3 Amazing Ways to Shape Up Your Muscles in Less Than 7 days!

Imagine you need to look great to get all the attention at the biggest party of the year. The cloak has already started ticking and you have got 7 days to fix yourself for the D-Day. If you can take out 15 to 30 minutes in the next few days, you can be ready for action.

Step 1:

Exercise: Start with skipping and jogging and chin-ups by hanging from a rod for warming up.

Two steps of crunches or sit-ups for strengthening and toning your abdominal muscles.

Then go for Flat bench press and dumbbell flyers for the entire chest area, focusing mainly on the inner chest and followed by 2 sets of push-ups.

Work on your trapezium for the collar muscle and shoulder pressing.

For biceps the exercise to be followed is standing barbell curl.

Next you can work out on your Triceps with Single dumbbell or French press and fore forearms.

Skipping will have an effect on your legs, other wise you can go for Squats and back with lat pull down.

Step 2:

Diets are just as important as exercise, because it is the most important part of getting the body you want. You have to eat good to look good. You need protein, and you don't need fat. Stay away from junk and fatty foods. Not all fat is bad; there is a healthy fat. This fat can be found in fish, Nuts and some oils. Have Lots of fibers such as leafy vegetables, salads and daily products.

Step 3: The results though wont come easily and they wont come very fast either, So Stay dedicated, motivated and consistent, and do all 3 steps correctly to get the desired result.

By Venkata Ramana

How Do I Gain Weight?

Try asking people how to gain weight and you'll likely see some bewildered faces staring back at you. For the majority of people, hearing that question is akin to hearing the questions, "How do I stub my toe?" or "How do I run out of gas?"

Those confused faces not withstanding, the question is a legitimate one and one that frustrates those who find themselves on the light end of the scale. While those on the heavy end can't get through a commercial break or flip through more than five pages of a magazine without someone offering up a solution to their weight problems, it can be a lonely struggle for those who want to put on weight.

If you are lucky enough to get a reasoned response to your question, it will probably involve the words "eat more." That, despite being obvious, is great advice. Quite simply, to gain weight you will need to up your calorie consumption to the point where you consume more calories than you expend. Couple an increased caloric intake with a little weight training and you have the recipe for healthy weight gain.

You may think you eat a lot, even enough to keep pace with your more weight-furnished friends, but you are probably over-estimating your intake. After a trip to the doctor's office to rule out medical causes for your inability to bulk up (thyroid disease and other medical problems can hamper weight gain), a first step to designing an effective weight gain program is to journal your eating habits. Counting calories for a week will give you an accurate view of your diet.

From there, increase your daily caloric intake by about 300-500 calories until you start putting on the pounds. Keep in mind though, while your caloric intake will directly influence your bodyweight, it will be other factors like the types of food you eat and your weight training regimen that decide the type of weight you are putting on. So if you are after an aesthetically pleasing weight gain, that of lean muscle weight as opposed to just some extra body fat to lug around, it will be important to pay attention to these factors.

To get the most muscle out of your weight gain, avoid the junk food and focus on eating whole foods. A good weight gain diet should be composed of 30-50% protein, 20-50% carbohydrates and 20-40% fat (the majority of which should be essential fatty acids). Different ratios within these ranges will work differently for different people. Keep up your food journal and experiment to find the ratios that work best for you.

Providing your body with the materials it needs to build muscle is only one piece of the puzzle. A weight training program designed to give the body a reason to add some muscle will be very important to achieving your goals. Your workout routines should concentrate on compound weight lifting exercises (those that involve multiple muscle groups like the squat or bench press) with weights that allow you to do 6 to 12 reps per set. Higher rep ranges will tone your muscles but may not sufficiently signal the body into muscle growth. Try to either increase the amount of weight lifted or the reps completed with each workout.

Don't go overboard with your workouts. Two or three one-hour workouts per week done with intensity should do the trick. Too often those that have trouble gaining weight (hardgainers) spend too much time in the gym. This can be counterproductive in two ways. First, it means you are burning off a lot of the calories that could otherwise be used to build muscle and, second, you can over-train your muscles by working them too hard, basically making them unresponsive.

If you are looking for some company in your quest to gain weight, venture into the bodybuilding community. There you will find many people also seeking ways to put on lean muscle mass. You will also find many products marketed to help you gain weight. Be very cautious when looking at these products. Gaining weight may not be as in demand as losing weight but it is still big business and there are a lot of companies out there looking to take your money. While some of these products can help, others aren't necessary.

With a little motivation, a weight gain diet and a solid weight training program in place you will have all you need to achieve your gain weight goals. Better yet, you will never again have to ask that question that gets all those funny looks aimed back at you.

By JP Clifford

Know All about Power Push Ups

Push ups are the most convenient way to build up your chest, shoulders, arms and upper back. It can be performed at any place, and you don't need to carry your gym with you wherever you go.

Do you know that most of the men who train with weights cannot do single handstand pushups? When I first found this out I was stunned.

A few Things to keep in mind:

Ø Always keep your hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart, with fingers together and pointing straight ahead.

Ø If you have ever had any shoulder pain, stick to the 90-degree limit. Deeper push ups can stretch the shoulder capsule and put strain on the joint. This can cause pain.

Ø Start in the upper position with your arms straight.

Ø Inhale as you lower yourself towards the floor.

Ø Don't go lower than forming a 90-degree bend with your elbows.

Ø Exhale as you push yourself up from the floor.

Ø Don't lock your elbows at the top.

Ø Your back should be straight. Don't let it sag and don't stick your butt up in the air.

By Venkata Ramana

A Champion Bodybuilder - Do You Have What It Takes?

My career began in the eighties. I never found myself going to a health club, much less taking time for myself, until I was in college. I had to occupy my time between classes somehow, so one day I went to the gym. I grew up without self-discipline, confidence, or faith in myself. As a youth, I was overweight and short. In my late teens, during the first few years of my career and with the help of a few close friends, I was fortunate to have discovered three very important things about myself that changed me forever: hope, belief, and motivation.

Hope

I did not set out to be a champion bodybuilder. Nor did I really want to. But I did hoped I could get in better shape with some hard work.

Belief

When I first stepped into a health club, it was frightening. I had two friends that exercised with me on a regular basis. The confidence they had in me started positively affecting my attitude and fear of failure. After awhile, I noticed those fears I had about myself slowly began to disappear.

Motivation

As I developed more confidence, I started to realize how important it was for this change to come from the "inside out." Looking better, having more energy and getting physically stronger are great things to experience, but what I am most grateful for is that my heart was also changing. I felt better about myself. I had purpose and I was doing something positive. That heart-felt motivation became the glue that has kept me going for all these years. No matter what you do in life, if you have purpose, and if it is good for others, life will be rewarding.

Here are a few principles I have learned along the way may help you become a true bodybuilding champion.

Principle #1: Be Sold Out! Whether you are a competitive bodybuilder or just do it as a hobby to stay in shape - have the attitude that you are going to exercise and eat right for life.

Principle#2: Ask not, have not! If you do not know something, ask a man/women that you feel does. Knowledge is powerful.

Principle #3: Leave your ego at the door! Your ego is your biggest competitor by far. The reality is, it's NOT all about you. If you think it is, you will never be a Champion for any length of time.

Principle #4: Work-out smart not hard! Bodybuilding is about efficiency, not effort.

Principle #5: Know when to stop. If you need time off, take it. If you do not want to compete anymore, but are afraid not to, then you are doing it for the wrong reasons.

Principle #5: Have fun. Don't be wound up like a clock all the time. Relax!

Principle #6: Put variety in your workouts. Never think your workout program is the best. Change it up every three months.

Principle #7: Only compete once a year! If you are a competitive bodybuilder only compete in one show a year. If you do more, you will burn out and lose valuable muscle.

Principle #8: Never compete for a trophy! If you are a trophy hunter you will never be a true champion. True champions do it for the journey.

Arm Training - Building Muscle for Bulging Bis and Tris

Let's face it, most guys who start lifting want two things - a big bench and big arms. So in this issue we're going to talk about bi's and tri's and I'll share a very effective routine for adding inches to your arms in a very short amount of time.

Everyone wants big arms and it seems as if no one is satisfied with their current arm size. This seems rather strange, since most people constantly blast their arms. There are a few reasons that people don't make the progress they want when it comes to packing on inches to their arms.

First, they don't work the big muscles of the body hard enough. Your arms just aren't going to grow if your big muscles, like your back and legs, aren't growing. You need to work your legs and back hard and concentrate on upping your poundages for these body parts, if you want your arms to grow. Your arms will only get so big without the rest of your larger muscles getting big as well.

Secondly, a lot of people focus on working their biceps, when in fact the triceps make up almost 70% of the size of your upper arm. If you want to build big arms, focus on your triceps not your biceps.

And third, most people overtrain their arms. They do as many or more sets for their arms, and do those sets harder, than they do for their back, chest or legs. And on top of that, most exercises for the back and chest also work the bi's and tri's very hard. You have to cut back on the work you do for you arms and up the intensity. Quality, not quantity.

Here's a kick ass routine guaranteed to add muscle to your arms. It's extremely short. Don't let that fool you. If you perform it with the right level of intensity and your nutrition program is solid, your arms will grow.

Biceps

One repetition chin up
Biceps Curl (dumbbells or barbell)

Perform these two exercises back to back as a superset with no rest between sets.

