Author: Vince Delmonte

If you’re a hardgainer or natural bodybuilder, you already know how difficult it is to get sleeve-busting muscles. Learn how to avoid these common unforgivable bodybuilding sins that not even the Pope will excuse!

Unforgivable Bodybuilding Sin #1: Training through the motions instead of training for results

How many times have you gone to the gym and casually lift the same weights; same exercises; same workout order; and same lack of progress? This is called insanity; doing the same thing but expecting a different result. It is also known as training through the motions. Your body is present but your mind is absent. Training through the motions is fine if you are simply interested in stress release and improving your energy levels, but if you are trying to build a body you can be proud of, this won’t cut it.

Only results matter, if you expect to see progress.

Consider the analogy of starting your own business. Starting your own business may earn you praise for being a hard worker, disciplined, skillfulness and many other nice compliments but if your business does not make money, the latter perks don’t really matter. Whether you agree or not, money is a measurement of whether your hard work, discipline and skillfulness are paying off or not. Lifting more weight, squeezing out more reps in a workout, and completing more work in less time are all signs of measurement.

How to make this sin forgivable?

Stop training through the motions and you will no longer have the illusion that you are improving. Focus on measuring your results and out doing yourself from workout to workout and there will be no doubt that you are moving forward.

Unforgivable Bodybuilding Sin #2: Not keeping a training journal

Not keeping a training journal piggy backs on the last sin. Imagine trying to run your brand new business without keeping records. You have no idea what’s coming in or what’s going out. You have no idea why you had a bad month. You have no idea why you had a good month. Training is no different.

History has a tendency to repeat itself

If something worked in the past, why wouldn’t it work for the future? If something did not work in the past, than most likely it won’t work in the future! If you are not tracking what works and what fails, than your training progress is doomed.

Instead of just recording what you did at each workout, start recording the details. If you had a great workout, let’s determine why?

- Is it from the amount of sleep you got the night before?

- Was it a new workout drink you used?

- Was it a different time of the day?

- Did you warm up or stretch longer?

- Did you take an extra day off?

- Were you in a better mood?

How to make this sin forgivable?

The more you know, the more control you have of experiencing the same feeling the next workout. On the flip side, if you had a terrible workout, consider all the same factors to prevent it from happening in the future.

Human nature always want to out do itself.

Your natural instincts will strive for improvement. If you know what the numbers were last workout, you will want to out do yourself. You will want to complete your workout in 47 minutes instead of 50 minutes. You will complete all ten reps instead of eight. You will increase your weights 2.5 lbs instead of stay the same.

The numbers don’t lie.

A training journal will keep your progress honest and not deceive you. You might feel incredible after a workout and consider that a sign of improvement but than be disappointed when you realize that you were actually weaker meaning no sign of improvement. Treat your training like a business and it will catapult your muscle progress forward.

Unforgivable Bodybuilding Sin #3: Broken focus

Here is how I see many people live life. First you want to open up a restaurant. Next week you want to become a police officer. The week after that you want to go to Vegas to become a professional poker player! You will most likely fail at everything you do because of your broken focus and lack of discipline to finish what you start.

How to make this sin forgivable?

A lack of focus equals a lack of results. Start treating your training the same way you would treat your career. If you change your career, every few weeks, you will inevitably become a jack of all trades, master of none. It will not become a question of if, but a question of when. Your training, to build a jaw dropping physique, is no different.

Pick one training program and stick with it

There are a lot of options and it can be difficult to choose just one. However, look at this has a positive, and make your life simple by choosing just one and stick to it for it’s entire program length. Don’t start a 12 week strength program and than go back to a bodybuilding style program after three weeks because it wasn’t working.

You must trust the author of the program and take responsibility for your decision. Do not consult others about a program someone else has written, they are not the author of the program and will only confuse you. Go straight to the source and consult the author of the program if you require clarification, otherwise execute every single detail as prescribed. Stay completely focused and committed to the program you have chosen and squeezing out every ounce of muscle that it promises.

How to pick the right program

Don’t start a high-volume training program if you are not prepared to get extra sleep, spend some extra money on supplements and find extra time in the day to eat more food. Don’t start a fat loss program if you don’t have the time to do double day workouts as sometimes necessary. Don’t pick a bulking program if summer is coming up and you want to be ripped for summer. Bottom line, make sure you know exactly what your program entails and that you will be prepared to invest whatever is involved with the desired outcome.

