Barack Obama works out for 45 minutes a day, 6 days a week. Obama doesn’t just play basketball either. Our new president stays fit to lead with cardio and weight lifting. He also says he wishes he could train 90 minutes a day. Have you ever seen what the daily schedule of a U.S. president looks like? If the busiest man in the world can train every day for 45 minutes a day, then what’s your excuse? ZIP IT! You ain’t got one!

2. It’s too expensive.

Getting in shape certainly is expensive… if you keep wasting hundreds of dollars, month after month on worthless “miracle” weight loss pills, internal cleansing gimmicks and “magic” potions that all claim to make you slim. Deceptive advertising and slick marketing for bogus diet aids is more rampant than ever. 2010 was the year of thewu-long tea scam, the acai berry scam, and, of course, the ubiquitous “cleansing” and “detox” gimmicks . Unless you put on your critical thinking cap and learn to investigate before you invest, then you’ll get scammed by 2010’s flavor of the year as well. Your quest for those elusive “6-pack” abs will not only continue to be expensive, you’ll go broke. Walking, jogging, calisthenics and body weight exercises are FREE. If you want to know what’s really expensive, tally up the cost of legitimate expenses like natural food, gym memberships, fitness education, dumbbells and so on, and compare that to your doctor’s bill when you’re sick.

3. No one will support me.

Experts on social influence say your income will be approximately equal to the average of your 5 closest friends. Not only do I think that’s pretty darn accurate, I also believe that your health is your greatest wealth, and your physical condition will be about equal to the average of your 5 closest friends. It’s a real challenge to stay positive, focused and active when you’re surrounded by critical people and negative influences. However, in 2010, lack of support is no longer a valid excuse. Online social networking is exploding (check out Twitter and Facebook ) and more IN PERSON friendships and associations are being made from an internet connection than ever before. Training buddies can be found online. Connect with them. Mentors and coaches are easily found online. Hire them. Support forums have been around for years. Use them. No support from your current friends? Stop whining, start reaching out and go make new ones. In 2010, support partners and new friends are just a click away.

4. I can’t lose weight because of my genetics.

The marvels of modern medical and biological research are astonishing. Our top scientists have mapped the human genome! In the past few years, numerous genes linked to obesity have been discovered. However, the obesity epidemic we’re facing today has only developed over the past 50 years and genetic mutations that lead to serious obesity are extremely rare. Genetic predisposition only means that you have a tendency. It’s when the genetics meet lifestyle and environment that the genes express themselves. If you have a family history of heart disease, is it smart to smoke, eat junk, be a stressed-out, type-A maniac and a couch potato? Well of course not, and it’s the same with obesity. If you have a tendency predisposing you towards obesity, you’d better be the person doing the MOST exercise, not the least. You’d better be the person paying the MOST attention to your nutrition. You’d better be the person with the healthiest lifestyle. But unfortunately, it’s usually the opposite. Most people throw up their arms in frustration saying, “what’s the use, I was dealt a bad hand.” Sorry. That won’t fly in 2010. The latest research says genetics are a factor, but a tendency is not a destiny!

5. I don’t know how.

The lamest excuse of them all in 2010 is “I don’t know how.” NO ONE KNOWS HOW TO DO ANYTHING UNTIL AFTER THEY HAVE ACTUALLY DONE IT! Ponder that for a while. You don’t need to know how at first. To get started, you only need to know WHAT… what is the goal? Setting well-formed goals is the master skill of success. Not wishy-washy resolutions that have no resolve behind them, but real goals. In writing. With emotional ooompf! As you continue to affirm, visualize and focus on your goal with clarity, belief, and expectation, your new goal or intention will be received by your subconscious. Once a goal is accepted into your subconscious mind, your brain, being a goal-seeking mechanism, will turn on your attention filters to seek out all the information you will ever need to reach your goal. It will also turn on an infallible navigation system to guide you to your goal like a torpedo to its target. As your brain guides your attention, your direction and your behavior, you will discover that today, in 2010, there is more good information, coaching and instruction available than ever before. And when you’ve activated that “success radar” in your brain by setting goals effectively, it’s not as hard to find honest, accurate and helpful HOW-TO advice as you might think. In fact, you found this webpage, so you’re doing pretty good right now, aren’t you?

No more excuses. In 2010, remember my Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle Creed: You can either make excuses or get results, but you can’t do both!

Your friend and coach,

Tom Venuto
Fat Loss Coach

Instead of New Year's Resolutions, Set S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Goals

2010-01-03T17:26:00.000-08:00

Instead of New Year's Resolutions, Set S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Goals
By Tom Venuto

Why do new year’s resolutions usually fail? Why do you start with guns blazing on January 1st, but by February, you’re losing motivation, cheating on your diet, skipping workouts, and slipping back into old patterns? John LaValle, a master trainer of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) suggests that we should take a closer look at the meaning behind the word “Resolution.” Being derived from the word “re-solve," it really means “to solve again.” And isn’t that exactly what happens? You solve the same problem again and again, year after year?

You know what I’m talking about… That 20 pounds you lost last year, and promptly gained it right back… you are now resolving to take it off again aren’t you? The very nature of the word resolution implies gaining it back again.

Suggestion: don’t make resolutions. Set SMARTER goals.

Resolutions aren’t real goals. They’re more like wishes, and wishes are wishy-washy. A wish becomes a goal the moment you put it in writing. When you write your goals in a certain way, following scientific principles of success psychology, you’ll skyrocket your chances of getting what you want this year… and keeping it.

One of the most tried and true methods for goal achievement is the SMART goals formula. If you searched the net for SMART goals, you would probably find a dozen different variations on the SMART goal acronym. Here’s my version of SMART goals, along with a little extra to make them even SMART-ER.

1. Specific. Set goals with clarity. Your mind does not respond well to vague generalities. If you say your goal is to lose weight and then you lose one pound, then you’ve reached your goal. Is that what you really wanted? Get clear. Be precise. Be specific.

2. Measurable. Set goals that can be quantified in measurable units such as pounds, body fat percentage, lean body mass, inches and clothing sizes. Performance goals can include strength (lbs or kilos lifted) and repetitions completed. Don’t forget to include health goals as well, such as blood pressure and blood lipids.

3. Accountable. Set goals you can be held accountable to. First be accountable to yourself by using a weekly progress chart, a daily nutrition diary and a training journal. Then double your motivation with external accountability and submit your results and journals to someone else who will hold you to your commitments.

4. Realistic. Set goals that are attainable and maintainable. If you lose two pounds of fat per week, you are doing awesome. 30 pounds in 30 days sounds great in the advertisements, but it is not typical, and rapid weight loss is likely to consist of muscle and water, not fat, and is nearly impossible to maintain.

5. Time Bound. Set goals with deadlines. Time limits are highly motivating. With no time limit, there is no urgency for completion. Set goals for daily workouts and nutrition, weekly weight and body composition and 12 week changes in weight, body fat or measurements. Set long term goals as well for one year, five years and even beyond. For all time periods, be certain that your deadline is realistic.

Now we add some motivational ooompf for this year by making your goals even SMART-ER!

6. Emotional. Goals give you a direction, but strong emotions are the propulsion system that drives you in that direction. Build up a burning desire by focusing on the emotional reasons why you want to achieve your goal. Connect your goals to your values. What’s most important to you about reaching your goal? If you reach 9% body fat, or whatever is your target, what will that do for you? What will your life look like then? How will it make you FEEL?

7. Reviewed often. Resolutions fail because they are casually set once at the beginning of the year and easily forgotten. Stay laser-focused by writing and reading your goals every day. Repetition is one of the keys to re-programming your mental computer for success. Use the goal card technique. Write your single most important body or fitness goal on a small card, then carry it with you every where you go, reading it several times a day.

S.M.A.R.T.E.R. GOALS is a simple, memorable formula for goal setting and goal getting. It may not be new, but then again, there are no new fundamentals. Methods and tactics may change, but scientific principles of success never change. And don’t forget to make your goals even smarter this year. A goal that’s not strongly desired and kept in front of you every day will be forgotten. Stay focused, eat right, train hard and expect success!

“A goal that is casually set and lightly taken will be freely abandoned at the first obstacle.” - Zig Ziglar, Motivational Speaker

Your friend and coach,

Tom Venuto
Fat Loss Coach

Your Fitness Future Foretold: 20 Predictions for the New Year

2010-01-03T17:25:00.000-08:00

Your Fitness Future Foretold: 20 Predictions for the New Year

By Tom Venuto

Happy New Year! In this article, I'm going to predict your future and forecast exactly what kind of results you're going to get in the next 12 months. Sylvia Browne, step aside... I'm pretty good at this.

Several years ago, a public relations firm in New York City asked me to write an article for one of their publications about fitness trends and predictions for the coming year.

It turned out that my "crystal ball" was pretty darn accurate. I nailed most of the predictions I made about aerobics classes, yoga, core training, "holistic" approaches, online personal training technology, the baby boomer market, increasing obesity and many other subjects.

I do confess, it wasn't that difficult, because instead of just guessing, I actually did some research on industry statistics and I also had some "inside insights" because I'd been a health club manager for so many years and was privy to fitness business trends.

This year, instead of making predictions for the whole fitness industry, what if I could take out my crystal ball again and predict with 99% precision exactly what kind of results you will achieve with your body by the end of the year?

Well, no problem, I can do that too!

I would claim that I have some kind of "gift" for this, but to be honest, you and I don't need to be psychic to make predictions like these.

There are two things you can always count on: (1) Nature's laws of cause and effect, and (2) human nature.

On that basis, here are my 20 fitness predictions for the new year:

I PREDICT that if you can reach into your pocket on any day this year and pull out a card or piece of paper with all your body and fitness goals written on it in vivid detail, the odds are 95 to 1 in favor of you achieving every one of those goals before the year is out.

I PREDICT that if you focus your thoughts on your goals and how you are going to achieve them, all day long, you will reach your goals so fast this year, it will make your head spin.

I PREDICT that if you focus your thoughts on health woes and body fat problems and if you think about what you don't want, all day long, your problems will get worse than ever this year.

I PREDICT that if you made a new year's resolution, but you didn't turn it into a specific, written goal with a deadline and a strong reason why you must achieve it, you will freely abandon it the moment the going gets tough.

I PREDICT that if you can tell me all the reasons why achieving your health and fitness goals are important to you, you will be motivated from within to stick with it when the going gets tough.

I PREDICT that at times, the going is going to get tough.

I PREDICT that if you can tell me today what is your life purpose and what is your lifelong vision for your body and your health, you will still be as motivated and driven at the end of the year as you were at the beginning.

I PREDICT that if you don't have long term goals and a "big picture" vision for your life that you will lose your New Year's enthusiasm and motivation in a matter of months or even weeks.

I PREDICT that the way you see yourself in your mind's eye today will be an exact reflection of what you see in the mirror at the end of the year.

I PREDICT that if you have a setback that seems to get in the way of you reaching your health and fitness goals and you tell yourself "this just is temporary; this too shall pass," then it will pass and it won't set you back.

I PREDICT that if you believe the way your body looks today is out of your control and you feel helpless or powerless to change, you won't even make much of an effort this year.

I PREDICT that if you accept complete responsibility for the way your body looks today and you believe that you have the power to change, that you will take action and keep taking action, even through the tough times.

I PREDICT that if you're unhappy with your physical condition and you say, "it's not my fault" or you blame it on genetics, hormones or age, then your body will look pretty much the same at the end of this year as it did on New Year's day.

I PREDICT that the more you have patience, a long term perspective and the ability to postpone immediate gratification, the more likely you are to be a success one year from now.

I PREDICT that the more you seek "miracle pills" or "quick fixes," the more likely you are to be a failure one year from now.

I PREDICT that you will be tempted by many quick fixes this year.

I PREDICT that if you hang out with losers and negative people this year, you will become just like them.

I PREDICT that if you hang out with winners and positive people this year, you will become just like them.

I PREDICT that you will run into more negative people and losers this year than positive people and winners.

I PREDICT that if you recruit just one friend or support partner that stands behind you and the lifestyle changes you want to make this year, you will double your chances for success. If you surround yourself with numerous support partners, you will become virtually unstoppable.

So how does your future look for the year ahead?

Based on my "predictions," if it doesn't look as bright as you'd like it to be, then don't worry, because a prediction is not predestination.

You can't do anything to change the past, but by changing your thoughts, attitudes and actions in the present moment, the future is yours to create.

Your friend and coach,

Tom Venuto
Fat Loss Coach

muscle building tips for skinny guys

2009-10-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

Weight Gain - Muscle Building Rules for Skinny Guys and Gals!15 Tips and Tricks by Anthony Ellis On Weight Gain That Is Healthy and Fast.
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Build a Bigger Chest in 3-4 Workouts or Less

2008-06-17T03:13:00.000-07:00

If your pecs are a weak body part, or, if you’ve simply hit a progress plateau in your chest development, then this high intensity chest training program will pack slabs of muscle mass on your chest after just 3-4 workouts - and I guarantee it. This is a high intensity bodybuilding workout for advanced bodybuilders only. (Beginners don’t even think about it...)

I’m currently on workout 3 of 4 in this pec routine and the results have been so impressive that I decide to write it up for you before I even finish the final workout next week.
Considering I’m on a calorie deficit in a cutting phase, I’m especially impressed with the increase in my chest size and development after 3 workouts. You’re not going to gain much if any muscular body weight if you are in a caloric deficit, but NO DOUBT, you can improve the development of a muscle group even while cutting up. This is a perfect example. I’m going to return to this program again for sure on my next mass phase. This program is called…

Multi-Angular Rest Pause With Pump Finisher

Here’s how it works. You select two exercises. For exercise one (the main course), I chose a basic pec mass exercise that can be done at any angle from steep incline to flat bench. Thats the primary exercise you stick with for all 4 workouts. Incline Dumbbell Press was the natural choice. I set up on a fully adjustable bench that allows multiple angles of incline.

For exercise two (dessert), I chose an isolation exercise for a pump finisher, and it changes with every workout.

Here’s the sequence:

A1 Incline Dumbbell Press - steep incline - about 65-70 degrees
6 reps
rest 10 seconds

A2 Incline Dumbbell Press - medium (regular) incline - about 45 degress
6 reps
10 seconds

A3 Incline Dumbbell Press - low incline - about 20-25 degrees
6 reps
10 seconds rest

A4 Dumbbell Press - flat bench
6 reps

Now rest 2 - 3 minutes.

That’s one "set." Technically of course, that is FOUR SETS, done in rest pause fashion, so lets call it one “round” for clarity’s sake.

Yes… that was round ONE. Now do it two more times.

Note: It helps a lot if you have a training partner change the bench angle so you can stay seated and keep the dumbbells in your hands. Doing it alone is slow and cumbersome.

For poundage, youre going to have to go MUCH lighter than usual. Although I don't train heavy pecs anymore, last time I did, I was doing 6 reps with 125s on the incline. So for this program I took about 50-60% of that; 70 lbs on workout 1, 75 lbs on workout 2,and 80 lbs on workout 3. On the last one, I had to drop to the 75s to finish all 3 rounds and even then I needed some forced reps towards the end.

You may need to decrease the weight on the 2nd or 3rd round, but if at all humanly possible, do NOT reduce the weight during each round. Doing all four angles at the same poundage is the whole idea.

What may happen, especially if you even slightly overestimated your starting poundage, is that reps may drop with each angle change within a round. First angle - 6 reps is easy. second angle, a little harder, but still no problem. Third angle, you might only squeeze out 5 reps or hit honest failure on the 6th rep. 4th angle (flat), you might hit total failure on the 4th or 5th rep.

Now this is also where a training partner comes in. This routine should not be attempted without a spotter. Sorry, but you are a dork if you try to do this without a spotter. This program causes HONEST muscle failure (I’ll explain that in more detail shortly), so you need the spotter for safety, but moreover, you will need a spotter’s assistance to complete forced reps, at least on the final round or two, if not the first round. In general, forced reps should not be overused, but they play an important part of this program.

Ok, where were we? Oh yeah, you just finished your 3rd round. You might be finished! Yeah. some people will be DONE, KAPUT, ZONKED, BONKED, NUKED, GAME OVER, after 3 rounds of that (think about it - that was 12 sets, disguised as 3 sets!) However, for those who want the full course…. come with me and lets finish off those pecs with the pump (oh, you thought were already pumped… heh.. just wait…you’ll see what a pump is!)

The second exercise (exercise B) is going to be an isolation exercise.. ie., DB flye, cable crossover, machine flye (pec deck), etc., and you will perform 20-25 reps, non stop in piston-like fashion. use a steady quick tempo, but not so fast that you use momentum.

This isolation /pump exercise will change with every workout:

B1 Workout 1: standing cable crossover
2-3 sets, 20-25 reps

B1 Workout 2: machine flye or pec deck
2-3 sets, 20-25 reps

B1 Workout 3: decline dumbbell flye
2-3 sets 20-25 reps

B1 Workout 4: flat bench cable flyes in cable crossover machine
2-3 sets, 20-25 reps

That’s it! That’s the whole program. Three rounds of multi-angular rest pause, then finish your workout with 2-3 sets of 25 reps on a pumping, isolation movement.

This routine is performed within a standard bodybuilding type of split, so it should be done once in 5-7 days, no more. You would probably do another body part after chest,such as biceps or triceps, depending on how you organize your split routine.

I would recommend advanced bodybuilders use this program a couple times a year if and when they need a boost in chest development. This is not the type of program you would use all the time. You would burn out and overtrain.

There’s one more very important part of this routine - progression.

On the Incline Dumbbell Presses, you will increase the poundage with every workout. Keep in mind, you will not be able to complete all 3 rounds at all 4 angles for 6 unassisted reps. Its going to get harder each time, even as you get stronger. You may have to use a spotter more with each progressing workout. You may also find that on workout 1 or workout 2, you can complete all 3 rounds with the same dumbbells, but on workout 3, by the 2nd or 3rd round, you have to drop the weight or you’ll barely be getting 2 or 3 reps.

Now let me re-emphasize the importance of a spotter. Theres something thats going to happen when you do this routine that does not happen often. You will hit what my training partner and I call “HONEST FAILURE.” This means that your muscles literally fail, or give out right underneath you. Mind you, this is not something you would usually aim for, but that’s just the nature of this program and this is only a 4-workout high intensity “shock” type of routine.

When I say your muscles will give out, I mean that literally. On the last rep or two of 3rd or 4th angle, of the 2nd or 3rd round, your arms may literally buckle underneath you. That’s honest failure.

You see, there are several types of failure… First there is “sissy failure”.. that’s when there is a lactic acid burn or a fatigue in the muscle (you’re tired) and because it hurts or youre tired, that causes you to stop. Thats sissy failure (sarcasm).

Then you have positive failure. This is where you can no longer push the weight up in a concentric motion, but you are still able to lower the weight and exert an upward force against the weight. For example, you’re bench pressing and you hit the “sticking point,” but you are holding that bar at the sticking point (its not coming back down), and you’re still exerting force to push the bar upward, but the bar simply isn't moving up!

Then you have honest failure. This is where the muscle simply gives out.. it buckles. you have reached concentric and eccentric failure. This type of failiure is rarely discussed. In fact I don’t recall anyone ever writing about it except for Arthur Jones and Ellington darden and the rest of the High Intensity Training (HIT) camp.

Rarely does any bodybuilder tread in this territory, and for good reason, as it is really not necessary and can be dangerous for anyone but a veteran who knows what the heck he is doing - and all the kidding aside for a moment, Im serious about this. Its no joke if your chest and arms give out from underneath you and you dump a 70 or 80 pound dumbbell on your face. (you do like your teeth, don’t you?)

However, as a technique you use on rare occasion for a shock routine that breaks through progress plateaus, that untrodden territory is there… for those who dare. There is something about this particular program (multi angular rest pause) that takes you there. You've been warned! Train hard, but be safe!

Now, go out there and get jacked!

How Liquid Calories May Be Making You Fat... Even Your Favorite Protein Drinks!

2008-06-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

At least 7 scientific studies have provided strong evidence that energy containing beverages (i.e., “liquid calories”) do not properly activate the satiety mechanisms in the body and brain and do not satisfy the appetite as well as food in solid form.

Epidemiological research also supports a positive association between calorie-containing beverage consumption and increased body weight or body mass index. New research now suggests that soda may not be the only culprit…

The primary source of liquid calories in the United States Diet is carbohydrate, namely soda. Now running a close second are specialty and dessert coffees. Did you know that a 16 ounce Frappucino can contain 500 calories or even more! That’s one-third of a typical female’s daily calorie intake while on a fat loss program.

A recent study at Purdue University published in the International Journal of Obesity set out to learn even more about this bodyfat - liquid calories relationship.

Researchers compared solid and beverage forms of foods composed primarily of carbohydrate, fat or protein in order to document the independent effect of food form in foods with different dominant macronutrient sources.

Based on previous research, some experts have recommended targeting specific beverages as being “worse” than others. High fructose corn syrup and soda has been singled out the most and you’ve probably seen that yourself in the news.

There’s no question that soda has been on top of the “hit list” for some time now, by virtue of the amounts and frequency of consumption alone.

However, this recent study says that from a pure energy balance perspective, we should be cautious about ALL liquid calories, not just soda and not just carbohydrates!

Fruit juice for example, appears to be an obvious improvement over soda, so many people have swapped out their soda for fruit juice. However, when fruit juice is compared to an equal amount of calories from whole fruit, the whole fruit satisfies appetite better (largely due to the bulk and fiber content), and so you tend to eat fewer calories for the day.

[On an interesting side note, soup does not seem to apply; soup has higher satiety value than calorie containing beverages, possibly for mere cognitive reasons.]

If you were to meticulously track your calories from beverages and you made sure that your calories remained the same for the day, whether liquid or solid, there would probably be little or no difference in your body composition.

But that’s not what usually happens in free-living humans. Most people do not accurately track or report their caloric intake. Our mistake is that we tend to drink calories IN ADDITION TO our usual food intake, not instead of it.

Men are especially guilty of this when they drink alcohol - Men tend to drink AND eat, while women tend to drink INSTEAD OF eating.

This new research found that with all three macronutrients - protein, carbs or fat - daily calorie intake was significantly greater when the beverage form was consumed as compared to the solid.

Yes, it’s true! Even protein drinks did not satisfy the appetite the way that protein foods did!

While you would think that protein drinks are purely a good thing, because protein foods have been proven to reduce appetite and increase satiety, if you turn a solid protein food into a protein drink, it loses it’s appetite suppressive properties in the same way that happens when you turn fruit into fruit juice.

[NOTE: After weight training workouts, liquid nutrition may have benefits that outweigh any downside, especially on muscle-gaining programs]

Why do liquid calories fail to elicit the same response as whole foods? reasons include:

high calorie density
lower satiety value
more calories ingested in short period of time
lower demand for oral processing
shorter gastrointestinal transit times
energy in beverages has greater bioaccessibility and bioavailability
mechanisms may include cognitive, orosensory, digestive, metabolic, endocrine and neural influences (human appetite is a complex thing!!!)
last but not least, nowhere in our history have our ancestors had access to large amounts of liquid calories. Alcohol may have been around as far back as several thousand years BC, but even that is a blip on the evolutionary calendar of humanity.
As a result, our genetic code has never developed the physiological mechanisms to properly register the caloric content in liquids the way it does when you eat, chew and swallow whole foods.

Bottom line: This study suggests that we shouldn’t just target one type of liquid calories such as soda. If you’re trying to beat body fat, it’s wise to limit all types of liquid calories and eat whole foods as much as possible.

Start by ditching the soda. Then ditch the high calorie dessert coffees. Then cut back on the alcohol. From there, be cautious even about milk, juice and protein drinks.

Drink water or tea instead, or limited amounts of black coffee - without all the high calorie extras.

If you do consume any beverages that contain calories, such as protein shakes, be sure to account for those calories meticulously and be sure you don’t drink them in addition to your usual food intake, but in place of an equal amount of food calories.

Remember, those protein shakes you might be drinking are called “meal replacements” not “free calories!”

For many years I have suggested focusing primarily on whole foods rather than liquids, even protein shakes. Unlike so many other fat reduction programs, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle does not require any kind of liquid meal replacement or protein drinks and our company does not exist to sell supplements; we are here to educate you and millions of others about the realities of body fat loss.

We now have even more scientific data that confirms what Burn The Fat has been teaching all along.

I hope you found this helpful. You can learn more about “Burn The Fat” at www.BurnTheFat.com

Train hard and expect success,

Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
Fat Loss Coach

Reference: Effects of food form on appetite and energy intake in lean and obese young adults. International Journal of Obesity. 2007 Nov (11):1688-95. Mourao DM, Bressan J, Campbell WW, Mattes RD. Department of Foods and Nutrition, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2059, USA.

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified personal trainer and freelance fitness writer. Tom is the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism

Fish Oil May Help You Burn Fat...But Not THAT Much Fat!

2008-05-14T07:22:00.000-07:00

What the latest research says about omega-3 fatty acids and weight loss

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS

Unless you’ve been living under a rock somewhere for the last several years, you’ve probably heard about the health benefits of eating fatty fish or taking fish oil supplements. Well, it looks like you might be able to add fat loss alongside the other benefits like heart, blood (cholesterol/triglycerides), brain, skin and joint health (and the rest of the list, which is too long to print here).

The biologically active ingredients that seem to make fatty fish so beneficial are are the long chain omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids, EPA and DHA. At least a half a dozen human studies and more than two dozen animal studies have been completed in the last 10 years which suggest that these omega-3 fatty acids found in fish may help you lose more fat. However, the fat loss benefit is not as much as some people want you to believe…

The results of two new studies on fish oil and fat loss were just released earlier this year. In one study published by the International Journal of Obesity, researchers from Reykjavik Iceland tested the effects of fish or fish oil consumption equivalent to 1.5 grams of combined EPA/DHA on body weight and body composition as part of a calorie restricted diet. (1)

The subjects were 324 young overweight men and women who followed one of four experimental protocols for 8 weeks:

(1) sunflower oil capsules (control)
(2) lean fish
(3) fatty fish (salmon)
(4) fish oil capsules

The researchers reported the following results:

"In young, overweight men, the inclusion of either lean or fatty fish, or fish oil as part of a hypoenergetic diet resulted in 1 kilogram more weight loss after 4 weeks than a similar diet without seafood or supplement of marine origin. The addition of seafood to a nutritionally balanced energy-restricted diet may boost weight loss."

It should be noted that the study was supported by the Seafood Plus organization and there were some limitations in the design that could have influenced the subject’s compliance.

The second study, conducted at the University of South Australia and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2) investigated the effect of combining fish oil supplements with regular aerobic exercise.

In a 12-week, placebo-controlled study, the subjects were divided into four groups:

(1) sunflower oil
(2) sunflower oil plus exercise
(3) fish oil
(4) fish oil plus exercise.

The fish oil groups were given 6 grams of high DHA fish oil per day, which contained a total of 1.9 grams of long chain omega-3 fatty acids. The exercising groups performed aerobic exercise three days per week for 45 minutes.

As you might expect, the fish oil plus exercise group came out with the best results:

minus 1.2% body fat (compared to no decrease in the other groups)

minus 2 kilograms/4.4 lbs (compared to no decrease in the non exercise group).

Unfortunately, there was a limitation in this study as well: The food intake of the subjects was self reported, which is known to be notoriously inaccurate.

There have been several other human studies on fish oil and fat loss in the last ten years or so and the majority of the findings have been positive. The research is compelling and there have been numerous, and very plausible mechanisms of action proposed.

However, more and more often, I am hearing people in the health, fitness and nutrition industries making some pretty bold and I daresay, premature and outrageous claims about what fish oil can do for fat loss; claims which are not supported by the research.

The studies on fish oil and fat loss are encouraging, but the vast majority of research has been on animals (rats, mice and hamsters) and there have been limitations in nearly all the human studies so far, including:

Small sample sizes, short study durations, statistically insignificant results, lack of randomization, no control groups, imprecise body composition testing, measurement errors, self-reporting of food intake, low compliance control and fish industry or supplement industry-sponsored bias.

Even if you take the results of the existing research at face value, the fat loss really isn’t all that impressive - an extra pound here, an extra kilo there.

Many of the research results barely reach statistical significance, and you even have to wonder if these small improvements in fat loss are simply correcting omega-3 deficiency or fixing omega-3 and omega-6 imbalance… therefore, will they continue over a longer time period or is this a one time improvement?

One of the earlier studies showed the same kind of measurable but modest results: The fish oil group that took 1.8 grams of combined EPA/DHA daily lost 2 pounds and the non fish oil group lost only 0.7 pounds after 3 weeks (3).

Of course, you’ll probably take all the fat loss help that you can get, and since there are already enough good reasons to eat fatty fish for cardiovascular disease prevention and other health benefits, it’s really a no brainer to eat fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel or sardines at least twice a week. (By the way, with the exception of King Mackerel, these are species which have not been reported as having problems with mercury contamination).

Alternately, you can use a fish oil supplement to get the equivalent in omega-3 fatty acids as found in the fish. Non fish eaters or vegetarians can use flaxseed oil, a plant-based source of Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA) which converts in the body to EPA and DHA (the efficiency and amount of conversion has been a subject of controversy, however).

Based on the three studies cited above, it looks like 1.5 to 2.0 grams per day of combined DHA/EPA is the right dose when fat loss is the goal (although some suggest you should consider body weight when choosing the dosage, i.e., 1 gram total fish oil for each 20 lbs body weight, so a big guy might go with as much as 3.0 grams)

Most fish oil capsules come in 1,000 mg size at a 30% concentration, so if you took five 1000mg capsules a day, that would give you 1.5 grams of EPA/DHA; about the same as you’d get in 3 ounces (85 g) of salmon.

Note: other studies on fish oil and fat loss tested 3.0 to 4.0 g/day of EPA/DHA, but the American Heart Association has warned against taking more than 3 g EPA/DHA per day without a physicians supervision, as there may be potential contraindications and side effects such as increased bleeding time. Based on the research, more fish oil will NOT burn more fat, so be wary of the "mega dose gurus."

Another tip: Don’t fall for the "premium price" necessarily means better quality party line. Quality and purity are important, but you can get molecularly-distilled, mercury, PCB, Dioxin, Organochlorine-free, 3rd party tested-to-meet-label-claims fish oil for less than ten bucks per bottle of 400 (one gram) capsules… yet I have seen "fish oil gurus" selling the exact same thing for $50 to $60 claiming that everyone else’s products are "contaminated" and "inferior" in quality. If that’s true, then I’d like to see those products submitted to consumer lab for voluntary 3rd party independent analysis and head to head comparison on purity AND cost effectiveness. If they come out superior and cost effective, I will gladly publicize the results myself.

The bottom line is it looks like fish oil may be a legitimate help to your fat loss efforts, especially when combined with exercise, as there may be an important synergy there. However, the idea that fish oil is some kind of miracle fat burner is just not true.

Like Mulder on the X-files, "I want to believe"… but we need much, much more research before we can say for certain exactly how much body composition improvement you can really expect from eating fatty fish or taking fish oil supplements.

