January 31, 2008
A Balanced Body Building Diet
Author: Judy Wellsworth
Many factors will go into your choice of a body building diet, but by far the most important of them is the amount of nutrition your diet will provide. Your body building diet will provide the fuel for your workouts, your recovery, and your new muscle growth. If you are not getting the proper nutrients in the proper amounts, your bodybuilding efforts will never achieve the body you want.
There is no “one-diet-fits-all” for bodybuilders. But there are some body building diet rules which apply to almost everyone. The first of these is that you will get much better results is you eat small servings of nutritious food several time daily instead of limiting yourself to two or three major chowdowns. Why?
By eating frequently throughout the day, you will stoke your metabolic rate and burn more fat, even when you are not working out. If you take more than three or four hours between meals, you body switches to a muscle-depleting, fat-storing condition called a catabolic state.
What should you be eating? That old tried-and-true formula, balanced meals. Carbs, proteins and fats, in a 40/40/20 proportion, will give your body building diet all the essential nutrients working together so that your body can maximize the amount of nutrition it absorbs from each meal. For more info see http://www.bigbodybuildingtips.com/Body_Building_Diet/ on Body Building Diet.
You should consume complex carbohydrates like whole grains, vegetables, and beans, except for those times you eat immediately after a workout, when your body needs the simple carbohydrates found in fruit to replace the glycogen that you burned. Simple carbs post-workout will speed your recuperation time. Complex carbs are also great sources of fiber, another important component in a good body building diet.
Consume enough protein each day, spread out over your meals, to amount to between one and one-and-a-half grams for each pound of your lean body mass. Have your lean body mass calculated for you before you begin your body building program, and have it re-checked periodically as you add new muscle. White meat chicken and turkey without skin, red meats rated 90% or more lean, fish, and eggs or egg substitutes are all good sources of protein.
Avoid both animal fats and hydrogenated vegetable fats, as they are saturated and will clog your arteries. Unhydrogenated vegetable, nut, and fish oils are good choices for your body building diet; fish oil, flaxseed oil, and virgin olive oil may also provide you with antioxidant benefits.
The final essential for your body building diet is water; you should drink it throughout the day even if you don’t feel thirsty, and try to consume one-half to two-thirds of an ounce for every pound you weigh.
About the Author:
You can also find more info on Body Building Equipment and Body Building Exercises. Bigbodybuildingtips.com is a comprehensive resource to got body buil
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/a-balanced-body-building-diet-164121.html
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January 30, 2008
How to Get Sexy Six Pack Abs
How to get six packs abs fast and look amazing. Guys, get those chisled abs and have the girls go wild!
Six pack abs are usually developed initially through indirect stimulus. These exercises include squatting, dead lifting, overhead pressing, pull-ups, dynamic rows, and bench press. Six pack abs are the sculpted muscles of the abdominal region. Only a good diet will result in the look you desire. Six pack abs are compacted and the buttocks gathered under to correct the angle of the pelvis.
Six pack abs are obtained in two parts.
First part is diet and it?s best to eat low sugars and many small meals. Six pack abs are in big demand right now. However, in terms of attaining a six pack of abs in relation to building a bigger chest, sculpting your abs takes a little more work, education, and discipline. Six pack abs are heavily commercialized these days through movies and ads, and everyone would like to have one. Hence the search volume on Google is high on these search terms.
The second one is desire and discipline.
Six pack abs are the object of admiration and desire by men and women, and attract the kind of attention that everyone really wants to attract. Contrast this to the negative attention that you might get from being overweight or sporting stubborn belly fat! Six pack abs are a result of applying what I call the mathematics of weight loss a part of which means staying within your daily caloric requirement.
A full day of cheating, where you stuff your face with all kinds of garbage, can add so many calories that it ends up ruining all the progress you made from 6 days of adhering to a strict diet. Six pack Abs are achievable but, as with most things in life, we must put in the effort. The most important thing you have to do is to change eating habits.
So what kid of excercises?
Crunches - Lie flat on the floor, knees bent, and legs about 1-2 feet apart. Alternatively, you can place your lower legs up on a chair or bench. Crunches are fine, but when was the last time you did a multifidus exercise? How about one for the transversus abdominus?
Exercises that work the large muscle groups of the legs, upper and lower back, and chest give you the biggest metabolic bang for your buck in terms of abdominal fat loss. Combining these types of big multi-joint exercises in high intensity super-set, tri-set, or circuit fashion gives you the biggest fat-burning and metabolism boosting response from your workouts. Exercises that target this area include sit ups, pelvic tilt, leg raises, and the cable crunch. Exercise is an extremely important, however not the only factor considered when defining the midsection.
This article is free for republishing
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_560661_23.html
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January 29, 2008
Body Building Techniques and Tips
To improve your physique you will have a number of different body building techniques to choose from including
Negatives
Pyramids and Drop sets
Giant steps as well as twenty-ones
Partial reps and
Even forced reps.
