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Archive for the 'Training' Category
Thursday, November 6th, 2008
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Eating the right foods is just as important as training hard. It can actually determine how fast you build quality muscle. So, what I’m going to do is share with you 15 foods that build muscle. That way, you can quickly and easily build muscle mass in a short amount of time.
The top 15 foods you should eat to build muscles are:
1. Steak (red meat)- good source of protein. Steak has vitamins and other nutrients in it that are crucial for muscle growth. The fats in steak has been shown to help increase your testosterone. If you’re serious about putting on muscle, add this to your meal plan.
2. Brown Rice- great carbohydrate source. Slow digesting, which means it won’t spike your insulin levels.
3. Pasta- great source of carbs. Two cups provide about 90 grams of high-quality carbs. This will definitely help you build muscles.
4. Avocado- Helps increase your testosterone and also has other health benefits.
5. Eggs- This is a must if you are trying to build muscles. Great protein source.
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6. Chicken- Lean protein. Great for anytime of the day.
7. Fruits (apples, bananas, strawberries)- Carbohydrate source. Also, fruits have many health benefits.
8. Oatmeal- Complex carb. Great for helping with carb intake.
9. Turkey- Great for lunch. Excellent protein source.
10. Salmon- Good source of protein. Salmon has omega fatty acids in it. Its a serious mass builder. You should eat this at least three times a week.
11. Cottage cheese- slow-digesting protein. Cottage cheese is a great late night snack.
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12. Salad- Add olive oil and vinegar to your salad. It has alot of health benefits.
13. Tuna- Lean protein source. Tuna also has fatty acids in it. It’s great for helping with muscle growth.
14. Whole wheat bread- Great carb source.
15. Almonds- Great as a snack. Almonds have a decent amount of protein in it. It also has healthy fats in it. And is good for increasing testosterone levels.
Eating these foods is important if you’re trying to build muscle. Don’t skip meals. Make sure you eat every 2-3 hours. You should intake at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day and 1.5 grams of carbs per pound of body weight per day.
An example would be if you weighed 200 pounds, you would consume 200 grams of protein per day and 300 grams of carbs per day. This will ensure that your body is constantly in “muscle-building” mode. If you don’t intake enough protein, your muscles won’t grow.
These are the 15 foods that build muscle. Add them to your meal plan. Train hard. Drink plenty of water. And watch how fast your muscles grow.
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Posted in Training
Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
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Putting on muscle mass is easy. You have to start with the basics. Focusing on the basics will help you build muscle and size to your frame. So, what I’m going to share with you are highly effective ways to get muscles.
When putting on muscles, you have to do two things, which are eating, the nutrition side of gaining muscles, and exercising. Here are the 7 effective ways to combine both nutrition and exercise together that will allow you to build muscles:
1. Eat at least 6-9 times a day. This is allow you to keep a steady supply of protein in your muscles, which how you’ll get big. Visit my blog at: Craze4muscle.com
2. Core lifts. These lifts are squats, deadlifts, military press, and bench press. These lifts hits the larger muscles, so make sure you add them into your workout plan.
3. Eat plenty of protein and carbs. You should consume 1-2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. And 2-3 grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight. An example would be if you’re 200 pounds. You would eat about 200-400 grams of protein and 400-600 grams of carbs.
4. Hit the gym at least 4 days a week. Going 4 days a week ensures that you workout enough to break down your muscles, and enough rest to build them up. This is how you’re going to get big muscles. Visit my blog at: Craze4muscle.com
5. Drink plenty of water. Drinking water has many health benefits. It also helps with you muscle gains as well. So, make sure you drink alot of water.
6. Track your results. When you workout, make sure you record how much you weight you were able to lift. That way, next time you can push yourself to go harder and lift heavier. By doing this, you’ll notice that you’ll become stronger, which will result in you gaining more muscles.
7. Make sure you get plenty of rest. You don’t want to overtrain. If you do, you’ll only hurt your chances of getting bigger. So, make sure you get plenty of rest. Oh, and also get about 6-8 hours of sleep at night. This will help your body with recovery and growth.
Start using these effective ways of getting muscles and watch how you begin to grow. For more bodybuilding tips visit my blog at: Craze4muscle.com
Posted in Training
Monday, June 16th, 2008
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Here is a quick and effective chest building workout that will produce rapid gains for your upper body musculature.