References:

(1) Hill AM. Combining fish-oil supplements with regular aerobic exercise improves body composition and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Am J Clin Nutr. 86(5): 1267-1274. 2007

(2) Thorsdottir I et al. Randomized trial of weight loss diets for young adults varying in fish and fish oil content. Int J Obesity. May 2007. pp 1-7

(3) Couet C. Effect of dietary fish oil on body fat mass and basal fat oxidation in healthy adults. Int J Obes. 21: 637-643. 1997

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and a certified personal trainer (CPT). Tom is the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle," which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using methods of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting:

Fish Oil May Help You Burn Fat...
But Not THAT Much Fat!
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2008-05-14T07:20:00.000-07:00

Foods That Burn Fat: The Top 10 Lists

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS

Anytime the topic of discussion in my blogs, articles or newsletters has turned to my own personal grocery shopping list, there has always been a spike in interest. It seems that many people are not only curious about what foods a natural bodybuilder eats to maintain single digit body fat, but they also want to be taken by the hand and told exactly what foods to eat themselves while on fat-burning or muscle building programs. That’s why I decided to put together four separate "top 10" lists of healthy foods that burn fat and build muscle.

Exact quantities and menus are not listed, just the individual foods, and of course my food intake does vary. I aim to get as many different varieties of fruits and vegetables as possible over the course of every week and there are a lot of substitutions made, so you are not seeing the full list of everything I eat, only what foods I eat most of the time.

I also want to point out that while I don’t believe that extreme low carbs are necessary or most effective when you look at the long term, research has shown that there are some definite advantages to a low to moderate carb and higher protein diet for fat loss purposes. These include reduced appetite, higher thermic effect of food and "automatic" calorie control.

Personally, I reduce my carb intake moderately and temporarily prior to bodybuilding competitions. Specifically, it’s the foods that are on the starchy carbs and grains list that go down during the brief pre-competition period when I’m working on that really "ripped" look. I keep the green and fibrous veggie intake very high however, along with large amounts of lean protein, small amounts of fruit, and adequate amounts of essential fats.

This list reflects my personal preferences, so this is not a prescription to all readers to eat as I do. It’s very important for compliance to choose foods you enjoy and to have the option for a wide variety of choices. In the past several years, nutrition and obesity research - in studying ALL types of diets - has continued to conclude that almost any hypocaloric diet that is not completely "moronic" can work, at least in the short term.

It’s not so much about the high carb - low carb argument or any other debate as much as it is about calorie control and compliance. The trouble is, restricted diets and staying in a calorie deficit is difficult, so most people can’t stick with any program and they fall off the wagon, whichever wagon that may be.

I believe that a lot of our attention needs to shift away from pointless debates (for example, low carb vs. high carb is getting really old… so like… get over it everyone, its a calorie deficit that makes you lose weight, not the amount of carbs).

Instead, our focus should shift towards these questions:

* How can we build an eating program that we can enjoy while still getting us leaner and healthier?

* How can we build an eating program that helps us control calories?

* How can we build an eating program that improves compliance?

Here’s one good answer: Eat a wide variety of high nutrient density, low calorie density foods that you enjoy which still fit within healthy, fat-burning, muscle-building guidelines!

Here are the lists of foods I choose to achieve these three outcomes. This eating plan is not difficult to stick with at all, by the way. I enjoy eating like this and it feels almost weird not to eat like this after doing it for so long.

Remember, habits work in both directions, and as motivational speaker Jim Rohn has said, "Bad habits are easy to form and hard to live with and good habits are hard to form but easy to live with."

These are listed in the order I frequently consume them. So for example, if oatmeal is on the top of the list, it means that is the food I am most likely to eat every single day.

My 10 top natural starchy carb and whole grains

1. Oatmeal (old fashioned)
2. Yams
3. Brown rice (a favorite is basmati, a long grain aromatic rice)
4. Sweet potatoes (almost same as yams)
5. Multi grain hot cereal (mix or barley, oats, rye. titricale and a few others)
6. White potatoes
7. 100% whole wheat bread
8. 100% whole wheat pasta
9. Beans (great for healthy chili recipes)
10. Cream of rice hot cereal

My Top 10 top vegetables

1. Broccoli
2. Asparagus
3. Spinach
4. Salad greens
5. Tomatoes
6. Peppers (green, red or yellow)
7. Onions
8. Mushrooms
9. Cucumbers
10. Zucchini

My top 10 lean proteins

1. Egg whites (whole eggs in limited quantities)
2. Whey or Casein protein (protein powder supplements)
3. Chicken Breast
4. Salmon (wild Alaskan)
5. Turkey Breast
6. Top round steak (grass fed beef)
7. Flank Steak (grass fed beef)
8. Lean Ground Turkey
9. Bison/Buffalo
10. Trout

My top 10 fruits

1. Grapefruit
2. Apples
3. Blueberries
4. Canteloupe
5. Oranges
6. Bananas
7. Peaches
8. Grapes
9. Strawberries
10. Pineapple

Note: I DO include healthy fats as well, such as walnuts, almonds, extra virgin olive oil, flaxseeds, flaxseed oil (supplement - not to cook with), avocado and a few others.

Also, I do eat dairy products and have nothing against them, nor am I lactose intolerant. I simply don’t eat as much dairy as the rest of the stuff on my lists. When I eat dairy, its usually skim milk, low or non fat cottage cheese, low or non fat yogurt and low or non fat cheese (great for omelettes).

Last but not least, I usually follow a compliance rate of about 95%, which means I take two or three meals per week of whatever I want (stuff that is NOT on these lists - like pizza, sushi, big fatty restaurant steaks, etc)

I hope you found this helpful and interesting. Keep in mind, this is MY food list, and although you probably couldn’t go wrong to emulate it, you need to choose natural foods you enjoy in order to develop habits you can stick with long term. In the fruits and vegetables categories alone, there are hundreds of other choices out there, so enjoy them all!

About the Author:

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2008-05-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

Why Some People Can Drink Alcohol Without Getting Fat

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS

Alcohol has been implicated as a factor that may hurt your efforts to lose body fat. Whether alcohol is "fattening" has been a very controversial subject because technically speaking, alcohol is NOT stored as fat; it is oxidized ahead of other fuels.

Whether moderate drinking is healthy has also been a subject of controversy. Many studies show that cardiovascular health benefits are associated with moderate beer or wine drinking (which has been of particular interest lately with reservatrol in the news so much), while other studies show improved insulin sensitivity. Some experts however, say that alcohol has no place in a fitness lifestyle.

A recent study published in the journal Obesity adds new findings to our knowledge about alcohol, insulin resistance and abdominal obesity. Analysis of the results as compared to other studies also gives us some insights into why some people seem to drink and get fat while others seem to drink and get thin!

The truth about the beer belly phenomenon

This new study, by Ulf Riserus and Erik Inglesson, was based on the Swedish Uppsala Longitudinal cohort. The researchers found that alcohol intake in older men did not improve insulin sensitivity, which contradicted their own hypothesis and numerous previous studies.

They also said there was a very "robust" association between alcohol intake, waist circumference and waist to hip ratio. They pointed out that a high alcohol intake, especially hard liquor, was closely associated with abdominal body fat, not just overall body mass.

Abdominal fat accumulation is not just a cosmetic problem, it can be a serious health risk. Abdominal fat, also known as "android" or "central" obesity, increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high blood lipids, glucose intolerance and elevated insulin levels.

Many other studies have also found a link between alcohol intake and abdominal fat, but this too has been controversial. A study that was widely publicized by the BBC in 2003 dismissed the concept of the "beer belly."

Nevertheless, it looks like there’s some scientific support to it after all (or at least a "liquor belly" according to this newer study).

Hormones may be strongly involved because high alcohol intake has been shown to decrease blood testosterone in men, and also increase cortisol levels, which can lead to visceral fat accumulation.

Why is there so much controversy? Why the discrepancy in research findings about alcohol’s influence on obesity, abdominal fat, and insulin sensitivity?

Well, here’s the real story of why some people don’t get fat when they drink:

A lot of the confusion is because epidemiological research cannot show cause and effect relationships and mistakes can easily be made when drawing associations based on limited data.

With the nature of these longitudinal studies, you have to look at the lifestyle and nature of drinkers in general (or in this study, hard liquor drinkers). Also, the Swedish study focused on older men, so age may have been a factor. You may be more likely to deposit alcohol right on your belly as you get older.

When you hear that alcohol increases belly fat, you also have to look at what else is going on in the life of the drinker, particularly what the rest of a person’s diet looks like, and how alcohol intake affects appetite and eating habits.

Research says that alcohol can mess up your body’s perception of hunger, satiety and fullness. If drinking stimulates additional eating, or adds additional calories that aren’t compensated for and which lead to positive energy balance, then you get fat. You may also get fat in the belly, no thanks to what booze does to hormones.

Another thing that confounds the reports on whether alcohol contributes to weight gain is the fact that the game changes in heavy drinkers. We know that alcohol contains 7.1 calories per gram and these calories always count as part of the energy balance equation… or do they? With chronic excessive alcohol consumption, it's possible that not all of these calories are available for energy. Due to changes in liver function and something called the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS), alcoholism may be a real case of where some calories don’t count. Many alcoholics also skip meals and eat less with increasing alcohol consumption.

Alcohol metabolizing pathways notwithstanding, even if binge drinkers, daily drinkers or heavy drinkers consume most of their calories from alcohol, if they eat very little, and remain in a calorie deficit, they will not get fat. Compound this with the hormonal effects and you witness the skinny, but under-nourished, unhealthy and atrophied alcoholic (the person you'd think would be most likely to have a beer belly).

It's the calories that count

The bottom line is, the idea that alcohol just automatically turns into fat or gives you a beer belly is mistaken. It’s true that alcohol suppresses fat oxidation, but mainly, alcohol adds calories into your diet, messes with your hormones and can stimulate appetite, leading to even more calories consumed. That’s where the fat gain comes from.

If you drink in moderation, if you’re aware of the calories in the alcohol, if you're aware of the calories from additional food intake consumed during or after drinking, and if you compensate for all of the above accordingly, you won’t get fat.

Now, with that said, you might be wondering: "You mean I can drink and still lose fat? I just need to keep in a calorie deficit?"

Yes, that's exactly what I mean. But before you rush off to the pub for a cold one, hold that thought for a minute while you consider this first: The empty alcohol calories displace the nutrient dense calories!

When you’re on a fat loss program you have a fairly small "calorie budget", so you need to give some careful thought to how those calories should be "spent." For example, if a female is on a 1500 calorie per day diet, does she really want to "spend" 500 of those calories – one third of her intake - for a few alcoholic drinks, and leave only 1000 for health-promoting food, fiber and lean muscle building protein?

I realize some people may answer "yes" to that question, but then again, if some people spent their money as frivolously as they spent their calories, they would be in deep trouble!

To summarize this into some practical, take-home advice, here are 7 of my personal tips for alcohol consumption in the fitness lifestyle:

(1) Don’t drink on a fat loss program.

Although you could certainly drink and "get away with it" if you diligently maintained your calorie deficit as noted above, it certainly does not help your fat loss cause or your nutritional status.

(2) Drink in moderation during maintenance.

For lifelong weight maintenance and a healthy lifestyle, if you drink, do so in moderation and only occasionally, such as on weekends or when you go out to dine in restaurants. Binge drinking and getting drunk has no place in a fitness lifestyle (not to mention hangovers aren’t very conducive to good workouts).

(3) Don't drink daily.

Moderate drinking, including daily drinking, has been associated with cardiovascular health benefits. However, I don’t recommend daily drinking because behaviors repeated daily become habits. Behaviors repeated multiple times daily become strong habits. Habitual drinking may lead to heavier drinking or full-blown addictions and can be hard to stop if you ever need to cut back.

(4) Count the calories.

If you decide to have a bottle of beer or a glass of wine or two (or whatever moderation is for you), be sure to account for the alcohol in your daily calorie budget.

(5) Watch your appetite.

Don’t let the "munchies" get control of you during or after you drink (Note to chicken wing and nacho-eating men: The correlation to alcohol and body fat is higher in men in almost all the studies. One possible explanation is that men tend to drink and eat, while women may tend to drink instead of eating).

(6) Watch the fatty foods.

When drinking, watch the fatty foods in particular. A study by Angelo Tremblay back in 1995 suggested that alcohol and a high fat diet are a combination that favors overfeeding.

(7) Enjoy without guilt.

If you choose to drink (moderately and sensibly), then don’t feel guilty about it or beat yourself up afterwards, just enjoy the darn stuff, will you!

To see a complete fat burning system that takes you by the hand, step by step and shows you what to eat, what to drink (and what not drink), how to exercise and how to stay motivated.

References:

(1) Alcohol Intake, Insulin Resistance, and abdominal obesity in elderly men. Riserus U, Ingelsson E., Obesity. 15(7): 1766-1773. 2007

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Fat Burning Process and How Muscles Grow Larger With The Best Training And Nutrition Programs

2008-05-14T07:14:00.000-07:00

Fat Burning Process and How Muscles Grow Larger With The Best Training And Nutrition Programs

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
Understanding the mind's role in motivation and behavior is one of the most critical elements in fitness success. If you struggle with changing habits and behaviors or if you can’t get motivated, then even the best training and nutrition program is not much help.

A fascinating fact about your subconscious mind is that it's completely deductive in nature. In other words, it’s fully capable of working backwards from the end to the means. You don't need to know how to reach a goal at the time you set the goal. If you "program" only the desired outcome successfully into your "mental computer," then your subconscious will take over and help you find the information and means and carry out the actions necessary to reach it.

Many people are familiar with affirmations and goal-setting as ways to give instructions to your subconscious mind. But perhaps the ultimate mental training” technique is visualization. In one respect, affirmation and visualization are the same, because when you speak or think an affirmation first, that triggers a mental image, being as the human brain "thinks" in pictures.
You can use visualization to plant goals into your subconscious mind. You simply close your eyes, use your imagination and mentally create pictures and run movies of your desired results. For example, in your mind's eye, you can see below.
If repeated consistently with emotion, mental images are accepted by your subconscious as commands and this helps with changing habits, behavior and performance.
Although there are some new and creative ways to use visualization, (which you are about to learn), this is not a new technique. Visualization has been used formally in the fields of sports psychology and personal development for decades and philosophers have discussed it for centuries:

“If you want to reach your goal, you must 'see the reaching' in your own mind before you actually arrive at your goal.”
- Zig Ziglar
“The use of mental imagery is one of the strongest and most effective strategies for making something happen for you.”
- Dr. Wayne Dyer
“Creative visualization is the technique of using your imagination to create what you want in your life.”
- Shakti Gawain
“Perhaps the most effective method of bringing the subconscious into practical action is through the process of making mental pictures - using the imagination.”
- Claude Bristol
"There is a law in psychology that if you form a picture in your mind of what you would like to be, and you keep and hold that picture there long enough, you will soon become exactly as you have been thinking."

- William James, 1842-1910, Psychologist and Author
Despite these glowing endorsements and a long track record, some people can’t get past feeling that this is just a "hokey" self-help technique. Rest assured, however, that visualization is an effective and time-tested method for increasing personal success that has been used by some of the highest achievers the world.
The Soviets started to popularize visualization in sports psychology back in the 1970's, as detailed in Charles Garfield's landmark book, "Peak Performance." They dominated in many sports during that period, which validated visualization anecdotally.

In the last 10-15 years, there has been some groundbreaking new brain research which has validated visualization scientifically. Here's something that was written recently by Dr. Richard Restak, a neuroscientist and author of 12 books about the human brain:
"The process of imagining yourself going through the motions of a complex musical or athletic performance activates brain areas that improve your performance. Brain scans have placed such intuitions on a firm neurological basis. Positron emission tomography (PET) scans reveal that the mental rehearsal of an action activates the prefontal areas of the brain responsible for the formulation of the appropriate motor programs. In practical terms, this means you can benefit from the use of mental imagery."

So much for visualization being a "cheesy" self-help technique.
Although visualization is widely used today, even people who are familiar with it often don't realize its many applications. Arguably the most common use of visualization is by athletes, musicians and other performers as a form of “mental rehearsal.” Research shows that "practicing in your mind" is almost as effective as practicing physically, and that doing both is more effective than either one alone.

A common use of visualization in the fitness context is “goal visualization.” In your mind’s eye, you can see yourself having already achieved your physique goal or your ideal goal weight. You can also visualize a specific performance goal such as completing a difficult workout or a heavy lift like a squat or bench press.

One creative way you can use mental imagery is called “process visualization.” Once you've set your goals, it's easy to come up with a list of the daily habits, behaviors and action steps necessary to reach your goal. So write down the action steps and visualize them - the entire process, not just the end result. See yourself food shopping and grabbing fruits, vegetables and lean proteins, ordering healthy foods from restaurant menus, saying no to sodas and drinking water instead, and going to the gym consistently and having killer workouts. Some people visualize their entire “perfect day” as they would want it to unfold. When you do this as vividly, emotionally and in as much detail as you can, you will be neurologically priming your brain to carry out those behaviors.

The least known of all mental imagery techniques is called “physiology visualization.” An example would be picturing the fat burning process in your body or seeing the muscle fibers growing larger and larger. Using this technique, could it be possible that you might be giving subconscious instructions to your body's cells, organs and tissues?

Well, consider the work of Dr. Carl Simonton, a physician and cancer researcher who taught his patients (as one part of a comprehensive program), how to visualize powerful immune cells devouring the cancer cells. I’m not suggesting that you can cure cancer or materialize a lean and muscular body just by visualizing, (there's a step in between thought and manifestation - it's called action - a step that many self help ‘experts’ forget to mention). However, thoughts and mental images are the precursors to action and the fact that a mind-body connection definitely exists makes this an exciting prospect.

Scientists have established the mind-body link in many contexts, and not just by the existence of a placebo effect. There’s also direct evidence as in the way emotional stress can contribute to physical disease. The mind does influence the body! The mere fact that a branch of science has been devoted to this area is proof that it deserves critical investigation and is not just the domain of infomercial self help gurus. The science is called psychoneuroimmunology.
Using “physiology visualization,” you could, even in the middle of a workout, imagine the fat burning process taking place, and visualize fat being released from adipose tissue storage in your abdominal region or elsewhere. You could see the free fatty acids entering your bloodstream, being carried to the working muscles and being burned for energy in the muscle cells. You could also visualize the physiology of muscle growth.

To make your imagery as accurate and detailed as possible, my best suggestion is to refer to an anatomy & physiology textbook that shows pictures of fat cells, blood vessels, myofibrils, motor units, sarcomeres, and cell organelles like the mitochondria, so you know what the structures look like. You could also get more details about the processes by looking up lipolysis, hypertrophy or beta oxidation.
Even if you had no idea what the internal structure and workings of the body were like, you could still use this method. Your body responds to mental imagery even if it isn't anatomically correct. We know from the field of hypnosis that the subconscious mind responds well to metaphor – maybe even better than literal suggestions. Facts and logic are the domain of the conscious mind, while emotion and metaphor can slip right past the conscious and into the subconscious. Dr. Simonton often wrote about his young patients who created (metaphorical) mental images of immune system cells as "knights in shining armor", slaying "the dragon" of cancer cells.

One of your greatest mental powers is imagination. You can visualize anything you want and you can embellish and exaggerate your imagery as much as you want. For example, you could imagine the free fatty acids being burned for energy in the "cellular powerhouse" - the mitochondria - and you could imagine the mitochondria as a fiery furnace... "incinerating" the fat! I think it’s a pretty cool idea to "see" your fat cells shrinking and visualize your body as a "fat burning furnace.”
Should you not believe that there's anything to the physiology visualization technique, that's ok, because we know that the subconscious is deductive. Just give it a goal, tell it what you want and it will get you there automatically by altering your attention and behavior. Therefore, we can be confident that physiology visualization will be effective even if only as a subconscious directive about your desired goal. If science someday provides us with conclusive evidence that visualization actually does cause cellular - physiological changes in the body, well, that's just all the better.

About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and a certified personal trainer (CPT). Tom is the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using methods of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting:

Diet For Killer Abs
How to get ripped, six pack abs
Bodybuilder reveals his secrets
Click Here To Learn More!

3500 Calories To Lose A Pound - Is This Formula All Wrong?

2008-05-14T07:08:00.000-07:00

3500 Calories To Lose A Pound - Is This Formula All Wrong?

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
Most fitness conscious people have heard that there are 3,500 calories in a pound of fat, so if you create a deficit of 3500 calories in a week, you lose a pound of weight. If you create a deficit of 7000 calories in a week, you lose two pounds, and so on. Right? Well, not so fast…

Dr. Kevin Hall, an investigator at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda has done some interesting research about the mechanisms regulating human body weight. He recently published a new paper in the International Journal of Obesity that throws a wrench in works of the “3500 calories to lose a pound” idea.
Some of the equations in his paper made my head hurt, but despite the complex math he used to come to his conclusions, his article clearly prompts the question, "3500 calories to lose a pound of WHAT?" His paper also contained a lot of simple and practical tips you can use to properly balance your caloric intake with output, fine tune your calorie deficit and help you retain more muscle when you diet.

Below, I’ve distilled some of the information into a simple bullet-point summary that any non-scientist can understand. Then I wrap up with my interpretation of how you can apply this data in your own fat loss program:
Calculating the calories required to lose a pound and fine-tuning your caloric deficit
3500 calories to lose a pound has always been the rule of thumb. However, this 3500 calories figure goes back to research which assumed that all the weight lost would be adipose tissue (which would be ideal, of course).

But as we all know (unfortunately), lean body mass is lost along with body fat, which would indicate that the 3500 calorie figure could be an oversimplification.
The amount of lean body mass lost is based on initial body fat level and size of the calorie deficit
Lean people tend to lose more lean body mass and retain more fat.
Fat people tend to lose more body fat and retain more lean tissue (revealing why obese people can tolerate aggressive low calorie diets better than already lean people)
Very aggressive low calorie diets tend to erode lean body mass to a greater degree than more conservative diets.

whether the weight loss is lean or fat gives you the real answer of what is the required energy deficit per unit of weight loss
The metabolizable energy in fat is different than the metabolizable energy in muscle tissue. A pound of muscle is not 3500 calories. A pound of muscle yields about 600 calories.
If you lose lean body mass, then you lose more weight than if you lose fat.
If you create a 3500 calorie deficit in one week and you lose 100% body fat, you will lose one pound.

But if you create a 3500 calorie weekly deficit and as a result of that deficit, lose 100% muscle, you would lose almost 6 pounds of body weight! (of course, if you manage to lose 100% muscle, you will be forced to wear the Dieter’s Dunce cap)
If you have a high initial body fat percentage, then you are going to lose more fat relative to lean, so you may need a larger deficit to lose the same amount of weight as compared to a lean person
Creating a calorie deficit once at the beginning of a diet and maintaining that same caloric intake for the duration of the diet and after major weight loss fails to account for how your body decreases energy expenditure with reduced body weight
Weight loss typically slows down over time for a prescribed constant diet (the “plateau”). This is either due to the decreased metabolism mentioned above, or a relaxing of the diet compliance, or both (most people just can’t hack aggressive calorie reductions for long)
Progressive resistance training and or high protein diets can modify the proportion of weight lost from body fat versus lean tissue (which is why weight training and sufficient protein while on calorie restricted diets are absolute musts!)

So, based on this info, should you throw out the old calorie formulas?
Well, not necessarily. You can still use the standard calorie formulas to figure out how much you should eat, and you can use a 500-1000 calorie per day deficit (below maintenance) as a generic guideline to figure where to set your calories to lose one or two pounds per week respectively (at least that works “on paper” anyway).
Even better however, you could use this info to fine tune your caloric deficit using a percentage method and also base your deficit on your starting body fat level, to get a much more personalized and effective approach:

15-20% below maintenance calories = conservative deficit20-25% below maintenance calories = moderate deficit25-30% below maintenance calories = aggressive deficit31-40% below maintenance calories = very aggressive deficit (risky)50%+ below maintenance calories = semi starvation/starvation (potentially dangerous and unhealthy)
(Note: According to exercise physiologists Katch & Mcardle, the average female between the ages of 23 and 50 has a maintenance level of about 2000-2100 calories per day and the average male about 2700-2900 calories per day)
Usually, we would suggest starting with a conservative deficit of around 15-20% below maintenance. Based on this research, however, we see that there can be a big difference between lean and overweight people in how many calories they can or should cut.

If you have very high body fat to begin with, the typical rule of thumb on calorie deficits may underestimate the deficit required to lose a pound. It may also be too conservative, and you can probably use a more aggressive deficit safely without as much worry about muscle loss or metabolic slowdown.
If you are extremely lean, like a bodybuilder trying to get ready for competition, you would want to be very cautious about using aggressive calorie deficits. You’d be better off keeping the deficit conservative and starting your diet/cutting phase earlier to allow for a slow, but safe rate of fat loss, with maximum retention of muscle tissue.
The bottom line is that it’s not quite so simple as 3,500 calories being the deficit to lose a pound. Like lots of other things in nutrition that vary from person to person, the ideal amount of calories to cut “depends”…

Note: The Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle program not only has an entire chapter dedicated to helping you calculate your exact calorie needs, it was designed very specifically to keep a fairly conservative approach to caloric deficits and to maximize the amount of lean tissue you retain and minimize the amount of metabolic adaptation that occurs when you’re dieting. The approach may be more conservative, and the fat loss may be slower, but it has a better long term track record… You can either lose weight fast, sacrifice muscle and gain the fat back like 95% of people do, or lose fat slow and keep it off forever like the 5% of the people who know the secrets. The choice is yours. For more information, look below

References:
Forbes GB. Body fat content influences the body composition response to nutrition and exercise. Ann NY Acad Sci. 904: 359-365. 2000
Hall, KD., What is the required energy deficit per unit of weight loss? Int J Obesity. 2007 Epub ahead of print.
McArdle WD. Exercise physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human performance. 4td ed. Williams & Wilkins. 1996.
Wishnofsky M. Caloric equivalents of gained or lost weight. Am J Clin Nutr. 6: 542-546.

About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and a certified personal trainer (CPT). Tom is the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using methods of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting:

Bodybuilding Diet Secrets
Hit single digit body fat easily
This is how bodybuilders get ripped
Click Here To Learn More!

THE GREAT ABS MISTAKE "He Was Doing One Thousand Crunches And Sit Ups A Day... But Still NO Abs!!!

2008-05-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

THE GREAT ABS MISTAKE "He Was Doing One Thousand Crunches And Sit Ups A Day... But Still NO Abs!!!

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
After 18 years in the fitness business, “How do I get great abs” is still BY FAR the most frequently asked question I receive out of the 30,000+ emails that come into my office every month. No doubt, it's because abs are the one body part that most people are the most frustrated with. Although their questions are often phrased differently and each person’s situation seems unique, my answer to “how do I get great abs” is almost always the same… and you’re about to hear it...

"1,000 Sit-Ups And Crunches A Day and Still No Abs!"
One question I received recently REALLY got my attention because a young guy told me he was doing 1,000 crunches and sit ups a day and said he still couldn’t see his abdominals. He wrote:
“Tom: I have been working out for around a year now and I cannot get my lower abs into any type of shape. I'm starting to see my upper abs a little bit, which is great, but despite doing 900 various crunches, ab roller, and 100 sit-ups four days a week, along with my regular workout on the weights, I still have a tire around my waist. What else can I do?”

What did I tell him? Well, I gave him the same answer I’ve given thousands of people over the years, which is the only true “Secret” to great abs...
It takes training to increase strength, build endurance and DEVELOP the abdominals, but to SEE the definition in your abdominals - or any other muscle group for that matter - is almost entirely the result of low body fat levels.

This may sound counter-intuitive, but if you can't see your abs, it's not an issue of “muscle development” at all. You simply have too much body fat covering up the ab muscles. The lower abdominal area also happens to be the one place that most people - especially men - store the body fat first.
There's a Scientific Reason Why YourLower Ab Flab Is The Last Place To Go: Belly Fat - A Big Problem
Most people don't have their fat distributed evenly throughout their bodies. Each of us inherits a genetically determined and hormonally-influenced pattern of fat storage just as we inherit our eye or hair color. In other words, the fat seems to "stick" to certain areas more than others.
There's a scientific reason for this. Your fat cells are not just inert "storage tanks" for excess fuel. They are actually endocrine glands which send and receive signals from the rest of the body. You could say that your fat cells "talk to your body" and your body "talks to your fat cells." This occurs through a hormone and receptor system.

For body fat loss to occur, you must first get the fat cell (adipocyte) to release the fat into the bloodstream. THEN, the free fatty acids must be delivered to the working muscles where they are burned for energy.
For fat to be released, the hormone adrenaline (epinephrine) must be secreted and send a signal to your fat cells. Your fat cells receive this hormonal signal via adrenaline receptors called adrenoreceptors.
Fat cells have Beta 1 (B1) and Alpha 2 (A2) receptors. B1 receptors are the good guys. They activate hormone sensitive lipase, the enzyme that breaks down the fat and allows it to be released into the bloodstream to be burned. A2 receptors are the bad guys. They block the fat-releasing enzymes in the fat cell and encourage body fat formation.

How Body Fat Storage Patterns Affect YouAnd Keep Your Abs From Showing
What's the point of all the physiology? Well, it turns out that in men, the lower abdominal region has a higher concentration of A2 receptors, so this gives us one possible explanation of why the lower abdominal region is often the first place the fat goes when you gain it, and the last place it comes off when you're losing it. (Incidentally, the fat in women's hips and thighs is also higher in A2 receptors). This situation is dictated by genetics and by the hormonal and enzymatic pathways we discussed.

Think of ab fat like the deep end of the swimming pool. No matter how much you protest, there is no way you can drain the deep end before the shallow end. However, don't let this discourage you. Lower ab fat WILL come off, it will simply be the last place to come off. First place on - Last place off.
This helps to explain why abdominal exercises have little impact on body fat loss. It's a huge mistake to think that hundreds or thousands of reps of ab exercises will remove lower abdominal fat, except to the degree that it burns calories and contributes to the calorie deficit. What removes the fat - all over your body - is a calorie deficit and that comes from decreasing food intake, increasing activity, or a combination of both.
What I suggested to this young man was cutting back the ab training, spending the time he was wasting on excess ab exercises for more intense, calorie-burning cardio and weight training for the rest of the body. I also suggested he do an accounting of his food intake, get his nutrition in order and decrease his calories slightly if necessary.

As it turned out, his diet was a mess, and as nutrition experts like to say, "You can’t out-train a lousy diet."
It's a monumental error to think that 1,000 reps of ab work a day will make your abs finally "pop" when your diet is a disaster and that's leading to fat storage. It’s not that ab exercises aren’t important. But all the ab exercises in the world won't help as long as you still have body fat covering the muscles. You can't "spot reduce" with abdominal exercise and YOU CAN'T SEE YOUR ABS THROUGH A LAYER OF BODY FAT!