Triceps

One repitition dip
Tricep extension (one dumbbell in both hands)

Perform these two exercises back to back as a superset with no rest between sets.

Seems easy, doesn't it? Here's the key. For both the one repetition chin up and the one repetition dip, you take thirty to sixty seconds to raise yoursel up (the positive part of the rep) and thirty seconds to lower yourself (the negative part of the rep).

When you can take 60 seconds up and 60 seconds down, add weight. Do 6 - 8 regular reps on the curls and extensions and train to failure.

Do this routine three times per week, for no longer than 2 weeks at a time. If you are currently using a routine that includes a lot of sets for your arms, you may want to drop direct arm training for a week before trying this routine, otherwise you'll quickly overtrain.

Keep your back and chest training to a minimun while performing this routine.

By Gregg Gillies

Bodybuilding Benefits - The Price for Confidence!

Success came to me at an early age. However, it did not come without a price. Bodybuilding found me; I did not go looking for it. At seventeen I knew nothing about weights, eating right, let alone having any sort of discipline. Here are a few things I learned along the way that I believe it takes to make a champion in your own heart.

Hope:

Deep in side you only need a small amount of HOPE to get you to the next day. In the beginning of my career that's all I had.

Belief:

Confidence can grow inside. If you don't have it, take your ego out of it and sooner or later bodybuilding will give it to you. Whether it comes from you or someone else, you really have to belief. For me, I had two friends that believed in my first, then after a while they began to rub off on me.

Pure Motives:

Have pure motives of being healthy verses just looking good. If you have desires to truly feel better health wise and about your self, then you will have more motivation in the down times. Early on, I started to feel the benefits both physically and emotionally of what bodybuilding was doing to me.

Here are some common mistakes people make that keep them from being Champions!

1. Egos: In many ways most people allow their egos to defeat them and get in the way of the full potential. You might not get this but, bodybuilding is NOT about you! Lose it, or keep on losing in life.

2. Afraid of Change: Most thinks their way works best. Wrong! Bodybuilding is an art. Art is subjective. Each person is different. The minute you think you know everything is the time you should give it up.

3. Ashamed to ask for help: The smartest thing I did when I was first started bodybuilding and competing was to ask for help. Knowledge is power when you adapt it to your personality. You are not living up to your potential if your pride is in the way.

4. No goal of mission. If you are just going to the gym to go, you are not being smart in your training. Map out your training one year in advance. Having purpose promotes focus.

5. The more is better trap. The more you do the bigger and leaner you will be. NOT! Work smart and efficient rather than long and hard. The smartest thing I ever did was set a time frame to my workouts.

6. Off season blues. People slack off after an event of competition. You should be in it for life. You should be sold out to exercise. If you are not, and only train when you are getting ready to compete, you are in the sport for the wrong reasons. Forget it; you will never be a champion. Champions are sold out!

What ever your goals are or level you are at, remember what bodybuilding truly is about. What is truly is about are not what you see, but what you feel. Yes, being a Champion comes with a price. But what price would you pay for the freedom to live your life with confidence.

Greg Ryan is a high profile fitness expert and former employee of Kathy Smiths. Body building champion, public speaker and personal trainer to the stars. He is a best selling author of the Changing from the INSIDE OUT through real behavior change, smart eating and effective exercising. Start getting in better shape today!

The How To Guide for Six Pack Abs

First off I want to mention that, for most people, getting six pack abs is not an easy task. It requires serious dedication, but it is possible! If were blessed with naturally low body fat and good muscle definition, enjoy it! Otherwise, below is a general 2-step guide that, if followed religiously for 3 months, will produce results.

Step 1: Nutrition

This is the single most important part of the puzzle, hands down. You can have the most impressive set of abs, but if they're covered with a layer of fat, you won't see them! Break up your day with 5 or 6 mini-meals because this jump starts your metabolism. And stop eating the food that is preventing results: white bread, loads of pasta, soda, candy, fast food, hydrogenated oils, sugars and fructose corn syrup.

Instead, replace them with foods that will help you reach your goal: oatmeal, olive oil, whole grain breads, fruits, vegetables, nuts, peanut butter, chicken, fish, protein and water. Be realistic- you'll slip here and there, but make a conscious effort to radically improve your eating habits because getting a six pack will be impossible if you don't.

Step 2: Exercise

You need to concern yourself with 3 different exercises: cardio, weightlifting and ab exercises. And aim to workout no less than 4 times a week.

The cardio you do can be anything: walking, running, biking, swimming....whichever cardio you don't mind doing so that you'll stick with it. Aim for 30-45 minutes, a minimum of 2 times a week.

Weightlifting is important because 3 pounds of added muscle burns as many calories as a 1 mile jog...and this is while you're just sitting around! Aim for 30-45 minutes, a minimum of 2 times a week. If you're confused as to what exercises to do for each body part, check out out the following website. It features professional bodybuilders, but the information is great and can be used by anyone.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.htm.

The last exercise you need to incorporate into your workout is ab exercises. Aim to work your abs a minimum of 3 times a week. There are a ton of different ab exercises you can do so try to find 3 or so that you enjoy doing so you can mix it up. A good database of different ab exercises is:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exername.php?MainMuscle=Abdominals

Well, there you have it. Follow the above for 3 months religiously, and while results will vary from person to person, you will experience improvement. It will take serious dedication on your part, but imagine the feeling you'll get when you look in the mirror and like what you see.

By Ryan Cote

Muscle Building Workouts at Home!

Most people make an excuse that they don't have time to workout, they are too lazy to spend any time on workouts. Whatever time they are left with, they want to relax, watch TV or listen to music .Here are a few excesses that may just be a solution for you. These can be done while listening to music or during tv commercials.

PUSH UPS

Place the body in a face down and lift the body on both the palms and feet keeping the body straight. Take the chest toward the floor while exhaling and push up with the power of the arm and chest muscles while inhaling. If floor push ups are to difficult for you, start off with standing push ups with you hand on the wall, then pushing yourself back. Repeat at least 8 - 10 times, increase the number of repetitions as the exercise gets easier .Push ups effect your chest and arms the most . To effect your chest the most do push ups with your arms placed wide apart.

SQUATS

Stand with legs shoulder width apart and feet pointed forward. Sit down and stand up make sure that the knees don't lock. Don't move too far forward, try to keep your neck in line with you spine. Repeat this 20-25 times depending on the comfort level too start with and then increase the no of repetitions as you get used too the exercise. Squat is the best exercise for complete leg fitness. It can do wonders to your thighs hips and butts. For better results squats may be done with weights.

BICEP CURLS

Biceps curls can be done while sitting on a chair or while standing. You need a pair of dumbells. Hold a dumbell in each hand. Lift the dumbells alternatively without bending your elbows. Repeat this atleast 10 times. As you get used to the exercise you can increase the weights or the number of repetitions. Biceps curls is an effective exercise to increase your arm size.

------> Random Tip: Take a break once a week to give your body some rest.

By Jasdeep

The Ultimate Hard Body Exercise

The Front Squat:

As you may have already discovered, the squat is at the top of the heap (along with deadlifts) as one of the most effective overall exercises for stimulating body composition changes (muscle gain and fat loss). This is because exercises like squats and deadlifts use more muscle groups under a heavy load than almost any other weight bearing exercises known to man. Hence, these exercises stimulate the greatest hormonal responses (growth hormone, testosterone, etc.) of all exercises. In fact, university research studies have even proven that inclusion of squats into a training program increases upper body development, in addition to lower body development, even though upper body specific joint movements are not performed during the squat. Whether your goal is gaining muscle mass, losing body fat, building a strong and functional body, or improving athletic performance, the basic squat and deadlift (and their variations) are the ultimate solution. If you don't believe me that squats and deadlifts are THE basis for a lean and powerful body, then go ahead and join all of the other overweight people pumping away mindlessly for hours on boring cardio equipment. You won't find long boring cardio in any of my programs!

Squats can be done with any free weighted objects such as barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, sandbags, or even just body weight. Squats should only be done with free weights - NEVER with a Smith machine or any other squat machines! Machines do not allow your body to follow natural, biomechanically-correct movement paths. You also perform less work because the machine stabilizes the weight for you. Therefore, you get weaker results!

The type of squat that people are most familiar with is the barbell back squat where the bar is resting on the trapezius muscles of the upper back. Many professional strength coaches believe that front squats (where the bar rests on the shoulders in front of the head) and overhead squats (where the bar is locked out in a snatch grip overhead throughout the squat) are more functional to athletic performance than back squats with less risk of lower back injury. I feel that a combination of all three (not necessarily during the same phase of your workouts) will yield the best results for overall muscular development, body fat loss, and athletic performance. Front squats are moderately more difficult than back squats, while overhead squats are considerably more difficult than either back squats or front squats. I'll cover overhead squats in a future article. If you are only accustomed to performing back squats, it will take you a few sessions to become comfortable with front squats, so start out light. After a couple sessions of practice, you will start to feel the groove and be able to increase the poundage.