About the Author:

Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found at http://BuildMuscleEasy.com/ .

He specializes in teaching skinny guys how to build muscle and gain weight quickly
without drugs, supplements and training less than before.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/muscle-building-articles/the-top-3-unforgivable-bodybuilding-sins-377101.html

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Most people would rather choose bodybuilding routines that will maximize the benefits accrued while causing them to perform as little work as is possible, which has given rise to a greater demand for the best in bodybuilding routines.

Don’t copy other people’s routine!

For bodybuilding starters, it may come as a small surprise to learn that achieving the type of body Arnold Schwarzenegger has is not all about reading up Pumping Iron and copying the moves that he made in his prime. Thus, those who feel that copying bodybuilding routines such as those used by a Mr. Universe or a Mr. Olympias may end up a bit disappointed when their bodies do not become the sculpted masterpieces that Arnold achieved or those of other Mr. Universes.

If you copy these bodybuilding routines don’t hope to achieve exalted levels in as short a space of time since these routines will not provide you with those kinds of results in less time than is absolutely necessary.

Prepare to go through trial and error phases.

You should be prepared to go through trial and error phases and success and failure will also rise and fall as you try and modify your bodybuilding routines to suit your needs the best.

Also, what works for one person need not work with another person and no bodybuilding routines will provide the same results for everyone, and it does mean using different weights and different exercises as well as different amounts of reps after which you can then expect to have the sculpted body that you so much wanted.

Carefully take into account is the need for change.

Another important consideration for you to carefully take into account is the need for change, since even if particular bodybuilding routines are working well for you, they still requires modifying the routines through the addition or elimination of certain exercises which will then help chisel your body the way that you want. Bodybuilding routines can be

enhanced further by taking the proper nutrition that will aid your routines.

Don’t perform the bodybuilding routines longer that necessary.

You should realize that bodybuilding routines should not be performed longer than is absolutely necessary. In most cases it would be no longer than seventy-five minutes in a single session and that the maximum sessions you should perform your routines per week should not exceed five.

If you go beyond that, your body may actually wilt under the strain. If you over-do the routines, you will need a longer recuperation period. It is also not correct to work out if you feel sick or suffering from an injury so as not to aggravate the injury.

The Work Hard Myth and Bodybuilding

If you think that if you work too hard in the gym the body will grow muscle then it is not correct. In fact, the body might reject the additional stress and start to atrophy instead. This is not what you want. Ever!. It would be wise to avoid such excessive training. Instead, simple consistency of attending the gym 3 or 4 times in a week and working out at a moderate to difficult pace would be enough to make further gains.

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Author: Mei Susanti

Asked any woman and man you know if they would like to lose excess stomach fat and have a well-toned flat stomach, I am sure the answer is a resounding “YES!”. Most men would dream to have a firm and ripped six pack abs. And most women would dream to have a tight sexy stomach and waistlines. All these are of course achievable with the right diet and exercise programs.

As you are doing physical activity, you are consuming energy measured in calories. When enough amount of calories are depleted through exercise, your body will start to burn energy in the form of fat stored in adipose tissue. Adipose tissue or fat is loose connective tissue, its main role is to store energy in the form of fat.

There is a common myth that doing abdominal exercises alone can give you a six pack abs. But, the truth is that you can’t ’spot reduce’ your body fat as the fat burning process takes place non-selectively; meaning that you can’t choose which fat deposits in your body you want to target and burn off.

However, when you are targeting your exercises on the abs, you will build strength in that area because of an increase in muscle mass. As a result, it keeps a strong layer of muscle that makes the stomach looks trim and flat.

Exercises that target on abdomen have another positive effect too. Since the abdominal areas have large muscles, and will consume considerably larger amount of energy, more energy need to be supplied to move through the range of the exercise. As a result, more calories will be depleted resulting in losing some excess body fat; which is good for weight loss.

There is simply no shortcut, supplement or drugs that can give you the ripped six pack abs and sexy waistlines you want, it can only be done through proper diet and regular exercise. The effect is also limited by gender, genetics and age. Some people gain weight more easily than others.

Some people are lucky and are born with faster and more efficient metabolism, hence they are able to burn more calories when they exercise. If you tend to gain weight easily, you really need to pay attention on your diet, amount of food you eat and make sure you exercise for at least 1 hour daily.