My Championship-Winning Ab Workout Routine
Personally, I only do about 15 minutes of ab work two times per week, with anywhere from two to four exercises for about 10-25 reps per exercise. Forget about thousands of reps of sit ups – it’s a waste of time. The reason my abs look the way they do is not from endless repetitions, but because I get my body fat down into the single digits with a highly specialized
Here’s a recent ab routine that I've used (for bodybuilding/ ab-development purposes). I do this routine only twice a week and I change the exercises approximately every month so my body doesn't adapt. I prefer slightly higher rep range than other muscle groups, but as you can see, it is far from doing a thousand reps a day.
A1 Hanging leg raises3 sets, 15-20 reps
Superset to:
A2 Hanging knee ups (bent-knee leg raises)3 sets, 15-20 reps (no rest between supersetted exercises A1 & A2, 60 sec between supersets)
B1 Weighted swiss ball crunches (or weighted cable crunches)3 sets, 15-20 reps
Superset to:
B2 Incline Bench Reverse crunches3 sets, 15-20 reps(no rest between supersetted exercises B1 & B2, 60 sec between supersets)
How To Use Cardio For MAXIMUM Fat-Burning
Times have changed since the Aerobics revolution of the 1970's and 1980's. For years, aerobics was the darling of the fitness world. Then scientists began to acknowledge the benefits of weight training - for everyone, not just for bodybuilders.

Recently, the pendulum has swung the other direction and we've actually started hearing fitness "experts" suggesting that cardio should be kept to a minimum or even avoided completely. That's the way things tend to go in the fitness world - they swing back and forth in trends, from one extreme to another. Lots of cardio or no cardio.
I suggest you avoid trend-hopping and pay close attention to what actually works, by people who know what they are talking about (such as bodybuilders, who are the leanest muscular athletes in the world). Doing nothing but cardio is a mistake. But cutting our cardio completely is also a mistake. The truth lies in the middle. Maximum fat burning occurs when you combine cardio training and weight training together.

Those who are genetically gifted with above average metabolisms will find that a slight drop in food intake and just a few days a week of cardio will usually do the trick. However, most people who are struggling with fat loss (sometimes referred to as "endomorph" body type) are simply NOT burning enough calories to get the results they want. The answer for them is more activity to burn more calories.
For health and weight maintenance, I would suggest 3 short cardio workouts per week, about 20-30 minutes per session. But for maximum fat loss, I recommend 4-7 days per week of cardio or other physical activity for 30-45 minutes (based on results), at a moderate pace. You can mix up the type of cardio you do, or choose the type you enjoy the most - stationary cycling, stairclimbing, elliptical machines, aerobic classes and other continuous activities are all excellent fat burners (it doesn't have to be indoors or on a cardio machine).

If time efficiency is a concern for you, you could do 2-3 of those cardio workouts as high intensity interval training and you'll achieve very good results even with briefer workouts. Even as little as 20-25 minutes per session can get great results IF your intensity level is high enough. Remember, seeing your abs is about low body fat. Low body fat is about burning calories and creating a calorie deficit. The calorie deficit is created by increasing the number of calories you burn and or decreasing the amount of calories you take in from food. Increasing intensity is one way to burn more calories in less time.

NOTE: To reach the "ripped" 3.7% body fat level you see in my photos, I do cardio 7 days a week for 30-45 minutes per session, in addition to my 4 weight training workouts per week.
7 Nutrition Secrets For Great Abs
That leads us to nutrition. Many people say that "abdominals are made in the kitchen, not in the gym," and there's a lot of truth to that. You can do thousands of reps of ab work every week, but if your nutrition is not in order, you can forget about getting a great set of 6-pack abs.
Eat about 15-20% below your calorie maintenance level. If you use a more aggressive calorie deficit of 25-30%, then do not keep calories too low for too long; increase calories to maintenance or maintenance +10-15% 1-2 days per week.

Spread your calories into 5-6 smaller meals instead of 2-3 big ones. Be very conscious of portion size. If you eat too much of anything (even "healthy" food), you can say goodbye to your abs. Period.
Eat a source of complete, high quality lean protein with each meal (egg whites, lean meat, fish, protein powder, etc)
Choose natural, complex carbs such as vegetables, oatmeal, yams, potatoes, beans, brown rice and whole grains. Start with aprox. 50% of your calories from natural carbs and reduce carbs slightly (esp. late in the day) if you are not losing fat.

Avoid refined, simple carbs that contain white flour or white sugar
Keep total fats low and saturated fats low. Aim for 20% of your total calories from fat (and no more than 30%). A little bit of "good fat" like flax oil, fish fat, nuts & seeds, etc is better than a no fat diet. Essential fatty acids actually assist the fat burning process.
Drink plenty of water - a gallon is a good ballpark to shoot for if you are physically active.
1000+ reps of daily ab work is an amazing feat of endurance, but that’s not how you get visible, 6-pack abs! If you were to do 1,000 reps of ab exercises every day, you would have outstanding development in your abdominal muscles and you would definitely have great muscular endurance. Unfortunately, if your abs are covered up with a layer of fat, you will never see them even if you do 10,000 reps a day!

You Condition and Strengthen Your Abs With Specific Ab Exercises...But The Secret To Seeing Your Abs Is Reducing Your Body Fat!
I once saw a photo of a man who broke one of the Guiness World Records for sit ups. It was the most paradoxical thing, but this man did not have any abdominal muscle definition. He was not obese or overweight at all, mind you, but he had a small enough layer of body fat that the muscular defintion did not show through. I've never seen a better real life example which demonstrates the basic principle discussed in this article:
You get great abs from reducing your body fat, and you reduce your body fat by creating a caloric deficit through nutrition and metabolism-stimulating and calorie-burning exercise.
I've spent my entire career - through more than 18 years and 28 bodybuilding competitions - studying the science and practicing the art of body fat reduction. I speak from experience and I walk my talk as you can see from my pictures.

If you'd like to learn for yourself, what I've learned about fat burning nutrition and getting your body fat level low enough so that you can finally see a "6 pack rack" of abs, then be sure to take a look at the Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle program. Thousands of men and women call this their "fat loss bible." For all the details, click below...

Train hard and expect success,
Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCSFat Loss Coach

About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified personal trainer and freelance fitness writer. Tom is the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting:

Diet That Burns Fat
How to eat for a "ripped" body
Fat loss e-book reveals all
Click Here To Learn More!

How Liquid Calories May Be Making You Fat... Even Your Favorite Protein Drinks!

2008-05-14T06:58:00.000-07:00

How Liquid Calories May Be Making You Fat... Even Your Favorite Protein Drinks!

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
At least 7 scientific studies have provided strong evidence that energy containing beverages (i.e., “liquid calories”) do not properly activate the satiety mechanisms in the body and brain and do not satisfy the appetite as well as food in solid form.
Epidemiological research also supports a positive association between calorie-containing beverage consumption and increased body weight or body mass index. New research now suggests that soda may not be the only culprit…

The primary source of liquid calories in the United States Diet is carbohydrate, namely soda. Now running a close second are specialty and dessert coffees. Did you know that a 16 ounce Frappucino can contain 500 calories or even more! That’s one-third of a typical female’s daily calorie intake while on a fat loss program.
A recent study at Purdue University published in the International Journal of Obesity set out to learn even more about this bodyfat - liquid calories relationship.
Researchers compared solid and beverage forms of foods composed primarily of carbohydrate, fat or protein in order to document the independent effect of food form in foods with different dominant macronutrient sources.

Based on previous research, some experts have recommended targeting specific beverages as being “worse” than others. High fructose corn syrup and soda has been singled out the most and you’ve probably seen that yourself in the news.
There’s no question that soda has been on top of the “hit list” for some time now, by virtue of the amounts and frequency of consumption alone.
However, this recent study says that from a pure energy balance perspective, we should be cautious about ALL liquid calories, not just soda and not just carbohydrates!
Fruit juice for example, appears to be an obvious improvement over soda, so many people have swapped out their soda for fruit juice. However, when fruit juice is compared to an equal amount of calories from whole fruit, the whole fruit satisfies appetite better (largely due to the bulk and fiber content), and so you tend to eat fewer calories for the day.

[On an interesting side note, soup does not seem to apply; soup has higher satiety value than calorie containing beverages, possibly for mere cognitive reasons.]
If you were to meticulously track your calories from beverages and you made sure that your calories remained the same for the day, whether liquid or solid, there would probably be little or no difference in your body composition.
But that’s not what usually happens in free-living humans. Most people do not accurately track or report their caloric intake. Our mistake is that we tend to drink calories IN ADDITION TO our usual food intake, not instead of it.
Men are especially guilty of this when they drink alcohol - Men tend to drink AND eat, while women tend to drink INSTEAD OF eating.

This new research found that with all three macronutrients - protein, carbs or fat - daily calorie intake was significantly greater when the beverage form was consumed as compared to the solid.
Yes, it’s true! Even protein drinks did not satisfy the appetite the way that protein foods did!
While you would think that protein drinks are purely a good thing, because protein foods have been proven to reduce appetite and increase satiety, if you turn a solid protein food into a protein drink, it loses it’s appetite suppressive properties in the same way that happens when you turn fruit into fruit juice.

[NOTE: After weight training workouts, liquid nutrition may have benefits that outweigh any downside, especially on muscle-gaining programs]
Why do liquid calories fail to elicit the same response as whole foods? reasons include:
high calorie density
lower satiety value
more calories ingested in short period of time
lower demand for oral processing
shorter gastrointestinal transit times
energy in beverages has greater bioaccessibility and bioavailability
mechanisms may include cognitive, orosensory, digestive, metabolic, endocrine and neural influences (human appetite is a complex thing!!!)

last but not least, nowhere in our history have our ancestors had access to large amounts of liquid calories. Alcohol may have been around as far back as several thousand years BC, but even that is a blip on the evolutionary calendar of humanity.
As a result, our genetic code has never developed the physiological mechanisms to properly register the caloric content in liquids the way it does when you eat, chew and swallow whole foods.
Bottom line: This study suggests that we shouldn’t just target one type of liquid calories such as soda. If you’re trying to beat body fat, it’s wise to limit all types of liquid calories and eat whole foods as much as possible.

Start by ditching the soda. Then ditch the high calorie dessert coffees. Then cut back on the alcohol. From there, be cautious even about milk, juice and protein drinks.
Drink water or tea instead, or limited amounts of black coffee - without all the high calorie extras.
If you do consume any beverages that contain calories, such as protein shakes, be sure to account for those calories meticulously and be sure you don’t drink them in addition to your usual food intake, but in place of an equal amount of food calories.

Remember, those protein shakes you might be drinking are called “meal replacements” not “free calories!”
For many years I have suggested focusing primarily on whole foods rather than liquids, even protein shakes. Unlike so many other fat reduction programs, does not require any kind of liquid meal replacement or protein drinks and our company does not exist to sell supplements; we are here to educate you and millions of others about the realities of body fat loss.

We now have even more scientific data that confirms what Burn The Fat has been teaching all along.
I hope you found this helpful. You can learn more about “Burn The Fat” below
Train hard and expect success,
Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCSFat Loss Coach
Reference: Effects of food form on appetite and energy intake in lean and obese young adults. International Journal of Obesity. 2007 Nov (11):1688-95. Mourao DM, Bressan J, Campbell WW, Mattes RD. Department of Foods and Nutrition, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2059, USA.

About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified personal trainer and freelance fitness writer. Tom is the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting:

Lose weight and burn fat faster Click Here To Learn More!

Steady State Cardio 5 X More Effective Than HIIT????

2008-05-14T06:53:00.000-07:00

Steady State Cardio 5 X More Effective Than HIIT????

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT for short, has been promoted as one of the most effective training methods ever to come down the pike, both for fat loss and for cardiovascular fitness. One of the most popular claims for HIIT is that it burns “9 times more fat” than conventional (steady state) cardio. This figure was extracted from a study performed by Angelo Tremblay at Laval University in 1994. But what if I told you that HIIT has never been proven to be 9 times more effective than regular cardio… What if I told you that the same study actually shows that HIIT is 5 times less effective than steady state cardio??? Read on and see the proof for yourself.

“There are lies, damned lies, and then there are statistics.”
- Mark Twain
In 1994, a study was published in the scientific journal Metabolism by Angelo Tremblay and his team from the Physical Activity Sciences Laboratory at Laval University in Quebec, Canada. Based on the results of this study, you hear personal trainers across the globe claiming that “HIIT burns 9 times more fat than steady state cardio.”

This claim has often been interpreted by the not so scientifically literate public as meaning something like this: If you burned 3 pounds of fat in 15 weeks on steady state cardio, you would now burn 27 pounds of fat in 15 weeks (3 lbs X 9 times better = 27 lbs).
Although it’s usually not stated as such, frankly, I think this is what some trainers want you to believe, because the programs that some trainers promote are based on convincing you of the vast superiority of HIIT and the “uselessness” of low intensity exercise.

Indeed, higher intensity exercise is more effective and time efficient than lower intensity exercise. The question is, how much more effective? There’s no evidence that the “9 times more fat loss” claim is true outside the specific context in which it was mentioned in this study.
In order to get to the bottom of this, you have to read the full text of the research paper and you have to look very closely at the results.

13 men and 14 women age 18 to 32 started the study. They were broken into two groups, a high intensity intermittent training program (HIIT) and a steady state training program which they referred to as endurance training (ET).
The ET group completed a 20 week steady state aerobic training program on a cycle ergometer 4 times a week for 30 minutes, later progressing to 5 times per week for 45 minutes. The initial intensity was 60% of maximal heart rate reserve, later increasing to 85%.

The HIIT group performed 25-30 minutes of continuous exercise at 70% of maximal heart rate reserve and they also progressively added 35 long and short interval training sessions over a period of 15 weeks. Short work intervals started at 10 then 15 bouts of 15 seconds, increasing to 30 seconds. Long intervals started at 5 bouts of 60 seconds, increasing to 90 seconds. Intensity and duration were progressively increased over the 15 week period.
The results: 3 times greater fat loss in the HIIT group
Even though the energy cost of the exercise performed in the ET group was twice as high as the HIIT group, the sum of the skinfolds (which reflects subcutaneous body fat) in the HIIT group was three times lower than the ET group.

So where did the “9 times greater fat loss” claim come from?
Well, there was a difference in energy cost between groups, so in order to show a comparison of fat loss relative to energy cost, Tremblay wrote,
“It appeared reasonable to correct changes in subcutaneous fat for the total cost of training. This was performed by expressing changes in subcutaneous skinfolds per megajoule of energy expended in each program.”

Translation: The subjects did not lose 9 times more body fat, in absolute terms. But hey, 3 times more fat loss? You’ll gladly take that, right?
Well hold on, because there’s more. Did you know that in this oft-quoted study, neither group lost much weight? In fact, if you look at the charts, you can see that the HIIT group lost 0.1 kg (63.9 kg before, 63.8 kg after). Yes, the HIIT group lost a whopping 100 grams of weight in 15 weeks!

The ET group lost 0.5 kilograms (60.6 kg before, 60.1 kg after).
Naturally, lack of weight loss while skinfolds decrease could simply mean that body composition improved (lean mass increased), but I think it’s important to highlight the fact that the research study from which the “9 times more fat” claim was derived did not result in ANY significant weight loss after 15 weeks.

Based on these results, if I wanted to manipulate statistics to promote steady state cardio, I could go around telling people, “Research study says steady state cardio (endurance training) results in 5 times more weight loss than high intensity interval training!” Or the reverse, “Clinical trial proves that high intensity interval training is 5 times less effective than steady state cardio!”

Mind you, THIS IS THE SAME STUDY THAT IS MOST OFTEN QUOTED TO SUPPORT HIIT!

If I said 5 X greater weight loss with steady state, I would be telling the truth, wouldn’t I? (100 grams of weight loss vs 500 grams?) Of course, that would be misleading because the weight loss was hardly significant in either group and because interval training IS highly effective. I’m simply being a little facetious in order to make a point: Be careful with statistics. I have seen statistical manipulation used many times in other contexts to deceive unsuspecting consumers.
For example, advertisements for a popular fat burner claim that use of their supplement resulted in twice as much fat loss, based on scientific research. The claim was true. Of course, in the ad, they forget to tell you that after six months, the control group lost no weight, while the supplement group lost only 1.0 kilo. Whoop de doo! ONE KILO of weight loss after going through a six month supply of this “miracle fat burner!”

But I digress…
Back to the HIIT story – there’s even more to it.
In the ET group, there were some funky skinfold and circumference measurements. ALL of the skinfold measurements in the ET group either stayed the same or went down except the calf measurement, which went up.

The girths and skinfold measurements in the limbs went down in the HIIT group, but there wasn’t much difference between HIIT and ET in the trunk skinfolds. These facts are all very easy to miss. I didn’t even notice it myself until exercise physiologist Christian Finn pointed it out to me. Christian said,
“When you look at the changes in the three skinfold measurements taken from the trunk, there wasn’t that much difference between the steady state group (-6.3mm) and the HIIT group (-8.7 mm). So, much of the difference in subcutaneous fat loss between the groups wasn’t because the HIIT group lost more fat, but because the steady state group actually gained fat around the calf muscles. We shouldn’t discount simple measurement error as an explanation for these rather odd results.”

Christian also pointed out that the two test groups were not evenly matched for body composition at the beginning of the study. At the beginning of the study, the starting body fat based on skinfolds in the HIIT group was nearly 20% higher than the ET group. He concluded:
“So while this study is interesting, weaknesses in the methods used to track changes in body composition mean that we should treat the results and conclusions with some caution.”

One beneficial aspect of HIIT that most trainers forget to mention is that HIIT may actually suppress your appetite, while steady state cardio might increase appetite. In a study such as this, however, that can skew the results. If energy intake were not controlled, then some of the greater fat loss in the HIIT group could be due to lowered caloric intake.

Last but not least, I’d like to highlight the words of the researchers themselves in the conclusion of the paper, which confirms the effectiveness of HIIT, but also helps put it in perspective a bit:
“For a given level of energy expenditure, a high intensity training program induces a greater loss of subcutaneous fat compared with a training program of moderate intensity.”
“It is obvious that high intensity exercise cannot be prescribed for individuals at risk for health problems or for obese people who are not used to exercise. In these cases, the most prudent course remains a low intensity exercise program with a progressive increase in duration and frequency of sessions.”

In conclusion, my intention in writing this article wasn’t to be controversial, to be a smart-alec or to criticize HIIT. To the contrary, additional research has continued to support the efficacy of HIIT for fat loss and fitness, not to mention that it is one of the most time efficient ways to do cardiovascular training.

I have recommended HIIT for years in my program, using a 1:1 long interval approach, which, while only one of many ways to do HIIT, is probably my personal favorite method. However, I also recommend steady state cardio and even low intensity cardio like walking, when it is appropriate.
My intentions for writing this article were four-fold:
1. To encourage you to question where claims come from, especially if they sound too good to be true. 2. To alert you to how advertisers might use research such as this to exaggerate with statistics.3. To encourage the fitness community to swing the pendulum back to center a bit, by not over-selling the benefits of HIIT beyond what can be supported by the scientific research.4. To encourage the fitness community, that even as they praise HIIT, not to condemn lower and moderate intensity forms of cardio.

As the original author of the 1994 HIIT study himself pointed out, HIIT is not for everyone, and cardio should be prescribed with progression. Also, mountains of other research has proven that walking (GASP! - low intensity cardio!) has always been one of the most successful exercise methods for overweight men and women.

There is ample evidence which says that obesity may be the result of a very slight daily energy imbalance, which adds up over time. Therefore, even a small amount of casual exercise or activity, if done consistently, and not compensated for with increased food intake, could reverse the obesity trend. HIIT gets the job done fast, but that doesn’t mean low intensity cardio is useless or that you should abandon your walking program, if you have the time and if that is what you enjoy and if that is what’s working for you in your personal situation.
The mechanisms and reasons why HIIT works so well are numerous. It goes way beyond more calories burned during the workout.

Train hard and expect success,
Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCSFat Loss Coach
Reference: Tremblay, Angelo, et al. Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism. Metabolism. Vol 43. no 7 (July). Pp 814-818. 1994..

About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified personal trainer and freelance fitness writer. Tom is the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting:

The amazing fat burning secret
Of bodybuilders Click Here To Learn More!

2 Cardio Mistakes You're Still Making

2008-05-14T06:29:00.000-07:00

2 Cardio Mistakes You're Still Making

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
The controversies over cardio for fat loss are endless: steady state versus intervals, fed versus fasted, long and easy versus short and intense, and so on. Obviously there is a lot of interest in cardio training and how to do it right. Sadly, most people are still doing 2 things terribly wrong and it’s killing their results…… As best as I can figure, there are two major reasons why people are still mucking up their cardio programs for fat loss.

REASON #1: NOT ENOUGH FOCUS ON TOTAL CALORIES BURNED
Most people aren’t burning enough darn calories.
Why? Well, I guess they are too busy worrying about the “proper” type of exercise (which machine or activity), the mode (steady state or intervals), the “optimal” ratio of intervals, or the “best” duration.

Some people coast along on the treadmill at 2.3 miles per hour or some similar sloth-like pace and they think that just by hitting a TIME goal, such as 45 or 60 minutes, that with “X” duration completed, they are assured to get the results they want.
On the other extreme, we have folks who have found or created some mega-intense, super-duper short training protocol like the “4-minute wonder workout from Japan.” Just because the workout is high in intensity and it is performed in intervals, they too think they are assured to get the results they want.
What’s missing in both cases is the realization that total fat loss over time is a function of total calories burned over time (assuming you don’t blow your diet, of course).
AND…

Total calories burned is a product of INTENSITY times DURATION, not intensity OR duration.
Too much focus on one variable at the exclusion of the other can lead to a less than optimal total calorie burn and disappointing results. And remember, intensity and duration are *variables* not absolutes! (“Variable” means you can change them… even if your “guru” says you can’t!)
When you understand the relationship and interplay between INTENSITY X DURATION you will find a “SWEET SPOT” where the product of those variables produces the maximal calorie burn and maximum fat loss, based on your current health condition and your need for time efficiency.

REASON #2: TOO MUCH FOCUS ON WHAT TYPE OF CALORIES BURNED
As best as I can figure, there is one whopper of a mistake that is still KILLING most people’s cardio programs and that is…

Way too much focus on WHAT you are burning during the workout - fats or carbohydrates - also known as “substrate utilization.”
This idea comes from the notorious “fat burning zone” myth which actually tells people to exercise SLOWER and LESS intensely to burn more fat.
Hold on a minute. Pop quiz. Which workout burns more calories?
(A) A 30 minute leisurely stroll through the park(B) A 30 minute, sweat-pouring, heart-pounding, lung-burning run?

Like, DUH!
And yet we have trainers, authors and infomercial gurus STILL telling us we have to slow down if we want to burn more fat??? Bizarre.
The reason people still buy it is because the “fat burning zone” myth sounds so plausible because of two little science facts:

The higher your intensity, the more carbs you burn during the workout
The lower your intensity, the more fat you burn during the workout
And that's the problem. You should be focusing on total calories and total fat burned during the workout and all day long, not just what type or percentage of fuel you are burning during the workout.
It’s not that fat oxidation doesn’t matter, but what if you have a high percentage of fat oxidation but an extremely low number of calories burned?
If you really want to be in the “fat burn zone,” you could sit on your couch all day long and that will keep you there quite nicely because “couch sitting” is a really low intensity (“fat-burning”) activity.
(Of course, “couch sitting” only burns 37 calories per half hour…)

HERE’S THE FAT-BURNING SOLUTION!
In both cases, the solution to burning more fat is drop dead simple: Focus your attention on how you can burn more TOTAL calories during your workout and all day long.
If you want to burn more fat, burn more calories and you can do that by manipulating ANY of the variables : intensity, duration and also frequency.
If you build your training program around this concept, you will be on the right track almost every time.

BUT WAIT - THERE IS MORE TO IT…
Naturally, we could argue that it’s not quite this simple and that there are hundreds of other reasons why your cardio program might not be working… and I would agree, of course. But on the exercise side, the ideas above should be foremost in your mind.
On the nutrition side, you have to get your act together there too.
For example, many people increase their food intake at the same time as they start a cardio training program thereby putting back in every calorie they burned during the workout! Then some of them have the nerve to say, “SEE, cardio doesn't work!”

Incidentally, this is the exact reason that a few studies show that adding cardio or aerobic training to a diet “did not improve fat loss”: It’s not because the cardio didn’t work, it was because the researchers didn't control for diet and the subjects ate more!!
It should go without saying that nutrition is the foundation on which every fat loss program is built.
Choose the combination of type, intensity, duration and frequency that suits your lifestyle and preferences the best, and WORK THE VARIABLES to get the fat loss results you want, but whichever cardio program you choose, remember that a solid fat burning nutrition program, such as is necessary to help you make the most of it.
Train hard and expect success,
Tom VenutoFat Loss Coach
About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified personal trainer and freelance fitness writer. Tom is the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting:

Fat loss food plan strategies
Of bodybuilders Click Here To Learn More!

Wu Long Tea Weight Loss Scam

2008-05-14T06:22:00.000-07:00

Wu Long Tea Weight Loss Scam
Wu Long Tea (oolong tea): Does it really help you lose weight?
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS http://bodybuilders.notlong.com/
You’ve probably seen the advertisements:
“Drink wu long tea and lose a jeans size every 7 days!”…
“Burn 20 lbs of fat in 30 days with wu long tea!” …

Maybe you even watched Oprah a few years ago when Dr. Perricone said that switching your coffee for green tea would help you take off the pounds.
You may have also read or watched countless news stories which say how healthy it is to drink green tea.

The odds are good that if you’re interested in improving your health and losing fat, you probably either drink tea, take a green tea supplement or you’ve at least thought about it.
But what if I told you that most of the fat reducing claims for green tea were absolute, total BS, based on misinterpretation or deliberate misreporting of the research?
Unfortunately, it’s true. If you’ve bought green tea based on the claim that it causes large reductions in body fat, then you have been scammed.
Here are the facts:

Green tea DOES stimulate your metabolism.
However, the research is very unclear about what kind of impact this small, short term increase in metabolism will have on your bodyweight in the long term.
In the most often quoted study (Dulloo, 1999), A swiss research team found that 270 mg of green tea extract 3X a day increased metabolic rate by the equivalent of about 79 calories on average and increased the oxidation of fat as the fuel source.
If you do the math, it appears that 79 kcal a day would add up to an extra pound of fat lost every 44 days. Not much, but you’ll take it, right? Hypothetically, that would add up to an extra 8 pounds lost per year.

What advertisements quoting this study don’t tell you is that this and other similar studies did not even measure long term change in body fat percentage or bodyweight. They only measured a 24- hour increase in energy expenditure.
One study which is used as marketing ammunition to claim that wu long tea burns 2.5 times more fat than green tea was based only on a 120-minute increase in energy expenditure! (reminds me of that Mark Twain quote: “There are lies, damned lies, and then there are statistics.”)

Numerous follow up studies have confirmed the short term increase in metabolism, but the studies are mixed on whether green tea improves weight reduction or maintenance in the long term.
The research IS compelling, but not conclusive.
As for ad claims that say you’ll lose a lot of weight just from drinking green tea… absolute BS! Hopefully the Federal Trade Commission will catch up with these scammers sooner rather than later, as the marketing messages on the Internet are getting louder and bolder every day.
As for health benefits - green tea is certainly a champ. It’s high in antioxidants and there are more than 2,000 research citations about potential health benefits of green tea (not to mention a 5,000 year history of use in China and the far east).

Even if you’re a skeptic, green tea is hard not to like and it’s hard to dispute that it’s a good idea to add green tea to your nutrition program as one part of a well-balanced fitness lifestyle.
But when it comes to claims for large and rapid losses in bodyweight and bodyfat, (especially the wu long tea ads that are currently all over the internet), buyer beware.
The science we do have says that the thermogenic effect of green tea - while very real - is also very small.
Train hard and expect success always,
Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCSFat Loss Coachhttp://bodybuilders.notlong.com/

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified personal trainer and freelance fitness writer. Tom is the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting:
Lose fat and gain muscle Click Here To Learn More!

Home Ab Exercises

2008-05-14T06:21:00.000-07:00

Home Ab Exercises

Who doesn't want a rock hard set of abs? Most people would love to have a sculpted six pack but getting those abs is often hard for a lot of people.
The great thing about abs is you can work them out at home. You don't need to go to an expensive gym or buy expensive equipment. You can start to build your abs from the comfort of your own home.
The most common exercise used at home to build abs is the sit up. The sit up may target some of the abdominal muscles but it can cause lower back problems and sit ups alone will not build the abs you want. Many people think that doing hundreds of sit ups each day will get them the flat stomach they want but this wont work.

There are many home ab exercises you can do to tone up your six pack. Some ab exercises you can do include the reverse crunch, the crunch, tap downs and the plank with knee pull. The key is to target all areas of the abdominals and because they are a small muscle group they are prone to being over worked so you need to rest them as well.
The other major factor when you want to develop abs is fat loss. Just working your abs wont work if there is a layer of tummy fat covering your abs. So a suitable diet or fat loss routine is also needed if you want to develop wash board abs.

To ensure you have success in building your abs you need to target all areas of the abdominal region. This can be done using a variety of exercises if they are executed properly and can all be done from the comfort of your own home.
In conjunction with a good ab work out you also need to look at fat loss and incorporate a cardio programme into your quest for abs.
Home ab exercises are convenient and will get you the results you desire as long as they are done properly and you have a system in place that works your abs and also works on losing the tummy fat that keeps them hidden.
For more information on home ab exercises and to find out about a system that you can use so you too can sculpt abs Visit http://getkillerabs.blogspot.com

How to get ripped, six pack abs Click Here To Learn More!

Bodyweight 500 by Turbulence Training Creator Craig Ballantyne - Based On the 300 Movie Workout

2008-05-14T06:20:00.000-07:00

Bodyweight 500 by Turbulence Training Creator Craig Ballantyne - Based On the 300 Movie Workout
Turbulence Training is one of the most highly acclaimed weight loss and fitness programs in the world. Acclaimed trainer Craig Ballantyne, The creator of Turbulence Training has recently come up with a complementing muscle building program, Bodyweight 500.

Bodyweight 500 was inspired by the film 300, and the physical training the actors who played the Spartans in the film went through in order to get their remarkable physique.
But the training program the 300 actors had gone through involved weights, including specially designed weights such a 36lb kettlebell. The Turbulence Training spirit is to allow busy people to train extensively in a short period of time, preferably in their own homes. Therefore, the use of elaborate weights and devices had to be left aside.

Bodyweight 500 solves that by relying on the weight of the body, without any additional weights or equipment.
Here's what a bodyweight 500 session looks like:
50 Prisoner Squats.
50 Pushups.
25 Jumps.
25 Stability Ball Leg Curls.
50 Stability Ball Jackknifes.
50 Step-ups (25 each side).
25 Pull-ups.
50 Forward Lunges (25 each side).
50 Close-grip Pushups.
50 Inverted Rows.
50 Squats.
25 Chin-ups.
All in all - 500 repetitions, no rest in between. Now that's intensive.
I haven't tried this intense workout plan myself; those who have gave it much praise, in fact several of them thought the 300 actors were actually trained by Ballantyne himself (credit which he rejected as being undeserved).