To perform front squats:

The front squat recruits the abdominals to a much higher degree for stability due to the more upright position compared with back squats. It is mostly a lower body exercise, but is great for functionally incorporating core strength and stability into the squatting movement. It can also be slightly difficult to learn how to properly rest the bar on your shoulders. There are two ways to rest the bar on the front of the shoulders. In the first method, you step under the bar and cross your forearms into an "X" position while resting the bar on the dimple that is created by the shoulder muscle near the bone, keeping your elbows up high so that your upper arms are parallel to the ground. You then hold the bar in place by pressing the thumb side of your fists against the bar for support. Alternatively, you can hold the bar by placing your palms face up and the bar resting on your fingers against your shoulders. For both methods, your elbows must stay up high to prevent the weight from falling. Your upper arms should stay parallel to the ground throughout the squat. Find out which bar support method is more comfortable for you. Then, initiate the squat from your hips by sitting back and down, keeping the weight on your heels as opposed to the balls of your feet. Squat down to a position where your thighs are approximately parallel to the ground, then press back up to the starting position. Keeping your weight more towards your heels is the key factor in squatting to protect your knees from injury and develop strong injury-resistant knee joints. Keep in mind - squats done correctly actually strengthen the knees; squats done incorrectly can damage the knees.


By Michael Geary

The Superset Advantage

Supersets give you the most bang for the buck. They give you more muscle in less time, and don't bore you from how long it takes to actually do the exercises.

If you're into body building at all, you'll know the basics of what a Superset is. It's when you switch between different exercises with a little rest between them, instead of doing all your sets for one exercise before going to the next one on the list.

Now let's figure out a superset to build bigger muscles.

There are 2 kinds of muscle fibers. The smaller ones are "slow-twitch" fibers wich are mostly used for endurance. The bigger " fast-twitch " fibers are mostly used when strenght is required. But both of these can get bigger, so if you want the biggest muscles possible, you'll have to work both. Here's what you'll do:

- Do 10 reps of one exercise
- Do 20 reps of a different exercise for the same muscle without rest.
- Rest 1 min.
- Repeat 2-3 times.

Here's how one would go about using supersets to build strength and power. But you have to know some things first. Strenght and power, aren't the same thing. Strenght is the amount of weight you can move, at any speed. Power, is your ability to move an inanimate object. Or the speed at wich you can lift a certain amount of weight, if you will. Both are important, especially if you play sports. Here's how you train for strength/power.

- Do 5 reps of a heavy-duty strenght exercise
- Doe 10 reps of a power exercise ( something where you can move your body as fast as possible with a lighter weight. )

You can also use supersets for fat-loss purposes of course. Supersets help this even more than normal body building because it requires much more energy, spending all those extra calories. Here's the plan:

- Do 10 reps of one exercise for your lower body
- Without resting, do 10 reps of upper body exercise.
- Make sure both exercises target the largest muscle groups possible.
- Rest 60 secs.
- Repeat 4 times.

With supersets, you'll be in and out of the gym before you know it and more pumped up than ever.

The Secret to Legs with Size, Strength, and Endurance

There are countless leg workouts in magazines and books that promise big results. Many are good workouts, but the secret to continued progress is to keep your muscles from adapting, while building on what you have already done. What I mean by this is that mixing and matching great workouts just doesn't work very well. You do need to change your workouts frequently to keep your muscles growing, but if you don't plan properly, you could be wasting time.

When you plan your workouts properly, each workout builds on what you accomplished the workout before, so that you keep moving forward, instead of taking steps back each time you change workouts. A good example of this is how many Powerlifters have trained for decades. They begin a training cycle by using lighter weights for higher reps. The first week or two they might do 3 sets of 8 repetitions. The next couple of weeks might be 5 sets of 5 reps. Then they add weight and drop their reps each week until they are ready to test themselves for a single maximum repetition. This is usually done in a contest, with judges and strict rules. This works well if your goal is to lift as much as possible in one lift for one repetition.

In bodybuilding, the weight you use does not need to be as heavy. It is more important to use muscle tension and volume of training to stimulate the muscle to grow. A Bodybuilder might choose 4 different exercises for a muscle group and do 4 to 6 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions for each exercise. You won't build as much strength training like this, as you will training like a Powerlifter, but you should increase your muscle mass and improve your muscle shape and definition more.

A Triathlete has fantastic endurance, especially in their legs. They can swim, run and ride their bikes for hours on end, with great intensity! They do not have much muscle size, and most cannot lift much weight. They train so that they can move their bodies as fast and as far as possible, so great strength is not necessary, and size is counterproductive.

All of these sports have something in common. They train with a very specific goal in mind. To achieve the best possible results in these sports, they have to. This is even more obvious in the case of the Triathlete, than it is for Bodybuilding and Powerlifting. I believe that Bodybuilders and Powerlifters should cross train once in a while to break through their plateaus.

I have competed in Bodybuilding, Powerlifting, Strongman, and Highland Games, not to mention several mainstream sports. I trained differently for each of them, except for the Highland Games, which I just did for fun while I was training for Powerlifting. Out of all of those sports, I have been most successful at Strongman. One of the things I like the most about it, is that you have to be well rounded. Without enough strength, you don't stand a chance. If you are too small, you won't be able to move some of the implements. If you can lift a weight, but get tired too soon, you will be left in the dust. You also have to have unbelievable mental toughness and desire to be successful. I mean, let's face it, Strongman events hurt.

The point I am making is that, as a Strongman competitor, I need Size, Strength and Endurance. That is truer for the legs than for any other part of the body. This is also true for other sports that involve both quickness and power. Football, Baseball, Rugby, Soccer, and Sprinting all come to mind. To do that, I can't afford to focus on Strength only, like a Powerlifter. I can't spend my time building size for the sake of size either. I certainly can't spend hours running, swimming and biking if I want to have the power and size that I need. I believe that I have come across a good leg workout that helps me build Size, Strength and relative Endurance for my sport. I still do specific event training, but that is mostly for technique.

This workout involves doing just Squats for your legs, and doing it once a week only. The first two weeks you perform 10 sets of 10 repetitions with only one to two minutes rest between each set. The 10 sets of 10 routine is more commonly known as German Volume Training and it is BRUTAL. I only do this for two weeks, because I want strength as well. This training is excellent for improving your endurance and it will stimulate muscle growth as well. Be aware, that you will be very SORE for a few days after the first week. The second week, you should be able to add some weight to the bar and you won't be as sore. I won't go into details about nutrition here, but if you want to take advantage of the muscle growth potential of this workout, you had better eat enough protein and good quality food.

The following two weeks you squat for 8 sets of 8 repetitions. This is great for muscle growth because it is lower in both sets and reps than the first two weeks, so you can use more weight, but it is still a high volume of work to stimulate muscle mass increases. Just like the first two weeks, you should be able to add some weight to the second week of 8 sets of 8 reps.

Weeks 5 and 6 will be about going heavier and making the transition from training for size, to training for strength. The workout will be 5 sets of 5 reps of Squats. Now that we are going heavier, it is especially important to pay attention to proper form. Make sure to maintain an arch in your back and sit back and down into the squat rather than allow your knees to go out in front of your toes. I explain proper form for the Squat in more detail on my Powerlifting Squat page. You will want to do a couple of warm-up sets before you get to the first of your 5 heavy sets. If you haven't been wearing a lifting belt, it is time to start when you get to this part of the program. Just as in the other sections, you should be able to add at least a little weight on the second week (week 6) of this part.

The 7th and 8th week are true power training. The workout will be 3 heavy sets of 3 reps. Warm up and then get to it. Think pure power and get psyched up for each set. After these two weeks, you will have completed your 8-week cycle to increase the Size, Strength, and Endurance of your Legs. If you have done this in preparing for a Powerlifting contest, take another week to do 3 sets of 1 repetition, and then rest for at least 10 days before contest day. If you are not trying to peak for a strength contest, start over with the 10 sets of 10 and do it all over again. You should be stronger the second time through, and well on your way toward dramatic improvements in Size, Strength, and Endurance.

Good luck with your training, and make sure to save some money for some new pants with bigger legs!

By Aaron Anderton

How to Increase Your Bench Press by Doing Squats

My Legs Are Already Big Enough. I Keep Hearing Working Legs Is A MUST. Why Is That So Important?

Believe me? I hated leg workouts. Until I realize the true potential that a simple set of squats could unleash.

Frankly? I see the same people on the leg press machine, leg extensions, doing lunges and doing squats week after week. But for every other muscle group, it's like a new day. There's the familiar faces of course, but there's always new people. It's like working leg is an exclusive club.

And yet that is 50% of your body! Your entire lower body you will neglect because:

? You don't like working legs
? You don't want bigger legs
? Your leg are big enough

But let's suppose? you do work legs. And without much weight at all. Just enough to stimulate your entire body propelling it into new levels of growth. Do you think that is possible?

How can doing squats increase our bench press? If you are stuck on bicep curls, how can incorporating legs into your routine break you thru those plateaus?

I'm here to tell you right now, as you read this, that doing leg workouts is a whole lot more then just getting bigger, more toned, or stronger legs.

Think about it. Testosterone is a primary ingredient of building muscle. So you do a hard set of tricep pushdowns. Your body responds by making more testosterone. Let's just guess at 10% more for the day. Phew. Hard workout. Good job!

Do you qualify as one of those people?

But,? let's say you do a set of breathing squats at 100% intensity.

You just boosted your testosterone production 1000%.

Do you think I'm being facetious?

But back to the purpose of this question. Working your legs isn't an option. It's something you do. So you don't want bigger legs? Fine. Don't pile on the weight. Don't overload them. Just stimulate your metabolism, and stimulate your body changing. So you don't like legs? Get over it.

Fact is, by incorporating legs into your workout, you will see more gains in 6 weeks then most people do in 3 months.