The first rule is you’ve got to eat! 5-7 small meals a day with good quality protein, fibrous carbs, good fat and lots of water. I have clients that come to me everyday saying they can’t gain weight, they can’t get bigger or they aren’t making progress. Well, after close examination of their diet, they typically aren’t eating enough to support muscle growth! You must eat if you want to build muscle.
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Secondly, the weights you are using must be challenging. Your body adapts to the demands imposed upon it. The muscle fibers break down and rebuild bigger and stronger. This means you can’t go into the gym and mess around with weights that aren’t making you give a solid effort with each rep and with each set.
After you understand the two rules above, you can embark on this fast four week plan.
Here is the template:
Week X
Exercise, Reps x Sets, Rest
Note: If there is a set that shows 1A) and 1B) this means that for Set 1, Exercises A and B are done is succession with little to no rest in between.
Note 2: There will be other training days between Day 1 and Day 2 workouts during a training week, i.e. lower body training, active rest/recovery, conditioning or other sessions depending upon your goals.
Note 3: If a set calls for 8 reps, you should choose a weight where on that eighth rep, you can just complete it with good form.
Week 1
Day 1:
1. Barbell Bench Press, 4 x 8, 90 sec
2A) DB Incline Bench, 3 x 12, 0 sec
2B) Cable Seated Rows, 3 x 12, 120 sec
3A) Push-ups, 3 x 20, 0 sec
3B) Face Pulls, 3 x 12, 120 sec
Day 2:
1. Standing Military Barbell Press, 4 x 8, 90 sec
2A) Bent Over DB Rows, 3 x 12, 0 sec
2B) Barbell Shrugs, 3 x 12, 120 sec
3A) Chin-ups, 3 x 8-10, 0 sec
3B) Seated DB Cleans, 3 x 12, 120 sec
Week 2
Day 1:
1. Barbell Bench Press, 4 x 12, 90 sec
2A) DB Incline Bench, 3 x 8, 0 sec
2B) Cable Seated Rows, 3 x 8, 120 sec
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3A) Push-ups, 3 x 20, 0 sec
3B) Face Pulls, 3 x 12, 120 sec
Day 2:
1. Standing Military Barbell Press, 4 x 12, 90 sec
2A) Bent Over DB Rows, 3 x 8, 0 sec
2B) Barbell Shrugs, 3 x 12, 120 sec
3A) Chin-ups, 3 x 8-10, 0 sec
3B) Seated DB Cleans, 3 x 8, 120 sec
Week 3
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Day 1:
1. Barbell Bench Press, 4 x 8, 90 sec
2A) DB Incline Bench, 3 x 12, 0 sec
2B) Cable Seated Rows, 3 x 12, 120 sec
3A) Push-ups, 3 x 20, 0 sec
3B) Face Pulls, 3 x 12, 120 sec
Day 2:
1. Standing Military Barbell Press, 4 x 8, 90 sec
2A) Bent Over DB Rows, 3 x 12, 0 sec
2B) Barbell Shrugs, 3 x 12, 120 sec
3A) Chin-ups, 3 x 8-10, 0 sec
3B) Seated DB Cleans, 3 x 12, 120 sec
Week 4
Day 1:
1. Barbell Bench Press, 4 x 12, 90 sec
2A) DB Incline Bench, 3 x 8, 0 sec
2B) Cable Seated Rows, 3 x 8, 120 sec
3A) Push-ups, 3 x 20, 0 sec
3B) Face Pulls, 3 x 12, 120 sec
Day 2:
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1. Standing Military Barbell Press, 4 x 12, 90 sec
2A) Bent Over DB Rows, 3 x 8, 0 sec
2B) Barbell Shrugs, 3 x 12, 120 sec
3A) Chin-ups, 3 x 8-10, 0 sec
3B) Seated DB Cleans, 3 x 8, 120 sec
After 4 weeks, you should change the exercises and volume of your routine to ensure you are still progressing and making gains.
Good luck and keep training!
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Posted in Training
Tuesday, June 10th, 2008
Like many topics and issues in the health and weight loss industry I believe drinking coffee for health and weight loss has been left unsettled with a growing controversy every day. People having all kinds of views whether bias or unbiased, has really made this topic difficult to come to a conclusion. So from all my research, studying, and experimenting I believe I have been able to come up with the unbiased truth on the topic drinking coffee for health and weight loss.
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I would like to start off and put to rest some myths you might of heard that just seem to be used against coffee that have been proven wrong. So let me just quickly clear up these myths.