Know your requirements
You need to choose the body building technique that best suits your needs and you may even need to consider using constant tension without actually attaining a locking point which is a body building technique that is very effective in many an exercise.
In addition, it is also important to make full contraction along with full range of stretch exercises that will require you to perform each rep of each exercise at the fullest range of motion.
Technique - Giant step
In this technique known as giant step you will need to work on single muscle groups. This means performing three different exercises while laying emphasis on a particular muscle and though it may be used on each muscle in the body, when exercising the back you will need to be more selective and careful.
Drop sets
Drop sets are ideal for rounding off your workout on certain muscles and which will cause you to feel pumped up especially in your muscles and which will also drain off all of your remaining energy from your muscles.
Twenty-ones
Twenty-ones is another bodybuilding technique in which each and every area of your muscle is worked rather than any one range, and you should also think constantly about maintaining tension at the time when you increase tension on your muscle while performing your reps.
Super sets
In this technique you will exercise certain range of muscles which will totally exhaust your muscle fibers and which will also work on two separate muscle groups.
What is the simplest bodybuilding technique?
The simplest technique that you can use is to slow down your reps and repeating them in a slow manner makes the reps more effective since it improves the form and will also provide a fillip to development of muscles.
Body Building Tips
One of the best bodybuilding tips of all time is to avoid over training or excessive training. Excessive would generally be anything longer than one hour. Simple consistency of attending the gym 3 or 4 times a week and working out at a moderate to difficult pace would be enough to make nice gains. If one is working himself to the point that injuries are common then the entire process will be self defeating. Clearly, this is the best of all body building tips.
Another critical body building tip is that not only must one work hard one must also work smart!. If a person works himself too hard in the gym, the body simple will not grow muscle. In fact, the body might reject the additional stress. Clearly, this is not what you want. So it would be wise to avoid such excessive training.
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Author: kyle sagaas
You must have heard oftentimes that when you build muscles you help lose fats. Diet works well with exercise. These two go hand in hand. One is ineffective without the other. If you really want to gain more lean muscle mass and burn excess fat, it will take some determination on your part. Sometimes, it can be a bit frustrating trying to accomplish your goal, but perseverance pays off in the end. It is very important that you learn and understand the correct diet and muscle building techniques to help hasten your weight loss. Otherwise, you risk your diet and end up jeopardizing your overall well being. In order to achieve your goal, it is essential that you follow proven advice. Here are the most important guidelines that will help you get lean muscle and loose weight fast!
1. Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily.
The body basically consists of 75% water. Water is considered the universal solvent, thus essential for flushing out bodily toxins. If you consume at least 8 glasses of water daily, you are guaranteed good health and your body liquids is well replenished. Keep away from caffeinated drinks and sugary drinks like soda or sugary juices. Always bear in mind, clear liquids are best.
2. Eat regularly and on time.
In order to keep your body energized and burning calories at an optimum rate, you must keep your metabolism at optimum levels. You can accomplish this by eating small meals at regular intervals - every 3 to 4 hours. In this way, you keep encourage lean muscle mass and fat loss.
3. Build muscles by lifting weights.
Doing tons of aerobics will help you somewhat with your fat loss goals. However, it is essential that you are also building lean muscle, and the best way to do this is by adding strength training exercises to your routine. Though muscle weighs more than fat, it takes up less space (making you smaller) and gives your metabolism a needed boost. You will burn calories for hours after a workout. This is why like programs such as this are such a phenomenal hit.
4. Perform compound exercises.
Always try to perform free weight exercises that work combinations of muscle groups with each exercise. In this way, you will work your body more effectively than if you used standard isolation exercises. Do not focus on one area alone. Make sure you work out on your arms and legs in as much as you work on your abs frequently. It is not a matter of building abs or muscles that are aesthetically appealing, instead build stronger muscles that will aid in losing weight really fast.
Always allow recovery time in between workouts. Many people miss this one. In order for you to build more leaner muscles in your body, you must allow your muscles to rest in between workouts. Make a schedule, work out at a reasonable intervals and stick on that exercise regime. Allow at least a day of rest between workout routines for each muscle group.
These simple tips and tricks will definitely aid you in building leaner muscles and help you lose weight fast!
About the Author:
In 2004, the unparalleled success of Ephedra was so amazing, it was once banned for being too powerful…Ephedra was originally discovered more than 1500 years ago. It’s been proven to naturally increase your metabolism turning your body into a fat burning machine without dieting or extra time on the treadmill. This amazing supplement is now available through Maxx Supplements and approved retail stores. Get your bottle NOW! http://ephedramaxx.com/
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/fight-fat-by-building-more-muscles-now-446968.html
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Author: Kyle Richey
These three muscle gain truths are known and practiced by a select few successful weightlifters across the World, and separate the dreamers from the massive. By putting these simple tips into action, you will increase your lean muscle mass, burn off excess fat and gain the confidence you deserve in no time…and keep your body strong and rock-solid forever!