Don't take my word for it. Look around at your gym? The guy with a huge upper body and tiny chicken legs. Do you want to look like that? Who are the bigger guys in your gym? Who are the women that you most want to look like? I can assure you those people do legs. Any top notch physique does legs.

Doing a cardio machine that uses legs is not the same.

So that's why working your legs is so important. Please do not make excuses. You do not have to train to failure where you cannot walk. You don't have to squat 600 lbs. You simply must train the 50% of your body that pretty much 80% of everybody just doesn't do.

Next time you are in the gym take a good look around. Notice the leg equipment. Notice the same people using that week after week.

Become one of the individuals at your gym that trains legs and discover the secret to growth.

Here are the reasons why working every muscle - not just certain ones - is the superior method of getting the results you want:

1. Builds lean muscle
2. Reduces body fat levels
3. Increases energy
4. Balances blood sugar in the body
5. Increases neuromuscular efficiency
6. Improves sexual performance
7. Lowers cholesterol in the body
8. Protects against heart disease
9. Improves mood

All the above reasons are by-products of increased testosterone. For men, this means better muscle gains. For women, don't worry you don't have enough testosterone to get big and bulky like a man. For everybody, working legs will help you with the above factors and assist you in reaching your goals.

By Marc David

Focus on Both Consistency and Variability in Your Workouts for the Best Results

In one of my recent articles, I spoke about the fact that you must alter your training variables that make up your workouts if you want to continuously get good results, whether it is losing weight, building muscle, or toning up.

While changing your training variables is an integral part of the success of your training program, your workouts shouldn't be drastically different every single time. If you are all over the place on each workout and never try to repeat and improve on specific exercises for specific set and rep schemes with specific rest intervals, then your body has no basis to improve on its current condition. The best way to structure your workouts to get the best results is to be consistent and try to continually improve on a specific training method for a specific time period. A time period of 4-8 weeks usually works best as your body will adapt to the specific training method and progress will slow after this amount of time.

At this point, it is time to change around some of your training variables as I described in the "exercise variables" article, and then stay consistent with your new training program for another 4-8 weeks. To refresh, some of these variables are the numbers of sets and reps of exercises, the order of exercises (sequence), exercise grouping (super-setting, circuit training, tri-sets, etc.), exercise type (multi-joint or single joint, free-weight or machine based), the number of exercises per workout, the amount of resistance, the time under tension, the base of stability (standing, seated, on stability ball, one-legged, etc.), the volume of work (sets x reps x distance moved), rest periods between sets, repetition speed, range of motion, exercise angle (inclined, flat, declined, bent over, upright, etc), training duration per workout, training frequency per week, etc.

For example, let's say you are training with a program where you are doing 10 sets of 3 reps for 6 different exercises grouped together in pairs (done as supersets) with 30 seconds rest between each superset and no rest between the 2 exercises within the superset. If you are smart, I'm sure you are tracking your progress with a notepad (weights used, sets, and reps) to see how you are progressing over time. Let's say that after about 6 weeks, you find that you are no longer improving with that program. Well, now it is time to change up your variables, and start a new program.

This time you choose a classic 5 sets of 5 reps routine, but you group your exercises in tri-sets (three exercises performed back to back to back, and then repeated for the number of sets). This time you decide to perform the exercises in the tri-set with no rest between them, and then recover for 2 minutes in between each tri-set to fully recoup your strength levels.

There you have it...a couple examples of how to incorporate both consistency and variability into your training programs to maximize your results. Want to take the guess work out of all of this? Pick up a copy of my book today at http://truthaboutabs.com and try the scientifically designed programs already illustrated within.

By Michael Geary

The Importance of Maintaining A Weight Training Log

Do you find gyms intimidating? Feel lost while doing your workouts? Tried different programs with no results? Not always sure of want exercises you are supposed to be doing? Or maybe you're burnt out on the exercises your doing. A weight-training log may be exactly what you need.

Walking into a gym full of big bodybuilders or women built like models can be very intimidating. Having all these beautiful people working out around you can make you wonder if you'll ever be able to look like that. Well let me tell you a little secret they didn't always look that good and with a focused plan you too can look that way. Its simple, write down the exercises that you usually do with the amount of weight used and number of sets performed for a period of three weeks. Use a weight-training log. For example if you are doing a three day split that is you divide the body into three parts and train them over three days, write down three workouts for each group. Don't worry if this takes more or less than three weeks just as long as you record three workouts for each grouping. Now review your workouts after that period and analyze your findings. Were you workouts remarkably similar? Did you use the same amount of weight for the same number of sets? Was your cardiovascular training always for the same amount of time, done the same way? To quote a famous bodybuilder and actor," If you do what you've always done you'll get what you've always got", I'll let you try and figure out who said that. So the next time you have to train, try to improve in small steps maybe a little more weight on the bench press, say 5 lbs. Maybe try a different type of cardio or run on the treadmill for a little longer, say 3 minutes. These small steps will ultimately help you achieve your fitness goals faster than plugging away day after day never improving. Don't get discouraged if you can't improve every time. Remember, little steps.

One of my favorite methods for my training log takes a little longer to run its course but ultimately leads to excellent improvement. Try a heavier weight but for fewer repetitions, for example if I pressed 60 pounds for 12 last week, the following week I would do 65 for 10. Continuing with this pattern I would work down to 6 reps for 75 pounds. All this is recorded in my weight-training log. Now start at the beginning again but this time try 65 pounds for 12 reps; if you can do more than one set go ahead, but try a least one set.

Ultimately the idea behind a weight-training log is to be able to monitor your progress from workout to workout, improving a little with each session. Psychology has proven that positive reinforcement helps to improve your work ethic. One of the best things that arise from keeping a weight-training log is the ability to chart your progress. Even sea captains use maps and you wouldn't drive somewhere you haven't been without a map. So by keeping a weight-training log you should be able to see your progress. Watching your self improve in the mirror is often too slow; having it in front of you in black and white is undeniable proof of your progress, boosting your confidence and self-esteem.

Not every workout is going to be exciting. Life's not always a party and getting back into shape can be drudgery. Sometimes the days seem to run into each other and working out is the last thing you want to do. By maintaining a weight-training log of all your workouts it's easy to see if you are doing the same exercises time after time. If your workouts have become stale quickly review your weight-training log and see if there are patterns. If the same movements pop up week after week try changing things up. Ask your trainer about different training modalities or methods and you interest should perk back up. "I remember what I did last week", you say. Well sometimes the mind will play tricks and you'll forget what you did not than long ago. Countless times I've looked in my weight training log and said" I did that much last time?" Or "Wow, I haven't done this exercise in months". As a bonus to doing this your body has to keep adapting to new stresses which will help achieve those fitness goals faster, but that's a different column altogether.

Working part time at a gym I get exposed to a lot of people's habits as far as training and fitness. Some good and some bad, however the habit I like to see the most of is asking questions. Just the other day, I was approached twice by the same person with questions pertaining to properly performing the exercises on their program sheet. That's what the staff at the gym is there for so don't ever be afraid to ask. But if you have a plan a lot of the guess work is taken out of your workouts. Make little notes to yourself in your weight training log if need to remind yourself of how to do a particular exercise or what machine to use. Even write down how you felt on that day and why, lack of sleep, didn't eat well etc. Perhaps you have an injury, be sure to write this down as it will surely affect all or part of your routine. Knowing this will be useful later when you wonder why that workout was so much lighter than the previous ones. Write down when you felt strong and why this was. With this information it should be easier to duplicate the good days and avoid the bad.

Hopefully you'll be able to use all or part of this article to help achieve your fitness goals. Never stop trying to improve no matter discouraged you get. Remember little steps in your weight training log and you too can look your best. It's all just a matter of time and effort.

By Ray Burton and Rick Northrop

Lifting for the Love of It!

Over the last couple of years I have taken a number of layoffs, for a variety of different reasons. Many times I wonder why I lift at all. The prevailing belief is that lifting must be one's top priority if one is to be the best at it. That may be true and that is one of the biggest problems I have had. Lifting is not my top priority, it is more like fourth after God, family, and work. Actually work is only ahead of lifting because I need it to support my family, otherwise it would be further down the list. So given the fact that lifting is not everything to me, why do I do it?

I guess what makes this a complicating situation is that I love lifting. I love competing against myself and others in everything. That's why I have done so many different kinds of competitions. I have done 3 strongman contests, 2 highland games, and numerous powerlifting contests.

A perfect illustration of this competitive nature of mine was the exhibition that Bill Kazmaier put on in Spokane, Washington in July 2001. I hadn't been lifting for a couple of months and didn't plan on doing it anytime soon. But I heard about Kazmaier doing a show in the park and I thought it would be cool to watch him. When I got there, I met him and he invited me to do some dumbbell presses with him. When my turn came, I pressed the 100's 14 times overhead. I had done more than that in the past, and so instead of being thrilled about lifting with Kazmaier, I was mad at myself for not preparing better (even though I had not planned on being there). I also felt that I could do much better and I was just chomping at the bit to try something else and redeem myself.

A little bit later Bill brought out an 11/16" steel bar and asked if anyone wanted to try to bend it. I jumped at it and did it without a problem. When Kazmaier brought out a ¾" bar and said that nobody had bent that size of bar before, I wanted to try it. Not because nobody had bent it before, or because so many people were watching, but because my adrenalin was pumping and I felt like I could do anything at that moment. I didn't care if I failed. I would have tried it alone in my garage. That is what I am talking about. It wasn't about winning an award or having a place in history. It was about being the best on that day and conquering the challenge before me. By the way, I did bend the bar.