First, the caffeine in coffee does not increase the risk of coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, liver injury, pancreatic cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, breast cancer incidence, or certain types of cancers. The truth is coffee actually decreases the risks or has absolutely no effect on these health conditions when coffee consumption is taken in moderation.
Second, the argument that declares coffee as a drug because of its drug like qualities like addiction, a stimulant, and mood altering. These things can become a problem without moderation a discipline but coffee being one of the healthiest beverages out there, I would rather have people drinking coffee than soda pops or sugar drinks.
Third, an excess of coffee increases urinary secretion of important minerals such as magnesium, potassium and sodium and uses up a fair amount of vitamin B1. These minerals and vitamins are very important to our body’s health but that is why I like to bring up several tests that have been conducted which should clarify a few things. These test proved that people that drink coffee consume an average of 8 to 14% more minerals and vitamins than people that don’t drink coffee. I don’t know if coffee drinkers eat healthier or what but there mineral and vitamin loss is made up by consumption of food and daily multi-vitamins.
These myths have had an impact on the questions and controversy against coffee being benefial or not for healthy living and weight loss. I must point out that anything in excess is bad for you so when people say coffee is unhealthy, I can most of the time point out ten unhealthier things they do instead of drinking coffee.
Now that we are pasted that, let us focus on the advantages and disadvantages of coffee.
Advantages:
Coffee is actually one of the healthiest beverages billions of people consume regularly.
Coffee containing with bitter orange, hydroxycitric acid, and chromium can encourage an increase up to 30% in metabolic rate.
Coffee with exercise when taking 300mg averages a 20% increase in energy and fatigue while burning fat increased 107% greater than without caffeine.
Caffeine in coffee keeps our brains alert and receptive of new information.
Regular consumption of coffee decreases the risk of type II diabetes and many other health risks.
Disadvantages:
Coffee when consumed in excess can be addictive, stimulate, and a mood charger.
A large amount of coffee or caffeine consumed all at once can have a negative affect on blood sugar levels that influences fat burning that could change into storing fat.
Too much coffee over time can stain your teeth.
With so many benefits of coffee for health and weight loss it is hard to be worried about the few disadvantages when moderation can solve it all.
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Step 1 Coffee Clean Up
Coffee when consumed straight and by itself it perfect. Having zero calories, zero carbs, and zero fats one can see that it would not hinder weight loss. When adding all that extra sugars, sweeteners, syrups, alcohol and so on just make it a high calorie dessert.
Sticking with regular or straight shots of coffee with limiting extras like milk and sweeteners is necessary for achieving healthy living and weight loss.
Step 2 - Coffee in Moderation
Too much coffee at one time can affect blood sugar levels so the easy fix is reducing your in take at one time. Spacing out your coffee in take throughout the day would be something to consider and would benefit as an appetite suppressant while reducing chances of increasing blood sugar.
Reducing your coffee in take might be a struggle and can possibly cause headaches and constipation but in the end is worth it.
Step 3 Limit Simple Carbs with Coffee
Avoiding or at least limiting simple carbs while drinking coffee would be wise as coffee can affect blood sugar negatively and adding simple carbs will just encourage an insulin spike.
Step 4 - Exercise
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Exercise has so many benefits besides burning calories and suppressing your appetite. Exercise can also help regulate your body’s use of insulin to keep blood sugar down and making coffee have little affect on your body. So make sure you participate in aerobic activities, lift some weights, and keep drinking that coffee and you should achieve weight loss in no time.
Don’t let people tell you coffee is a bad drug and should be avoided at all costs. You know the truth that coffee actually has more benefits than negatives, so enjoy your coffee worry free about hindering for diet and weight loss goals.
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Posted in Training
Monday, June 9th, 2008
Today there are a many of people who are exercising to make sure that they look good, but many people neglect their legs. They either don’t give much of an effort when working on their legs or the totally skip training them altogether. This can make the body end up looking disproportioned and give people legs that are often called “chicken legs.” However, it is possible to learn how to build and sculpt your legs using special exercises that are designed to help target your legs. They’ll help you burn more calories, you’ll build muscle, and you’ll end up with strong and nicely sculpted legs. If you want to develop the entire leg, you’ll need to train the thighs, hamstrings, and the calf muscles. So, here are a few of the top exercises for legs that can help you to build up and sculpt your legs so they look great.
Tip - One of the fastest ways to lose unwanted weight and belly fat is to gain metabolism raising muscle on your legs.