Here is a great warm up exercise that targets on your tummy:

Lie straight on your back, with your knees raised and put your hands at the back of your head. Then, slowly lift your shoulders off the floor and hold for 30 seconds (don’t use your hands to lift your head). You should feel the strain on your abs. Do this warm up for 10-15 minutes daily and you will start to see a firm abs very soon.

Click here for more comprehensive information about  Abdominal Exercises.

About the Author:

Go and download a brand new exercise ebook for FREE at http://fitnesstips.healthbuzzone.com/

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/muscle-building-articles/best-abdominal-workouts-tips-to-form-a-six-pack-abs-600911.html

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Author: Shawn Lebrun

Whether you want to get six pack abs, or just looking to lose a bit of extra luggage you’re carrying around the mid-section, there are 3 “key” areas you need to focus on to get six pack abs.

Strong abs not only help strengthen your lower back, but also improve upon your posture. Most lower back injuries occur, believe it or not, due to weak abs. Focus on these three areas and over time, you will see improved results.

Key # 1- Proper cardiovascular work

You can have the greatest, most muscular set of six pack abs in the world, but if they’re blanketed by a layer of body fat, who cares. In order to rid yourself of the extra body fat around your midsection, you need to incorporate effective cardio sessions into your fitness plan.

You cannot spot-reduce the midsection by doing extra ab exercises like crunches or sit-ups. You first must burn off the body fat through proper cardio to properly define the area. Abdominal training by itself will not do much. Cardio needs to be intense enough to do the trick.

Three to four sessions a week, 20 minutes at a time, of intense jogging, running, the Stairmaster, the elliptical, jumping rope, or biking should be enough to get the process in gear. Swimming, hiking, and taking aerobics classes are beneficial as well.

Nothing beats jogging or running. It is the most intense, efficient, and effective method of burning calories. If running outside hurts your joints, try running inside on a treadmill or outside on a dirt path. It definitely is easier on the body.

Again, you NEED three to four intense cardio sessions a week, at least 20 minutes a session, to help create a calorie deficit and help rid the body of the fat that covers and lessens your chances of getting six pack abs.

Key # 2- Proper Nutrition

Do not sabotage your results in the gym by giving yourself a passport to pig out. Ridding the body of fat once and for all is accomplished by proper nutrition more so than incorporating cardio. At the end of the day, if you have consumed more calories than you have expended, you add body fat. So you need to burn more calories than you consume.

Nutrition is important because you can reduce the amount of calories you take in, therefore greatly having an effect on the amount which you have to expend through cardio. Eat five to six small, well-balanced meals spaced apart about every three to four hours. Try to keep something healthy on hand.

If not, when you become real hungry, you will opt for something that isn?t as good for you. When you become overly hungry, all rational thinking goes out the window. But it is important to get something in you. Not eating on time or at all is almost as bad as eating too much.

Keep protein intake high (approximately 50% of daily calories), carbs moderate (40%), and fats minimal (10%). Muscle fiber is made of tightly-wound protein molecules that is damaged during a workout, so you need more protein than the sedentary person to help that muscle tissue repair.

Carbohydrates have an important role in the body, but do not base your meals on them. Try to avoid simple sugars like cane sugar, honey, fruit juices, syrups, and even a lot of fruit.

Drink at least a gallon of clean water each day as well. It will help in nutrient absorption and digestion and will help flush toxins from the body.

Bottom line, make sure you are supplying your body with well-balanced, healthy food every three to four hours. To ensure you are creating a calorie deficit, you should find out your daily caloric requirements that you need just to maintain your current bodyweight.

Since you are looking to reduce your current body weight by getting rid of some fat, you want to speed up creating a calorie deficit. One way is how we talked about above, doing cardio.

The other is by reducing the amount of calories you consume by 150-200 calories per day off your daily calorie maintanence amount.

For example, if you require, at your age, weight, activity levels, etc…2000 calories just to maintain your current weight, start reducing that number to 1800 to 1850 for a couple weeks.

If after a couple weeks you still do not see results, lower that number again by 150-200. Now you would be at 1600 to 1650 calories.

Again, the key to getting six pack abs is ridding your body of the fat covering the abs.

The only way to do this is by creating a calorie deficit so that your body burns calories for needed fuel. When you burn stored calories, you’re burning body fat. The way to properly do this is a combo of increased, intense cardio and a gradual reduction of calories.