I am 6'3" and my weight varies between 295 and 335, so it's not surprising that I might do well at the activities listed above. Now get this. I like to play basketball and I like to play it well. I don't post up or play underneath the basket like everyone expects me to. I won't accept the idea that someone my size is slow and can't jump. I like to drive to the hoop, taking people off the dribble. I like to shoot 3-pointers and pass the ball. Just like everything else, I want to excel all the time. When I play basketball I get frustrated with myself for allowing myself to get so heavy and out of shape. You see, playing basketball and lifting in the Super heavyweight class do not go hand in hand. Why don't I give up one and work on the other? Because I love them both!

So to clarify myself to anyone who hasn't yet figured out what I am talking about, I want to know why I can't have it all. I don't want to be limited by other people. Maybe I can't be the strongest man in the world without becoming obsessed with that goal. But since when is obsession a good thing? Last year I took 10 weeks and worked out with a well-known lifter. I wanted to see how the best train, and what sets them apart from the rest of us. We lifted 3 days a week for 2+ hours per workout. This lifter was in constant pain and talked of the day when he could retire from competitive lifting. Needless to say, I was surprised. I did get stronger in those 10 weeks than I had ever been, but I quit after that. It wasn't that the workouts were too hard for me. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed them and the opportunity they provided me to compete against a top lifter. What I didn't like was missing time with my family. At first I was excited and thought about lifting all the time and what great heights I would reach. After a while I was tired of focusing on only one thing at the expense of everything else. I am not writing this to point fingers at those whose priorities are different than mine, but rather to encourage those lifters who feel like I do. I know now that I do not want success in powerlifting at the expense of everything else, but I am not going to quit. I am going to lift the way that I want to lift. The way that will make me happy. I want to use the act of lifting weights to benefit me rather than becoming a slave to that act.

How many times have lifters been told that if you don't do something, you won't succeed? If you don't use steroids, or buy this equipment, you won't be the best. If you don't do a certain exercise you will not be a truly strong person. If you don't train like a madman you'll never make it. Well, I know one thing for sure. I am going to do it my way from now on. I will weigh whatever I feel like weighing no matter how it affects my strength. I will not give up family activities or other important things in my life so I can win a contest or make it on the top 100 list.

Don't get me wrong. I want to be strong and I love to win. But true happiness comes from a well-rounded life. Family, friends, success in all areas instead of one. This may not sound appealing to everyone, but to those who feel like I do, don't let others limit the way you do things. You don't have to sacrifice everything to lift. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

I hope that this benefits somebody, but either way, I know I will be happier lifting this way than I was before.

By Aaron Anderton

The Anabolic Evolution of Modern Bodybuilding

Since the early days of physical culture, modern man has been searching for the elusive ''Fountain of Youth''. The promise of radiant health, enduring strength and a Herculean physique has drawn millions on this quest for physical perfection.

Through the early decades of bodybuilding, the forefathers of physical culture established basic guidelines for the muscle enthusiast to follow. Natural foods, resistance training, plenty of rest, and a positive outlook in life were the primary ingredients for achieving ones goals. The demand for knowledge on 'how to' reach the stars would result in millions of booklets being sold by mail order, while magazine stands and bookshelves were continually restocked with the latest 'muscle building secrets'. Tons of steel and exercise equipment would find its way into the homes of thousands of Americans all across our nation. Health clubs and iron gyms would sprout up in local neighborhoods and towns, while physique competitions were held to determine whom the best in the land was. The strong roots of physical culture were taking grip in our society, and the mighty oak of bodybuilding would soon branch out through every city in America.

A new 'way of life' became a reality for many as the 'body beautiful' movement swung into high gear. For decades the much traveled road to muscledom kept its promise, then by the mid-60's what seemed pure and natural took a wrong turn setting the course of modern bodybuilding down a dead end. The introduction of anabolic steroids into the sport of bodybuilding would usher in a new era of super sized and equally strong muscular physiques that would attract millions of young men with a desire to achieve the same naturally unattainable goals.

Along with the growth of the sport, the physiques continued to become bigger and more vascular as bodybuilders experimented with 'stacking' the latest in designer muscle enhancing pharmaceuticals. Magazine and ticket sales were at a peak and bodybuilding competitions were seen regularly on network TV. The popularity of the sport was soaring high. Then, what could have been mostly prevented by not promoting and rewarding individuals whose physiques were chemically altered became a reality as the widespread use of drugs in the sport became relevant.

Words such as steroids, cycling, and growth hormones became common place in our gyms, and juicing no longer meant enjoying your favorite health drink. Reports of bodybuilders on dialysis and with heart ailments became a frequent occurrence while the eventual death of several competitive pros hit home hard. What had been a dark cloud in a sport with such great potential turned into a storm that spread its vast shadow on a culture that once shined.

Organizations dedicated to natural bodybuilding and a healthy lifestyle would soon respond to the call for a return to the ideals set forth by the forefathers of physical culture. Physique promoters throughout the land created natural bodybuilding competitions so athletes could compete on a level playing field without running the risk of ruining their health. Publications featuring natural bodybuilders began to spread the gospel of healthy living through proper nutrition and exercise. The televised media developed new bodybuilding and fitness programs to inspire future generations of natural iron pumpers. And as the age of cyber space came upon us, the Internet became a resource of concepts and opinions for bodybuilders to learn and express their views with other physique artist throughout the World. The new millennium is here and those dedicated to physical culture have begun to prevail as the radiant beacon of light from the torch of natural living begins to shine through the storm.

By Mario Strong

Machines VS. Free Weights II

Machines are bad, there I said it again. How many of us join health clubs or purchase expensive home exercise equipment under the notion that the machine will protect our back, make the exercise easier or guarantee your results quicker. In sports and life for that matter if you are sitting on your butt or laying flat on your back you lost! , so why do we insist on exercising that way. We spend way too much of our existence sedentary, sitting, driving, typing, talking etc..

Has anyone noticed that the commonality of back problems from doing nothing (a traumatic), joint replacements and other injuries of non-traumatic origins continue to escalate?. Did anyone ever put two and two together and realize that maybe the way we have and are exercising is precipitating the problem. My last article went into some specifics on the traumatic forces that the joints experience using common machines. Research continues to emerge validating that most machines place the body and joints in such horrible positions that injury is inevitable.

So what is a health conscious exerciser to do, well, life moves so we better learn to exercise that way. Try performing your current exercise routine standing. That's right, chest presses, shoulder presses, arm exercises, rows all performed standing. This will enable you to engage all of your 'core' muscles, work on balance and lower extremity joint stability.

When was the last time you performed a standing squat, on one leg, on a ball or foam disk? What if you tried training the whole workout using an adjustable cable machine, standing?. Wait, I said machine, yes some machines or good. There are a few pieces out there that I like. If it has an adjustable cable or articulating arms, that we like. Why, simple it forces you to stand and that engages almost all of the core muscles, and as I've stated if you are standing you are using many more muscles than if your were sitting down. Machines that do not force you to remain in a set joint position and allow you to move as biomechanics dictate will by default give you a better and safer workout.

Lunges are one of the best exercises to do, anyone can argue for or against this, but combined with proper hip and leg stability / flexibility they are among the best. Try combining with shoulder presses, abduction, scaptions. You can also combine with bicep curls, torso rotations, stabilization movements, as you can tell the combinations are almost endless.

Dumbbells, almost beyond the scope of this article the amount of exercises you can perform. A ball, BOSU tm, floor and an adjustable bench is all you need.

Bands, yes almost as good as cables, they travel better and the exercises are almost endless. One word on bands, they are easier in the beginning and harder at the end of the movement. This changes the firing of the muscle slightly but they are still an excellent adjunct for fitness, and yes they force you to stand while using them.

What about the floor, generally there is very little floor space in a gym, got to fill it with machines. For the last few years the popularity of Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi and other movement techniques have become popular. Thanks to the baby boomers looking for alternatives for fitness these regimens have become mainstream. They all require a balance of breathing, flexibility, strength, postural awareness and muscular endurance. The message with these techniques is performed by themselves they are good, add strength training and aerobic conditioning and the package is complete.

Does this mean never train on a machine, absolutely not, many still provide a good isolation workout and for some with medical conditions machines allow a degree of safety. My point is that so many of us have spent so much time training wrong and placing our bodies in bad positions that we need to spend much of our time correcting the imbalances and injury that are already there. I tell a lot of my clients that people do not feel there arteries clogging but they sure know when the crushing chest pain starts. We spend much of our lives denying that injuries, both musculoskeletal and internal, will never happen to us, yet we consistently do things to encourage that damage to occur. Let's change how we think and exercise or you may end up laying flat on you back.

Bryan Fass, BA, ATCL, CSCS, NREMT-P

Get Rid of Cellulite, Once and For All!

Get Fit At Home With Ailsa : Get Rid of Cellulite

Had it up to here with Cellulite? Want to get rid of it forever, and make your body all lovely and sleek? Yeah, me too, so I when one of my old 'Gym Boys' showed me this Exercise years ago, I started doing it al the time, and changed it up a bit to make it work more effectively for me. This is a great Exercise for Women, but I know for a fact that 'manly men' do it, too! ha,ha! (Oh, and in case you are thinking something 'innaccurate' about the 'Gym Boy' thing, that's just what I used to call all the guys at the gym where I used to work out a lot -- it's a term of endearment, but in no way a reference to anyone I went out with -- I either call those guys "that crazy old jerk" or "one of my great old friends"...usually one or the other -- sometimes both! ha,ha!)