Exercise #1 - Squats - Squats are a great exercise to use on your legs and they will help you to tone up your thighs, on the inside and the outside, as well as your buttocks. Squats can be done with or without weights. Basically to do them without weights, you stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and then you lower yourself as if you were going to sit down into a chair until you have your thighs so they are parallel to the floor. Then you need to go back up into the standing position. You should start out without any weights, and then later you can add weights if they become easy for you.
Exercise #2 - Leg Presses - Leg presses are also great exercises for helping to build your legs and sculpt them as well. This exercise is done by pushing weights away from you just using your legs. It helps to work out your hamstrings and your quadriceps as well as your buttocks.
Exercise #3 - Walking Lunges - No doubt you’ve heard of regular lunges, and the walking lunge is just a bit different. It is designed to work your quads, your hamstrings, and the thighs. You start by standing upright, then you lunge forward with one leg, but you don’t let your knee go further than your toe. Then when you get to the bottom of the lunge, you use the back leg to get back to the standing position. For starters, it is best to do it without weights, but once you get the hand of it, it can be done with weights as well for even better results.
Exercise #4 - Dead Lifts - While this exercise can be great for the entire body, you’ll find that it works out your hamstrings and quads especially. Basically this is an exercise where you are going to need a loaded barbell. You take the barbell and you lift it off of the ground from a squat, bent over positions. It is definitely not an easy exercise, and it also helps you build not only your legs, but your back, buttocks, and even your arms and shoulders.
Exercise #5 - Lying Leg Curls - Lying leg curls are excellent for working and sculpting your legs as well. Usually they are done on a machine, but they can be done without a weight machine as well. If you’re doing them without weights, you’ll want to lie face down with your legs straight out behind you, keeping your hips on the floor. Then you’ll bend your needs and curl your legs towards your buttocks and then release your legs back to the starting position. It can also be done with a weight machine, adding weights to the same movement to further strengthen your hamstrings.
Exercise #6 - Calf Raises - Of course there are many people who forget about their calves, but you’ll want to make sure that you build and sculpt your calve muscles as well, and calf raises are the perfect exercise to do so. Calf raises are easy to do. All you need is something that is a bit raised, such as some blocks, stairs, or you can even do them right on the floor. Make sure that your feet are a bit apart and then try to let your heels down so you get a stretch, then rise up all the way on to the balls of your feet and hold a few seconds until you feel the stretch. Do 10-20 reps to nicely sculpt your calve muscles.
Posted in Training
Sunday, June 8th, 2008
1. Pull ups are better than pull downs. Duh.
2. You don’t need a training partner to get huge (but it helps). You should be able to pack on your first 20 plus pounds of muscle alone.
3. Bicep curls do not produce bigger biceps. Focusing on increasing your body’s overall size is what makes your biceps bigger.
4. John Berardi’s G-Flux theory. Also know as energy flux (or energy turnover) is the relationship between energy intake and expenditure. Basically, it’s better to train more and eat more than train less and eat less.
5. Alwyn Cosgrove’s said this, “A good program performed poorly is worthless. A shitty program done with a ton of effort is worth a lot. But when you get a good program and a tone of effort, the results can be amazing.”
6. The Sopranos and 24 are the best damn shows on television. I will proudly admit that I have overdosed on Tony Soprano and Jack Bauer for over 12 hours at a time, on multiple occasions. And I don’t regret a single episode!
7. Learn by ‘doing’ - not by talking about it. I am sick and tired of people who post on forums and ask, “What do you think of this diet or workout etc.?” How the heck do I know? Go try it for yourself and come to your own conclusions.
8. The two man bench press is becoming more popular each year. You know what I’m talking about. Where one guy lowers the bar and the other deadlifts it up yelling, “It’s all you, man!”
9. I hate people with no gym etiquette. The guy who does bicep curls in the squat rack. The guy who does a side lateral raise 1 inch away from the dumbell rack, blocking the entire rack of weights. The guy who loads the leg press with 1000 pounds and leaves the plates on. The guy who drips sweat all over the bench without wiping it down. I could go on and on…
10. I really can’t stand skinny guys who wear tank tops. Seriously, if your arms aren’t bigger than 15 inches, I don’t want to see your puny arms. Keep them hidden until you earn the right to show them off.
11. People will pay more money to make exercise easier and easier. Just take a look at late night infomercials and the popularity of group exercise and dance classes…
12. Since I am Canadian-Italian, watching George St-Pierre kick Matt Hughes’ butt was the best UFC fight all year and watching Italy win the World Cup was the happiest day of my life!