Bodyweight 500 can be accessed in the Turbulence Training members area, either by direct membership or by getting a free 3-month pass that comes with buying the original Turbulence Training guide. Another good thing about it is it progresses with your level, with challenges that become harder every week.
Read more about Turbulence Training and Bodyweight 500.
Steve Gaidi has gained over 50 pounds of lean muscle without adding any fat whatsoever, over years of trial and error on various training programs, despite spending relatively little of his time at the gym. For his review on Turbulence Training and Bodyweight 500, click here: Steve's Turbulence Training review.

Muscle Building Secrets - Part One

2008-05-14T06:18:00.000-07:00

Muscle Building Secrets - Part One
Push Your Grocery Cart A Lot More...
If you want to gain serious muscles -- then you are going to have to eat -- a lot! And if you eat like a bird... guess what?
You will never gain muscle mass. If you don't have food in your kitchen... you might as well admit that you are just dreaming because my friend... you are never gonna get the massive muscles you want to impress the ladies...

So quit fooling yourself and pile the food in your cart when you go grocery shopping. Because FOOD is what your body converts into muscles. Just going to the gym and working out really hard isn't going to cut it. Thinking that you can gain just from workouts alone... that would be ridiculous...
Oh yeah, clear all the crappy foods in your house and throw them right out and replace them with good, quality foods that is going to help your body produce the muscle gains.
Bodyweight Workouts

Believe it or not... bodyweight training kicks ass! In fact, it is much harder than using weight training. And because of that very thing... many bodybuilders tend not to use body weight training in their workouts. That is a mistake because body weight training actually strengthens your muscles much, much better than free weights or machines do.
Males should be able to do these bodyweight exercises:
80 pushups, 20 pullups, 20 one legged squats, 40 dips and 20 chinups.
Females should be able to do these bodyweight exercises:
40 pushups, 5-10 pullups, 10 one legged squats, 10-15 dips and 3-5 chinups.
Meeting the gender benchmark above means you have trained your overall body strength and can now tackle the external weights with gusto.

Turn Your Exercise Program Over Every Three Weeks
This would be the easiest and most unused trick to build your muscle mass. Doing this one simple thing allows your to avoid the dreaded plateau which many bodybuilders face.
It simply means that you move around your normal workouts each day of the week. And you reverse the order you perform your normal workouts. Try it if you have never done it... you will find the change very refreshing and challenging.
It may mean you will be training the smaller muscle groups before training the larger ones. But do it anyway. You need to stop reading all those muscle magazines because number one... weightlifting and workout rules don't apply to everyone... especially skinny and thin guys like us who want to gain massive muscle mass quickly.

So just do it and listen to your body. I'm betting you will like the change...
This is good stuff and I will follow up with part two for three more muscle building secrets that you should do if you haven't done it yet.
Hate being skinny? Is everybody telling you that you will always be thin or laugh at your skinny body? Well, they are all wrong! You can absolutely gain muscular weight. Discover how to gain muscles fast at my website:
http://www.healthy-weight-loss-fitness-program.com/skinny-guy.html
No More Skinny Guy!

How to Increase Muscle Mass

2008-05-14T06:17:00.000-07:00

How to Increase Muscle Mass

How to increase muscle mass takes two critical parts. Each one is important and many people fail to increase lean muscle tissue because they do not understand how important each one is to the other. You need to lift weight and eat the right amount of carbs, proteins and fiber. When you combine both of these ingredients, you can explode your muscle gains.

First off you need to understand that in order to gain muscle mass you need to lift heavy. Each set and rep must test your muscles to their maximum. If you lift to failure each time you complete a set, you will be placing the muscles under the most stress possible. Note we are not talking about lifting 20 reps at a somewhat reasonable weight until you tire. I am talking about low repetitions with heavy weights. Place the muscles under heavy stress and you gains will skyrocket. The muscles fiber need to be destroyed, it's the only way you can build new muscle. Once the muscles have been destroyed you body immediately begins sending nutrients to the muscle in order to repair it. It's why you dietary intake is so vital.

Learning how to increase muscle mass includes proper nutrition. You should be consuming at least 1.5 grms of protein for men and 1.0 grms of protein for women. You need to stick to complex carbs. They help keep your blood regulated and will give you the energy you need throughout the day. Fiber intake should be increased slowly. Fiber helps take the excess nutrients out of body we do not need and helps push fat through the digestive system, instead of storing it.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to pack on lean muscle mass is forgetting about the post workout meal. This one meal may be the most important meal you eat each day. It needs to be packed full of complex carbohydrates. The carbs help repair the muscles you damaged faster. A healthy dose of complex carbs 30 minutes after each workout will help you gain size and help aid in refueling your body. When you workout and place your muscles under stress and damage them, they need repaired. The best way to repair them is with a post workout meal.
You should start listening to professional advice. You will never get the gains you desire unless you educate yourself. Quit listening to the rogue advice you hear in the gym, though it can be great advice, it's best to learn from those who have accomplished what you want. Visit: How to Increase Muscle Mass and find a program that suits your needs.

How to Get Unbelievably Pumped And Bulging Biceps By Doing These Five Exercises A Certain Way

2008-05-14T06:16:00.000-07:00

How to Get Unbelievably Pumped And Bulging Biceps By Doing These Five Exercises A Certain Way

Arms that ripple with muscle and strength are just plain out sexy! Women absolutely love to see a man with nice strong arms and men love to see women with arms that are toned and shapely and do not look like a pair of bat wings flapping in the wind. So what do you need to do to get your arms in shape and make sure they stay that way?

The Secret to getting unbelievable pumped up and ripped biceps is to use a technique called drop-setting. You do a drop set by performing an exercise at a weight that you can barely lift for 10 to 20 repetitions. After the last rep, drop the weight (usually by 5 to 10 pounds) and do another 10 to 20 reps. After the second set, drop the weight once more and do another 10 to 20 reps.

This amazing method will not only leave your arms feeling outrageously pumped, but after a few weeks you will start seeing arm muscles pop out you didn't even know you had.
Here are a few simple exercises that you can drop-set that will quickly strengthen the biceps, increase their size and improve their tone:
1. Barbell Curls: Take hold of the barbell with your palms facing up and hands shoulder width apart. Your feet should also be line up with your shoulders. Keeping your elbows firmly at your side and slowly raise the bar until your forearms are upright. Slowly lower the barbell back to the start position and repeat.

2. Lying Straight Bar Cable Curls: Using both hands and an underhand grip take hold of a short cable bar attached to a low pulley. Now lie down on your back with legs straight and feet against the frame of the pulley. With the cable bar resting on your thighs and your arms slightly bent slowly curl the bar towards your chest squeezing the biceps for a count of one then slowly return to the starting position. Make sure that you keep your legs straight and your head down at all times.
3. Curl Bar Preacher Curls: When doing this exercise you will be sitting at a preacher bench with your armpits resting at the top of the pad and the backs of your arms firmly against the arm pad. Now holding a barbell place your hands shoulder widths distance with your palms facing up. Curl the barbell up until your forearm is facing you're upper arm. Slowly lower the barbell back to the start position and repeat.

4. Incline Dumbbell Curl: Using an incline bench you need to sit at a 45-60 degree angle. Let your arms hang down straight holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing out, away from your body. Now with your elbows held firmly at your sides raise both dumbbells at the same time as if to touch your shoulders. Slowly lower your arms to the start position and repeat.
5. Hammer Dumbbell Curls: You can do these either standing or sitting and the exercise is similar to the dumbbell bicep curls except that your wrist will not turn. Holding a dumbbell in each hand you will slowly lift the dumbbells at the same time as if you want to touch your shoulders. Squeeze the muscle for a count of one and return to the start position. Repeat 15 to 20 times.

All this will take only a few minutes of your time everyday. Of course, it has to be persevered with and not given up after a few days. Try these exercises and see the difference. If you do this regularly you'll be the proud owner some beautiful biceps will be the envy of everyone you know.
Steve Hochman is the founder of Next Level Fitness, Irvine. We specialize in using our exclusive 3-in-1 Personal Training system to melt fat fast and build healthy toned bodies. Personal Trainer Orange County, Irvine Personal Training, Weightloss - Next Level Fitness http://www.irvineweightloss.com/

Six Exercises to Quickly Get the Triceps of a Fitness Model

2008-05-14T06:15:00.000-07:00

Six Exercises to Quickly Get the Triceps of a Fitness Model
Have you ever looked at a person's arms and wished your arms could be cut like that? Perfect triceps that have what looks like the perfect imprint of a horseshoe etched into smooth skin. You don't have to be an award winning body builder like Arnold Swarchenegger or Miss Physique to have really great looking arms. All it takes is some dedication to getting in shape and doing some exercises.

Did you know that without physical exercises, the muscles just waste away and fat will get deposited all over your body? On top of that the digestion and metabolism functions of your body get impaired and the breathing capacity of your lungs goes down. Your body is not designed to metabolize fat well unless you perform some physical exertion.
Exercises are essentially means of straining various muscles of the body so that they become stronger. Triceps are important muscles that enable your arms to be raised and lowered and lift weight in the process so strengthening of the triceps is important. It is also surprisingly simple all you have to do exercise daily. These are the six exercises for quickly getting the triceps of a fitness model:
1. Bench Dips: Perform bench dips by placing your feet on one bench and holding another with your hands you slowly lower bench. Begin with 8 to 10 repetitions and as your strength increases so should the reps. You can also take a weight plate and place it on your lap for more resistance. This exercise is a sure fire way to blast your triceps and ignite major growth to make the back of your arms to make them more toned.

2. Close-Grip Bench Press: Lying on a bench you need to place your hands on a barbell with your hands about 6 to 7 inches apart, so that the focus is on your triceps. Slowly lower the weights to your chest while keeping your elbows close to your body. Push back to the start and repeat. Do 10 to 15 repetitions
3. Barbell Extension (Skull Crushers): In a standing position you need to hold the barbell above your head, making sure not to lock your elbows. Bending the elbows slowly lower your arms down behind your head, making sure to keep your elbows tucked in so the tension in on your triceps, then slowly raise the barbell back to starting position. Repeat 15 to 20 times, until you feel the burn in your triceps.

TIP: This exercise can be done either lying down or standing up with a barbell or dumbbells.
4. Cable Triceps extensions (Push Downs): Using a medium-length straight bar and keeping a body straight with knees slightly bent, tuck the elbows in and slowly push the bar down from the chest while concentrating on the triceps. Each rep is strictly controlled and concentrated. At the bottom position squeeze the triceps for a second or two. Do 3 sets for 15 to 20 reps. Once you are accustomed to the initial sets then you can increase the sets. Take a 30 second break between the sets.

TIP: This exercise can also be done lying down and reaching to the top of your head or sitting and reaching to pull up from behind your head.
5. Dumbbell Extension - Laying on your back hold a dumbbell over your head with both hand holding it under the inner plate using a heat shaped grip. Now with your elbows overhead extend your forearms straight up towards the ceiling by flexing your elbows and then lower the dumbbell back to the starting position. Palms facing in towards each other, lower dumbbells to ears then back up. Repeat 15 to 20 repetitions.

6. Dumbbell overhead press: This is also known as the shoulder press. All you need to do is to sit on a bench that provides vertical back support, pick a pair of dumbbells and raise the dumbbells overhead to the maximum and then bring them down to shoulder level. You can do these together or alternating.

These exercises may sound complicated and the thought of working out may sound scary. However remember the old adage that says, No pain no gain. So if you want to have those beautiful triceps and to have that sleek and toned look it's time to work up a sweat. So if you follow these six exercises it won't be long before you have the triceps of a fitness model.
Steve Hochman is the founder of Next Level Fitness, Irvine. We specialize in using our exclusive 3-in-1 Personal Training system to melt fat fast and build healthy toned bodies. Personal Trainer Orange County, Irvine weight loss, Personal Training - Next Level Fitness http://www.irvineweightloss.com

How to Quickly Get Chiseled and Defined Abs Like a Fitness Model by Doing These Six Top Exercises

2008-05-14T06:14:00.000-07:00

How to Quickly Get Chiseled and Defined Abs Like a Fitness Model by Doing These Six Top Exercises
Are you constantly doing sit ups and yet seeing no results and you feel like you are fighting a losing battle? Well maybe you are! Sorry the truth sometimes hurts, but in order for exercises to work you need to maintain a low body fat level, eat a proper diet and have a healthy cardio regimen. These are essential to seeing that six-pack you crave.
Spot training won't do you any good, the only thing that you can get from that is muscle toned in the area being worked. The question here is, what good will that do you if you have an extra few pounds of fat covering it up?

In addition to a proper cardio vascular workout it is of the utmost importance that you work to target all 3 area of the abs; the upper abs (rectus absominius), the love handles (obliques) and lower abs (transverse abdominus). So here is how to quickly get chiseled and defined abs like a fitness model by doing these six top exercises
TIP: Keep the crunch motions slow and deliberate while focusing on your abdominal muscles. Drawing your navel in towards your spine as you do each abdominal exercise. It's not about getting your shoulders off the ground that you should be concentrating on.

1. Bicycle Crunch - Laying flat on your back just like doing crunches you will lift your legs so they are parallel with the floor. Now start like a normal crunch by lifting your shoulders off the floor, only you will do so in a twisting motion one shoulder at a time. So you will bring the right shoulder and left knee towards each other in a crunch and then as you straighten the left leg back out and lower the shoulder the left shoulder and right knee towards each other in another crunch, the motions is like riding a bicycle, hence the name.

2. Hanging Leg Raises - First you want to grab hold of a pull up bar or use ab slings and just hang there until your body is still. Now using all of your abs slowing raise your legs up by bringing your feet toward the ceiling, stop the motion when your feet can't go any higher and your abs are fully contracted (To make this exercise a bit more difficult then you can do it by keeping your legs straight.) Repeat 15 to 20 times
3. Crunch on Exercise Ball - Using an exercise ball you can do crunches that will allow you to get a better range of motion than normal crunches. Take a large exercise ball, lay with your lower back centered on top and your feet shoulder width apart. With your arms over your head, crunch your upper body up making sure that you contract your abs in towards the spine when your reach the top of the movement and hold for a count of one. Slowly return to the beginning and repeat 20 times. For extra benefit you can hold a medicine ball in your hands while doing the crunches.

4. Bench V ups - This is a great lower abdominal workout. First you sit at the end of a flat bench with your legs out in front of you straight with your feet just off the floor. With your hand holding the bench behind you, inhale and raise your legs into a V position just above your waist. Exhale and slowly lower legs to the start position and repeat. Repeat 10 to 15 times.

5. Standing cable twist - Using a cable crossover machine stand keeping arms straight hold the handle in front of your chest. Look straight ahead slowly turn your upper body to the right, using your abdominal muscles to pull with, you will feel the obliques working. Slowly release and repeat on the other side. (do not pull with your arms) Repeat 10 to 15 times on each side.
6. Plank Bridge - This is probably one of the most difficult yet one of the best abdominal exercises because not only does it work on your abs, it is also a great core strength exercise. Lay face down, place your forearms under your chest, use toes and forearms to push your body to form a bridge keeping your back flat and your navel pulled in. Start with 10 seconds (stop if you feel it in your low back) and build up until you can hold for 60 to 90 seconds. Return to start position and begin again. Repeat 5 sets.

Follow these steps and you will then understand how to quickly get chiseled and defined abs like a fitness model by doing these six top exercises.
Steve Hochman is the founder of Next Level Fitness, Irvine. We specialize in using our exclusive 3-in-1 Personal Training system to melt fat fast and build healthy toned bodies. Personal Trainer Orange County, Irvine weight loss, Personal Training - Next Level Fitness http://www.irvineweightloss.com

How To Build Huge Arms Fast

2008-05-14T06:13:00.000-07:00

How To Build Huge Arms Fast

In this article we will examine why too many lifters have trouble building the huge arms they train so very hard for.
Keep in mind when reading this article,we are assuming that you are following a proper nutritional program geared toward gaining lean muscle mass;otherwise you would be having trouble building over-all body mass and gaining weight instead of just lagging arms.
Lets get on with it....

Overtraining the arms is usually the #1 reason most lifters have this problem,and it is because they do NOT understand the basic of "what makes the arms grow".
You see,most beginners want huge arms (as do most of us!) so they go out and do tons of arm work;not realizing that this only slows the arm growth and soon will weaken their other lifts. They don't realize these "arm workout" moves are only supplementary exercises!
Thats because REAL arm muscles are built primarily by basic,compound pressing movements (lifts involving 2 or more muscle groups)such as the bench press and military press for triceps,or bent rows for biceps.

Isolation moves (lifts involving 1 muscle group only) such as tricep extensions and preacher bench curls are used ONLY to supplement these primary lifts and should be performed ONLY once per week.
Also the beginning to intermediate trainee should be performing
2-3 sets maximum for biceps and 3-4 sets maximum for triceps are all that are needed if you are training hard enough!

Also make sure you only train every other day so you get plenty of rest.
I love finishing my chest/shoulder workout with cable pushdowns (2 sets) followed by ez bar "skullcrushers" (1 set)for triceps; and my back workout with barbell curls (2 sets) and seated dumbbell curls (1 set),followed by 2 sets of forearm exercises such as seated forearm curls or reverse dumbbell curls.
Also DO NOT underestimate the importance of building big forearms as this is CRUCIAL in the development of huge arms,and is often overlooked by less experienced lifters.
So the bottom line is LESS VOLUME(SETS) and MORE INTENSITY,train the entire arm and get plenty of quality rest.
As long as you follow these simple rules and are paying attention to nutrition, you should soon notice HUGE gains in your arms!
My name is Vernon Corley and I have spent years learning how to build lean muscle mass. I created the free lens How To Build Muscle Mass to share my experiences with others.
How To Build Muscle Mass
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Bodyweight Pullup Circuits Will Build Great Strength

2008-05-14T06:12:00.000-07:00

Bodyweight Pullup Circuits Will Build Great Strength
Pullups and chinups are great exercises but there are so many different ways to do pullups. I don't do many regular straight bar pullups I get better results using things that make the pullup harder, the harder the pullup the more strength you build.
This is the key to constant progress- you need to keep changing to get stronger. Keep doing the same things you will stop making progress, this is true in life as well as in physical fitness.
I'll do pullups on anything I can hang on, a 2x4, a tree branch, a towel thrown over a rafter whatever to keep it different.

The great thing about using a tree branch is that you can almost always find a branch that's thick or thin, higher, wide, angled there's just so many variations to keep making progress.
And when you get on a regular pullup bar, you will find that you will be able to do a lot more, another great way to improve your pullup strength is with what I call heavy breathing pullups, this is where you train by doing sprints or jumping rope or work the pullups into a circuit, and doing the pullups when you need oxygen, this is hard.

A simple circuit you can use with bodyweight squats and a towel thrown up over a rafter.
Do 20 bodyweight squats then with no rest do 5 to 8 towel pullups repeat this 5 to 10 sets this will test your conditioning and will test your gripping strength.
5 to 10 sets will be 100 to 200 bodyweight squats and 25 to 50 or 40 to 80 towel pullups.
John Grube B.C.S. is an expert on the subject of bodyweight training. He has over 25 years of training experience and is the author of The Wildman Training Program manual , The New Expanded version The Wildman Training Course and The Super Strength Playground Training Manual. The Heavy Bag , Picnic Table and Car Training manual. For video updates http://www.youtube.com/johnnygrube or http://www.wildman-training.blogspot.com For more info http://www.wildmantraining.com

Why You Must Use The Right Foods To Gain Muscle Weight

2008-05-14T06:11:00.001-07:00

Why You Must Use The Right Foods To Gain Muscle Weight
Most of the advice that you've heard about gaining weight is probably pretty much the same. Everyone tells you that you must increase your calories in order to gain muscle. If you take in more than your body burns in the day, then the extra calories will be stored by your body as fat or muscle. This seems pretty simple at this point, but the formula is a little bit more complicated than you may think.

The reason that this advice is insufficient is that the kinds of calories that you eat are crucial. You probably have been told that all calories are equal, so if you want to lose weight you should just cut your calories. Likewise, if you want to gain weight you might guess that all you have to do is increase your calories. But stop and think about this for a minute. Are all foods really equal? Of course not. Fried foods like those sold at many fast food restaurants, for example, are full of bad fats which will not help you build muscle but will increase your chances of heart disease. Likewise, foods high in refined sugar will also hamper your muscle building efforts. Eating sweets and drinking sodas all day will help you develop a nice potbelly. They will do nothing for building muscle.

Of course, there are many more things to consider when choosing a diet plan for building muscle. For example, the concept of nutrient timing tells us that when we eat things is just as important as what we eat. With this in mind, that sugary chocolate protein shake may be acceptable and even beneficial during a workout, but it would be devastating right before bedtime (at least in terms of trying to gain muscle and lose fat).
If you would like to learn more about bodybuilding workouts, visit Jon Cardozo's Web site at http://maximum-muscle-gain.com Learn the secrets to building a muscular physique and avoid the myths of the bodybuilding industry. Brought to you by Jcardozium.

A Little Muscle Knowledge Is A Dangerous Thing

2008-05-14T06:03:00.000-07:00

A Little Muscle Knowledge Is A Dangerous Thing
Have you heard the phrase a little knowledge is a dangerous thing? I have, but I didn't come to appreciate it until recently. It means that you shouldn't make assumptions about a subject too quickly. You should really try to understand things before you take action. This applies to building muscle as much as it does to anything else. If you don't take the time to learn how to build muscle properly, you'll probably be disappointed in the end.

So many people think that they want to build a muscular physique, but very few of them are willing to make the commitment. Those that do often rush into their workouts without enough knowledge and end up doing more harm than good. Either they work far too hard for less than spectacular results, or their eagerness leads them to injury and many months of rehabilitation.
I know it can be hard to curb your enthusiasm and do a little learning before starting your program. Actually, you don't have to reduce your enthusiasm. You just have to apply a little common sense and make sure you get started on the right path. Direct that enthusiasm towards learning as much as possible about building muscle and then put what you've learned into action. Find yourself a solid program that covers all aspects of muscle building.

What should you look for in a muscle building program? Well, the program should cover the basics like weight training exercises and a weight gaining diet plan. However, it should also discuss less popular topics like how to rest and recover from the workouts. Lastly, it should do a good job of helping you to prevent injuries and correct any muscle imbalances before you begin weight training. This last aspect is usually ignored by most bodybuilding or weightlifting programs, but you should pay close attention so you don't end up on the disabled list.
If you would like to learn more about how to gain weight, visit Jon Cardozo's Web site at http://maximum-muscle-gain.com/ Learn the secrets to building a muscular physique and avoid the myths of the bodybuilding industry. Brought to you by Jcardozium.

What You Shouldn't Include In Your Muscle Building Diet Plan

2008-05-14T06:02:00.001-07:00

What You Shouldn't Include In Your Muscle Building Diet Plan
When I first decided to build muscle, I found myself spending a lot of time in fast food restaurants. Some of these places had nutritional info displayed on a wall, but I tended to only pay attention to the amount of protein. After all, you have to eat a lot of protein if you want to gain muscle, right? Well, that is true, but that's not the whole story.

The truth is that the kinds of food that you eat will have a big role to play in your overall results. Yes, your workouts are important, but the raw materials to build muscle have to come from your diet. If you eat the wrong foods, your results will suffer. Either you won't gain any weight at all or you will gain way too much fat. Neither result sounds very pleasant for those of us trying to build muscle.
Thankfully, I came to my senses and started paying closer attention to nutritional info. After a while, I just couldn't ignore the large quantities of fat in the typical fast food hamburger and French fries. And the drinks, oh yes, the drinks! The sodas were simply full of sugar which were waiting to become fat on my body. I suppose I knew this all along, but it took me a while to get it through my head that not all calories were equal.

The moral of the story is that what you eat is extremely important when trying to build muscle. It isn't just about increasing your calories; rather, you need to give your body the best fuel possible to help build as much muscle as you want. Besides that, you want to be as healthy as possible, and fast food won't help in this regard either. Stick to lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and other healthy food instead. Your muscles, and the rest of your body, will thank you.
If you would like to learn more about how to gain muscle naturally, visit Jon Cardozo's Web site at http://maximum-muscle-gain.com/ Learn the secrets to building a muscular physique and avoid the myths of the bodybuilding industry. Brought to you by Jcardozium.

Exercises For Lower Ab Workouts

2008-05-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Exercises For Lower Ab Workouts
Lower ab workouts are important for helping you get the abdominals you want as well as helping increase spinal stability and prevention of injury especially for the lower back. If you want to improve your body shape, it is important to know that workouts alone will not result in losing fat in that area and that to lose fat you should also follow a sensible diet plan as well as doing exercises.

Lower ab workouts can be difficult at first as they do involve more concentration and muscle control than other exercises. Due to this some people cheat in lower ab workouts, making them not so effective. Here are some tips to help make your lower ab exercises more effective:
1. If you feel pain in your lower back stop immediately. Feeling pain in your lower back means that either your lower abs aren't strong enough to perform the lower ab workout exercise or that you are not performing the exercise correctly. 2. When lower abdominal muscles get fatigued it can be difficult to feel them working. It is a sign to stop and rest when you cannot feel your lower abs working. 3. Do each exercise in a slow and controlled manner. Performing lower ab workouts too quickly will increase your momentum and decrease muscular control, minimizing the effectiveness and increasing the usage of muscles that should not be used. 4.The lower ab workouts are not about how many repetitions you can do - they are about working the correct muscles. Do slower, more controlled repetitions to get the maximum benefit from the lower ab workouts. 5. Remember to breathe whilst performing lower ab workouts. Many of the exercises require some of your abdominal muscles to be contracted throughout the exercise. Your initial reaction will probably be to try to hold your breath or take very shallow breaths but you must work on taking deeper breaths while performing the exercises. When performing lower ab exercises, exhale when your muscles are shortening/tightening and inhale while your muscles are lengthening/stretching.

Below are some examples of exercises for lower ab workouts:
1. Exercise for the Transverse Abdominus -
- Lie face down on the floor or on your hands and knees. The kneeling version of this lower ab exercise makes it easier for you to feel your belly button being pulled in but lying flat on the ground makes it easier to feel if you are using other muscles.
- Pull your belly button in as much as you can just using the lower abdominal muscles and try to relax throughout the rest of your body.

- Hold the contraction until you cannot feel it anymore or you start feeling other muscles contracting more. If this is difficult, try to hold the contraction for 10 seconds to begin with. Repeated up to 10 times. Increase the time of the contraction as the exercise becomes easier.
2. Flattening the lower back against the floor. This exercise helps to strengthen and build endurance in muscles that support and protect the low back from injury. Here is what to do:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Try to relax as much as possible. There should be a small space under your lower back from the natural curve in the spine.

-Activate your lower abdominals to flatten your lower back until you feel pressure against the floor.
- Some pelvic rotation will occur for the back to flatten completely, but make sure to use the abdominal muscles to create this motion.
- Holding this contraction for 10 seconds and increase this period as you get better at the exercise.
3. Abdominal Leg Lowering.
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Try to relax as much as possible. There should be a small space under your lower back from the natural curve in the spine.
- Keep your lower abdominals tight and your back flat throughout the exercise. If you stop feeling tightness in your abdominal muscles or feel any pain in your lower back, stop the exercise.
- If your lower back starts to arch while you lower your leg, stop lowering your leg and raise it back up. Arching in the lower back is a sign that the lower abdominal muscles are not strong enough to perform the exercise at that position.

- There are four basic difficulty levels of this exercise: 1. Single-leg lowering with a bent leg: One leg is kept on the ground and the other leg is kept in a bent position throughout the exercise. The leg that moves should start with the thigh perpendicular to the ground. Lower the leg until the foot almost touches the floor. Raise the leg back to the starting position and repeat. Perform this exercise with both legs.2. Single-leg lowering with a straight leg: The same exercise as above, but the leg that is moving will be kept straight instead of being bent.3. Double-leg lowering with bent legs: This is a more difficult variation where both legs will move at the same time and follow the same technique as the first variation of this exercise. 4. Double-leg lowering with straight legs: This is the same as the third variation, except the legs are straight instead of bent. This is by far the most difficult variation. If your lower abdominals are not strong enough, this exercise can cause back pain. Start off with smaller movements; as your muscles get stronger, your legs will get closer to the floor.
Each of these lower ab workout exercises can be performed for 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps each. Ankle weights can be added to any of the variations to make them more difficult.
4. The Plank. Good for developing overall core stability, working the lower and upper abdominals and lower back muscles all at the same time.

- If you feel pain or excessive tightness in the lower back stop the exercise as this means some of your muscles are not strong enough or too tired to do the exercise properly. You will need to build up your strength and endurance by doing the previous exercises if you experience pain until your muscles can do this exercise properly.

- Lie on the floor with your elbows on the ground and your shoulders directly above your elbows. Your feet should be in the same position as if you were doing push-ups.
- Activate your abdominal muscles and lift your body off the ground whilst keeping your belly button pulled in towards your spine. Try to stay as straight as possible from your legs to your shoulders, while your forearms and feet support your bodyweight.

- Hold this position as long as you can while maintaining good form and the contraction in your abdominals. Perform 1-3 sets and focus on increasing your endurance over time. When you can perform this exercise for more than 1 1/2 -2 minutes at a time, you can increase the difficulty by lifting one foot slightly off the ground. This will also increase the demand of the leg that is still on the ground. Alternate legs between sets.

These exercises for lower ab workouts will help build a solid foundation of lower abdominal strength, endurance, and function and they will also help prevent lower back problems. These exercises will tone the muscles and make them look better but your diet habits and overall exercise program are what will impact how good your abdominals look most. To get fantastic abdominals and get the figure of your dreams you need to follow a proper diet and exercise program.
Laura Matthews has spent a long time researching the health options available on the internet.
To find out more about lower ab workouts and how to get in shape click here

Forget the Scale

2008-05-14T05:59:00.001-07:00

Forget the Scale
I was watching a very popular TV reality show in which the contestants were required to weigh themselves at the end of the show to see who might get eliminated. If you're a fan of this type of TV program you can likely figure out which one I'm speaking of or you can insert your own.
The whole process, boiled down to the few pounds each contestant could shave off each week. Certainly in the beginning of any routine, especially if you've been out of the game for awhile, or if you are exceptionally overweight, I could see this being a relevant technique to track your progress.

On the other hand, in the early go, I'm not sure what difference it makes. Certainly the medical profession finds body weight to be a significant measure of overall health. This may seem like I'm stating the obvious. I mean after all, if you're not skinny, then you're fat. Am I Right?
Personally, I don't believe simple body weight really gives you the whole picture. In fact, for me, it's a frustrating oversimplified way to track progress. Furthermore, it takes the focus off of your workouts, and takes attention away from the mind-body connection. This "connection" is the real measure one needs to develop. Develop is the key word here, because this type of connection is more intuitive and subjective than the clear-cut number one gets from a scale. If all I think about is how much I weigh, in the end I'm missing the point.