Get rid of Cellulite once and for all with this very easy and incredibly inexpensive Exercise. It takes about 20 minutes, or so, depending on how many Reps you do (repetitions -- 'Reps' in Weight Lifting Language...). Pop into www.buildyourownhouse.ca to see pictures of me doing these 'Anti-Cellulite' Exercises!

Here's what you need -- something you can lay down on that will allow you to have good Leg Extension when you are laying on your Stomach. I used to use my Giant Exercise Ball, then it dawned on me that I could easily use the fancy wee Bench at the end of my Bed as an Exercise Bench. Softer and nicer, and not nearly as expensive and hard to find. I've seen these wee Benches for under $50.00 at WalMart -- one of my favorite Stores! You can pick up a Set of Free Weights while you're there, too.

I use a 10 Pound Weight to Start, but if this is brand new for you, start with a 5 Pound Weight. As you get used to the Weight, you can increase it up to about 35 Pounds. You probably don't want to go much higher than that...

Oh, and you will notice when you are doing these Exercises that your legs will seem Longer and Leaner, too. That's because these Exercises can straighten out any 'Bow Legs' that you might have, and you will build some nice Lean Muscle in your Legs. Sounds good, huh??

Step One: Pull the Bench into the Middle of the room, so you have lots of space. Put on some great Music -- I love The Black Eyed Peas, Gwen Stefani and 'Drop it Like It's Hot' by Snoop Dogg, but put on whatever makes you want to move...

Step Two: Set the Weight on it's End, so you can grasp it between your feet. If you are lucky enough to have someone help you with this, have them 'Place the Weight' in the Arch bit of your feet. Then tell them to get their hands off yer legs, you're trying to exercise ovah' here...! ha,ha! It's pretty easy to maneuver the Weight if it's 10 Pounds or less, but you really do need someone to help you when the Weight is over 25 pounds.

Step Three: You should be nice and comfortable laying on your stomach, by now, and up on your elbows. I'm only looking up for the picture, but normally you just look down or at your Dog (or other cute Pet), if they have found you while you're exercising! If you click to Enlarge the lower picture on the Right -- you'll see Tia coming over for a wee cuddle while I'm exercising!

Step Four: Slowly Raise and Lower the Weight, using a Full Extension. Let your feet go toward your Behind, then right back down almost to the floor. It's a good stretch, and great for developing nice Lean Muscles. I would Start with 3 Sets of 10 Repetitions. When you are finding that too easy, increase it to 3 Sets of 20 Reps. I like to do 2 Sets of 50 Reps, but that's because I've been doing these Exercises for a long time.

To add extra weight, I wear the 'wrap around' Ankle Weights to make the Weight a little Heavier. As you increase the amount of Weight you use, you might want to wrap your Ankles with an extra Sock -- men's socks work well because they are bigger and will tuck in around your ankle.

I'm wearing Running Shoes in the pictures on my Site, but generally I like to just wear Socks -- I find it easier to feel the weight between my feet. When you are using Weights that are 25 pounds or more, though, you have to wear Running Shoes or you could get hurt.

Oh, and very slowly lower the Weight to the floor when you are done, so you don't drop the Weight on the floor. That won't work out well! You can set it down on it's End, then it will lightly go on the floor from there. You might want to put a Towel under the weight if you are afraid of anything happening to the floor!

In between Sets, pick up a couple of 3 or 5 Pound Weights, and do a 'Butterfly Move' to work on your Arms in the same work-out. Put the Weights in front of your waist, raise them up in a big sweeping motion over your head, then slowly back down. Just do 10 reps in between each Set of the Anti-Cellulite Exercises, and you'll be in great shape in no time at all!

See ya', stooopid cellulite! Be gone, and don't be back!!

By Ailsa Forshaw

Whats Your Body Type?

Yep, there are more than ones body types. I'm sure you've noticed it too. The ones who, even if they eat whatever they want, never gain a pound, and others who exercise like there's no tomorrow and STILL manage to gain weight. Well that's a key thing when it comes to training your body. You have to train for your body type, or else your actions may not be doing anything good! There are 2 bodytypes: ectomorphic, mesomorphic & endomorphic. To find out what type of body you have, think back to your teen years and try to remember what your body looked like before age began rearing it's ugly head. So let's get to each body type shall we?!

The Ectomorph

The ectomorph is usually very thin. This person has a hard time gaining weight of any kind. So it takes longer for them and takes much more work to gain muscle. Most people with this body types are models or endurance athletes and such.

So what does an Ectomorph have to do to gain weight? Well the first thing is he has to start eating more calories. Not by eating larger meals, but by eating lots ( around 6 ) of smaller meals throughout the day. Look at the foods your eating now and add to them or seek foods wich have a higher number of calories.

Exercise wise, the Ectoporph needs to limit his activities outside of weight lifting. If your looking to build muscle, almost all your energy needs to be focused on weight lifting. Since you burn energy faster than others, using that energy for other activities will mean less for your muscles to grow. Use a low number of reps and heavy weights. You'll probaly need to rest more too, Maybe every 48 hours. You should also be concentrating on doing compound exercises, like bench presses, deadlifts, exercises that target the most muscles at once.

The Mesomorph

These are what I'd call the "normal" physique. They're average in weight and have the ability to either easily gain weight or loose it. They can mostly eat whatever they want without it affecting their appearance.

They should try and eat a healthy, balanced diet. But they should train regularly if they want to keep their physique. If they're not carefull, they might gain unwanted fat. They should do weight training 2-3 times a week and aerobics either daily or on their off days, when they don't weight train.

Mesomorphs are lucky, they have alot of freedom as to what they can get away with. But they should still be carefull.

The Endomorph

These people are rounder and "soft". They have a hard time loosing weight but can gain muscle pretty easily. Diet and exercise are the 2 most important thing for this body type.

The first thing they should do is eat smaller meals, 6 times a day. By spacing your meals by 2-3 hours each, what you do is you speed up your metabolism. But never eat 2 carbohydrate snacks back to back, since this promotes the accumulation of fat. Because your body will become accustomed to carbohydrates and use them to burn energy, when your goal is to make it use up fat. One important part of your diet is to eat the major part of yoru calories, especially carbohydrates, in the morning and then eat your proteins during the rest of the day, that way, your body burns off the calories and keeps the proteins to build your muscles. A good rule is to decide when you'll go to sleep and then count back 3-4 hours. This should be the time of your last meal. You do this to limit you intake of calories so you don't gain fat. And also, drink water, and lots of it! You body will need it to get rid of the byproducts and waste toxins from the change your making. Your diet should have alot of fruits & whole grain. Eat foods you love though, or you'll then be tempted to eat junk and thus making your efforts pretty useless. BE STRONG!!

Exercising is an important part of the plan. Endomorphs should start by incorporating some aerobics to their daily routine. Gradually step it up until you do at least 30 mins of aerobics 5-7 days a week. Yeah, that's alot, but that's a sacrifice your going to have to make if you want to look good. After that, the next step is to add some weight training to your routine. 2-3 days a week every 2 days should be enough. Start by doing the major compound exercises, like those suggested fro ectomorphs. You can add isolation exercises to tone parts of your body that you desire though. The aerobics will burn the calories and the weight training wil add the muscle and toning to your body.

So you see, what works for your buddy, might not necessarily work for you. So know what type of body you have and workout accordingly.

How to Build a Bigger and Better Chest

Creating a larger more powerful chest is difficult but if you follow this easy workout you'll see results in no time.

Each of the chest exercises listed should be done with proper form to not only avoid injury, but the better your form is, the better results you will get. Please also note that even though these are only a few chest exercises, these are the most effective. You may or may not want to do every one of these chest exercises in your chest workout routine.

Flat Bench Press - This exercise works the whole chest area. 5 sets, 6-10 reps per set at 70% of your 1 rep max

Incline Bench Press - This exercise works the upper chest area. 4 sets, 6-10 reps per set at 65% of your 1 rep max

Decline Bench Press - This exercise works the lower chest area 4 sets, 6-10 reps per set at 75% of your 1 rep max

Dumbell Flyes - This exercise works the entire chest area, focusing mainly on the inner chest.

5 sets, 8-10 reps per set at 75% of your 1 rep max

If your looking to build muscle and gain mass and size, stick to free weight exercises like the ones listed here. More important than the amount of weight being used is proper form. It is recommended that you have a spotter available when lifting.

You can easily find a workout partner in your area at http://www.daterade.com

About The Author

By Todd Amato

How to Lose the Most Fat and Build the Most Muscle in 30 Days

A lot can happen in 30 days.

The dream of everyone who trains is to lose maximum fat and build maximum muscle in the shortest period of time possible. While it is definitely possible to both lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, in my experience, the best results come from concentrating on one major goal at a time.

Let me put it this way: to lose fat, you need a caloric deficit. To build muscle, you need a caloric surplus. If you try to do both at the same time, you may just remain exactly where you are!

So the question before us is - how do we maximize both fat loss and muscle gain, two very much opposing goals, in only 30 days?

It's simple, we focus on both goals in the same program but not at the exact same time!