13. The Smith Machine is useless. Aside from not allowing your body from working through a natural range of motion, it is a perfect disguise for being stronger than you really are.
14. Only results matter. It doesn’t matter what you, another person, text book, or research article claims or thinks should happen as far as the training outcome - all that matters is what actually happens, the final outcome.
15. It’s possible to train for an entire year and look the exact same! The majority of these people will look the exact same next year too.
16. Stand for something or fall for everything. My father taught me to apply this to my physical, intellectual and spiritual journeys.
17. Only take training advice from those who have trained themselves at a high level or make their living training others at a high level.
18. A complete program involves enforcing movement patterns, cardiovascular work, strength work, flexibility work, injury prevention training, core training and recovery enhancement. Most programs, cover 1 or 2 at best.
19. I heard someone say, “Full body workouts are best for 90% of the population, 80-90% of the time. And body part routines are best for 10% of the population, 10-20% of the time.” I would have to agree.
20. Speak less and listen more. If you are a true student, you will want to hear the teacher’s voice more than your own. You are not learning while you are talking.
21. Over 70% of the supplements on the market have less than 30% absorption rate. This means you are only absorbing about 30% of what is in the bottle. Supplements are about making money. They put just enough in the product for you to feel a slight difference so you buy them again.
22. Hiring a personal trainer is one of the best investments you can make. Yes, I know, not all trainers are created equal. I’m talking about the kick ass ones who have a binder full of before and after pictures and guarantee results.
23. Money is a jealous and deadly god. Money can create freedom but it will not set you truly free.
24. Stretch as least half as much as you lift. If you are lifting weights for at least 4 hours a week than you better be stretching at least 2 hours a week. If not, your body is screaming for an injury.
25. Active Release Therapy (A.R.T.) therapy has been proven, to me personally, the most effective form of therapy available. Find a reputable A.R.T. therapist if you are on the injured list.
26. Competing in my first fitness model show was the only decision that truly motivated me to get the best body of my life.
27. I love short emails written in short, concise sentences. Learn how to be time-efficient with your communication.
28. Dead lifts are the best overall exercise of all time. No other exercise produces the same potential of results as dead lifts.
29. Body weight exercises should be mastered before external load is introduced. It amazes me at how many guys attempt a sloppy 200 pound lat pull down but can’t pull up their weight once.
30. Impression without expression leads to depression. This means that people get impressed with certain ideas but don’t do anything about it so they end up getting depressed.
31. No guts, no glory. If you’re not bleeding, sweating and crying at the end of your workouts than I must question your workout intensity.
32. Buy a foam roller and use it daily. Stop fixating on the strength, size and flexibility of a tissue until you increase the quality of the tissue.
33. Write everything down. This will help clarify your goals and use the past to replicate the future.
34. Find a mentor. They will accelerate your learning and take you closer to your goal.
35. Skinny guys will never become bigger until they start spending more money on groceries, spend more time in the kitchen and spend more time cleaning in the kitchen.
36. Stop training with your girlfriend. I attempted this for a few weeks, and as much as I love my girlfriend, this is an impossible recipe to make any gains!
37. Machines are not always better. They are merely alternatives and used for commercial profit to the manufacturer and sales companies which have influenced the masses to believe that the latest, superior machine is worthy of our attention. I don’t agree.
38. I never got dumber reading a book (with the possible exception of the Britney Spears’ book Heart to Heart). It drives me crazy when someone asks, ‘Is this book worth it?’ Even if you learned one new thing, would it not be worth it? How can you put a price on knowledge?
39. The majority of people still think cardiovascular is the best way to lose fat. Thanks to programs from Craig Ballantyne, Tom Venuto, and Alwyn Cosgrove, we are now discovering the value of high intensity circuit training for maximizing the 24-hour metabolism.
40. If you are doing three quad dominant exercises such as a leg press, lunge and leg extension, than you better be doing three hip dominant exercises to counteract an imbalance in the pelvis, such as stiff leg dead lifts, good mornings and leg curls.
41. If you are doing three horizontal pushing exercises for your chest like bench press, incline bench press, and decline bench press, you better be doing three horizontal pulling exercises to counteract an imbalance in the shoulders such as seated row, bent over row and overhand row.
42. Unilateral exercises are underestimated compared to bilateral exercises. Don’t believe me? Try a one leg squat down to your butt instead of a double leg squat and let me know how it goes…
43. You are the average of the top five people you hang around most. Hang around with pimps and players and most likely you will become a pimp and player. Hang out with millionaires and most likely you will become a millionaire. Hang out with guys bigger and more ripped than you, and you will eventually become the same.