Let's say for example, you did nothing but bicep curls. This is your whole workout; three days or four days a week. You make it your mission to figure out how to work your biceps so that they arrive at their maximum potential. Think only about that small muscle group. Even as you read this, you can flex your bicep and imagine how big mighty and strong this single muscle group could be. Even if right now, working your bicep is of no particular interest, could you imagine curling dumbbells until you feel that nice thick pump inside the core of each of your biceps?
Okay, now go weigh yourself.

I mean really, who cares? All I care about is how great my biceps feel. It's how good I feel that gets me juiced, not how much I weigh. Now take that concept and expanded it to your entire body. In the end, what you weigh really won't matter because you feel great and you won't really care about your weight. Your weight is merely a positive side effect of a long-term healthy lifestyle.

Here is one other quick point for you to consider about your weight. A couple years ago, I had to go to a health physical that was required by my occupation. At that time, I was really on my game when it came to pure weight lifting. I was probably as developed in muscularity, as I've ever been. I was wearing a baggy sweatshirt and jeans when the nurse asked me to hop on a scale. She had my records from the previous year, and shook her head, indicating that I needed to lose weight because my weight had gone up! Because she couldn't see my physique, it didn't even occur to her that an increase in weight was an indication of better physical conditioning, not worse.
Fred Abernathy is a long time health enthusiast with a keen interest in the benefits of health and diet methods that promote quality of life as we continue to age. You can join the forum and share your own story by visiting http://musclebuilderman.blogspot.com

How To Build Muscle Faster

2008-05-14T05:56:00.000-07:00

How To Build Muscle Faster
I was skinny all the way through childhood and adolescence and wanted to gain muscle from around 15. I weighed between eight and eight and a half stone and was 5 ft 8. The reason why skinny guys find it so hard to gain muscle is because they have a high metabolism. This just means that they have to eat a bit more to gain weight. But you're obviously not going to want to gain fat, so you have to eat specific foods and train in certain ways if you want to gain muscle.

You need to eat a high protein, carb and essential fatty acid diet. For every pound of body weight you have, you should be eating 15-20 calories per day. But how do you work out how many calories are in what? Well, there are 4 calories in every gram of protein, 4 calories in every gram of carbohydrate and 9 calories in every gram of EFA. 40% of your daily calories should be carbs, 30% protein and 30% EFA. So if you weigh 10 stone, you should be eating 2800 calories per day (20x140lb=2800). Pretty simple. To find out how many grams of protein, carbs or EFA are in any food, just read the label.

Foods I recommend for protein are chicken breasts, tuna, egg whites and, of course, good old whey protein powder. For carbs I'd recommend pasta, rice, wholemeal bread and maltodextrin powder. And for EFAs I'd recommend Udo's choice oil blend (2-3 tablespoons a day would do the trick).
For training, you should only train 3 times per week, no matter what anyone tells you. You shouldn't overtrain because your muscles don't get bigger as you train, they only get bigger when they're healing after your training sessions (when you're resting). You should only train each muscle once per week and do 7 sets per muscle, including 2 warm-up sets at the start and 1 burnout set at the end. You should never be able to do more than 8 reps in any of your sets, and by your 7th set, you should be busting a gut to push out 2-3 reps, then you go back to the first weight you were using and do a burn out set.
Follow these rough guidelines and you'll build muscle faster than you thought possible!
If you'd like to learn more about how I did, and you can gain lean muscle, check out my web page at http://www.squidoo.com/howigained30lb

How To Get A Six Pack Fast - One HUGE Mistake!

2008-05-14T05:55:00.000-07:00

How To Get A Six Pack Fast - One HUGE Mistake!

So you want to get a six pack fast? With all these so called fitness experts promoting these bogus ab gadgets, its no wonder so many people think that ab workouts are the answer to getting six pack abs. Its almost impossible to turn on your tv without seeing some infomercial on the latest and greatest ab machine. So take my advice, if you want to get a six pack fast, then avoid this big mistake...

Stop focusing so much on ab workouts! They are definitely not the best way to get a six pack fast and in fact, they may actually be hurting your progress. Millions of people have fallen for these scams and have been duped into thinking thats all they need to get a six pack fast, when, in all likelihood, it won't give them a six pack at all. The answer to building that six pack is to burn the fat thats covering it, and ab workouts don't burn fat at all. This is one of the biggest reasons people don't succeed when trying to get a six pack fast. They work their abs to death and don't do anything to the fat thats hiding them. The only truly effective way to burn fat is with diet and exercise. There's just no way around it.. So stop searching for that miracle ab machine and do it the correct way. There's no other way to get a six pack fast without hard work and dedication.

So if you want to get a six pack fast... stop wasting time on sit-ups and start planning out a good diet and exercise program. A balanced nutritional program combined with the right type of weight training and cardio are the real secrets to achieving those visible abs. Anyone can do this with the right training methods and mindset. Trust me, once you start seeing those abs popping out, you'll realize just how much all that work was worth it! Follow this tip and you'll be well on your way to learning how to get a six pack fast.
Stop wasting time on methods that don't work!
Learn The Right Way To Get A Six Pack Fast!

It's My Parents' Fault I Can't Build Muscle

2008-05-14T05:53:00.000-07:00

It's My Parents' Fault I Can't Build Muscle

Do you blame your parents every time you walk in the gym looking just as scrawny as you did last time? Perhaps everyone has called you a hardgainer or skinny guy, and you're convinced that your genetics are entirely to blame for your shortcomings. You may have even become depressed because you can't think of any way that you can improve your physique. After all, it's the genes, right?

Well, if this is how you've been thinking, then it's time for an attitude check. It may be true that some are born with an advantage in certain areas. Some people are smarter. Some people are more gifted musically. Some people are wonderful speakers, and, yes, some people have an easy time building muscle. Does that mean that everyone else is hopeless? You're kidding right? Just because you weren't born a genius doesn't mean that you can't work hard and become learned. Just because you weren't born with as much musical talent as your neighbor, this doesn't mean that you can never learn to play the piano. Not every great speaker was born a great speaker, and quite a few started out as very poor speakers.

And just because you weren't born with the perfect genes doesn't mean that you can't build muscle.
You may have to accept the reality that gaining muscle is not going to be a walk in the park for you. You'll probably have to work harder than most people, and you might have to ignore those guys in the gym that make it look easy.

Nevertheless, a change in your attitude can go a long way towards building muscle. Whether you believe it or not, your way of thinking can have a big influence on your results. Stop thinking of yourself as a hardgainer, and make the commitment today to build muscle no matter what. Find yourself a solid program that combines an effective workout plan, a solid nutritional plan, and proper recovery methods.
If you would like to learn more about strength training programs , visit Jon Cardozo's Web site at http://maximum-muscle-gain.com/ Learn the secrets to building a muscular physique and avoid the myths of the bodybuilding industry. Brought to you by Jcardozium.

3 Terrific Ways To Boost Muscle Growth - Here Is Something You Were Never Told About Muscle Growth

2008-05-14T05:52:00.000-07:00

3 Terrific Ways To Boost Muscle Growth - Here Is Something You Were Never Told About Muscle Growth
Muscle growth would only take place when you have a perfect combination of a stunning work out routine, a great diet and a proper plan or a workbook to study your progress on a day by day basis. A lot of people out there want to gain muscle but never do the right steps to effectively gain muscles fast. This is the reason why you must know what works and what doesn't work when it comes to muscle building. Read on to discover some of the most stunning ways to help boost your muscle growth to exponential limits.

The time must be right- The time at which you about on a daily basis must suit your body and your routine since your body will never get maximum results unless it's properly rested. There are people out there who want to exercise in the evening especially when they have returned from their day job and are already tired. Remember that your body would show maximum results when you are properly relaxed and not when you are already strained.

Taking a break might go in your favor- Several people out there think that you need to work out on a regular basis without any breaks to gain maximum results. The fact is that often taking a break might work in your favor and might help you gain more muscle. Therefore it is good to take a break sometimes and rest your body properly.

Check your level of motivation- If you ask feeling down and depressed it is a very rare thing that you will even be willing to work hard in the gym therefore learn being in the right state of mind since the level of motivation and drive will always be the break deciding factor when it comes to muscle growth.

An absolute must know for you- But there are secrets about body building you don't know yet. So...don't sit back and relax. Get on the edge of your seat because you are about to be introduced to the dirty little secrets of body building you were never told. These secrets are so effective that they would get you the body you desire within a matter of a few months without any hard supplements or steroids. This is only known to a few and you are one of the lucky one's who is being introduced to this shocking secret click here- Tell me the Secret

3 Ultimate Tips For Getting Big - Here Are The True Secrets Of Professional Bodybuilders

2008-05-14T05:51:00.000-07:00

3 Ultimate Tips For Getting Big - Here Are The True Secrets Of Professional Bodybuilders
The body is like an engine and only works at its best when you maintain it right. Most people out there want the maximum performance without maintaining their body. In order to gain muscles fast you need to adequately feed your body so that you get optimal results with minimal efforts. There are several tools and techniques of professional bodybuilders which you can use yourself to get the same results as them fast. Read on to discover what these secrets are and gain the same results as them.

Post workout meals are extremely important- Not eating after the workout is one of the biggest mistakes you can ever make. Not eating right after a workout means what ever you have done will get you no results whatsoever. The foundation to getting a great physique is to eat, eat, eat and eat more.
Are you burning muscle? - Do you know the major reason why so many of those marathon runners are so skinny? You see what they do is they run a lot at the same time they eat a lot of carbohydrates to keep the energy levels up. When it comes to the matter of muscle building you must be aware of how much exercise are doing in comparison to the kind of diet you are taking.
You diet should always complement your workouts otherwise you would not gain much muscle.

Variety makes you grow- If there is one thing that should really get you big fast is variety with your workouts. Optimal workout demands variety since your muscles gets used to a certain type of a workout when it's done for a very long period of time and the body starts resisting growth. This is the reason why you must keep changing your routine to best suit your needs.

An absolute must know for you- But there are secrets about body building you don't know yet. So...don't sit back and relax. Get on the edge of your seat because you are about to be introduced to the dirty little secrets of body building you were never told. These secrets are so effective that they would get you the body you desire within a matter of a few months without any hard supplements or steroids. This is only known to a few and you are one of the lucky one's who is being introduced to this shocking secret click here- Tell me the Secret

Muscle Building Not Helped By CLA or CP

2008-05-14T05:50:00.000-07:00

Muscle Building Not Helped By CLA or CP

For muscle building purposes, two very hyped up and popular nutritional supplements you see a lot in fitness magazines and on television are chromium picolinate, also known as CP, and conjugated linoleic acid, also known as CLA. Well, a recent study may prove other wise.

In Journal Nutritional Biochemistry, in a study that was done at Purdue, it was discovered that under the research's conditions taking both chromium picolinate and CLA didn't help the subjects in a muscle building aspect at all. As a matter of fact, it didn't assist in body composition, blood sugar regulation, blood fats, or blood pressure.

The research was done on a group of middle-aged females. They were asked to walk for thirty minutes, five days a week. The study was done over a twelve week period.
Granted, you you have to take into consideration the fact that these women were only asked to walk, not workout intensely with weights, and who knows what type of diet they were placed on. So, with all of these scientific studies you have to keep all of that in mind, not just the results presented.

So, being fair, we don't know those very important details. However, just keep this in mind the next time you're at your local supplement store and you feel like your money is burning a hole in your pocket. If muscle building is what you seek, I recommend you look elsewhere. Sadly, everyone seems to be looking in the wrong places for muscle building / fat burning success....namely, in a bottle....and literally. The other factors that are much more important in reaching your goals than any supplement you could ever buy at the store, like the proper workout routine and the correct calorie eating guidelines.

Another big misconception out in the fitness and health world is the whole low carb/ketogenic diet craze. Check out this article to see the truth beyond this:http://www.muscle-weight-gain.com/low-carbs-are-not-a-magic-wand

Gain Muscle, Build Abs And Lose Fat Tips

2008-05-14T05:49:00.000-07:00

Gain Muscle, Build Abs And Lose Fat Tips

When it comes to fitness, there are a lot of myths and commotions going out there - abs machine, low carb diet, weight loss supplements etc. But truly speaking, muscle gaining, abs building and fat burning are common goals in today's health and image conscious society. If you go online and take a look around, there are simply tons of articles and write-ups about these topics that you are going to be information overload.
In this article, I am going to simply put up 3 core principles that you need to follow and a few tips in order to gain muscle, build abs and lose weight at the same time. Having a good physical fitness quality, you need essential tools, right materials and sufficient time to build a body of your dream.
The 3 Principles
1. Proper Nutrition
Eating the right food is extremely important because it provides nutrients to fuel our bodies' vital operations. It also supports the muscle to increase body metabolism. Following the proper nutrition is ideal to enhance muscle building and fat burning. Hence, it is a grave mistake to skip meals.
2. Training
Bodysculpturing and bodybuilding are the two types of routine practices when training is concerned. Bodysculpturing is used by people who want to concentrate on shape building while bodybuilding is used for fitness and bodybuilding group. As a matter of fact, the main difference between the two types of practices is the extent they take, with the latter more intensed. Without training, it is like speaking without a tongue.
3. Rest
Sufficient rest and recovery allow time for the proteins in the body to build, maintain and repair the muscles. Do not allow your body to be sleep-derived because "sleep loss equal weight gain".
Training Tips To Build Abs And Gain Muscles
1. Total body workout
It's proven that if you work out all-around your body, you'll get abs faster. While working out, always tighten your abdominals. Whatever you do, do not stick to only one workout. This is because your body would get used to doing the same workout every time and you wouldn't get results as fast as you want. Muscles in our body work together rather than independently. Total body workout enables you to maximize fat burning as well.
2. Contract and flex your abs in between sets
This technique helps to build abdominal definition. Bodybuilders have been know to stretch and flex in between sets to increase muscle definition. Common abs training are crunches, side crunches, sit-ups, jackknife sit-ups and leg lift / leg raise.
3. Compound exercises
Choose exercises that work as many different muscles as possible. Isolation exercises is used when workout ends and works on a particular area only. Compound exercises build up the most muscle groups at most areas of your body. Some compound exercises include free weight exercise and squats.
4. Minimize rest time in between sets
Try to only take 1 minute of rest [or less] time in between abdominal exercises. The goal is to keep rest to 30 - 40 seconds in between sets. This is to keep those abdominals burning at maximum.
The proper way to train abs and gain muscle is still widely debated by experts. The truth is, there is no right or wrong way to go about doing them. What works for someone else may not work for you. Everyone has a different body type so results will vary from person to person.
Read more Abs and Muscle Building reports and discover the truth about abs here.
If you think weight loss is that difficult, think again, what have you done wrong? Losing weight is not as hard as you assume it to be, not until you visit Diet Solution Pilot. Change yourself and bring back your confidence.
To your slimming success,
Ron Lin

Should You Listen To Your Buddies at the Local Gym?

2008-05-14T05:22:00.000-07:00

Should You Listen To Your Buddies at the Local Gym?

If you spend much time at the gym doing weightlifting, you've probably had a lot of conversations with other guys in the gym. It's fun to talk about your progress and exchange ideas, but should you really listen to your buddies when it comes to muscle building?

Well, that definitely depends on how knowledgeable your friends are. Some will have much more experience and really know what they're talking about. Others, however, just do whatever they hear through the grapevine and seemed to jump from one technique to another. It's very important to gain some real knowledge in this area and avoid the mistakes that many trainees make in the gym.

For example, many beginners try to spend all of their time in the gym and think this extra effort will pay off big time. If they don't see any muscle gain immediately, they are tempted to increase their workouts even more. In an effort to speed up their progress, they may decide to increase the intensity and frequency of their workouts. They seem to think that the more they work out the better the chances of success. Of course, this line of thinking is definitely flawed because it ignores one of the major components of muscle growth. Remember that strength training breaks down the muscle fibers and stimulates the body to build muscle. The body will respond and build a bigger, stronger muscle, but only if it has had enough rest between workouts. In fact, many bodybuilding experts recommend just two or three hours of training each week! In many cases, reducing your workload and increasing the amount of sleep that you get each night will do wonders for your muscle building program.

So how do you know if the advice you hear is worthwhile or not? Obviously, a lot depends on what kind of success this person has achieved. Though it may seem obvious, we often ignore someone's experience and just listen to advice because of friendship. They don't necessarily have the results to prove their knowledge, in which case we should look elsewhere for advice on muscle building. The best thing you can do is find a real mentor who has overcome his skinny genes and gained a large amount of muscle naturally. Your ultimate goal should be to achieve the best results you can given your own situation.
If you would like to learn more about basic bodybuilding workouts, visit Jon Cardozo's Web site at http://maximum-muscle-gain.com Learn the secrets to building a muscular physique and avoid the myths of the bodybuilding industry. Brought to you by Jcardozium.

Why You Need To Stick To A Muscle Building Program

2008-05-14T05:20:00.000-07:00

Why You Need To Stick To A Muscle Building Program

Do you know what the most important factor is for building large amounts of lean muscle? If you're thinking of saying supplements, you're way off base. If your guess was strength training exercises or increasing your protein intake, you're definitely getting closer. What is this crucial component of any muscle building or weight training program? It's the ability to stick to a muscle building program. In other words, its consistency.

Many will tell you that supplements are the key to success, but we know that is not the case. Some supplements may be useful. Indeed, if we go outside the world of bodybuilding and look at various products designed to improve our health, there are probably quite a few that are worth trying. However, when it comes to building muscle, looking for that magic supplement won't get us very far. No supplement, regardless of the marketing hype, can provide you with the results that you're looking for if other factors aren't in place.

What are those other factors? Well, like we said already, your specific weight training exercises and your muscle building diet plan are critical to your success. However, none of these factors will do you any good if you're not consistent. Jumping from one program to the next will gain you nothing. Reading the first few pages of a muscle course will do nothing by itself to build muscle, nor will stopping the program after a week or two of strength training.
Always remember that your end results will come from many small choices over a long time. The selections on a daily basis will accumulate and have a massive effect in the end.
If you would like to learn more about how to gain weight, visit Jon Cardozo's Web site at http://maximum-muscle-gain.com Learn the secrets to building a muscular physique and avoid the myths of the bodybuilding industry. Brought to you by Jcardozium.

Foods to Gain Weight Using Whey Protein During Workout Sessions

2008-05-14T05:19:00.000-07:00

Foods to Gain Weight Using Whey Protein During Workout Sessions

Are you the kind of guy that goes to the gym and does some serious weightlifting on an empty stomach? I sure hope not. I really don't understand why some people go through the whole day eating hardly anything and then try to do some serious weight training in the evening.

It's important to realize that your body needs plenty of fuel for you to perform your muscle building workouts. You need enough protein for your body to use when building your muscles bigger and stronger than before. But you also need lots of calories so you can have the energy to perform workouts. No fuel means no energy, and no energy means no muscle building workouts. Where will your muscle building efforts be if you don't even have the energy to lift heavy weights?

I hope you understand by now how important a solid weight gain diet is when trying to build muscle. But what about eating something immediately before or after your workouts? Is there anything in particular that would be helpful? As a matter of fact there is. If you are a big fan of protein powders, you've probably noticed that many shakes are made of whey protein. This is significant because whey protein is absorbed quickly by your body. That's why it's a great protein to use during workout periods when your body's ability to absorb protein is higher. At other times throughout the day you can use a blend of different proteins, but it's best to avoid blends during your workout times.
If you would like to learn more about how to build lean muscle, visit Jon Cardozo's Web site at http://maximum-muscle-gain.com Learn the secrets to building a muscular physique and avoid the myths of the bodybuilding industry. Brought to you by Jcardozium.

Weight Lifting Programs - Taking A Second Look At Training to Failure

2008-05-14T05:18:00.000-07:00

Weight Lifting Programs - Taking A Second Look At Training to Failure

You have probably heard the term training to failure if you've spent any time in the body building or weightlifting worlds. Simply put, training to failure means that you perform a weightlifting exercise until your muscle gives way and cannot perform another repetition. This concept has been labeled by many as the fundamental law of bodybuilding. However, it's worth taking a second look at this popular technique.

Not every trainer believes that training to failure is the best way to go. Some trainers tell us that training to failure on a consistent basis can put too much strain on your body. In fact, it's important to realize that your muscles are not the only body parts that need to recover after a heavy training session. Your nervous system and immune systems actually take longer to recover from the workouts. Even your muscles, which recover more quickly, may not be ready if you return to your training regimen too soon.

If you understand the principles of muscle growth, then you know why it is important to allow your muscles to recover. When a person challenges his muscles by lifting weights, the body will build muscle bigger and stronger than it was before. However, the actual growth of the muscle will occur during your resting phase. According to many trainers, training to failure may actually make recovery more difficult and thus limit your progress in the gym. If you can't lift a little bit more each workout, you may need to take a long hard look at your recovery methods.

So should you train to failure? That is ultimately a personal decision, but you would do well to learn as much as possible before making a choice. One alternative is to train to failure in the beginning so you can learn your limits. Otherwise, it may be difficult to know how hard to push yourself. After this, you can then train just shy of failure, with the goal of progressing gradually during each workout.
If you would like to learn more about how to build lean muscle, visit Jon Cardozo's Web site at http://maximum-muscle-gain.com Learn the secrets to building a muscular physique and avoid the myths of the bodybuilding industry. Brought to you by Jcardozium.

Don't Count on Muscle Building Supplements Too Much

2008-05-14T05:17:00.001-07:00

Don't Count on Muscle Building Supplements Too Much

OK, I know that everyone says that I have to pay attention to my bodybuilding workouts carefully. I know I have to get plenty of sleep and allow my body to recover after each training session. And I definitely know that I have to increase my calories and protein if I want to build massive amounts muscle. But when it comes right down to it, none of this is really that important. I mean, I can just buy some bodybuilding supplements and that will take care of everything, right? Wrong.

Too many people have found out the hard way that taking weightlifting supplements is no substitute for a solid training regimen or a weight gain diet. Did you know that even protein shakes are not really necessary? I'm not saying that you should stop taking them by any means. After all, they're pretty helpful in filling in the gaps in your diet. Getting enough calories and grams of protein will be difficult without these supplements. My point is that they need to be seen for what they are - they are supplements and not the core of your diet.

In the same way, you have to realize that muscle building supplements are not shortcuts to muscle growth. In fact, you have to make sure that your training, nutrition, and lifestyle are all properly aligned towards building muscle. When this is a case, supplements can provide a slight edge. They won't make up for a poorly designed muscle building program. With that in mind, don't worry about spending your money on a bunch of pills or powders. Instead, focus on learning everything you can about building muscle naturally.
If you would like to learn more about how to build lean muscle, visit Jon Cardozo's Web site at http://maximum-muscle-gain.com Learn the secrets to building a muscular physique and avoid the myths of the bodybuilding industry. Brought to you by Jcardozium.

Weight Lifting Tips - How To Prevent Weightlifting Injuries

2008-05-14T05:14:00.002-07:00

Weight Lifting Tips - How To Prevent Weightlifting Injuries

I remember when I first became interested in building muscle. I was so excited and I wanted to get started right away. All I could think about was how quickly I could make progress. This kind of excitement and motivation is a good thing, and this can take you far on your road to building muscle. However, you would be wise to take a moment and do a little planning so you can get started on the right path.

Nothing can hinder your progress in the gym like developing an injury. Like we said before, your enthusiasm is a great thing and can help you overcome many obstacles that you'll face along the way. However, it can also lead you to ignore the danger signs. One of the most important things you should do when beginning a weight training program is to take care of any lingering injuries.

Visiting a medical doctor is a good idea to get the right diagnosis, but physicians may not always have the best treatments available. Often they will recommend surgery when better options are available. Consider visiting a reputable chiropractor, massage therapist, or a similar therapist.

They can provide you with lesser known therapies like myofascial release to help heal your soft tissue injuries. The bad news is that it can be difficult to find the right therapist, but don't give up. Ask around and see if anyone has had experience with a good therapist. There is a big difference between a highly experienced therapist who can combine different types of treatment and a mediocre therapist who only temporarily relieves the symptoms.

The key here is to deal with any existing injuries before they become more severe. Taking the time to correct these problems will keep you from having to join the disabled list and will help you continue to build muscle.
If you would like to learn more about natural bodybuilding, visit Jon Cardozo's Web site at http://maximum-muscle-gain.com Learn the secrets to building a muscular physique and avoid the myths of the bodybuilding industry. Brought to you by Jcardozium.

Is Your Workout Eating Away Your Muscles?

2008-05-14T05:14:00.001-07:00

Is Your Workout Eating Away Your Muscles?

What's the main reason that people lift weights in the gym? Well, my guess would be that they're trying to build muscle. Along with that, they're probably looking to increase their strength, burn some fat, and get in overall good shape. That all seems reasonable enough, doesn't it? But what if your workout was actually taking away muscle instead of increasing it? Pretty scary, huh?

I talked to a guy at the gym the other day who was a perfect candidate for this kind of scenario. He had a small breakfast, and then he went through the entire day without eating anything. Then late in the evening, while on an empty stomach, he was about to begin his strength training exercises. I was stunned that anyone who's serious about building muscle would actually try to perform some serious exercises on an empty gas tank. Why was this such a big problem?

Your body needs to have the raw materials to build muscle. You've probably heard that you need to eat more calories than your body is burning in order to gain weight (specifically muscle weight). It's actually a bit more complicated than that, but that is the basic formula. If you don't get enough calories and protein in your diet, where is the new muscle going to come from? At best you will reach a plateau and stop making progress. At worst, you could actually lose muscle.

That's because your workouts require a great deal of energy. (Well, at least they do if you're using some serious muscle building workouts.) The energy for your workouts has to come from somewhere. If it's not coming from the diet, guess where the fuel will come from. Like I said, it's a scary thought. Fortunately, a solid diet plan as part of a comprehensive muscle building program should keep you on the right track.
If you would like to learn more about how to gain weight, visit Jon Cardozo's Web site at http://maximum-muscle-gain.com Learn the secrets to building a muscular physique and avoid the myths of the bodybuilding industry. Brought to you by Jcardozium.

Building Your Abs

2008-05-14T05:12:00.000-07:00

Building Your Abs
It is a fact that good abs give an impressive look to the body and bad ones play an important role in destroying that look. For the very same reason men around the world long to have good abs. but you cannot get good abs by merely thinking about them, you have to plan and undergo workout to build your abs.

Workout simply means to carry out certain exercises that will help in your abs building. Te kind of exercises you undertake will determine the shape and outlook of your abs. now it is up to you and more importantly up to your trainer, if you have one, to decide what kind of workout you require. Instead of working out yourself without knowing even the basics of training it is advisable that you should have a good trainer who directs you towards the right workout plan. You should not undertake an exercise without knowing its drawbacks and advantages.

Some of the most effective exercises are reach ups, commonly known as crunches, knee ups and knee raises. There can be numerous exercises which one can plan and undergo to complete a workout plan. The most important thing of all is that you have to go systematically. You cannot just bump into every exercise machine you get and start of with it without even knowing what it does to your muscles. You must have a dedicated workout plan for abs which should be very religiously followed.

After you have identified, on your own or with the help of your trainer, that which exercises you want to undergo then you must learn how to do these exercises. It is of paramount importance that the correct way of doing an exercise must be learnt, because doing an exercise in the wrong fashion will destroy your abs. no matter you repeat an exercise a thousand time you cannot benefit from it till the time the procedure is not correct.

After identifying the correct procedure you must decide how any repetitions are required and after how any days the repetitions should be increased. You might not be able to carry out 100 repetitions of a particular exercise on the very first day and even if you can you should not exhaust yourself in the very first exercise. It must be remembered that abs cannot be developed by doing only a single exercise. It is always a combination of different exercises which are undertaken to develop different portions of your abs. a crunch will develop a specific part and the knee raiser will develop some other part, which the crunch most probably would not effect. So you must understand the importance of each exercise. Therefore you must decide which exercise requires how many repetitions. You must keep a check on your abs development and decide what exercises require more deliberation and which require less of it.
Abs exercises can be carried out with or without machines. You have to choose the mode for yourself and decide what suits you better.
Building your abs takes time and effort, learn the basics of Abs workout at http://abdominalexercisezone.com

Why Resistance Training Is Better Then Free Weights

2008-05-14T05:11:00.000-07:00

Why Resistance Training Is Better Then Free Weights
When most people think about working out they think about using dumb bells, bar bells and other gym machines. No one ever thinks about resistance training, even though it many cases it's more effective then then using regular weights. This article is going to explore why resistance training is a better method to tone and sculpt the body. More specifically we'll talk about the differences in exercises, the cost and space savings. After reading this article you should have no doubt in your mind that resistance bands are a great alternative to home gym equipment to get fit.

Resistance Exercises Versus Free Weights
When you're lifting a dumb bell doing an exercise the most expulsion of energy you do is when you first lift the weight. Depending on what type of exercise and if you're pulling or pushing the weight by the time the motion is complete the weight is being moved somewhat by momentum.
Comparing that to how resistance bands work as you push or pull the band the amount of resistance your muscle is working against increases. As a resistance exercise band elongates the resistance that band provides increases providing a harder workout throughout the complete movement.

Resistance training bands for Cost savings
If you work out at home, and you're buying or have bought exercise equipment you probably know how much a home gym machine or set of free weights can cost. Complete resistance training systems are usually well under $100, you're first months payment on the financing for a home fitness machine would likely be that much. The cost savings is another great reason why resistance training is better then free weights or gym machines especially when you workout from home.

Resistance Training for Space Savings
Now maybe money is no object to you and it doesn't matter that you can save money buying bands over free weights. How about the space savings? Unless you've planned a complete room or area of your home to be a gym most modest homes today don't have a lot of area to give up to fitness. Using resistance training all of your equipment can stow away in a closet when it's not being used, and you can do your exercises in multiple rooms if need be.

There's no question that it is a viable alternative to using free weights. Of course not everyone will be convinced and many will continue to use free weights because they think it's the real way to workout and exercise bands are for weaklings. To those of us that are willing to try out resistance training we'll see the cost and space savings, as well as a better over all workout and sculpting of our bodies.
To learn more about exercise bands visit http://www.fitness-exercise-bands.com/ a popular website that has written a Bodylastics review explaining how their system can replace an entire home gym machine for about 10%-20% of the price.

Can You Get A Flat Stomach

2008-05-14T05:10:00.002-07:00

Can You Get A Flat Stomach

A flat stomach is what most people dream about. For many, that flat stomach remains only a dream. In the real world however, you need to focus on losing body fat all over in order to develop your six pack abs. Losing weight is never easy, but you don't have to simply live with the extra bulk-it is possible to shed the pounds.

Remember, getting a flat stomach will not happen overnight, it takes time, dedication and patience, regardless of the exercise used. Cardiovascular exercise is an important element in weight loss and getting a flat stomach or 6 pack abs.