By alternating rapidly back and forth between reduced-calorie fat loss training and higher-calorie mass-oriented training, you can not only accomplish both goals at the same time, you can actually use the two opposing goals to feed on each other and send your results through the roof!

To illustrate my point, remember how quickly you gain weight when coming off a strict diet? Remember how quickly you lose weight when you start to diet and you haven't been careful about what you've been eating? That's your body rapidly adapting to a stress. One of the most powerful features of this switching back and forth is in the change itself - your body changes far quicker when you give it a powerful reason.

What is the result of this switching back and forth? Extremely rapid fat loss and extremely rapid muscle gain.

To maximize the effects of this switching, you must tailor your training, diet and supplementation towards your specific goal during that particular time. Proper manipulation of these factors will greatly enhance the body's hormonal response to this program, which is the real key to maximizing your results.

For five days, we will target everything about your training and nutrition towards fat loss.

You will reduce your caloric intake below maintenance levels to promote fat burning.

You will reduce the rest periods between sets in your weight training to increase the intensity of the workload and boost the metabolism.

You will increase your training volume, performing more sets for each bodypart.

You will not push your body to muscular failure , pushing to failure can be too stressful to the muscles when on a reduced-calorie diet. Stop one rep short of this point.

You will include cardio training, preferably High Intensity Interval Training for best results, to burn calories and further boost your metabolism.

You will NOT take creatine during this time (I'll explain why below).

It is best to follow a low-carb diet during this time for maximum effectiveness. Eating this way will be especially powerful when you switch to the next phase of the program.

After five days, your metabolism will be just starting to get used to the training and nutritional program you're following. Now we'll throw it a curveball and change everything!

For the next five days, you will be focusing your training, nutrition and supplementation completely on muscle building.

You will increase your caloric and protein intake to promote gains in muscle mass.

You will increase your rest periods in between sets to allow for more recovery and increased strength in your sets.

You will decrease your training volume, doing fewer sets but with greater intensity. This is the time to really push your muscles to the edge! You're feeding them now, so don't be shy about training them hard.

You will eliminate all cardio training in order to maximize muscle gain. Cardio training can burn calories that should be used for the muscle building process.

You will load creatine for the first three days of the muscle-gain phase. This will take advantage of and greatly enhance the flood of water and nutrients into the muscles.

You will NOT follow a low-carb diet during this time. We want lots of carbs to provide energy and promote insulin release (the body's primary storage hormone). This insulin release will help shuttle protein and other nutrients into the muscles to help with building.

The body's hormonal response to this huge change in training, nutrition and supplementation is tremendous. Sensing a feast after a famine, it will greedily take in all the nutrients it can and store them in the form of glycogen (for carbs), muscle mass (for protein) and fat (to some extent). Since you will only be doing this phase for 5 days, however, fat gains will be minimal so don't be shy to eat!

It is important to note that you should eat a lot but you should eat clean , loading up on junk food will not give you the best results. You've got to provide your body with quality materials to rebuild with or you may not gain as much muscle and you may add too much fat.

After five days of this training, your metabolism will be cranking along, happily building muscle. Now we'll pull the rug out and go right back into fat-loss training for five days. Since your body is used to getting more food and your metabolism is still moving fast, switching to fat-loss training at this time will immediately result in your body burning far more fat than if you were using a conventional fat loss program.

In 30 days, you will complete three rounds of this rapid-adaptation training. As you will soon experience, this switching back and forth between a short, targeted fat loss program and a short, targeted muscle-building program can have a tremendous and rapid impact on bodyfat and muscle mass levels.

What does this mean for you? It means you can lose fat faster and gain muscle faster, taking FULL advantage of your body's natural reaction and rapid adaptation to massive change.

Think this program sounds good? You ain't seen nothing yet...

This particular program is just a taste of what you'll find in the full All-Star Trainers eBook from AtoZFitness. In addition to a detailed explanation of how to perform my program, including a day-by-day guide and set-by-set workouts to follow, you'll also get the rapid fat-loss and muscle-building secrets of 11 of the most knowledgeable and respected trainers in the world, including Tom Venuto, Pete Sisco, David Grisaffi, Jeremy Markum, Phil Campbell, Christopher V. Guerriero and many others!

The next 30 days are going to pass by whether you get this information or not. You could stick to your conventional programs and get slow (if any) results. How would you like to make these next 30 days the most productive of your entire training career?!

To learn more about what the All-Star Trainers eBook can do for you please visit www.allstarsecrets.com

All the best,

By Nick Nilsson

Why You Do Not have Killer Abs or that 6 Pack Abdominal Muscle

Ask any woman what is the most attractive part of a male body and most of the time, they will tell you it's the six pack abs, meaning that your abdominal muscle showing up with beautiful definition. Your abs is considered by many as a sexy muscle and is a symbol of a fit and healthy man. Women are instinctively drawn towards a man brimming with health and fitness because it is a primitive indication that the man is strong enough to protect her and her brood. A rippling six pack abs is one such indication. So is it any wonder that in every gym, you will see men of all ages doing crunches, leg raisers and sit ups religiously in the hope of obtaining the much coveted killer abs? Unfortunately, most men will never get to see their abdominal muscle in its glorious splendor. Why? The following fitness tip will show you why.
You may not like what I am going to give to you straight in the face here. But I will give it to you anyway. So here it goes. Listen up carefully. You may do a zillion crunches a day, then another another million leg raisers , but as long as there is a layer of fat covering your tummy, you will never see your abs because it is covered by the blubber of fat. In fact, your waistline will become bigger because you are adding muscles underneath those fats! So instead of having a slim waistline and showing off your abs, you will have a bigger waistline and thicker love handles. Now get this straight. There is no such thing as spot reduction! Once the fats are off, your abs will show. That I promise you. It is just that simple to display your abs. Lose fats! That's all.
Late night TV commercials or magazines has been telling you that you can have well defined abs by using this gadget or that electronic gizmo. Do you really believe that it is that simple? If it is so, then everyone will have that six pack abs in no time, won't they? Then why isn't that so? Because it just doesn't work that way.
To lose fat effectively and permanently for your abdominal muscles to show, you must include a mildly deficit calorie restriction diet, frequent cardio workouts and strength training with weights to build muscle so as to raise your metabolism in order to lose weight and burn fat naturally. Your weight loss goals will not be achieved effectively or permanently if any one of these three elements is done wrongly or not even incorporated in your slimming program. I repeat the three elements again :-
A mildly caloric deficit diet - A mildly caloric deficit diet to help you lose weight.
Frequent cardio workouts - Frequent cardio workout to exercise your heart and lungs and burn fat at the same time.
Weight Lifting to build muscles - Build muscles to burn fat permanently as muscles use up more calories from your food for energy. Lifting weights will also give you a well toned body and help your abs to show.
Forget about any fad diets or popping slimming pills . These may work initially but in the long run, they are bound to fail.
Now supposing that you are successful in your lose weight lose fat program and have very little fat covering your torso but yet you do not have well defined abs....what happened? You are doing your exercises wrongly or in poor form. More about exercise techniques and form in future articles.
by Chris Chew

Muscle Building Workouts and Tips: Dos and Donts

Packing on Muscle mass involves a lot of dedication and care. At times, trying too hard can have its negative effects too. Right guidance and proper techniques make the perfect recipe to MUSCLE BUILDING. Muscle Building is no joke, but at the same time, very much possible. The bottomline is to workout in the right direction and not to harm your body. Here are some Do's and Dont's for Muscle Building.

Muscle Building Tips: Do's and Dont's

1) Popping a pill to reach your health and fitness goal is not the answer! Results are temporary and effects the body adversely in the long run.

2) Remove the tag " Short cut" from your workout schedule. There is no such thing as quick-fix. Dedication and hardwork hold the key for MUSCLE BUILDING.

3) Dietary Supplements can be helpful in achieving your goals. Supplementation is designed to supplement your healthy eating and exercise habits.

4) Dont go in for any supplement you come across. Before taking a supplement, consult your trained or a physician. Always buy supplements from a reputed DRUGSTORE. Do your research before taking in a supplement.

5) Supplements shouldnt be misunderstood as steroids. Steroids should be a BIG NO. Gather more knowledge on supplements at http://www.weightloss-health.com/Supplements.htm


By Jasdeep

Four Powerful Tricks for Successful Lucid Dreaming

By definition, Lucid Dreaming means "conscious awareness during the dream state." But how can this be? Every book I've ever read on dreaming has described the dream state as being an entry into the unconscious, so how can you possibly be conscious during dreaming, and be able to enter your dreams. It's an interesting theory, and I've discovered some very positive information that will help you in your Lucid dreaming attempts.

Can you be Conscious while Accessing the Subconscious?

According to Charles McPhee in his book "Stop Sleeping Through your Dreams," the answer to the question on consciousness during sleep is a resounding NO! "Our ability for consciousness-our ability to achieve reflectivity in our minds-is specifically denied us during dream sleep. Single-mindedness is a quality that defines dream experience." If you had the ability to reflect in a dream, you would recognize instantly that you were dreaming, and wake-up, and this is why it becomes difficult to judge and evaluate our dream experience.

An important event occurs with our muscle system with the onset of dream sleep. The main motor neurons of the body are inhibited, which prevents us from "physically" acting out dreams - you wouldn't want to actually leap out of bed and start flying around the house; this would create chaos everywhere at night and you would wake up exhausted. Unfortunately, after the motor neurons are shut down, so is the ability for consciousness during dream sleep.