44. In training for pure muscle size, there are two sides to the debate. Higher volume training with sub-maximal load and higher repetitions. And lower volume training with maximal load and lower repetitions. Both will work.
45. Almost every training program will work if the stimulus is sufficient and a quality caloric support is in a surplus.
46. I am still waiting to see the massive amounts of muscle people fear to lose when dieting.
47. You don’t know what you don’t know.
48. If a supplement has not been around for at least three years to beat the test of time, I give it zero attention and dedicate my time to my training program and nutrition planning.
49. You will get the exact same thing this year if you keep doing the same thing you did last year.
Posted in Training
Friday, June 6th, 2008
Bodybuilders often go to extremes with everything they do. They obsess over measuring grams of protein, inches on their arm, or number of pounds they can move in a given exercise. When it comes to nutritional breakdowns, they often go to extremes as well. When it’s time to gain muscle, they often eat all the protein they can find. When it comes to dieting, they often remove all fats from their diet. Both ideas are counterproductive to bodybuilding success, and overall health goals as well.
There are three macronutrients - protein, carbohydrates, and fat. All three are essential for bodybuilding success, as well as everyday bodily function. Bodybuilders need to ensure they consume an appropriate percentage of their total daily calories from each of these three sources.
Carbohydrates - 50%
Fifty perfect of daily calories should come from carbohydrates. Despite the popularity of low-carb diets and the long-believed theory that carbs make people fat, carbs are actually the fuel which allows bodybuilders to build muscle. Carbs should be divided into near-equal portions, with a slightly higher percentage being consumed before and after daily training sessions.
Protein - 30%
Only thirty percent of daily calories should come from protein sources. In a 3500-calorie diet, that’s still nearly 200 grams of protein per day. Protein should be present in the bloodstream as frequently as possible, broken down into at least 6 daily servings of at least 30 grams.
Fat - 20%
This number may surprise some people, as fats carry a stigma of being “bad for you”. The truth is actually the opposite - fats contain vital building blocks for not only building muscle, but also healthy organ function. Without any fats, a bodybuilder would shortly be going tombstone shopping. Fats keep you alive. Twenty percent of daily caloric intake should come from fats - the healthy kind found in oil, meat, and nuts.
Breaking down the numbers…
For your calculation reference, each gram of protein contains 4 calories. Each gram of carbohydrate contains 4 calories as well. Fat contains 9 calories per gram. Find your baseline daily caloric requirements, multiply by the % above, and then divide by the number of calories per gram. This will give you the daily estimation of grams of each macronutrient required. Find a healthy balance between the three macronutrients, and you will find long-term bodybuilding, and health, success.
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Posted in Training
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008
Are you looking for an powerful means to lose your lower belly fat and make your body firm? If so, there is a quick and painless system for you to make it happen. Give it a try to this high activated cardiovascular routine which was made by Keli Roberts. It works great for losing lower belly fat.
It is possible to burn 150 calories within 10 minutes (depending on your body-type) a day by following this workout.
Begin to perform a Jump Rope for the first two minutes of burning routine. You can perform by jumping twice on every turn of the rope. Using the correct size rope and always keeping your feet landed softly by the ball (the upper part of the bottom of your foot) can make you safety. Always keep thinking I am losing lower belly fat all the time when performing entire workout routine during 10 minutes.
In minutes 2 to 3, you will need to perform Squat Thrust into a Push Up. To perform this exercise, you must stand with your feet shoulder width separated and your arms narrow down next to your sides. Gently crouch with your head onward and move your hands on the ground just outside of your feet. Your hands will need to be pointing ahead as easily. Then on each movement, drive your legs backwards and away behind you (into a push up position). Perform one rigorous pushup and then hop back into squat position and stand up.
In minutes 3 to 4, you should do Jump Rope, but just one jump for each turn of rope.
In minutes 4 to 5, you need to perform Back to the Squat Thrust and this time you will put the Side Plank only when you Push Up. After you complete them, you will need to raise and turn your left arm out of the floor and above your head. Your left foot will then rotate and place above of your right foot. And you will turn your neck as if you look up at a ceiling. Turn backward to the center position and repeat this exercise on other side. When completed, skip back to your squat position, stand up and begin again.
In minutes 5 to 6, you perform Jump Rope, the same one as minutes 3 to 4.