A lot of people perform exercises to develop and build their abs muscles, many sign up for gyms or take a personal trainer. Don't make the mistake of doing hundreds of repetitions of stomach exercises in the hope of getting a flat stomach. Only when your body fat is low enough, can your abdominal muscles become tight and visible. By following a few tips, getting a flat stomach is possible, this should include an over all approach that would be exercise, diet and cardio.

If you think about it what you need to do is stop adding new fat to your stomach, do some exercise to tighten and shape the muscle and also so some cardiovascular exercise so that you can burn off the excess fat you already have
The abdominals are some of the most resilient muscles in the body, which makes abdominal exercises one of the few workouts that can be practiced daily without damaging the body. Because of the resilience of abs, a dedicated person can do stomach exercises daily, helping you see results far more quickly than is possible with many other areas of the body.
For more information on the Abs Of Steel and other exercises for your flat stomach please visit Ab Exercise website for free help and guidance.

Can You Get A Flat Stomach

2008-05-14T05:10:00.001-07:00

Can You Get A Flat Stomach

A flat stomach is what most people dream about. For many, that flat stomach remains only a dream. In the real world however, you need to focus on losing body fat all over in order to develop your six pack abs. Losing weight is never easy, but you don't have to simply live with the extra bulk-it is possible to shed the pounds.

Remember, getting a flat stomach will not happen overnight, it takes time, dedication and patience, regardless of the exercise used. Cardiovascular exercise is an important element in weight loss and getting a flat stomach or 6 pack abs.

A lot of people perform exercises to develop and build their abs muscles, many sign up for gyms or take a personal trainer. Don't make the mistake of doing hundreds of repetitions of stomach exercises in the hope of getting a flat stomach. Only when your body fat is low enough, can your abdominal muscles become tight and visible. By following a few tips, getting a flat stomach is possible, this should include an over all approach that would be exercise, diet and cardio. If you think about it what you need to do is stop adding new fat to your stomach, do some exercise to tighten and shape the muscle and also so some cardiovascular exercise so that you can burn off the excess fat you already have
The abdominals are some of the most resilient muscles in the body, which makes abdominal exercises one of the few workouts that can be practiced daily without damaging the body. Because of the resilience of abs, a dedicated person can do stomach exercises daily, helping you see results far more quickly than is possible with many other areas of the body.
For more information on the Abs Of Steel and other exercises for your flat stomach please visit Ab Exercise website for free help and guidance.

The Best Way To Build Strong Abs

2008-05-14T05:08:00.000-07:00

The Best Way To Build Strong Abs
Abdominal exercises are one of the hottest, and yet, most controversial topics in the fitness and exercise industry. Hundreds of ab gadgets, gimmicks, and exercise machines have flooded the market for people after for the 6 pack look.
The abdominals are probably the most difficult and uncomfortable muscles to train, but also the most rewarding. Many commentators go as far as to say that the quality of your abdominal muscles makes or breaks you.

This is why abdominal exercises are so popular. Abdominal exercises are some of the most vital you can perform, not only because they target a portion of the body often missed by other traditional exercises, but because you can perform these exercises so frequently.
Ab Exercises are a great way of building up your abdominal muscles, it is important to note that regular cardiovascular exercise and healthy eating habits play a huge role in determining a healthy abs look. But for this is vital that the abdominal exercises are done correctly.

If your body core is not properly conditioned through good abdominal exercises in as well as exercises that work the rest of your body, it will limit your physical abilities. Abdominal exercises are good for strengthening and shaping the abdominal muscles and are useful for a good posture and a healthy back, but ab exercises are not meant for fat loss. If it's a six pack of abs you're trying to get, regular abdominal exercises are the key to achieving your goal.

Strengthening exercises for the stomach, should always be followed by a full range of stretches designed to lengthen and tone the muscles. Some of the best abdominal exercises are done at a gym or with specialized equipment. But, some exercises are effective even without equipment, so get started and save some money now.
For more information on the Best Way To Do Sit Ups At Home and other exercises for your flat stomach please visit Ab Exercise website for free help and guidance.

Girls With Six Packs

2008-05-14T05:06:00.000-07:00

Girls With Six Packs
Working you're butt off to get a six pack takes a lot of work, but can be done with some ease if you follow the methods that I will be providing you. These methods are proven to work and will help you become a girl with a six pack. The methods that you will be working with are made to be vigorous and will be "tough" but remember, all of that is mental, and if you push yourself it won't be that hard!

Staying Physically Strong -Working out is vital to become a successful girl with a six pack. Six pack's are very hard to get these days because of all the temptations that can cloud you're work ethic and can push you to make the wrong decisions. By working out and doing cardiovascular activities in between you can very quickly get you're body ready to host that nice looking six pack that you have always wanted. This is one way that you can be a girl with a six pack.

Taking Care Of Your Body - Also a very important role is to take care of your body. This includes what you put into you're body, and how you treat it. Things like fast foods, sodas, donut, ice cream have to be taken out of you're diet. If you don't feel that you can do that, it might be best to turn around and visit another page, this is for very determined people only! Now, congratulations you've proven to me, and yourself that you are a determined individual, and want to succeed. Now we can get down to business, we want to be careful what we put into our body, so we will try to eat healthy foods 6 times a day, instead of 3 times a day. This is going to feel like a lot more, but to balance it all out we will make it smaller portions. You might ask what this does, and the answer is it keep you're metabolism continuously burning calories to help burn you're fat optimally.
These two things alone will only lead you to success. With a combination of determination you can easily be a girl with a six pack, and leave everyone jealous.
Click Here To Be A Girl With A Six Pack

What's Important For Muscle Building?

2008-05-14T05:05:00.000-07:00

What's Important For Muscle Building?

Building muscle has always been connected to eating right and heavy workouts. These may be the key words but in reality muscle building depends on many such factors ranging from balanced diet to daily exercises to judicious intake of supplements. But the most important category for building muscles is the protein intake.

Muscle building is a phenomenon that requires to a great extent to sustain the muscle formation process. Amino acids present in the growing peptide works towards the whole construction of muscles along with repair or restoration of lost muscles. The essential building blocks of body, peptide's consists of 20 such amino acids out which the 9 are the kinds that can not be created by the body itself and need to be taken from external sources.
The key function lies in its ability to slow down muscle wasting condition called catabolism. It is a complete wrong notion to believe that doing a heavy workout and cutting down on those calorific food is the formula of building muscular body, as without the balanced intake of protein rich food or supplements it is not possible to grow muscles.

The facts are that experts suggest the intake of '1 gram pre pound of body weight' meaning increased consumption is a necessary step in your body building or muscle building. Before going through the sources of such as beef fist etc.. and various supplements that can be included in your diet or between your diets, you need to know that building muscle can never succeed with dieting or eating less food...

Eating less or low energy rich food when in an exercise regime will lead to burning of lean tissue and fat in the body which is good for fat loss or weight loss, but definitely not a good thing for those who wish to gain or add more mass to their body structure. Thus, eating good and eating frequent needs to be implemented in a daily routine along with intake of energy rich sources such as carbohydrates.
Eating small and healthy through out the day helps to keep the metabolism up along with keeping your body not hungry and burning all day.

Thus, having 5 or 6 small meals or 3 meals with snacks in between acts as the efficient way to deal with ways to increased protein accumulation in the body to meet the approximately '1 or 1.5 gram per pound of the body weight' need when working out for building muscles.

The point is to explain that no one gets to build muscles with reducing their daily meals or by gulping down lots of food. But, be sure that the increase in number of meals in your daily routine consists of balanced and healthy as well as healthy food. Most of the non vegetarian cuisines and food items that are lean consist of fish, chicken and eggs. No matter how you decide or divide your intake, remember that drink a lot of water when increasing the your protein intake in your routine, as water plays a major role in breaking down those peptide molecules easing your kidney from any stack or load.

Following is a list of lean sources and their benefits for building muscles:
SupplementsThe various supplements come in form of snacks or powders or shakes and bars. These supplements help to build muscles as well as act as source for those small in-between meals during the day, keeping you energy rich and less hunger. Another reason to take supplements is the fact that those who do not prefer non vegetarian items need to have other source in their diet for maintaining their muscle building process and workouts. Also, not an every meal can provide you with all the proteins which can be taken in from these supplements.
EggsAs mentioned earlier, eggs have been proved to be a good source containing the essential 'omega-3 fatty acids' required for growth of muscles in the body.

Whey Isolate Powders are a good quality and efficient source of protein as it consists of all the vital amino acids and can be easily absorbed by the body in good amount. There are two types of sources: concentrate and isolate, and out of these two forms isolate is used on larger bases due to its 'higher absorption rate'. Legumes, beans, and nuts
Food items like legumes, nuts, lentils and peanuts are items which can be easily taken and absorbed. What's more? Nuts can be taken as a mobile source, as it can be carried in small packets anywhere, and can be taken during meals or during those busy schedules to increase protein level of the body for muscle building regime. Also, nuts consist of healthy nutrient and essential vegetable proteins too. While beans are known for their fiber rich content that helps to manage blood level of the body too.

Shakes are also known as meal replacement for it consists of all the valuable food types (such as egg, whey, milk and more). Thus,can easily be taken for replacing a heavy meal or managing those 5 to 6 meals session of a day. These shakes are easily available in gyms or market for building muscles and supporting those heavy workout sessions. Similarly, bars are also an easy source of food intake. Also, these bars are the best snack and can be or should be taken in between meals to continuing the increase of the day. Bars are easy to carry and thus are the most accessible source of peptides which can be taken even during heavy office schedule or a long journey. But, these supplements should be considered as only temporary source of fuel and should not be included in real source list, as they consist of good amount of sugar and fat too.

This article has reprint rights you can reprint this article on your website or anywhere on the web just make sure. That the resource box is intact: This article has been brought to you by Positive Body Real Results Magazine if you would like more free information on health fitness fat loss and bodybuilding please visit http://positivebody.com Download The 15 Secrets to Permanent Fat Loss and Fitness by going to http://totalbodytransformations.com

Human Growth Hormone Enhances Muscle Growth And Reverses Aging

2008-05-14T05:02:00.000-07:00

Human Growth Hormone Enhances Muscle Growth And Reverses Aging
This may be the good news for the bodybuilders out there. Many experts feel that supplementation with growth hormones offers exciting possibilities to adult bodybuilders, especially those aged over thirty.

In the past growth hormones were available only in injectable form but recent years have seen the development of HGH precursors and more advanced delivery systems. The most popular means of taking growth hormone boosters today include sub-lingual spray, homeopathic pills and capsules containing HGH secretagogues. One wonders whether HGH has got some other uses too.

To answer this, we'll need to look first at what growth hormones actually do. Human Growth Hormone is responsible for the regulation of insulin, protein synthesis, transportation of amino acids across cell membranes and fat metabolism. So, basically this all leads to great benefits of the serious bodybuilders. But people also use HGH for their anti aging related programs. Users have reported higher energy levels and enhanced libido. In addition, superior immune function, lowering of blood pressure and improved cholesterol levels have been documented.

Improved sleep, shorter recovery times, fat loss etc. are some other benefits. One can easily see the benefits for an overweight aged person. As a person ages it's more arduous to find the time and drive to exercise. Add to that the fact that metabolism naturally slows and you've got a recipe for weight gaining. As you gain weight, it becomes even more difficult to get up and get the exercise you require. This is the definition of a vicious circle.

HGH is the acronym for Human Grown Hormone. The natural human growth hormone is produced in the body's pituitary gland and this protein blend has several roles. Primarily, it aids in the routine growth of children. But it's also been proven to increase energy and to combat the aging process.

Imagine winding back the clock just by adding human growth hormone dietary supplements to your everyday schedule, cutting that fat and gaining that youth and vigor back once again. There are all sorts of weight reduction aids out there, but energy is the biggest factor in taking command of your life. With that in mind, human growth hormone supplements may be just the lift you need to get your life and your weight back on line.Besides providing the lift to get you started on a regular exercise regimen, the increased energy has another positive side effect.
How frequently are you simply too exhausted to properly care for your skin? You may be giving your features a speedy cleanse before bed, but ignoring all the other help your skin needs to remain young and flourishing.

Anti aging products are also available in abundance, but the natural human growth hormone may very well be the solution you've been looking for. You may even want to try a human growth hormone releaser to stimulate your body's manufacture of this protein.

Think for a moment about the interaction of youth, aging and energy. If you can recall back to your childhood, you are possibly awe struck at how hard you worked at every day, including playtime. And at the end of the day, you can likely remember drifting off to sleep as soon as your skull hit the pillow, and then sleeping a deep, restful sleep all through the night.

The number one method for convincing your body to generate HGH is high intensity strength training. It's yet one more good reason to start a program of strength training, and it doesn't mean you need to join a gym or start pumping weights, either. Nothing beats strength training for creating human growth hormone, but there's another factor that's just as important: adequate sleep. Get lots of laughter in your life. Or best, join a comedy group so you can have a good hour or two of laughter each week -- even if you're laughing at yourself!
Just get to work over you health and get back your youth for goodness sake!

Many experts feel that supplementation with growth hormones offers exciting possibilities to adult bodybuilders, especially those aged over thirty. Read comprehensive Reviews on HGH and Antiaging Products

Bodybuilding - Maximizing Your Workout Program

2008-05-14T05:01:00.000-07:00

Bodybuilding - Maximizing Your Workout Program
When embarking on a workout program with the intention of sculpting your body, it is important not only to perform the various exercises but also to focus on your diet and nutrient intake. In fact, even if you are just performing a basic workout and eating correctly, you will be able to achieve satisfactory results.

There are two main dietary considerations to consider in order to select the proper body building diet. Do you intend to bulk up or cut down? If your intention is to bulk up, you will need to increase your current food intake. At a rough estimate, you will need to eat approximately 1.5g multiplied by your weight in proteins per day. This will ensure sufficient protein intake to supplement muscle growth. You will also need to increase your intake of carbohydrates to increase your energy reserves for additional time at the gym.

A great idea is to create a diet journal and to be as detailed as possible with the information you put in. Record down everything that you eat and break it down into calories. This will give you an idea of your dietary requirements and allow you to make adjustments to meet your goal.
Weigh yourself on a weekly basis. As a rule of thumb, you should be gaining 1 to 2 pounds a week. If you find that you are putting on significantly more weight than this, it signifies that you are eating too much and you need to cut down.
Plan your meals in advance with consideration of your desired calorie intake. This will give you a guide on what you should eat for the day and remove guess work. By planning your diet ahead, you are assured of an accurate nutritional need.

After a period of bulking up, you will begin to store the excess calories as fat and it's time to begin cutting down to remove the excess fat. This time round your protein intake should be reduced to 0.9g multiplied by your body weight per day. Your intake of carbohydrates should also be lowered. During this period, you might feel a little lethargic in your exercise routine.
Bulking up and cutting down will need to be a cycle that you go through in your body building dietary program until you have reached your desired condition. It is common for most people to focus on only bulking up but in order for you to maximize your body building program this cycle needs to be followed.
For a complete guide to effective Body Building, click on the The Truth About Abs ebook at this page.

Shocking Facts About Bodybuilding You Must Know - Lack Of Information Can Be Devastating

2008-05-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

Shocking Facts About Bodybuilding You Must Know - Lack Of Information Can Be Devastating

Your body muscles can actually be very stubborn sometimes they will show a lot growth and sometimes they don't grow at all. Now the eventual results depend on what your approach with bodybuilding is. There are things about bodybuilding that most people do not know due to which they might not get the kind of results they desire with their workouts. This is where you must know the necessary steps towards perfect bodybuilding. Read on to discover true facts about bodybuilding and what you must know.

Supplements are not always good for you- Who doesn't want to gain muscles fast and in the quest to gain muscles fast most people on their go for the wrong type of supplements without any professional help. With supplements you should never try to be your own boss and take whatever is available on the market. You must always get a doctor's help as some supplements come but strange side-effects which you might regret for the rest of your life.

Locate the best possible exercises- What works on someone else does not mean it is going to work when you as well this is the reason why you must choose the best possible exercises which could give a maximum results with minimal effort. In order to discover which exercises work it is recommended that you study some of the professional bodybuilders out there and see what they are doing.

Focus on the body plants which need work- Several people out there only focus on certain part of the body for a very long one time due to which that part gets big and the rest of the body looks awkward. It is always recommended that you should give one day of the week to a certain body part and should effectively exercise and focus on that particular body part.

An absolute must know for you- But there are secrets about body building you don't know yet. So...don't sit back and relax. Get on the edge of your seat because you are about to be introduced to the dirty little secrets of body building you were never told. These secrets are so effective that they would get you the body you desire within a matter of a few months without any hard supplements or steroids. This is only known to a few and you are one of the lucky one's who is being introduced to this shocking secret click here- Tell me the Secret

This Is What You Must Do To Get Perfect 6 Pack Abs - 3 Mind Blowing Tips You Can't Afford To Miss

2008-05-14T04:59:00.001-07:00

This Is What You Must Do To Get Perfect 6 Pack Abs - 3 Mind Blowing Tips You Can't Afford To Miss
People feel that a perfect diet and a good exercise routine would be enough to get those perfect 6 packs abs. Well the fact of the matter is that it is not as easy as it seems. You need much more than just a good exercise routine with a perfect diet to really see some results. There are several things people overlook due to which they are not able to get the kind of result they desire with their workouts. Read on to discover what's really needed to build those perfect 6 pack abs and get instant results......

Go that extra mile- In order to really get results fast you must be willing to go that extra mile when it comes to workouts and should push beyond your limit. Unless you do something extra with every workout you will never gain the extra benefits which can mean the difference between hard work and perfect 6 pack abs.

Keep pushing yourself- This is something not many people out there do not do due to the lack of motivation to keep going when they want to quit. Unless you push yourself beyond the limit you will never see the results. Find a reason or a motivating factor which will drive you beyond the limit and you will keep pushing further along the way to gain ultimate success.
Be regular- study any successful bodybuilder out their and you will come to realize that they are regular with their workout and diet. There is a single bodybuilder out there who is not consistent with his workouts or his eating patterns. Remember one thing bodybuilding is not for you unless you're willing to commit with proper consistency.

An absolute must know for you- But there are secrets about body building you don't know yet. So...don't sit back and relax. Get on the edge of your seat because you are about to be introduced to the dirty little secrets of body building you were never told. These secrets are so effective that they would get you the body you desire within a matter of a few months without any hard supplements or steroids. This is only known to a few and you are one of the lucky one's who is being introduced to this shocking secret click here- Tell me the Secret

A Bodyweight Exercise That Whips The Elite Navy Seals In Shape In Record Time

2008-05-14T04:57:00.000-07:00

A Bodyweight Exercise That Whips The Elite Navy Seals In Shape In Record Time

If you want to build an almost super-human level of fitness in little time read on and learn about the bodyweight exercise that whips the elite navy seals in shape in record time.
Years ago when I switched from lifting weights to bodyweight only exercises I bought a book on Navy Seal training and it was a thick book I figured these are the baddest of the bad why not listen.

I read a section in there how the Seal team had to do 100 non-stop 8 - count bodybuilders every Friday as part of their workout. This Navy Seal left them out of the workouts section of the book, because they are tough and he hated them.
I figured if he hated them, they must be tough. But how tough. I tried them and the first time I tried them I did 60 in a row I was breathing heavy and the lactic acid build up was unbelievable, they were hard. A simple exercise whipped me.

The way I am is I don't like to lose, so I was determined to get better every time I did them, so just like the Seals every Friday I did 100- 8 count body builders and they were still tough so once in a while I'll do the bodybuilders and go for time and I was doing 100 8- count bodybuilders around 7 or 8 minutes and if you think that's east give it a try.
Lately I have taken it up a notch I wanted to do more then 100 so I did 300 in 27 minutes and a week later I did 500 8 - count bodybuilders in 47 minutes it was one of the most physical and mental workouts I have done.
This one bodyweight exercise will work most of the body in record time. It's a combination squat, pushup and squat thrust it's like doing 3 different exercises at one time if you do 100 8- count bodybuilders you will doing 100 squats, 100 pushups and 100 squat thrusts all in one workout.

Bodybuilders are such a great exercise you could probably just do them and some pullups and build an extremely lean body.
I like to push myself... hard and I'm better for it, my health and fitness level has never been this amazing. The harder you push the better you'll feel. The better you feel the more productive you'll be.
If 8 - count bodybuilders are good enough for the elite Navy seals then there good enough for you.

Give the 8 count-body builder a try, shoot for 100 non-stop. Keep your best time.
Start in a standing position- squat down put your hands on the floor- kick your legs back- do a push up- kick your legs wide- bring the legs back together bring your knees back under your chest and stand up.
These are to be done as explosive as possible. Don't quit and don't give up.
John Grube is an expert on the subject of bodyweight training He has over 25 years of training experience and is the author of The Wildman Training Program manual , The New Expanded version The Wildman Training Course and The Super Strength Playground Training Manual.For more info http://www.wildmantraining.com/

How to Set Higher Personal Bests Every Week

2008-05-14T04:56:00.002-07:00

How to Set Higher Personal Bests Every Week
If you are a low rep high weight lifter, then you know what your bests are for most exercises. With proper diet and rest this lifting style is best suited for mass gains and ever increasing strength. There is a technique to speed up your muscle growth by allowing for continual setting of new highs for every major exercise you do. Muscle building pro's use it every day. So should you.

The first thing you must understand is that to be big you MUST lift big. If you do not try and lift weights that your muscles can't handle, then how will they ever learn and grow to handle it? Doing 16 reps of exercises is fine if your goal is to be fit. But if the goal is to be huge then drop the reps down to 6 at most, and increase your weight accordingly. Truly failing on the sixth rep is where it's at for mass gains.

The second thing you must understand is that lifting is as much about the mind as body. You know it's true. Don't you just "feel" stronger when you think someone is watching you lift? Especially if that person is someone you are wanting to impress. That's simply called "getting you mind right". Successful lifters ALWAYS THINK they CAN lift whatever is on the bar. Unsuccessful muscle builders think about "how heavy that is going to be".
So low rep high weight lifting with the mind set that you can lift what ever is the starting point. The truth is that you CAN"T lift whatever. Your muscles won't allow it. But you CAN make your mind fool yourself into doing it a couple times. Here's how.

You will do 6 sets of the bench press (or whatever exercise you wish). Set 1 is at 50% of your one rep max. Do 6 reps. Set 2 is at 75% max weight, 6 reps. Set 3 is at 90% max weight, do only 2 reps. Set 4 you drop the weight down to 60% of your max and do only 4 reps. Set 5 is at your max plus 5%. Do as many as you can. Set 6 is back to 75% of your old max weight to total failure.
What happens here is that on the third set at 90% of your max your muscles are truly challenged, but not exhausted because of doing only 2 reps. By dropping down to 60% on the forth set it "reboots" your mind to the light weight feel. When you attempt your new best on the fifth set it takes your MIND a couple reps to register just HOW HEAVY the weight is. If you have the successful muscle building mind set you will be able to blast out a couple before your body and mind "catches on" to how heavy the weight is. The sixth set re-establishes sanity and you exhaust the muscle.

You can do this every week for one major compound lift. So with consistency of training, nutrition and rest, each month you can set new bests on the bench, squat, lat pull down and military press. That is why you lift isn't it?
Steve R. Robbins has been a life long fitness enthusiast. Has the distinction of being able to run a marathon and bench press twice his weight in the same day. All at the age of 50. Editor and regular contributor to http://www.MuscleandHealth.org

Review of Jason Ferruggia's Muscle Gaining Secrets

2008-05-14T04:56:00.001-07:00

Review of Jason Ferruggia's Muscle Gaining Secrets
For most people, trying to build muscles is a difficult task while some others are able to do it with ease. One of the major problems most people face is that they do not have a step by step program they can follow to help them build muscles. Jason Ferruggia a Physique Transformation Coach has created the muscle gaining secrets program where he claims he would show anyone how to build muscle and burn body fat faster than they ever though possible. A lot of things has been said about this program, but here is a review of what to expect from it.

The program contains things such as an exercise database, muscle building meal plans, quick meals for fast muscles and an uncensored audio interview with the author. You also get a life time subscription to the members only forum which is a good place to chat with other members who are doing the program and exchange tips and results.

The good thing about this program is that it covers all aspects of building muscle such as nutrition and exercises and if you decide to buy it you would be entitled to free lifetime updates meaning you would be informed of any new training technique the author finds. The not so good thing is that there is a lot of material to cover and the process of building muscles takes time and can even be frustrating in some situations.
All things considered, the best way to really build muscle is to be committed and dedicated to eating right and exercising well. But if you are looking for a step by step process to build muscle then I recommend you give this muscle gaining secrets program a try.
To find out more about Jason Ferruggia's muscle gaining secrets Click Here Now

The Truth About What It Takes To Really Gain Muscle - You Must Know This Before It's Too Late

2008-05-14T04:55:00.001-07:00

The Truth About What It Takes To Really Gain Muscle - You Must Know This Before It's Too Late
Do you know that in order to build muscle you need optimum training? Most people out there to train but always end up either overtraining, over straining and eventually getting hurt in the quest to build quick muscle. It takes a lot more than this to actually build muscle but most people out there don't follow the right type of information due to which they never gain any results. You can get as big as you want to be if you follow the right patterns and techniques. Read on to discover what it really takes to gain muscle and achieve mind blowing results fast.

You must be willing to work hard- Now if there is no pain there is absolutely no gain and this saying is absolutely perfect when it comes to building a huge body fast. You see unless you are willing to put in the right amount of hard work you should forget about getting any results in the short and the long term.

You should be willing to work smart- There is a thing known as optimal workout which means your body gets the adequate amount of workout not less not more. A lot of people out there either work out below their potential or tend to just overstrain too much. Overtraining or under training both equally would never get you results and you would often end up causing a lot of physical harm to your body therefore learn to work smart.

It might take time therefore patience is required- Another thing you must consider with your body building efforts is that it sometimes takes time and you might have to act patient to really see some gains on your body. You see the results vary for body to body and some see it early while others see it late. Therefore learn to stick it out instead of giving up too early.

An absolute must know for you- But there are secrets about body building you don't know yet. So...don't sit back and relax. Get on the edge of your seat because you are about to be introduced to the dirty little secrets of body building you were never told. These secrets are so effective that they would get you the body you desire within a matter of a few months without any hard supplements or steroids. This is only known to a few and you are one of the lucky one's who is being introduced to this shocking secret click here- Tell me the Secret

3 Stupid Body Building Mistakes Most People Commit - You Must Be Aware Of This Before It's Late

2008-05-14T04:54:00.001-07:00

3 Stupid Body Building Mistakes Most People Commit - You Must Be Aware Of This Before It's Late

Growth, Growth and more growth- This is something most people want out there yet they do not realize what harm they are doing to their bodies. You see you might feel that you are doing the right thing but maybe you are following the wrong advice and harming your body. You see this is the reason why most people trying to gain muscle never get anywhere with their efforts. Lack of adequate information can prove to be absolutely deadly therefore you must educate yourself on the subject properly. Read on to discover some of the most stupid mistakes several people make out there with body building that can lead to deadly results.

No proper sleep- You will not gain unless you get at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep on a daily basis. There are people out there who don't seem to have the time to sleep and often cheat their way through their sleep due to which they do not gain any results. These people do workout a lot but the results never show on their bodies.

Taking the wrong type of supplements- Taking supplements can work in your favor or can work against you depending on how much you know on the subject. You see a lot of people out there have no idea as to what sort of supplements they are going for and they seem to buy anything which is available in the market. Always get professional help in this subject otherwise you might end up with side effects which might be hard to manage for you.

Not working on the whole body- There are people out there who would just work on their arms for months and months long. You see what this does is that it does make your arms grow but the rest of your body is more or less the same. Your body with look awkward with bigger arms without any real growth in other parts of the body therefore try to concentrate on all parts of your body.

An absolute must know for you- But there are secrets about body building you don't know yet. So...don't sit back and relax. Get on the edge of your seat because you are about to be introduced to the dirty little secrets of body building you were never told. These secrets are so effective that they would get you the body you desire within a matter of a few months without any hard supplements or steroids. This is only known to a few and you are one of the lucky one's who is being introduced to this shocking secret click here- Tell me the Secret

Girls With Abs

2008-05-14T04:53:00.000-07:00

Girls With AbsGirls With AbsGirls With AbsGirls With Abs

Today everyone thinks about looks, and who is the sexiest. You might see girls with abs and wonder how that is possible, what they did to get those abs, and what can you do to get them. The unfair thing about this is some women just naturally have a set of abs without doing any work. But you can still beat these talented women, if you work hard, dedicated yourself, and eat right you'll be on your way to being very successful have great looking six pack abs.

Crunches - Sit ups
The famous crunches and sit ups. Let me tell you, the girls with abs did not get them by just doing crunches and sit ups. They earned their abs with a lot of hard work, eating right, and drinking the necessary things as well. If you want to get toned abs you need to focus on eating the right, low calorie foods to help you stay at a good weight, with the combination of working out you will see that you're abdomen region will begin to tone.
Eating - Drinking Right
Also very important you will need to eat at least 5-6 times per day instead of the normal 3. You might be wondering how this is going to help you stay toned, and not gain weight. The answer is that you will be eating smaller portions of food. The main reason that you will be doing this is so you can keep you're metabolism burning foods at a high, quick rate. This will tone you're abs optimally and help you to become one of those girls with abs. Drinking right is also very important. Things like sodas need cease. You cannot expect to drink sugar loaded drinks and keep toned abs. Thing you will need to drink are things like water. It is recommended to drink at least 8 cups of water per day. This might seem like a ton but if you pace yourself as you drink it, it won't seem like it is that much!
When you put these things together you will see a huge improvement. Focus on staying determined, and motivate yourself to do the best that you can.
Click Here To Get Tight Abs Today

3 Ultimate Tips For Quick Muscle Gain And Fat Loss

2008-05-14T04:52:00.002-07:00

3 Ultimate Tips For Quick Muscle Gain And Fat Loss
Are you tired of people telling you that it will take forever before you can see any results with your fitness training? Personally I was so sick of this that I decided I would reveal a secret that not a lot of people know about quick gains.
First let me explain where my anger came from in the first place. A couple of years ago as I first started in the gym I went to the personal trainer to ask him how long it would take me to look somewhat like a muscle builder (i told him I wanted to look like a guy who really just looked average) and he went on to tell me maybe two or three years, as I heard this I was devastated, I didn´t want to work hard for 2 or 3 years and look like an average joe with a little bit of muscle.

As I became depressed by my above finding, I quickly became an avid researcher of body building and the 3 tips that I am about to give are the works of about two years of research.
These next three tips have revealed results in 2 months on average, it doesn´t matter what your physical state is right know,please know yourself first. For example if you are skinny you have to eat more than someone who is just wanting to keep their muscle, and if you have some extra pounds please focus on protein and reduce your carb intake.

Of all the things I ever learned these are the most important tips you will ever receive and in a couple of months you will see results, you will surprise yourself! At the end please visit my sponsor to help you achieve the ultimate training, everyone needs a plan to start with so please consider it. E-mail me if you want me to direct you to a specific plan for your body type and results will be just around the corner.