Key # 3- Weight training the abdominals

Here is where most people go wrong in their attempt to develop their abs. I often ask those I train, “Would you train your biceps with sets of 50 reps with no weight”? Of course, they say no. “How about your chest, 50 reps with no weight?” Another no. I then ask, “Then why would you do that with your abs”?

Here’s an important key. If you want proper ab development, you need to add resistance (weight) to your ab exercises. Abs are muscles just like biceps, triceps, pecs, glutes, whatever. You need resistance to properly strengthen and build them. The same goes for abdominals.

Here are some effective ab exercises to incorporate for proper ab stimulation.

Weighted crunches. Grab a dumbbell, either hold it in front of your face, or let it lie on your upper chest, under your chin, and perform regular crunches. You are now using your abs more to work against the leverage the dumbbell has created. Stick with a heavy enough weight where you can handle 10-15 reps, but no more. Remember, you need to create enough resistance where your abs are forced to work.

Cable Rope crunches–grab the tricep rope, kneel on your knees, and bend downwards, forcefully contracting your abs on the way down. It’s basically a crunch, only, you are on your knees. But the contraction is the same. Don’t swing with the hips, you are not using the abs very much if you do. Just a slight, 30 degree contraction until you feel the abs contract, hold for a couple seconds, then back up.

Weighted leg raises– Lie flat on your back, with your hands tucked under your butt. Wrap your feet around a small dumbbell, and perform leg raises. Start with your feet about 6 inches from the ground, then raise them about 12-16 inches from the ground and then back down slowly. These can be done on the end of a bench as well.

Seated ab machine– once again, do not swing all the way down, just far enough (30 degrees) to fully contract the abs, hold for a couple seconds, then back up. This is very similar to Cable rope crunches.

Stability Ball Crunches– working on the stability ball will incorporate balance into your abdominal work. They are effective at strengthening your core region, which is your abs and lower back.

You lie down on a stability ball like you are going to perform a crunch. Position yourself on the ball so your lower back is resting on it. Keep your feet close together on the floor making your body less stable (helps incorporate more balance on your part) and place your hands behind your head or folded on your chest. Crunch your upper body towards your knees, exhaling as you contract your abs. Under muscular control, lower yourself back to the original position keeping full tension on the abs.

Regardless of what exercise you do, the key is to add weight/resistance. If not, you will never increase the amount of lean muscle tissue in the area. You only need to train your abs twice a week for maximum results. Once again, treat them like any other muscle group (which means you wouldn’t train them more often). Combine this weight training with proper diet and intense cardio and that elusive six-pack is yours to be had!

About the Author:
Shawn LeBrun is an online personal trainer and natural bodybuilder. Click here to learn, step by step, how to build muscle and lose fat in less time.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/how-to-get-six-pack-abs-6858.html

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Author: Jennifer King

The reason most people don’t start an exercise or muscle building program is they assume they don’t have the time. The truth is you don’t need that much time at all. Sure if you listen to steroid users in bodybuilding magazines you naturally assume you have to abuse your body for a 2 hour workout every day. This isn’t the case, and the truth is, anyone can fit a bodybuilding program into their life. How much time do you waste watch TV every day?

The belief that you have to slave away in the gym for hours every day to change the shape of your body puts most people off. The truth is you only need to do a few hours a week, and this can be split into small routines spread along the week.

You can achieve an effective muscle building workout with an average time of 20 minutes a day. Most people can find a spare 20 minutes once they realize just how much time they waste every day doing nothing. That time can be spent changing the shape of your body, and increasing your strength and fitness levels.

We are lead to believe that the more work we put into our workouts the bigger the results will be. This couldn’t be further from the truth. This is another reason why most people that go to the gym don’t put on any quality muscle, because in the end they’re over training.

Once you know exactly how little exercise you actually need to do to build muscle it actually becomes enjoyable, and you won’t miss the time that it takes. It’s about training smart, and then it’s what you do in the gym rather than how much you do.

Your muscles actually grow when you’re resting, and not when you’re working out. This means that the recovery period is just as important as working out. All you need to do is train each body part just once a week. Any more than this and your progress will go backwards.

Bodybuilders that are taking steroids and growth hormones can train every body part twice a week because these drugs reduce recovery time. In the real world this doesn’t happen so the correct amount of recovery time is important.

Over training is a problem for a lot of weight trainers and body builders. This can even cause some people to train even more because they think what they’re doing is still not enough.