In minutes 6 and 7, you will need to return to Squat Thrust and Push Up. But this time you will add the Leg Lift. You will need to raise the toes up of one foot about twelve inches out of the floor just after you have completed your push up. Slowly drop your foot and do it again on the opposite side. When finished, skip back to your squat position, stand up and begin again.
In minutes 7 to 8, you perform Jump Rope, the same exercise as minutes 3 and 4.
In minutes 8 and 9, you will need to return to Squat Thrust and Push Up. But this time you will add the Mountain Climbers. Repeat all the things as in minutes 2 and 3. But for this time, when you finished push up, you need to swiftly jog in place of your push up position. Make sure you move your knees close to your chest for each turning. Perform 5 jogs then repeat this whole process. In minutes 9 and 10, you have to perform Jump Rope, the same as the first two minutes. Keep thinking, if I do this exercise every single day, I will lose my lower belly fat successfully.
Recommend: Always using a soft padding (like a yoga mat for example) when doing an exercise will decrease a risk of any injury and save those knees joints for you.
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Posted in Training
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008
If protein supplements are number one, creatine is an extremely close second when it comes to supplements for bodybuilders. Proven safe and effective, creatine is a derivative of amino acids and is hands down the most effective supplement used by strength athletes and bodybuilders to boost gains in strength and muscle mass. Creatine citrate, creatine phosphate and creatine malate are just some of the formulations available today.
The proper use of creatine supplements may help a bodybuilder to add five or ten pounds of pure muscle in no time. Hundreds of studies have been published on the safety and effectiveness of creatine. Most of these studies were done on creatine monohydrate, which was the first and most basic formulation of creatine to hit the market. Creatine monohydrate was found to be safe and effective in most of these studies.
How does creatine work?
Creatine has two important functions for bodybuilders. First,creatine increases the size, or volume of muscle cells, which is the amount of water each cell can hold. This slight expansion of each cell causes the entire muscle to expand which triggers even further muscle growth. The second important function of creatine is that it provides muscle cells with immediate energy in the form of ATP (Adenosine triphosphate), which is absolutely essential to perform bodybuilding exercises. Having extra ATP within the muscle cells will allow you to perform more repetitions than you normally could, which translates into greater muscle growth.
Unfortunately, creatine is only effective for about 70% of athletes and bodybuilders. Those who do not respond to creatine may already produce enough creatine phosphate in their muscles that supplementing with creatine does not make much difference.
Different types of Creatine Formulations.
Creatine Monohydrate.
Creatine monohydrate was the first creatine supplement available and is still the least expensive form of creatine. Most people respond well to this basic creatine powder, although some people experience bloating, diarrhea or cramps. This is usually caused by forms of creatine that have not been ground into a fine enough powder. Almost all brands of creatine monohydrate on the shelves today is micronized creatine, which is an easily mixed fine powder. If you decide to stick with creatine monohydrate, be sure that it is the micronized version. This is the type of creatine that I use and it works great for me, and it is cheap!
Creatine Anhydrous.
Creatine anhydrous is simply creatine with the water molecule removed. This makes the creatine powder slightly more pure, but this is a minor advantage. There is little difference between creatine anhydrous and creatine monohydrate.
Creatine Citrate.
Creatine citrate came out shortly after creatine monohydrate gained popularity. The creatine citrate product is created by binding creatine molecules and citric acid molecules. Citric acid is used for energy production, and the theory is that when taken with creatine, the combination would provide more muscle energy than creatine taken by itself. Although this sounds good, it has never been proven through research. Creatine citrate, when compared serving for serving, supplies, about 40% less creatine than the monohydrate form, but it may dissolve more easily in water.
Creatine Phosphate
Creatine phosphate also popped up soon after creatine monohydrate first hit the supplement market. The creatine phosphate version is made up of a phosphate molecule and a creatine molcule bound together. The bonding of these two molecules normally takes place inside the muscle cell and is something that must take place an order for creatine to be effective at all. Creatine phosphate was very popular when it first came out. However, most bodybuilders found out that it was somewhat less effective than creatine monohydrate.
Creatine Malate
Creatine malate is one of the newest forms of creatine. It is created by binding creatine and malic acid. Malic acid as well as citric acid, is an intermediate component of the Krebs cycle, which is the metabolic pathway that creates aerobic energy inside the muscle. This means that malic acid is important for energy creation which is believed to make creatine malate more potent than creatine monohydrate. Creatine malate also dissolves easily in water and creates less stomach discomfort. Unfortunately, research on creatine malate is rare at this time, so its benefits are still in question.