Tip no. 1
Eat 1 1/2 hour before and 1/2 after your workout, focus on protein but you can add carbs as you desire please consider your current body state.
Tip no. 2
When you are working out you have to stress your muscles to their maximum in order to see results. The key-word here is -stress- you have to make your muscle work harder than any other activity you do during the day. For example if you are building muscle, add weight in order to -kill- your muscles, and if you are toning add reps in order to -kill- your muscle as well, and please go hard on your muscles during your work out, the key here is work hard, rest hard.
Tip no. 3
Know your body, as you go along this step is really mostly logical as you have to know your body in order to improve it. For example if you are skinny and you are trying to pack some serious muscle pounds, than don´t do any exercise where you can do more than 15 reps with a particular weight, the key here is if you want to tone- do more reps, if you want to gain size and muscle- go hard on time and weight with lower reps. To do this you have to absolutely know yourself and what you want to achieve.
Please visit my blog for more expert tips danielsands32.Blog.Com

Crunches For Fat Loss - Are They Really The Way to Six Pack Abs?

2008-05-14T04:52:00.001-07:00

Crunches For Fat Loss - Are They Really The Way to Six Pack Abs?

Crunches are probably the most performed resistance exercise but how effective is the crunch really?
Spot reduction is the concept that we can reduce fat from a particular area by training that spot specifically. This concept has been proved false time and time again by research and is known by the best trainers, but the crunch myth still is circulating.

When the body loses or gains fat it stores it depending pre determined factors such as genetics, age and most commonly sex. Men will store most of their fat on their waist and women will store most of their fat on the hips and thighs. By exercising your muscles by doing common exercises like crunches or thigh exercises to get to those trouble spots we can only generate muscle development, the fat above the muscle will remain unless we exercise more and eat better, the basics of fat loss will always be the answer.

TV shopping businesses sell millions of abdominal machines by pushing the crunches myth. Each year there is another crunch machine that implies it will make crunches more effective, more fun and burn more fat. All the machines use the same basic movement, the abdominal crunch, which viewers are lead to believe that these crunches will burn the fat from their midsection. To set the record straight here are the facts that the best trainers work from everyday:
- Spot reduction will never happen- muscles don't control the fat above them, you cannot crunch fat away from your midsection.

- To burn fat you need to burn more energy- crunches don't burn much energy at all.
Ok so how do we reduce the fat? Burn More Energy the exercises you choose should use many different muscles at a time and the big ones when possible. Big muscles like the ones in the legs, the chest and back require allot of energy to get moving.

Small muscles like the abs and arms will not burn as much. In your program it is important to include a selection of big exercises like squats, lunges, bench press, back rows they will burn plenty of energy and by training them to be more effective they will be able to do more, turning your body into a fat burning machine faster than the crunch ever will.
Your training program can now be free of crunches if you wish, you can now spend more time with exercises that work better and actually see your abs faster.

To learn 5 common mistakes which will virtually destroy your chances of long term fat loss, get your free Email Course 5 reasons why your home fat loss program isn't getting you the results you want and how to fix it so it does by clicking here or below.
Click Here For Your Free Email Course
Brett MacPherson is the creator of the Home Fitness Trainer website, a site devoted to providing high quality information to people who choose to exercise at home.

Muscle Building Takes Time

2008-05-14T04:51:00.001-07:00

Muscle Building Takes Time

Who doesn't want big biceps, broad shoulders and a strong back? Unfortunately, few are able to get such an enviable body. On television you can see bodybuilders who lift weights as heavy as 1000 pounds. But there are those who fail to develop such muscles even after years of faithful workouts at the gym.

It is incredibly frustrating to put in hours of hard work at the health club and still not achieve the outcome you've been looking forward to. While you want to better understand the whole process of muscle building, you have to begin by not holding yourself up to the standard of the internationally renowned bodybuilders.

Developing powerful muscle mass would have required years of painstaking commitment. Building muscles relies on 'the three pillars of Hercules' or three essential elements:
1. Nutrition and diet
2. Weight-lifting workout that gives results and
3. Adequate rest
These are all essential, but of the three, nutrition is a very important requirement. Without good nutrition, weight-lifting and resting are not enough to build muscle. You may not want to undertake heroic tasks, but in combination, the three pillars of nutrition, rest and exercise will help you to emulate Hercules' fabled strength.

Two dietary components critical to bodybuilding are proteins and carbohydrates. To make sure you get enough protein to support lean muscle growth, you should eat a gram of protein for each pound of your body weight. Taking natural bodybuilding supplements including protein supplements can help you build muscles more quickly and effectively.

Your protein requirement can be satisfied with food like chicken breasts, egg-white, fish, yoghurt, soybean and whey protein powder. Sources of good carbohydrates include low GI (glycemic index) rice, vegetables and pasta. A useful supplement called glutamine powder can work wonders for you by helping muscle recovery. Creatine is an amino acid which supplies energy for proper muscle contraction. Taking 5-10 mg of this supplement can help you lift more weights, and in turn, help you build bigger muscles.
It's also a known fact that if you do not sleep properly, you will not be able to build huge muscles. So ensuring your diet and your bodybuilding workout is adequate, as well as getting enough rest to allow your muscles to recover and grow, will all help you immensely when it comes to muscle building.

So in conclusion, it takes a good routine of diet, exercise and rest to give the right conditions for your body to gain muscle and lose fat. When you see results, it will spur you on to do more and to gain even more results. So put these three principles of muscle gain into action and see the results for yourself.
Using the muscle building and bodybuilding routines that work is the first step to building muscle. Blake Johnson helps you to find the bodybuilding workouts and routines that are designed to have you gain muscle size as well as strength. Which exercises are these? Find out in this review site here.

Build Muscle Fast With A Workout Plan That Works

2008-05-14T04:49:00.000-07:00

Build Muscle Fast With A Workout Plan That Works
Everyone dreams of having a rock hard body. People want a six pack abs. Or they're wanting to get large biceps and triceps. Most people who have a great body, have built these muscles up by working out. This process takes motivation and time at the gym that anyone can do, if they're willing to commit to some discipline and a regular routine.

Do you want big, attractive muscles but lack the time you think you need to exercise? The good news is that you can build muscle fast in several ways, and once you do, you will have higher self-esteem and a body that you can be proud to show off at the beach this summer.

If you want to build muscle fast then you'll need to start by finding yourself a gym. At the gym you'll be using their weights equipment to do a bodybuilding or weight lifting program. You need to use a regimen that makes sense for your size and body type, and build it up over time. This is the basis of how you build muscle fast.

The bodybuilding workouts that work have these features:
1. They use the best exercises that stimulate muscle growth
2. They use the right sets and reps for a gain in muscle size, in addition to strength
3. They use the right number of times a week to train to avoid overtraining
As well as a workout, you'll need a good diet as well.

A good diet for bodybuilding will allow you to add muscle and to subtract fat from your body. Getting rid of the layer of fat on top of your muscles allows them to show up better. You need a lot of protein in your diet to make your muscles grow. The best sources of protein for a bodybuilding diet include egg whites, soy beans, whey protein powder shakes, chicken and other sources of lean proteins.

You've probably heard a lot of talk about dietary supplements, but which is the best? If you're looking for muscle gain, think about incorporating a creating supplement into your diet. This will help you bulk up in a shorter amount of time; within a few weeks, you should be able to notice a difference in your body. Seeing the improvement will keep you motivated to stay active at the gym and make you feel better about yourself all-around.

It can be disappointing for those who regularly exercise for some period of time but see no apparent change in their physical stature. There is a way to ensure great results. Follow a proper weight training plan, and alter your nutrition, then things will start to happen. If your goal is to build muscle fast, it is achievable. Continue to work hard, and you will see results.
The first step to build muscle fast is to use the bodybuilding routines that gives results. Blake Johnson helps you to find the best bodybuilding workouts that work to have you gain muscle fast. Use the routines that work and get the results with your weight training that you expect!

The Best Bodybuilding Workout - What You Should Know

2008-05-14T04:47:00.001-07:00

The Best Bodybuilding Workout - What You Should Know

Your bodybuilding workout does not only affect one part of your body, which is something that many people do not realize. Each different type of exercise works on more than one part of your body. This is why after a bodybuilding workout you feel the outcome in more places than the muscles you were concentrating on.

Bodybuilders group exercises by body part and train one muscle group at a time. Working one muscle with 1-3 exercises ensures that you train it thoroughly. Experience says that this type of training is the most efficient for a bodybuilding workout or routine. Natural bodybuilding is an art where a person can really develop his muscles and burn his calories.

Sometimes you will find that you've worked on the same set of muscles twice in a row. You can't always help it, even though you really should try to avoid it. Think about what you are attempting to accomplish. Do you want to build muscle mass, create better definition, increase your strength, or perhaps do all of these? When you're new to bodybuilding, you should be sure to use the most effective possible program, because your motivation remains high when you see the desired results quickly.

The most conspicuous display of the fact that you are working out is not necessarily below your waistline, although it is worth noting that illegal body enhancing substances may result in that area becoming your least conspicuous feature. Instead, the most striking feature is the muscle mass.
Your weightlifting regime should concentrate on building the size of the major muscular areas. Every such area must be enhanced to ensure you muscles are balanced. You want to minimize injuries and to keep from looking bizarre. You'll sometimes see weightlifters who have overdeveloped chests, backs, trapezoids, and so on. Meanwhile they have tiny legs despite sucking down tons of protein shakes.

To maintain symmetry and prevent muscle imbalance, choose bodybuilding exercises that train both side of the body simultaneously. The best way to start is to keep it simple, split the body into two sections, upper body and lower body. For the upper body; chest, shoulders and back is a good start, for the lower body consider the thighs and calves.
Remember the 1-3 exercises guideline. Shoulder press, medium grip bench press and chin-ups are examples of upper body exercises as a starter. Leg-press, hamstring curls and calf raises are examples of lower leg exercises to complete the program.

So in conclusion, remember that you want to aim for the optimal number of set and reps to stimulate muscle growth, and to allow for enough rest to recover muscle mass as well. Use a routine that works, and benefit from muscle gain and fat loss, all at the same time.
Blake Johnson helps you to find the natural bodybuilding routines that work to have you gain muscle fast, no matter what your body type. Use the bodybuilding workouts or routines that work will ensure that you get the results with your weight training that you expect!

Muscle Building Important To Any Weight Loss Program

2008-05-14T04:46:00.001-07:00

Muscle Building Important To Any Weight Loss Program

Idealized body stereotypes of people without an inch of fat or bulked out weightlifters are usually what comes to mind when muscle building is mentioned. What is important to remember is that muscle building is as critical to people embarking on a weight loss regimen as it is to a regular guy trying to build muscle to improve his looks.

Studies have shown that you burn 50 calories per day, for every pound of muscle in your body, just doing your daily activities. Your muscle weight may increase when you incorporate a muscle building program, but your body fat will decrease. Inches will melt away. Strength training should be a vital part of your fitness program.

One thing many people do not realize is that muscle burns fat even when it is at rest. Your muscles at rest are like an idling engine. It still burns gasoline, even when it is not going anywhere. However, your muscles do need to be used regularly if you want them to continue to burn calories. If you quit 'driving' yourself, muscle mass will be loss. This will decrease your overall calories burnt daily and gain fat.

You may want to try special bodybuilding diets in conjunction with a weight lifting program to increase the amount of muscle you have in your body. However, these dietary changes alone are not enough to keep you from gaining weight or help you lose body fat.

An effective bodybuilding workout program should focus on two key components which are gaining muscle and burning fat. Once you have lost the weight, you will find staying active is the best way to keep it off. Your workouts will be most effective if you combine a significant amount of cardio to help burn fat with muscle building exercises. Most doctors say that it is safe and 'normal' to lose one to two pounds of body fat per week. This does not sound like much until one considers that a single pound of body fat equals 3500 calories.

So in conclusion, it takes a combination of diet, exercise, and muscle building to lose that many calories in a week. So go to it and use a great workout for muscle gain in order to see these results for yourself.
Want to build muscle? Then use the bodybuilding routines and workouts that work to build muscle and burn fat. With effective bodybuilding workouts you'll be able to gain muscle fast and see results. See these reviews by Blake Johnson of the muscle building routines that are the top rated.

Build Muscle Fast - You Can't Build Muscle If You're Not Willing To Do The Exercise

2008-05-14T04:45:00.001-07:00

Build Muscle Fast - You Can't Build Muscle If You're Not Willing To Do The Exercise

The majority of women would give anything to be tall and slender. They would kill to be able to eat anything they like and not see the result on the dreaded scale. For men, however, this can actually be a concern. They don't want to be thin as reeds. They would much rather build muscle fast. But if you don't seem able to succeed at natural bodybuilding workouts, there is a way around that.

It is likely you can imagine the body you want to have. You want a body that will make you especially desirable to women and that your male peers would pay to achieve. It is helpful for you to keep this ideal image in mind as you strive to achieve your physical fitness goal. Imagine a hard, flat stomach with ripples in all the right places and hard, prominent muscles.

It is common knowledge that for a person to build muscle fast, it requires a combination of:
1) diet that supports a gain in muscle mass
2) bodybuilding routine that stimulates muscle growth
3) enough sleep and rest between workouts
It takes a lot of work and determination. Even so, sometimes your DNA (your genetics) will not permit the muscle gain you are striving for. Bodybuilding supplements and a special program to boost your muscle-building potential may be necessary. But the basis of muscle gain is still with an effective workout. Without it, you won't gain muscle, no matter how many supplements you take.
Workout programs that include the correct amounts of weight lifting and exercise are the ones that can fulfill their promise to help you in building muscle fast. If you want to see a muscle increase in size it is necessary to work that muscle. It is impossible to gain muscle mass sitting in your living room watching television.

If you are attempting to begin building muscle mass without have worked out in advance, you may experience some aches and pains that make you feel like giving up. It's not easy to begin a new exercise program. Just accept that you will be a bit sore at first and realize that it will pass and that this is only happening because you are stretching muscles that have been too long unused.

So there you have it. Once you have decided that you need to improve your body, you need to do a little bit of research to determine how to build muscle fast in a way that is best for your body type. Once you have settled on a plan, stay with it and you will have women wanting to know you better sooner than you expect.
Blake Johnson helps you to find the bodybuilding routines that work to build muscle mass. See this review of the Shawn LeBrun bodybuilding routine to build muscle and get results.

Keep your Muscles Guessing and They Will Keep Growing

2008-05-14T04:44:00.000-07:00

Keep your Muscles Guessing and They Will Keep Growing

As we are all aware working out is a great way to build and tone muscle. When we first begin to workout we usually for the first little bit see quick results, but as a lot of us who have been working out for a good amount of time know that this quick growth slows down, and most of us have even experienced the workout plateau. The workout plateau is where your muscles get stuck at a certain size or strength and you notice that you are unable to make anymore gains.

The reason you hit a workout plateau is because you muscles after a while become used to the stress that they have to endure during the workout, because of this they do not feel the need to get any bigger because they are able to effectively handle what is being thrown at them.

Workout plateaus often leave people discouraged and wondering if they will ever make gains again. The good news for everybody that has come across this problem before or are currently experiencing it, is that there is a solution. The even better news is that it is a lot easier than you think it is. The key to overcoming a plateau is to surprise your muscles with something new. This surprise will shock your muscles into growing again. In the following paragraphs I will give you a few suggestions on how to bust through your plateau and start seeing those gains that your working hard for.

The whole reason that your muscles have stopped growing is because they have gotten used to the current way, or intensity of your workout. So the key here is to keep your muscles guessing. Every 4-6 weeks you should change something in your workout just to keep the element of surprise. Some of these changes could be any one of the following.
Order Change Up
After a while of working out on the same plan your muscles will be accustomed to the order in which you do your exercises so if you take a week off and then start working out again, working out in a different order this will shock your muscles because they will be expecting something different.
Increase Reps or Sets
Increasing the amount of reps or sets you do in a particular exercise will cause your muscles to experience a change in intensity. This change in intensity will tell your muscles that they will now have to get bigger and stronger in order to be able to handle this sudden change in intensity. This is another great way to bust through your plateau.

Exercise Change Up
As most of us are aware there are dozens of different exercises our there that work out certain muscle groups. To get past your plateaus try changing your workout to include new exercises for each muscle group. This could also include going from barbell exercises to dumbbell exercises.
Supersetting and Dropsetting
Adding these lifting variations to a workout have helped many to overcome their plateaus, as they add a great deal of intensity to your workout. Supersetting for those of you who aren't sure is just doing one exercise and then right after going to another exercise that hits that same muscle group. Ex. Bench press to flyes. Dropsetting is where you move to a lighter weight after your firs set without any rest, so benching with 50lbs and then with 40lbs and then with 30lbs all without resting.

Everybody who works out will eventually hit a plateau if they don't keep their muscles guessing as to what they are going to have to endure next. The next time you hit a plateau simply try one of these tips or come up with a creative way of making changes to your workout that is going to leave your muscles shocked and begging for mercy.
Nate is the owner of the website http://www.healthandfitnessfocus.com as well as the blog http://nateshealthandfitness.blogspot.com These sites are filled with great information on weight loss, fitness, nutrition and much more. I would encourage you to visit my website or blog for more valuable information.

How To Get A Six Pack Fast - 3 Steps To Ripped Abs!

2008-05-14T04:42:00.001-07:00

How To Get A Six Pack Fast - 3 Steps To Ripped Abs!

Did you know that only 3% of the population has visible abs? Thats a pretty discouraging number, don't you think? Maybe that's why a six pack is the most desirable feature on the planet...because it's so hard to get. But don't be too discouraged by this number, because the reason so little people have them, is because not very many people know how to get them. But you're about to learn exactly how to get a six pack fast by taking three simple steps.

So you want to learn how to get a six pack fast? Well first you must understand one thing. The only way to get a six pack is to burn that fat that's covering your abs. Everyone has a six pack but most people have a layer of fat covering them. So the secret to getting abs is not through ab workouts (which do nothing to burn fat), but through exercise, diet, and determination.

There are two very important aspects you must have in your exercise routine if you want to get a six pack. These two things are weight training and cardio. Weight training is important because it builds muscle. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism is, and the more fat you burn. Most people believe that weight training is only good for building muscle, when actually, its also a great way to burn fat and will bring out that six pack faster than ever. Cardio is also very important. It is a great way to burn fat directly, and if you do high intensity cardio, you'll be burning fat long after your workout is done!

Your diet is also very important. If you don't have a good diet, you won't see good results. Just by simply spreading out your meals into 5-6 small meals a day, and staying away from the sweets and fatty foods, you'll see much better results, much faster.

But the single most important thing you must have if you ever want to build that ripped six pack is determination. You need to have the drive to keep going even when you don't think its working. Trust me, once you start to see your waste shrinking and the outline of that six pack starting to show, that will be all the motivation you need. You won't EVER want to stop.
Having a six pack is one of the greatest feelings in the world. It will skyrocket your confidence and make you feel like a new person! You'll feel much healthier as well! So now that you know how to get a six pack fast, put this knowledge to use! Don't just read this and move on to something else. Get started now! Because trust me, once you see those abs starting to pop out. You'll realize just how much all that hard work was worth it!
Stop wasting time trying to get a six pack with the wrong methods!
Learn The Right Way To Get A Six Pack Faster Than You Ever Thought You Could!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Dempsey

How To Get A Six Pack Fast - 3 Simple Methods To Get A Six Pack Fast

2008-05-14T04:41:00.001-07:00

How To Get A Six Pack Fast - 3 Simple Methods To Get A Six Pack Fast

Nothing beats the feeling of being able to take off your shirt and watch everyone's jaw drop. This is what a set of six pack abs will give you. A six pack is considered the number one symbol of sex appeal to both men and women and is the most desirable feature on the planet. It can skyrocket your confidence and make the ladies drool but it's also one of the hardest things to get. Some guys will work on their abs for hours each day because they think they know how to get a six pack fast, when actually they don't know at all. In this article I'm going to teach you how to get a six pack fast by showing you three simple facts.

First of all, no matter how many crunches or sit-ups you do, you'll never see those abs as long as you have a layer of fat covering them. The only way to make those abs pop out is to get rid of the fat thats covering them and ab workouts DO NOT burn fat. This is probably the single biggest myth to getting a six pack. Although it is possible to get a six pack fast, it does take some hard work. The only way to get visible abs is with a good diet, exercise, and determination.

"Abs are made in the kitchen, not just in the gym." If you want to get a six pack, you should take this quote to heart. It's completely true. Over 80% of your results will come from your diet. So if you don't eat right, don't expect to see any results. Break your meals up into 5-6 small meals a day and stay away from the sweets and fatty foods. This will speed up your metabolism and keep your body from storing unnecessary fat.

Another important aspect is exercise. Your exercise routine should include both cardio and weight training. Weight training is important because as you build muscle, you increase your metabolic rate, causing your body to burn more fat. Cardio burns fat as well and if you do the right kind, it will also speed up your metabolism, causing you to burn fat well after your workout is done.

But the single most important thing you must have if you want a six pack is determination. You must have the drive and the focus to stick to your goals and never give up. Lack of determination is the single biggest reason that most people fail when trying to get a six pack. You CAN'T let yourself quit no matter what. It may take some time, but as soon as you start to see results, you wont want to stop. YOU CAN DO THIS!
So now you know how to get a six pack fast. The question is...Will you apply this knowledge? Or will you just read it and keep searching for that miracle product that will give you a six pack overnight? Well my friend...that miracle product doesn't exist and unless you are willing to work for it, you'll never see those abs. But trust me, once you have them, you will realize just how much that work was worth it!
Stop wasting time on methods that don't work!
Learn The Right Way To Get A Six Pack NOW!

Bodybuilding - How To Build Muscle Fast In Bodybuilding

2008-05-14T04:40:00.000-07:00

Bodybuilding - How To Build Muscle Fast In Bodybuilding

These days people are catching passionate in relation to bodybuilding. Hey! You would-be a muscle man doesn't you? Well, it is not an immense deal. Increasing power fast is fairly likely. But it necessitates some policy. The policy has 3 chief parts. 1st is weight exercise all the way through weight or hydraulic confrontation tools? 2nd, high point nourishment ingestion together with bodybuilding supplements comprising additional proteins is uniformly significant. 3rd, captivating relax for convalescence sandwiched between exercises will hand out the actual rationale.

Weight exercise is seriously required for a molded body with well-known muscle. Here weight exercise shouldn't be perplexed with power exercise. Weight exercise constructs muscle quick while power training helps build up muscle and enlarges muscle elasticity. Weight exercise is not in progress unexpectedly. It can be headed by various widening and limbering up workout. Cycling, sprinting and go jogging are various excellent limbering up workout. Sit-ups and push-ups workout comprise significant rudiments in bodybuilding agenda.

It is forever enhanced to set an objective for the build muscle fast curriculum. Build a 3 months plan. In the 1st month the amount of sit-ups and push-ups must be kept up to 15. It must be completed in 3 sets pursued by weight exercise. Weight exercise must be ongoing with gentle weight. It gradually recovers the endurance and patience of the corpse. Furthermore, it should forever be under attack to the chief power group for example - biceps, triceps, and thighs and belly muscle.

In the 2nd month the amount of sit-ups and push-ups possibly will be enlarged up to 50 in a week. The amount of mass in the weight enlivening must be amplified as per endurance. The amount of recurrences in the weigh lifting must be amplified.
In the 3rd month the rapidity of sit-ups and push-ups must be preserved with slight calculations in the workout. The amount of weight must be amplified to provide maximum extend to the muscle. But the build muscle fast plan is still unfinished. What is misplaced here is the nourishment.

Therefore a perfect diet for muscle increasing plan must include protein and carbohydrate improved foodstuff like rice, oats, kernels, animal protein, soy, fruits and vegetables. If all these plans don't work then go for legal steroids. It assists in incorporation and maintains body metabolism in excellent situation. This is all regarding how to build muscle fast. Just maintain it up and observe the disparity inside 6 months.
Bodybuildingfactory is one of the United States leading Bodybuilding Supplements website. First established in August 2005, its mission is to become the number one site for Legal Steroids and Build Muscle searches.

Bodybuilding Tips For Building Muscle

2008-05-14T04:39:00.002-07:00

Bodybuilding Tips For Building Muscle

You be able to construct your muscles in 2 diverse methods. 1st you be able to rely on the weighty & oily foodstuffs. It will support build up additional fat on your corpse & your strengths would seem weighty because of the authentication of the fat. But this is not the correct method to enlarge your muscle. It expands fatness & produces a numeral of fitness dilemmas.

On the further hand you might build muscle all the way through bodybuilding. It means a well shaped body muscle through the beating of additional fat. Bodybuilding confers a high-quality & chiseled appearance to your body without truly raising your mass. Building muscle through usual methods is at all times good. You might do it with a appropriate setting up Here are various tips discuss for increasing body muscle all the way through bodybuilding.

1st, do power exercise & be stronger. Power exercise will assist you to increase enormous muscle. But you do not distinguish how to begin with sturdy program. Do it no less than half an hour every day.

2nd, is go for weight workout. It will build you physically powerful & building your muscle more high up. It stabs on your muscle. Muscle experience deterioration & after that convalesce. In adding up to it weight exercise educates you how to equilibrium heaviness. It amplifies your muscle patience. It's fairly in safe hands if you effort in a usual movement. It is adaptable in natural world as there abundance of tools you can employ for weight enlivening. You might better go to a gymnasium for weight exercise.

3rd, aim your biceps, triceps & abdomen & legs while doing weight exercise. Do not fail to remember to prepare your crutches. Then only your whole body will take a fine outline.
4th, consume appropriately. A first-class diet is essential for muscle enlargement & healing. It will assist construct your muscle. Divide your serving of foods into 6 instances every day but shun oily & rubbish foodstuffs. Power exercise flames your calories. So you require additional protein & carbohydrate to recompense the thrashing of power. This method you can increase mass without increasing fat.

5th, consuming vigorous is also require in muscle manufacture curriculum. Your diet must integrate every type of fruits & vegetables, grains, saturated fat including fish & olive oil & string foodstuff.
To build muscle fast you have to purchase bodybuilding supplements & legal steroids for muscle building.
Bodybuildingfactory is one of the United States leading Bodybuilding Supplements website. First established in August 2005, its mission is to become the number one site for Legal Steroids and Build Muscle Fast searches.

Get A Flat Stomach In One Week

2008-05-14T04:39:00.001-07:00

Get A Flat Stomach In One Week

To everyone in today's world having a flat stomach is everything and everyone wants one to impress that special someone. But there are side effects of getting a flat stomach, people are very busy these days with multiple things and don't have much time to work on their own outer body image. But I have good news for all of you, after extensive research I have found that it is possible to get a flat stomach within one week. If you are a heavy person this isn't going to mean that 80 pounds will shed off your stomach in a week, but if you work hard you can get the flat stomach you want!

In this century when you open a magazine the first thing you might see is an advertisement. You might also see a commercial where people are condoning a great workout machine for helping them get the physical tone that they wanted. The truth is, is that those actors already looked great. How did they do it? I have researched the information for you.

These actors followed a strict guide to get a flat stomach. If you follow you're diet hard enough, and are the right "package" it is possible to get a flat stomach in one week, or even just tone that stomach. Things you will need to do are to be determined, stay motivated, eat healthy, workout regularly, and drink the right things. The right things to eat are things that are low in both calories and sugars. You will need to stay away from fast food, and things of that nature that will only add pounds to you're stomach. Try to drink an average of 8 cups of water per day. This will help to flush the fatty tissue surrounding you're stomach and help to get your skin cells tighter.
These things are pretty important and can lead to you getting a flat stomach in less then a week. Continue to work hard, and stay motivated and you will see results guaranteed!
Are you interested in getting a flatter stomach quick? I could have the solution for you. Click Here To Find The Solution.

Energy Makes Six Pack Abs Happen

2008-05-14T04:38:00.001-07:00

Energy Makes Six Pack Abs Happen

Getting a flat and firm six pack abs is the dream of many people. Some people succeeded but many did not. The reasons why they failed are they did not do the things right. There are 3 basic rules to lose belly fat for a great abs. And they are: modify your dieting habit, set your weight loss goal and exercise. Here I am going to share with you how to modify your dieting habit by knowing your daily energy needs.

There are many ways to find out what is your daily energy needs. The complex ones will involve using test equipments and a series of survey questions to answer. But for planning a dietary program for fat loss it is necessary to go into such of complicated testing.
There is available a formula which you can use to estimate your daily energy needs based on your basic metabolism rate (BMR) and then multiply this by a factor according to the kind of physical activities that you normally do daily. Although the figure you obtain here is only an estimate but it should be sufficient for your weight loss program.

Compute your BMR using the following formula:
Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)
Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)
Finally, estimate your daily energy using the Harrison-Benedict formula. The factors for the different physical activities are as follows:
1. Sedentary (little or no exercise): Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
2. Lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week): Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
3. Moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week): Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
4. If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week): Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
5. If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training): Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9
For example, if you are woman age 24yrs weighing 200lbs with a height of 5' 6" and leads a sedentary lifestyle, then your
BMR = 655 + (4.35 x 200lbs) + (4.7 x 66") - (4.7 x 24yrs) = 1722 calories
Your total daily energy needs based on the sedentary lifestyle is = 1722 x 1.2 = 2066 calories
If you are a man age 25yrs weighing 250lbs with a height of 6' 3" and leads a sedentary lifestyle, then your
BMR = 66 + (6.23 x 250lbs) + (12.7 x 75") - (6.8 x 25yr) = 2406 calories
The total daily energy requirement based on the sedentary lifestyle is = 2406 x 1.2 = 2887 calories
This is how you can estimate your daily energy requirement and with this you are ready to work out your weight loss program. To quickly find out your daily energy requirements, visit my blog at http://www.absoluteworkouts.com/blog and use the free Basic Metabolic Rate and Total Daily Energy Expenditure calculators.
Ian Kuro is the creator and founder of ABsolute Workouts where he provides valuable tips and resources on how to get lean and muscular six packs. Visit http://www.absworkoutsecrets.com for your free workout plans now.

How To Get Abs Fast - What You May Not Know!

2008-05-14T04:36:00.000-07:00

How To Get Abs Fast - What You May Not Know!

So you want to learn how to get abs fast huh? Well thats understandable, considering a set of six pack abs is the most sought after bodily feature in the world.
...But its also the rarest. Only 2-3% of people actually have abs that show.
The reason for this is that not many people know how to get them. They may think they do but they really don't know everything it takes.

The secret to getting ripped abs is not to do hundreds of crunches and sit-ups every night and in fact, this really won't help you much at all.
The only way to get that six pack is to burn the fat thats covering it...And ab exercises DO NOT burn fat. So if you want to learn how to get abs fast, you must learn how to burn fat by doing three things correctly: cardio, weight training, and diet.
In this article, we are going to focus on weight training.

Many people don't include weight training in their routines when trying to get abs. This is because they believe that weight training is only good for building muscle...so they think it really won't help them because they're trying to burn fat...not build muscle...
But what they don't know is that weight training is a great way to burn fat. Just like any other exercise, it burns calories. But thats not the best part about it...
You see, when you lift weights, you essentially tear your muscles. Because of this, your body has to spend the next few days repairing those muscles you just tore. During this repairing process, your metabolism is running at high speed so that it can get all of the nutrients that it needs to repair those muscles.