When you get everything right, building muscle doesn’t take that much time at all. It’s all about doing it right, and doing it right isn’t doing it more.

About the Author:

For more information on muscle gain secrets visit Muscle Gain Truth

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/muscle-building-articles/build-muscles-fast-unless-you-have-all-day-to-waste-509973.html

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Author: Muna wa Wanjiru

While using steroids is one way of quickly gaining body mass it can lead to a number of side effects. These side effects can be harmful to your body both in the short term use as well as the long term usage. Along with a number of other people you might find that using alternatives to steroids is a good idea.

The alternatives to steroids are used to help develop the muscles and make them strong. Unlike the normal route to building your body these alternatives will also work with chemical enhancements. Before you start using any of these steroids you should be aware that there is a downside to them. This downside will include the fact that your body is now composed of muscles which have been strengthened up quickly and you may become dependent on these steroids.

There is also the fact that some of these alternative to steroids will act like steroids agents like anabolics. These steroids are categorized as being illegal. Now one of the best ways to find out if you should use any of the known alternatives to steroids is to consult with your doctor. Make sure that you state the real reason why you want to try using these steroids or even the alternatives to steroids.

Depending on your needs and the reason why you are taking steroids in the first place, you will need to think about what you are doing to your body. Instead of using chemically enhanced alternatives to steroids you can see about starting a healthy exercise and food regime.

While these are just a few of the alternatives to steroids that are used by people you will find many other alternatives. A few of the artificial alternatives to steroids are known to be just as dangerous to your body as steroids are. By seeking a natural route to enhancing your body you will be able to develop the muscles in your body slowly at a pace that is beneficial.

By looking at these alternatives to steroids you will know how you can avoid falling into the trap of taking artificial muscles enhancing means. Now this alternative route is best for athletes who are under terrific pressure to get their body into a stronger shape for the sporting event that they are participating in.

Even though there are many steroids that claim to provide you with the body that you want there are other ways of getting this great looking body. The alternatives to steroids will be of help to you both in the short term as well as the long term. With the right attitude and lots of hard exercise you will soon be on your way to getting the perfect body that you having been dreaming of.

About the Author:

Muna wa Wanjiru is a Web Administrator and Has Been Researching and Reporting on Steroids for Years. For More Information on Alternatives To Steroids, Visit His Site at ALTERNATIVES TO STEROIDS

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/you-might-find-that-using-alternatives-to-steroids-is-a-good-idea-307636.html

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I’ve often made the point that you don’t really need supplements to build muscle. In fact, some pretty well known trainers agree with me and have criticized supplement advertisements. Many new trainees sadly believe that these products will magically solve all their problems.

As with most things in life that are worth achieving, great results in strength training will not come easily. You’ll always be disappointed if you expect supplements to do all the work for you. The danger is that you end up broke and discouraged about building muscle.

Does that mean that all supplements are worthless? Not at all. There are a few supplements that can be helpful, as long as you don’t expect them to do all the work for you! In addition to products that help you build muscle, there are some great supplements that can help reduce inflammation. You may want to consider these three supplements:

Protein powders: Protein powders offer a convenient and effective way to add protein to your diet. That new muscle that you’re seeking has to come from somewhere, but it’s often difficult to squeeze enough protein into your meals. These powders, or liquid meals, should be used as supplements and not as your primary source of food throughout the day. Relying too much on these products would deprive you essential minerals, fiber, and other nutrients.

Creatine: The way creatine works is to basically give you more energy so you can continue your muscle building workouts. The molecule known as ATP acts as the essential energy compound for the body. As it is used up, it loses a phosphate group, and as you use up your ATP you get tired. Creatine adds a phosphate group back to the molecule to recharge it so it can continue to produce energy. Thus, creatine can help you accomplish a longer, more intense workout that will stimulate more muscle growth.

Fish oil: Fish oil is not going to add muscle to your frame directly, but it can be very helpful in reducing overall inflammation in your body. This is important in protecting your body, including your joints, from damage during your intense workouts.

I’ve always tried not to rely too much on supplements. As a matter of fact, supplements like creatine or glutamine will probably give you little benefit if you have not mastered the fundamentals of strength training and muscle building nutrition.

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If you would like to learn more about how to body build , visit Jon Cardozo’s Web site at http://maximum-muscle-gain.com . Learn the secrets to building a muscular physique and avoid the myths of the bodybuilding industry. Brought to you by Jcardozium.

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