100 Minutes a Night for Lucid Dreaming

When we first awaken from dream sleep, we will have a good chance of recalling our dreams, whereas if awakened from any other stage, we will not even remember dreaming. We enter various stages of sleep during 90-minute cycles all through the night (you can test this by checking the clock before you go to sleep at night, and again when you awaken during the middle of the night.) This means that if you sleep for six hours a night, you will have four "dream cycles" which you can access for information or fun (most people dream an average of 100 minutes a night). In the book "Directed Dreaming," you discover how to ask the proper questions of your dreams in order to receive problem solving information and direction for your life; now you can go one step further and discover how to step into random dreams to find out what clues they are trying to give you.

Trick # 1 - The First Step

The first step to becoming lucid during dreaming is to start trying to recall the previous nights dreams. This takes practice, but it can be accomplished. You will soon find out that if you work backward from the dream, it is easier to piece it together. This is easiest to do, of course, right after you wake up. If a dream is not written down, or recalled quickly, it will be lost forever. When you achieve the ability for lucid dreaming, you will find out that these dreams are recalled easier and do not vanish as quickly; that's where the fun in lucid dreaming comes from! What good is it if you are able to jump into your dreams and "play," then not remember anything about the experience. Remembering your lucid dreams can give you a calming feeling and something to smile about during the day. Soon, you will become aware of what you want to find out in your dreams, and you can tell yourself that the next time you have the dream where you are flying, you will remember that you are dreaming and want to participate in that adventure.

Trick #2 - The Best Time to Become Lucid

One important thing to remember about our dream cycles is that during the night, the time spent dreaming grows progressively longer with each cycle. This means that the longest stretch of dreamtime occurs just before awakening. This is the time you should concentrate on trying to become lucid. You should have tracked your dream cycles (as explained above), and determined approximately when you will reach the 4th cycle, then, when you awaken after the 3rd cycle, you can consciously tell yourself that next time you see or hear something, you will be dreaming, and you would like to be aware of this dream and enter into it.

Trick #3 - Not Sleeping!

It has been found that if you do not get enough sleep, and haven't had time to dream, your body will compensate by dreaming more! It is almost as if it's essential for us to have dream experiences. Therefore, if you are having a hard time becoming lucid in your dreams, you might want to try staying up later for a few nights, and then you will have more dream cycles as you try to "catch-up." When you have these extra dream cycles in the catch-up phase, it's a great opportunity to practice your lucid dreaming, as your cycles will be long, intense, and deep. It is more difficult to wake yourself out of sleep when the body is very tired, making this an excellent opportunity for lucidity!

Trick #4 - Associations

After you have become accustomed to writing down your dreams, it's time to pick out a few common things in the dream that will remind you that you are dreaming. For example, if you commonly dream that you are driving various kinds of sports cars, the thing to tell yourself when you are awake is that the next time you are driving a fancy car you will be dreaming. That way, you create the association in your mind to trigger the unconscious to recognize that as a dream, and help you participate. If you commonly dream of flying, that's also a good clue that you are dreaming, and if you consciously make a note of it, the next time you find yourself flying, you will wonder what you were supposed to remember about flying. If luck is on your side, this association will trigger your thinking that if you're flying, you must be dreaming, and with that instant thought, you will be able to start your adventure into that dream.

The first few times you attempt to do this, the awareness that you are dreaming may wake you up! This is because your consciousness has been activated, and in order to keep dreaming you need to stay in the subconscious. It takes practice to make the acceptance that you are dreaming into a passing thought, and just go with the flow. If you think about it too much, you will wake up (and, of course, will need to try it all over again). Again, according to McPhee, "Whatever you choose as a clue to identify your dreams, the association will carry over to your dreams. As you keep a dream journal and familiarize yourself with the content of your dreams, you can experiment with clues. Before long, the next time you take off in flight or are pursued by some familiar tormentor, there is an exceptionally good chance that you will have the associated thought, "Oh! I must be dreaming." And with this awareness, you will have successfully identified the dreamscape.

What do You Want to Find Out

After you have successfully entered your dreams, the next step is to find out what you want to accomplish by being there. Do you want to make your lucid dream into a fantasy where you physically fight off attackers, or do you want to be the fastest runner in the world and successfully outrun anything that comes after you, or would you rather have fantasies of a sexual nature? This fantasy type of lucid dreaming is fine, but what purpose does it serve? It does not help us resolve anything in real life; but it can be a good stress-reliever. A better way to work with lucid dreaming is to try to get some insight into why the conflict is occurring. If you were to stop those people who are chasing you in your dreams and talk to them, what would they say? Could they reveal to you why you are running and open up the opportunity to explore unconscious fears in real life? Since the unconscious is probably trying to tell you something, it would be best to find out what it is, so you can act on it when you wake up, and resolve these difficult situations. The more you practice, the closer you will get to resolving your issues -- and then you can go back to fantasy dreaming (my guess is that that's probably what you want to do anyway), but since you are taking your time to practice becoming lucid, you might as well make it work to your advantage every now and then.

Technology Can Help As technology advances, so does the opportunity to get help with your Lucidity. There are now high-tech devices that you can use to induce lucid dreams. Most of them can be found in New Age bookstores, or you can go to the library and find mail order catalogs that carry these devices. You can now find popular devices such as eyeshades that detect rapid eye movement and blink a red diode when you start to sleep. This red light is incorporated into the dream, and reminds the dreamer to clue in that he or she is dreaming. If you want to see more Hi-Tech devices, visit: www.reawakener.com/Lucid_Dreaming.htm

Lucid Dreaming - a Gift for Certain People?

It was once thought that lucid dreaming was a gift given only to certain people, much like true Psychics have; but this is not the case. Anyone can learn lucid dreaming; it just takes practice and time. According to Charles McPhee, you must spend the time to identify when your sleep cycles are, and when your dream cycles come. Then, as you become more aware of your sleep cycles, you can prepare mentally for those times. "When you awaken early in the morning, before you roll over and close your eyes for another cycle, be confident that your dreams are on their way. In the early morning hours, you stand on the brink of thirty to forty-minute blocks of nonstop dreamscape action. The trick, of course, is to recognize the dreamscape." (103).


By Evelyn Grazini

Body Building Mind Games: Dont Let Your Weight Determine Your Mood!

Is the 'I Feel Fat Day' (IFFD) syndrome affecting your output? That extra flab can overpower you and your work. Thee feeling of being fat can morph into an emotion like 'happy' or 'angry'. Days overpowered with that feeling have been designated as 'I Feel Fat Day' (IFFD). So don't let your weight determine your mood.

How many times have you heard your colleague quipping, "I feel fat" or "It's a fat day feeling?" Can't fit into your favorite pair of jeans? How about a snide comment from a relative or colleague? That's all it takes to turn an ordinary Monday or Tuesday into IFFD(I Feel Fat Day).

Perhaps just like the national celebrations, 'fat' is important enough to get a day named in its honour and it doesn't just come one a year! Carrying extra pounds is necessary but not exclusive prerequisite to an IFFD. To have an IFFD, one must also carry an element of shame. A good IFFD is not complete without tears, self loathing and a frantic scramble for concealing clothes.

So, how to keep away 'fat' from becoming an emotion? Simple semantics: fat is fat. Don't confuse it with the emotions so often attached to it, and recognize that shame and self-loathing are useless distractions. Neither of them will help you get closer to your goal. The way out is simple: instead of wasting time and psychic energy on IFFDs, we could use those special resources for the job at hand.

Here's the ultimate plan for coping with an IFFD:

. Make your very next meal a healthy one. By choosing a lightly dressed salad instead of the usual, you are putting yourself on anew path and abruptly ending the IFFD.

. Get Moving. A body in motion is beauty in progress. Even if it's the middle of the day and you cant hit the gym because of your tight schedule, you can still go up and down the stairs.

. Wear something that makes you feel beautiful and enjoy your unique look.

. Hang out with positive people. Try to be in company of winners, people who feed you energy and inspire the best in you.

. YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE AND TRANSFORM YOUR OWN AS WELL. LEARN TO APPRECIATE AND VALUE YOURSELF.

Tip: Many of us feel too flabby while making love, feel too many bulges in the wrong place, feel awkward when lights are on and ask, what's the way out? Obviously there is hope and certain exercises, habits and lifestyle changes one can adopt to get rid of those unsightly fat deposits. You can strengthen your lower back. It is specially improtant when you are working on your abs. Besides that. cut on sodium and try to create a "V" shape in your upper body. Crunches are vital in your quest to eliminate love handles. Also reduce the consumption of alcohol as they contain "empty calories". The magic key lies with the cardiovascular exercises


By Jasdeep

Gain Weight Fast With These Ten Powerful Tips! Part -2

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

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

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

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

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

http://www.gainmuscleandlosefat.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Examples of these fats would include:

coconut oil

animal fats

eggs

Essential oils

butter

cheese

Stay away from trans fats and hydrogenated fats!!

Gain Weight Tip-8: Eat Enough Fibre

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

Gain Weight Tip-9: Eat Enough Protein Per Meal

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

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

Gain Weight Tip-10: Choose Your Supplements Wisely.

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

Gain Weight Bonus: Sample Meal Plan to Build Muscle:

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

Meal 1:

1 banana
1 cup oatmeal

Meal 2:

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

Meal 3:

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

Meal 4:

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

Meal 5:

3 whole eggs
1 tbsp coconut oil

Meal 6:

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

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

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