And as you know, the faster your metabolism, the more fat you burn...and the more fat you burn, the faster you will get those abs.
Weight training is actually one of the best fat burning exercise. Because by raising your metabolic rate, it actually allows your body to continue burning fat long after your workout is complete, This means you will be burning fat all day long, even while sleeping! Sounds great doesn't it?

Another large group of people who are afraid to lift weights are women. Many women shy away from lifting weights because they believe they will develop masculine looking muscles. This couldn't be further from the truth.
It is actually very difficult for women to develop large muscles simply because their body isn't made for it.
So what are you waiting for? Grab those weights and start lifting.
And if you combine this with a good diet and some great cardio...you'll see those abs in no time!
William Dempsey is an expert in the fitness field...and the owner of this site
Stop wasting time with methods that don't work!
Learn how you can get abs in 3 weeks with the right methods!

How To Get Abs Fast - The Easy Way To A Six Pack

2008-05-14T04:34:00.001-07:00

How To Get Abs Fast - The Easy Way To A Six Pack

Almost every guy in the world has dreamed of one day having those ripped abs. They want the confidence, the sexiness, and everything else that having a well defined mid section gives you. The problem is that only 2-3% of people actually have abs that show...Thats a pretty discouraging number isn,t it? But don't worry, because you're about to learn exactly how to get abs fast and easy.

Many people believe that getting a six pack is the hardest thing in the world to do. But the simple fact is that ANYONE can have abs if they put their mind to it and follow the right training methods.
The only problem is that many people don't know the correct way to get abs...
The only way to get that six pack is to lose the fat thats covering it...And no matter how many crunches or sit-ups you do...you won't see the results. This is because ab exercises do not burn fat.

That is one of the biggest misconceptions people have about getting a six pack. They think that ab workouts are the secret to those defined abs. Well I'm about to change all that right now.
If you want to lose fat and learn how to get abs fast...then you need to learn to do three things correctly: weight training, cardio, and dieting.
In this article, we are going to focus on dieting.
This quote is definitely a quote to live by if you ever want to see those abs, "abs are made in the kitchen."
Over 80% of your results will come from the way you eat...So if your diet is poor...don't expect your results to be any better.

Just by making a few simple changes to your diet, you can skyrocket your results!
First of all, you should make sure your meals are balanced. This means that at every meal you should have a balance of good fats, good carbs, and proteins. Your body needs all of these food groups to stay healthy and you will get those abs much quicker if you eat this way.
Next, you should try to eat about 500 calories less than you would eat on a normal day. This will cause you to lose fat, while keeping all of your muscle.

Finally, instead of eating 3 big meals a day...you should eat about 5-6 small meals a day. You should be eating a meal every 2-3 hours...sounds crazy doesn't it? But it works!
If you eat this way every day...you can allow yourself one cheat day out of the week to eat anything and everything. You should be aiming to overfeed yourself.
This is actually helpful to your diet because it is a change in eating habits and will shock your body and cause your metabolism to run much faster.
So as you can see, dieting really isn't all that hard. Simply by making these few changes, you will have learned how to get abs fast.

Its really that simple...and if you combine this diet with the right weight training and cardio...you will see those abs faster than you can imagine.
So what are you waiting for...get started now!
William Dempsey is an expert in the fitness field and the owner of this page
Stop wasting time with methods that don't work...
Learn how you can get abs in 3 weeks with the right methods!

3 Surefire Ways To Tone The Tummy Fast

2008-05-14T04:33:00.001-07:00

3 Surefire Ways To Tone The Tummy Fast

There is nothing more desirable than getting a nice set of abs. Having a flat stomach often sets one a part from the normal and gets lots of attention. The problem is that not many people know how to get a flat abs. It is not really rocket science but you need to know a few rules to adhere before even talking about losing weight.

What you are about read here are three surefire ways help you lose that gut and make you look really good! Ok, without waiting any further, let's get into tips number one.
Do The Cardio

Yes, you read that clearly. In order for you to really burn that stubborn body fat, you need to get that cardio in. There is no way around it. You have probably heard it over and over again on the internet, from health magazines and also perhaps from your trainer. But whether you like it or not, doing your time on the treadmill does the job. Doing cardio can really help you burn body fat in a very short amount of time.
How Many Times a Week?
I know you wish I would say once a week but dream on! In order to get results, you need to do your cardio three times a week. But if you want fabulous results, you need to do your cardio for five times a week.
How Long Per Cardio Session?

I have seen a lot of people just do twenty minutes on the treadmill and they thought that they have done enough for the week. To really get the results that you want, you need to spend at least thirty to forty five minutes on the cardio machine of your choice. I know it sounds a long time but, if you want results, you got to do it.

The second tip for getting a flat stomach quickly is to do high intensity interval training or also known as HIIT. This sort of training is rather the opposite of the conventional way of dong cardio. Instead of doing continuous running, HIIT requires you to sprint for one minute and walk for another minute. When I say sprint, I mean really sprint. You must be totally drained out by the end of the working minute.

Even though the calorie stated on the machine is lesser than it would if you run slower for forty five minutes, the after burn the HIIT creates has tremendous calorie burning capabilities.
Never Skip The Weight Training! Here Is Why!
I sometimes hear a lot of people saying that they want to lose weight so they would just do cardio and not include weight training. They are dead wrong! Weight training is one of the only way to increase muscle in the body and also a fabulous way to speed up metabolism. Every pound of muscle you put on, you burn an additional 50 calories! Isn't that great? This is because muscles are living tissues and it needs calories to sustain.

How Many Times of Pumping Iron?
In order to get some results, go for twice a week of weight training. If you have the luxury of time, do three weight training sessions a week.
Pack On Muscle On The Legs
This is the third tip. Packing on solid high quality muscle on the legs can really help burn body fat. The legs can carry lots of muscle due to its size compared to the others. Besides that, if you have stronger legs, you can do more cardio at a higher intensity which translate to more calorie burn!

Getting that dream body requires extra work. If it is easy, everybody on the street would have a lean sexy figure. Stick to your workout program and never give up!
Tony Leong is a very experienced American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer. He has written countless articles on weight loss, exercise, diet and fitness that have helped many achieve their fitness goals. For limited time only, you can download his unique info packed Fat Loss E-Mag value at $90 for FREE!

The Truth About Creatine

2008-05-14T04:32:00.001-07:00

The Truth About Creatine

Creatine is a metabolite found in the body, which is composed of 3 amino acids: 1-methionine, 1-arginine and 1-glycine. It is found in the skeletal system in 2 forms, creatine phosphate and free chemically unbound creatine. Creatine monohydrate has been clinically used in improving plasma creatine concentrations by as much as 50%. Creatine is found naturally in red meats and some types of fish. The biggest reason why creatine supplementation is necessary for some athletes is because the creatine content found in these foods is usually destroyed when cooking the meats. Supplementing with creatine allows the athletes to get the correct dosage and compensate for what is lost when cooking meats.

A sedentary person metabolizes 2 grams of protein per day, which is one of the reasons why creatine has become such a popular supplement for bodybuilders and athletes alike. Research shows this substance to be effective in improving training intensity and recovery. It is able to pass through the gut wall and into the bloodstream intact, and upon entering the muscle cells, is converted into creatine phosphate.

Creatine works while being stored inside the muscle cell and increasing the water that surrounds the cell. This results in increased strength and fuller muscles, which are the desired effects of creatine. This also helps athletes because creatine enhances the body's ability to produce ATP, which in turn results in faster recovery time between sets and increased weight or workload. Taking creatine also allows the ATP system to be extended longer then 10 seconds. This limit is usually reached because the lactic acid builds up which in turn stop your muscles from contracting. When you change the ATP configuration you can end up working out harder and longer. Another effect of creatine is better pumps during the workout. It has also been shown to help lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

One of the other positive benefits of creatine is that the side effects are minimal; in fact most people do not even experience them at all. Sometimes creatine causes upset stomach and excessive gas especially in the first couple of weeks. It is also very important to stay hydrated while taking creatine and to limit the intake of caffeine.
One other note for those interested in taking creatine is what happens after you stop taking it. After a few weeks creatine levels return to normal and your strength will decrease because your ATP is system returns to normal. Fast recovery times also begin to diminish and become longer but this is ultimately inevitable because no one is going to take creatine forever.

The Journal of applied physiology did a study on the benefits of long-term creatine intake during resistance training. They concluded that short-term high dose creatine elevated muscle creatine stores. In addition the study showed that creatine improved a person's capacity to perform intermittent exercise however this did not affect high intensity or endurance exercise.
The benefits of Creatine have been shown to allow you to exercise longer and harder. It also gives you better pumps during your workout, and faster recovery time. Contrary to what some believe creatine is completely safe to take. As stated earlier the only real side effect is an occasional upset stomach, which is most common when taking creatine with other ingredients.
To eliminate this, take Creatine monohydrate and ignore all the ads for these other types of Creatine. There are literally hundreds of creatine products in the market today but there is no miracle supplement and taking creatine with extra ingredients such as dyes and food coloring greatly increases the likelihood of upset stomach, nausea and bloating. If you are looking to gain weight and add muscle mass safely and effectively then creatine along with your high protein diet is going to be the best way to do just that.

Some other benefits of creatine are promotion of lean-muscle mass, reduce muscle wasting in post-surgical patients, increases muscle cell volume by increasing water and increases glycogen re-synthesis. Another often-overlooked aspect of creatine is how it helps in the treatment of various diseases and illnesses. Some of these include treatment of muscle weakness associated with congestive heart failure, treatment of ALS- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and helps treat people suffering from neuromuscular disorders such as muscular dystrophy and stroke.

Creatine is most commonly taken in powder form and mixed with grape juice. There are a few guidelines that should be followed while taking creatine. Creatine can quickly dehydrate a person therefore higher quantities of water are needed to help prevent dehydration and nausea, which are two potential side effects of taking creatine. Creatine is best taken with protein, which will help one's body to absorb and retain the creatine. Alcohol and caffeine are diuretics and should be limited while taking creatine as this can lead to dehydration faster. Creatine should also not be taken with acidic drinks such as orange juice as this converts creatine into waste products. An article found in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that overall creatine is a scientifically proven way for athletes to enhance and improve their performance during exercise of high to maximal intensity. It is also shown to greatly help athletes who continually must endure high-intensity exercise.

According to Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise a study concluded that a certain dosage of creatine each day had positive effects on short-term exercise for endurance athletes participating in endurance events. The study was done using triathletes in endurance sports. The athletes were given 6g of creatine per day. The results were that creatine had no effect on the cardiovascular system, oxygen uptake, and blood lactate concentration. Power performance increased greatly but endurance performance did not change.
How badly do you want a body you can be proud of? Justin Lehrer has created a series of custom workouts just for you. See for yourself, head over to =====> http://www.LIFlexibleFitness.com or receive more tips by subscribing to the free Flexible Fitness newsletter. Send a blank email =====> mailto: LIFlexibleFitness@yahoo.com

The Six Pack Secret

2008-05-14T04:31:00.000-07:00

The Six Pack Secret

Ask anyone in America: If you could have any body part instantly be better, they'll all tell you the same thing: I want a six pack! Ask any trainer America what's the hardest muscle group to build, they'll all tell you the same thing: the six pack!

Why? Because most people don't know how to look at a six pack. They think if you exercise and exercise you and can build one form nothing. I'm here to tell you, that's not true.
You see, most people forget the layer of fat that covers the stomach. You can have the worlds most beautiful six pack abs, but if there's a layer of fat covering it, no one will know. And simply exercising isn't going to make this layer go away.
Is all hope lost? Of course not. Read on, my friend!
Eating Right

Maybe I should title this section "eating for a six-pack," because I'm not a dietician. I never went to school to learn about nutrition. I just have a six pack, and I know how I got it.
Learn to eat smaller portions more often. Instead of three big meals, try six small ones. This will cause your metabolism to increase, meaning you'll burn more fat for the same amount of work.
Eat less carbs, but don't go crazy. Carbohydrates provide energy, which you're going to need when you're working out, but too many and they'll simply be stored as fat. Make sure you eat your carbs before you work out, so you can use the energy contained therein. If you eat them after you work out, they're useless. If you hungry after your work out, eat some protein (meat, eggs, fish, bean, etc.) which will aide in muscle growth.

Excercising
I considered naming this section "no six pack without sit-ups," but sit-ups actually aren't a very good exercise for ab building and "no six pack without crunches" sounds ridiculous.
I already mentioned crunches, but they're not the only exercise you need to build six pack abs. Try to include non-symmetrical exercises (lunges, cross-crunches, etc.) in order to add definition. Even the strongest muscles need definition.

Once your regular exercises become too easy, start doing them while holding a ten pound weight. This little bit of extra weight makes a disproportionately large difference to your abs.
Remember, you also need to do aerobic exercise to help get rid of that fat layer we discussed earlier. Eating better will help, but aerobic exercise will help more.
Always remember to stretch before exercising, and warm up. Drink plenty of clear fluids. And always remember to check with your doctor before beginning any new diet or exercise program.
Good Luck!
Want to know the program I used to get my six pack? http://alboe.info/category/fitness/

Diet For Turning Fat Into Muscle

2008-05-14T04:30:00.002-07:00

Diet For Turning Fat Into Muscle

Turning fat into muscle isn't as easy as using the latest fad diet or buying the most popular detox drink. It requires going on a calorie restricted diet to burn the fat and also giving your body the proper nutrients it needs to build muscle in its place. It's a 2 step process that takes time and dedication - 2 things that aren't required from quick fix diets.

Turning fat into muscle begins with a calorie restricted diet. When you burn more calories than you eat, your body begins to use its fat stores for energy which reduces the amount of fat that is on your body. Over time you will notice that your body fat percentage will decrease and your muscles will look more defined. Knowing how many calories you burn each day is crucial in beginning your goal of turning fat into muscle. The Daily Calorie Needs Calculator (link is at the bottom of the page) will help you estimate how many calories you burn based on your age, weight, height and activity level.

Take that estimate and eat 500-1,000 less calories per day. For example if the calculator says you're burning 2,300 calories, losing body fat will require you eat between 1,300-1,800 calories per day. If you don't want to cut that many calories out of your diet, you can also increase your activity level. A combination of increased exercise and decreased calorie intake will yield the quickest results.

Since muscle grows at a slower rate than fat is lost, you can't replace 100% of the fat you lose with muscle right away. Because of this slow growth rate, you should start building muscle as soon as you start losing fat. There's no need to wait until you reach your desired body fat percentage to try and build muscle. Muscle is made out of protein so you'll need to provide your body with an adequate amount from a good source.

The current protein recommendation is 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight (0.8g per kilogram). Unless you're working out twice a day or are training for a marathon, 0.36 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight will be enough. Protein is made up of amino acids and depending on what food you get your protein from, the amount and types of amino acids that make up the protein will change. Protein from a steak is different than the protein you get from beans.

There are some amino acids that our bodies can make (also known as nonessential amino acids) and others that we need to eat since our body lacks the ability to make them (essential amino acids). If a protein has all the essential amino acids, it is a complete protein. If it lacks any of the essential amino acids, it is an incomplete protein.
Incomplete proteins are mainly found in non-meat foods such as beans, vegetables, nuts and peas. Complete proteins come from animal products such as meat, dairy, eggs and fish. The best protein is complete, low in fat and can be found in poultry, lean cuts of beef, eggs, fish and low fat dairy.

Turning fat into muscle isn't a quick process but you can speed it up by combining a healthy diet with exercise. Exercise will help you burn more calories and get rid of the fat quicker while at the same time building muscle to give you a toned appearance.
Daily Calorie Needs Calculator
When you lose weight, you can't pick what part of the body the weight comes off of. We all have problem areas but the only way to improve them is to lose weight all around. The Guide to Reducing Body Fat has articles, FAQs, tips and tools to help you achieve you body fat goals.
Straight Health was started in July 2006 to spread accurate and easy to understand information about health, diets, exercise and nutrition. At StraightHealth.com you can read articles and tips, use the tools and gain a further understand about the world of health

Exercise for Getting Rid of Love Handles

2008-05-14T04:30:00.001-07:00

Exercise for Getting Rid of Love Handles

Love handles form when your body stores energy as fat above your hips. To get rid of them you will need to burn this fat by doing exercise that uses a lot of calories. When you have an excessive amount of fat anywhere on your body, exercising that particular area with sit ups, bicep curls or squats will not help. These exercises are used to build muscle and enhance definition while getting rid of love handles requires simply burning off the fat.

Your main goal when trying to get rid of body fat stores such as the love handles is to burn as many calories as you can. Sit ups, crunches, and twists build muscle but they burn an insignificant amount of calories. Running or walking for even small distances will do a lot more than hundreds of sit ups or crunches if your body fat percentage is high: as is found in people who have love handles.

When trying to get rid of your love handles, you need to lower your body fat percentage. A calorie restricted diet combined with high intensity cardiovascular exercise (running, biking, swimming, tennis, basketball) will force your body to use its fat stores for energy. You will need to engage in some sort of cardio 3 - 5 times per week at 30 - 60 minutes per session in order to lose body fat. Remember that exercising more often and longer will yield quicker results.
After your cardio routine is on a solid foundation (meaning you're following it without skipping any days: 3-5 times per week) you need to start targeting your oblique and abdominal muscles to show definition. You can do this at the gym on machines or at home with your own body weight (sit ups, crunches, leg lifts, twists). Doing hundreds of sit ups everyday is wasteful so do not go overboard.

Remember that the main rule to getting rid of love handles (which are stores of fat) is giving your body less calories than it burns by eating less and exercising more. If your body burns 2,000 calories every day and you only give it 1,500 calories of food, it will be forced to use body fat stores to get those extra 500 calories.
If your exercise routine is good but you go home to a bad diet, your results will be significantly delayed. The quickest way to get rid of love handles is through a combination of diet and exercise, not just one of the two.
Having a nice midsection is confusing for a lot of people. Thousands of sit ups, hundreds of crunches and still no results.
The Guide to Getting Nice Abs and Six Packs has articles, FAQS, tips and tools to help show you how to have a nice set of abs.
Straight Health was started in July 2006 to spread accurate and easy to understand information about health, diets, exercise and nutrition. At StraightHealth.com you can read articles and tips, use the tools and gain a further understand about the world of health.

Nutrition to Gain Weight and Build Muscle the Healthy Way

2008-05-14T04:29:00.001-07:00

Nutrition to Gain Weight and Build Muscle the Healthy Way

You have heard it over and over again, "If you want to gain weight, eat everything you see." This advice will undoubtedly lead to weight gain but there are better ways to do it. The most common mistake in gaining weight is having the attitude that only people who want to lose weight should eat healthy. There is a healthy and unhealthy way of losing weight just as there are two paths to gaining it. Eat nothing but French fries and hamburgers for a month and yes you will gain weight but in all the wrong places and in all the wrongs ways.

The most important rule of gaining weight is to eat more calories than you burn. Some people who are trying to gain weight go overboard with the amount of calories they eat. Taking in 4,000 or more calories is sometimes excessive. Unless you are on steroids, there is only so much muscle mass you can gain over a small period of time. Any extra calories you eat will be stored by your body as fat which can be unhealthy.

Use the Daily Calorie Needs Calculator (linked at the bottom of this article) to estimate how many calories you burn each day. To gain weight you need to increase your calories by as much as 1,000 over the amount you burn. Going over this 1,000 extra calorie mark will help you gain weight faster but it will be mostly in the form of fat rather than muscle.
When increasing the amount of calories you are eating, try adding healthy foods instead of simply eating all the junk and fast food you can stomach. Healthy fats are unsaturated and found in oils, nuts, fish and some vegetables. Eating too much saturated (bad) fat can cause your cholesterol levels to increase which can lead to cardiovascular disease over time.

Your main source of carbohydrates should be complex carbs found in whole grains, oats, fruits, and vegetables. It is fine to have simple carbs (sugar) following a workout but taking in too much sugar over a long period of time can lead to excessive fat storage and type 2 diabetes.
Complex carbohydrates are digested a lot slower than simple carbs are which means your body will not need to use the energy right away. If you eat 300 calories of complex carbs which are digested over a period of hours, the energy will be released slowly. If you eat 300 calories of sugar, it will be digested in less than an hour and if you do not use that energy right away, it will be stored as fat.
When you are trying to build muscle you need a source of protein that contains all the essential amino acids - a complete protein. Complete proteins are found in products that come from animals such as meat, dairy and eggs. Since most animal products are associated with a high saturated fat content, the best complete protein comes from lean sources of meat such as poultry, low fat cuts of beef, eggs, low fat dairy and fish.

Gaining weight does not have to be unhealthy. Healthy weight gain can be achieved through a solid weight training routine combined with increased calories from healthy foods. Eating anything and everything you see will lead to weight gain but it can also lead to excess body fat, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The healthy way is not slower or less effective, it is just healthier.
Daily Calorie Needs Calculator
To some people, losing weight seems impossible and for some of us gaining weight is just as hard to do.
The Guide to Gaining Weight and Muscle will show you what foods to eat, how to exercise for maximum muscle gain and what supplements are worth the money. It has articles, FAQs, tips and tools to help you with your weight gaining goal.
Straight Health was started in July 2006 to spread accurate and easy to understand information about health, diets, exercise and nutrition. At StraightHealth.com you can read articles and tips, use the tools and gain a further understand about the world of health.

Exercise For Turning Fat Into Muscle

2008-05-14T04:28:00.001-07:00

Exercise For Turning Fat Into Muscle

This is the stuff that late night infomercials are made of. You take a pill or use some sort of ab contraption and miraculously your fat turns into muscle in only a few days! Unfortunately turning fat into muscle is a myth and doesn't actually work like that in real life. Fat and muscle are made up of entirely different tissues so "turning fat into muscle" is more than just a 1 step process.
Fat is used by your body to store energy while muscle is used for movement and some involuntary functions (pumping blood, digesting food, breathing). Muscles are made out of protein while fat stores are made up of... fat. There is no mechanism to turn fat into protein, it just isn't possible. Turning fat into muscle is a 2 step process which requires you to burn fat and build muscle in it's place.

Getting rid of fat is accomplished through exercise that burns a lot of calories. Cardio is a great example. You can run, bike, swim and play sports. To lose body fat you should dedicate 3-5 days per week for cardio lasting 30-60 minutes per session. The more you go, the quicker you'll lose the fat. While you can lose 1-2 pounds per week, building muscle to take the place of fat is a much slower process. Read more about Guidelines for Cardiovascular Exercise (link at bottom of article).
Short of taking steroids, there's no way you can gain as much muscle as the fat you're losing. Muscle grows at a very slow pace but with proper exercise you can gain a significant amount. Muscles grow when you stimulate them. When you lift weights at a gym, the muscle becomes damaged and when you rest, it's rebuilt and becomes stronger than before. Doing this over a long period of time will make you stronger and give you bigger muscles.

To build muscles in the quickest amount of time, dedicate 2-4 days per week for a strength training routine. You can do a total body workout or focus on one or two muscle groups. Read more about Guidelines for Resistance (Strength) Training.
Remember that turning fat into muscle is a long term goal. Even thought it's a 2 step process, you don't need to accomplish one step to move onto the next. Losing fat and gaining muscle can be a simultaneous activities meaning one part of your workout should be geared towards losing fat and the next for gaining muscle. You won't see the desired results overnight but you should begin to notice a difference in your body fairly quickly.
Guidelines for Cardiovascular Training
Once you know the basics of exercising, The Advanced Guide to Exercise will show you the specifics of starting your own routine

4 Easy Home Ab Exercises To Get You Great Results Fast!

2008-05-14T04:27:00.002-07:00

4 Easy Home Ab Exercises To Get You Great Results Fast!

These are some really great home ab exercises that I put together to help people target their abs without having to go to a gym. These home ab exercises are designed to really work your abdominals, and you will definitely feel it in the morning.

These home ab exercises will get your abs in shape but you need to remember that in order to see your abs, you will have to eat right, too.
All of these exercise can be performed at home. You don't need any special equipment-- just your body and some abs!
Here are some great home ab exercises you can do right now and start seeing results.
The exercises:
Bench crunch 2 x 20
To do a bench crunch, you need to find a bench or a couch and prop your feet up on it. You want your body to resemble a stair step. Your shins will be the top of the stair step and your abdominal region will be the bottom of the step. Put your hands behind your head, look at the ceiling and perform a crunch. It's that simple.

Bicycles 2 x 20
Bicycles are a great lower ab workout. To do this exercise start in a sit-up position. But instead of keeping your feet on the ground, perform a bicycle motion with your feet in a position like you're peddling. While one leg is out straight, the other should be bent and that knee should be close to your chin. Put your hands behind your head like a regular crunch, but instead of actually crunching, you will touch your left elbow to your right knee, and your right elbow to your left knee. Each elbow touch is counted as one rep. If you can't touch your elbow, don't worry about it. Just do the motion and eventually you will get it.
Knee ins + crunch 2 x 5

To perform a knee in, lay down on the ground in a situp position. Now instead of doing a situp, you will keep your knees together and bring them up to your chin while you perform a crunching motion. As you let your head back down to the ground, extend your legs until they are straight and parallel to the ground. Try and keep your legs and feet about 5 inches off the ground at all times. After your legs are fully extended and your head has reached the ground, bring your legs and chin back together and perform another crunch.
Lying leg thrusts 2 x 5
To do a lying leg thrust, start by lying on your back and putting your feet straight up in the air. Lower your feet to a 45° angle and come back up to a 90° angle and use your abs to push your legs and hips off the ground. Try and hold this position in the air for two seconds then lower and repeat.
Alternating crunches. 2 x 20

This exercise is kind of like the bicycles except your feet will stay stationary and in a situp position. You will do a regular crunch, except you will turn your body during the crunch so your left elbow touches your right knee and vice versa. Each crunch counts as a rep.
These are some great home ab exercises and they will get your abs in great shape. You MUST remember that without a healthy diet and weight training routine, you will never get visible abs. Working your abs out will make them stronger and the abdominal muscles bigger, but if you have a layer of fat over them you won't be able to see them.
Check out my site for a FREE Fat-Loss Ebook designed to help you lose the fat around your gut so you can see your abs. This guide will GIVE you 27 unique ways to turn your metabolism on overdrive! Check out http://www.TruthAboutAbsBlog.com to learn how to lose your abdominal fat forever!

How To Get A Washboard Stomach?

2008-05-14T04:27:00.001-07:00

How To Get A Washboard Stomach?

I want to get a Washboard stomach!" You have always been telling yourself this. However, the theoretical logic behind a washboard stomach is not as simple as what you think. Most of the people always think that by doing consistent sit-ups or crunches will let them achieve that sexy ribbed abs. However, that is not the right way to achieving a washboard stomach.
How to get a washboard stomach?
Basically, you have to build muscles and of course lose fat. It all started with two very simple methodologies, Exercises and Diet.

Talking about exercises, it is not about doing only 5 to 10 minutes of simple stretching or sit-ups everyday. It has to be at least a 30 minutes full body workout. I would strongly suggest anyone who have been yearning for a washboard stomach should incorporate abdominal exercises into their full body workout. If you find doing the same routine everyday very boring, you can do some form of traditional exercises like running the stairs and skipping rope. You can start your warm up by skipping ropes first and followed by your full body workouts to achieve the maximum effect.
Nothing can be achieved without a proper diet. If you want to get a washboard stomach quickly, you should have a good and nutrition diet. Avoid drinking sodas and alcohol because it hardly contain any nutrients and have high calories. Oily and deep fried food should be avoided because it will hinder your success to a washboard stomach.

Although there are certain food to avoid but that does not mean you have to go through hunger pangs. Going on starvation diets will only slow down your metabolism rate and it will affect the fat burning processes and you may put on more weight once you start eating normally. We need you to eat healthily and heartily as building muscles need a lot of nutrition too. Eat food like eggs, brown rice chicken breast and the best is to go for organic food. Break your meals into smaller portion and have it about 5 times a day.

Have all these done in a proper manner and you will get a washboard stomach soon.
I made it with a flat and sexy stomach using the right methods. Nothing beats more than having a washboard stomach. If I can do it with a flat tummy, why not you? All we need to do is focus and follow with determination.
Click Here to discover how I made it with flat and sexy abs.
Anastacia Huang have been concocting her own beauty recipes on skincare, hair and health since 12. She would experiment any methods that can make herself look better. She have vast knowledge of beauty tips on skincare, hair and health.
She would like to advise readers who are serious in losing belly fat to visit this link: http://truthaboutabs.weebly.com

Tired of Being Skinny? Let The 3 Pillars of Training Fix What's Ailing You

2008-05-14T04:26:00.001-07:00

Tired of Being Skinny? Let The 3 Pillars of Training Fix What's Ailing You

Are you tired of being skinny? Are you tired of spending long hours in the gym with little to no results? Well, that's all about to change. This article will provide you with the 3 pillars of training that you must include in your program to see optimal results. So, if you're truly tired of being skinny, read on...
The First Pillar of Training is proper sleep. Countless studies point out the fact that the human body requires at least 8 hours of sleep a night. If you take one point away from this section I hope it is this. The body does not get bigger in the gym, it gets bigger during rest. So get your sleep, and let those muscles repair themselves.

The Second Pillar of Training is eating well. In order to squash that tired of being skinny feeling, you absolutely must have your diet dialed in. If you aren't feeding your muscles with the right amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fat, then you are essentially sabotaging your efforts in the gym. An approach that serves me well is a 40% Protein, 30% Carbohydrates, and 30% Fats. However, you must figure out what works for you. Determine your daily requirements to gain weight, and then incorporate this breakdown.

The Third Pillar of Training is proper exercise selection. It ain't rocket science folks, if you want to pack on some serious size, then you need to move some serious weight. This is only achieved through proper exercise selection. So, ditch those tricep kickbacks, concentration curls, and similar movements that don't allow you to move heavy weight. Now, if you are just completely sick and tired of being skinny, then you need to get acquainted with my friends below:
Squat
Deadlift
Power Cleans
Bench Press
Good Mornings
Clean & Press
Barbell Bent Row
Power Shrugs
Hang Cleans
The above movements must be the cornerstone of your workout program if you plan to pack on some size. These movements allow you to use heavier weights as opposed to more isolated movements. A good rule of thumb is to pick movements that incorporate at least 3 major muscle groups. Before you know it, you will be wearing XXL T-Shirts!
In conclusion, if you're tired of being skinny, you must incorporate these 3 Pillars of Training. While there are many other facets to consider, it wasn't until I prioritized these three factors that I started getting results. Do yourself a favor, adhere to these three concepts and in no time you'll see results. Then instead of asking if you're tired of being skinny, I'll be asking if you're tired of buying new clothes!
Are You Tired of Being Skinny? Are you serious about getting huge? Then you need to visit Chris' site, sign up for his newsletter, and download his FREE Report "5 Mass Building Sins & How to Beat Them". Go here now: http://www.smithstrainingsystems.com

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