1) Choosing the right exercises
The first muscle gain truth you need to keep in mind is the actual exercises you’re doing. This is the easy part, but many people fail to do this fundamental step correctly. The best workouts to build muscle are known as compound exercises. They do three amazing things for your muscles:
i. They work out and build more than one muscle at a time
ii. They help you to lift the greatest weight possible without injury
iii. They increase anabolic hormone production
The combination of these three benefits results in a much higher return on your invested time and energy, boosting your muscle gains and other positive results by unbelievable amounts. In short, pick compound exercises, do them correctly, and you’ll have the muscular body you’re looking for.
There are many compound exercises to choose from, and some sources will even provide videos to be sure you’re getting the most out of them by executing them properly.
2) Training too much
Muscle gain truth #2 will be your favorite! You can actually increase your results by deceasing your workouts. By working out, your muscles are fighting and resisting, which your body responds to by adapting to handle the resistance in a healthy way, thus increasing your muscle size. The key, though, is not overdoing it. The goal is to train with the minimum amount of resistance needed to cause your body to adapt and your muscles to grow, yielding positive muscle gains over time.
For this reason, it is highly recommended to keep track of every workout and how long you exercised. This is made much easier by using simple tracking software programs.
3) Muscle gain diet
There are an unbelievable number muscle gain truths you need to learn about eating. The first is to eat as often as possible. Your body goes into a catabolic state when you go too long (3 hours+) without eating.
This means that it breaks down your muscle tissue to get out of starvation mode, which is counter-productive for muscle gain. A good rule of thumb is to eat 5-6 smaller meals spread throughout the day. This also keeps your fat-burning metabolism at a high level, which makes it easier to burn fat and build muscle.
Some other very important aspects of eating properly to maximize muscle gain are the amount of calories you consume, protein, carbohydrate and fat sources, water intake and what you consume before and after workouts.
While it can take a lot of time to research and choose the perfect meal plan, coming up with a plan and sticking to it will help you tremendously. There are plenty of meal plan software programs and professional services to help with this.
By following these simple steps, keeping track of your progress and relying only on reputable sources for further tips, you can easily burn fat, build muscle and get the ripped body you’ve been dreaming of!
About the Author:
Want the ultimate Muscle Gain Truth? Don’t do the research yourself! Let “Muscle Gain Truth” do the hard work for you…
Learn how to do the perfect compound exercises, keep track of your progress with revolutionary software and choose the right pre-made meal plan for you with the “Muscle Gain Truth” system!
Get a free book and sample chapters from “Muscle Gain Truth” here:
http://www.Body2Envy.com/MuscleGainTruth
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Author: <a title=”The Bodybuilding Trainer” href=”http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/the-bodybuilding-trainer/50648.htm”>The Bodybuilding Trainer
There are all kinds of places you can find some great female body building pictures. Take a look at some body building magazines and note any pictures of women who are featured in the pictures. Often, articles will accompany the pictures, so take note of what she has done to make such a great body and then copy her workout program.
Look online for different places that showcase female body builders. Here are a few great places you can look to for some amazing female body building pictures:
* bodybuilding dot com
* getbig dot com
* female-bodybuilders dot org
* femalemuscle dot com
* bestforminc dot com
If you think that you are a female body builder with a great body that could inspire people, by all means, take pictures of yourself and display them for all to see. Have a professional photographer shoot you in a variety of poses wearing several different swim suits. Take the pictures from a distance as well as close up.
You should be tanned and oiled up a little to enhance the muscles you are wanting to show off. Concentrate on holding the poses and really flexing those muscles. Smile and let the camera do its work. You may also want to shoot some pictures outside in the natural light that can do wonders for your skin tone.
Once you get your pictures, you can do one of two things with them. Set up your own website to showcase them or submit them to one of the many websites already out there that allow members to upload their pictures for display. There’s a lot of place that allow you to do this for free, so take advantage of that. If you set up your own website, be sure to register with all of the major search engines so your website can be found.
Female body building pictures are everywhere on the web. They can not only be great motivation for you to keep up with your workout goals, but they can also serve to be models of what you want to achieve. Print out those pictures of female body builders and post them where you can see them every day. Then proceed with your body building program and watch your dreams become a reality!
About the Author:
Stop by The Bodybuilding Trainer to learn more about bodybuilding competitions and bodybuilding diets.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/bodybuilding-articles/female-body-building-pictures-423236.html
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January 28, 2008
Creatine, the Real Muscle Builder
Author: David Monyer
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.
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.
About the Author:
David Monyer is a bodybuilder with over 20 years experience. Visit the site below for the latest on the sport.
http://www.RockSolidBodybuilding.com/creatine
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/creatine-the-real-muscle-builder-262160.html
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