Creatine Ester.
Creatine Ester is one of the more recent formulations of creatine, and is technically known as creatine ester ethyl hydrochloride. Developed by scientists at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, this version of creatine is basically an alcohol mixed with acid. The theory behind this formulation is that it will allow the creatine to permeate cell membranes more easily in the intestines and muscle cells. This should allow the creatine to be absorbed and taken into muscle cells much more quickly than the other forms of creatine.
Effervescent Creatine. This creatine formulation has been around almost as long as monohydrate and when mixed with water, creaqtes a fizz. The formulation is usually a creatine citrate or creatine monohydrate mix together with bicarbonate and citric acid, which causes the effervescent effect to separate the carrier from the creatine. The creatine left over can dissolve more easily in water, and is prevented from being destroyed by stomach acid and may be better absorbed in the intestinal tract. Some studies have confirmed that this type of creatine does indeed remain stable in water much longer than creatine monohydrate does. This would be a good formulation of creatine to use if you plan on mixing it several hours before you drink it.
Magnesium Creatine.
This is a form of creatine that is bound to a magnesium molecule. This protects the creatine from stomach acid and allows it to be absorbed more easily. Magnesium must be present in order for creatine phosphate to be converted into ATP, which is what creates energy in the muscle. At least one study has shown that this form of creatine causes the muscle to take in more fluid and creates greater strength than taking creatine and magnesium separately. If you’re looking two use this type of creatine, you’re better off buying the actual combination, rather than just adding magnesium as a separate supplement. What type should I take, and how much of it?
With all the different types of creatine available today, and with very little research showing one being better than another, I personally would recommend sticking with creatine monohydrate in the micronized form, unless you are experiencing some gastric distress. If this is the case, try some of the other versions to see if they work better for you.
The dosage we recommend is 3-5 grams before and immediately after your workout session, along with 40 or 50 grams whey protein and 60-100 grams simple carbohydrates.
Posted in Training
Monday, June 2nd, 2008
The world of physical fitness centers itself on muscle building for weight loss. Men are constantly fed more and more information telling them that them ore muscle you build, the more weight you will be able to lose. But, how accurate is that statement really? Does muscle really effectively burn fat from the body without any extra effort?
Studies have been conducted on many occasions related to the amount of calories burned for every pound of muscle built. These studies have concluded on several occasions a range of 30 to 50 extra calories a day from every pound of muscle that is added to the body. With that fact being said, how long does it take to build a pound of muscle?
For the male species, a pound of muscle takes approximately one month to build. For the female species it can take twice that long or more. Muscle building, without external supplementation, is a slow process of tearing the muscles and allowing the muscle to rebuild. When trying to build muscle to lose weight and burn fat, this tearing and repairing process is the only way to truly see the effects of your workout over an extended period of time.
The Best Way To Build Muscle to Burn Fat
If building muscle is on your short list for your weight loss program, there are tried and true ways to do just that. But, there are also necessary actions that need to take place in order to maximize muscle build and minimize the pain associated with the tearing of the muscle.
When a muscle is worked with weights, the muscle will reach a point where it can not longer lift the amount of weight being pressed. This is called lifting to failure. When the muscle is pushed to this point, tiny tears in the muscle occur. These tiny tears will rebuild over a 48 hour period of rest and gain muscle mass in the process. This is the same muscle that will burn more fat on the body and thus burn more calories.
The key to keeping muscle building a safe and painless (mostly) process is the stretching. After the muscle is torn, lactic acid will rush in and start the healing process. This lactic acid, if left to settle in the muscle, is the reason for pain after a hard workout. Stretching the muscle can help to dissipate the amount of lactic acid in the muscle and lower the chance of that extra, day after, pain that is felt during recovery.
When building muscle to lose weight, it is important to work the one day on, one day off program. While some muscle groups, such as abdominals and triceps, are okay to working on a daily basis, all others need at least 48 hours to recover and rebuild before tearing the muscle again with a workout.
As time passes, the muscles will grow stronger and add bulk. This bulk will be the extra muscle needed to burn those extra calories while watching TV, surfing the Internet or sitting at that business meeting.
How Many Pounds Can Be Lost?
If every pound of muscle burns an extra 50 calories per day, that will add up to 1500 calories a month. An extra 1500 calories burned with no extra effort. And, if the muscle training program continues and within a years time, 10 extra pounds of muscle are added to the frame of the body, that means an extra 15,000 calories burned every month. Not bad for a little tearing and repairing.
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Posted in Training
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