Building Muscle
The Complete Guide How To Build Muscle
bodybuilding muscle
Most people believe that the correct way to train is to follow one of the training programs in the hardcore bodybuilding magazines or to imitate some Pro Bodybuilders training routine.
Unfortunately ALL of the Pros and some of the amateur bodybuilders are genetically gifted and/or are taking steroids. The methods they use and what they have learned about how to build muscle does not apply.
For the rest of us who want to increase our muscle size, reduce our body fat percentages and build more strength naturally… doing their routines will get us no where or worse yet… injured!
Why The Need To Train Differently?
We need train much differently then they do. Why? Our bodies… without the aid of steroids will not recover as quickly.
So that you can understand how to build muscle… I have put together these tips to help you build muscle fast!
Bear in mind that the 4 most powerful ingredients in building muscle are…
- Progressive Resistance: Whatever exercise equipment or method of training you use… you must ALWAYS strive to add more resistance. The human body adapts too quickly and needs to be “shocked” into growth. This is key part of how to build muscle!
- Nutrition: It is almost impossible to build muscle and lose fat. The two goals are at opposite ends. To grow we must “feed” our muscles… to burn fat we need to reduce calories and increase our metabolic rate so that we burn more fat. There is a proven way of achieving this goal and on this site you will find the answers. The truth is that nutrition is the key element on how to build muscle!
- Motivation: This is were everyone loses it! How many people have spent thousands of dollars on home gyms that just become expensive clothes hangers? Well rest easy I will share with you time-tested and proven motivational techniques that when applied will keep your motivational fires burning!
- Proper Rest: Muscles don’t grow while exercising… they grow while you are sleeping! There are certain foods that you can eat and specific supplements that will aid you in recovery and faster muscle growth.
Here are a collection of tips to guide you along the way… HOW TO BUILD MUSCLE TIPS:
1. Build More Strength: Have you ever seen a power lifter? Franco Colombo who was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s training partner was one of the most densely muscled bodybuilders of his day.
Even Arnold admitted once that if Franco was taller he might have beaten him. Why is this important? Well strength is a major component of building muscle. More strength is more muscle. I recommend that you get get into strength training.
There are many different pieces of equipment you can use from expensive home gyms to simple and inexpensive exercise equipment. I don’t believe that free weights or weight lifting is a MUST! There have been too many case studies and scientific research done.
NASA and others have recently revealed that simple resistance bands or similar equipment yields excellent results… but if you have the money and the room in your house then by all means check out our home gym reviews.
For now I will recommend simple body weight exercises and inexpensive exercise devices.
Here are some methods that will help you build muscle:
- Exercise Equipment: Resistance bands, adjustable dumbbells, chin up bars and Isometric exercise equipment are all great choices.
- Weight Lifting: Free weights are good at building strength and muscle size although not necessary in the beginning. Do learn proper breathing and exercise procedure. Always remember the most important component of building muscle size is “progressive resistance”… so remember to add more resistance or weight each time you workout.
- Calisthenics: Pull-ups, Push-ups, Dips, squat thrusts, Reverse Crunches, etc. remember to increase the difficulty of the exercise or add weight consistently to guarantee maximum muscle growth.
2. If you have the room/gym membership… Use Free Weights: Using a barbell you can lift the heaviest weight. More resistance = more muscle building stress. Dumbbells are effective in building the stabilizer muscles and are a great aid in shaping and defining a muscle… but for sheer mass and size use as many barbell exercises as possible. Please don’t use machines if you can help it.
Here are the main benefits of free weights…
- Safety. Free weights use your bodies own alignment unlike machines that force you into their “groove.”
- Effectiveness: Free weights allow you to control and balance the weight. This builds more muscle than machines
- Versatility: You can perform many different exercises with one barbell. Although for some exercises you will need someone to aid you as well as needing a flat bench.
3. Train Your Legs: Doing Squats, properly works your entire body… they’re one of the most important exercise. Your muscles will become thicker and more dense once you can squat one and a half times your body weight. You can do many different types of squats without free weights such as… “Hindu Squats” or “Wall Squats.”
Remember to squat no further than a 90 degree angle… to go any deeper puts unneeded strain on your knees! Also squatting past a 90 degree angle with free weights will tend to increase your hip size and as a result give you an unattractive bigger and wider looking butt. Most people don’t exercise their legs enough favoring their chest, arms and shoulders.
In this HOW TO BUILD MUSCLE GUIDE… I want to stress the importance of leg training, if only to make you aware of the huge release of testosterone and growth hormone that occurs from a heavy leg workout. Two ingredients that are necessary to build muscle fast!
4. Train your complete body:. How to build muscle research has revealed that natural bodybuilders should work each body part at least 2 times per week. So forget the split routines. Get a complete body workout at least twice each week.
5. Eat REAL Food: By eating whole foods you will consume more muscle building nutrients than eating processed food. You’ll lower your body fat as well from taking in less junk. Here are the recommended food groups
- Protein- Red meat, chicken, fish, whey protein supplements, eggs, milk is a great muscle builder
- Carb’s- Brown rice, wheat oats, whole grain pasta
- Vegetables, broccoli, tomato, salad, carrot
- Fruit- Apples, bananas, pears etc…
- Fats- Fish oils, flax seed oil (can be purchased at a local health food store) olive oil, nuts
Elliptical Trainer
The Basic Facts and Tips Getting The Best Elliptical Trainer
Elliptical Trainers
Elliptical trainers are also known as cross trainers and they are a fairly simple form of exercise equipment which is stationary. They provide a great cardio workout in the same way as a walk or job would give you. It’s used these days instead of the treadmill, because they bring workouts of lower impact and they are quite effective for anyone that wants to train. However there are added benefits for using an elliptical trainer with the main one being the fact that it puts a lot less pressure on your knees.
Elliptical trainer are usually used for maintaining balance and not as part of the workout routine. However, some people enjoy the swinging movement that using the handlebars can provide. But, keep in mind that more resistance and strength training is delivered to the legs and rear if you simply use the handlebars for balance, or not at all. This is significant if you need to target hips, thighs and buttocks to work off excess baby weight.
Burning calories enables an elliptical trainer is one of the best pieces of exercise equipment that the people can get. Many people are interested in learning about calories burned on an elliptical trainer, although this will definitely vary depending on your gender. It depends also on the body fat percentage and other personal characteristics. There are a few general estimates of the number calories burned on an elliptical trainer. General estimates of calories burned on an elliptical trainer. For a 150 pound woman doing 30 minutes of elliptical exercise, about 387 calories will be burned. For a 180 pound man doing about 30 minutes of the same exercise, anywhere from 464-500 calories will usually be burned. A few of the factors that will determine the calories burned on an elliptical trainer include the workout duration, interval training, elliptical tension settings, body composition, state of cardiovascular system, weight, and sex. If you want to make sure that you always get the most out of your workouts and are burning as many calories as possible, one of the best things that you can do is build in intervals.
Most elliptical trainers available these days offer incline and tension settings that you can adjust, and you should use these features to your advantage. You should try building in 30 second incline intervals every couple of minutes as this will slowly increase the intensity of the workout. It can allow you to get how many calories burned onan elliptical trainer. Another idea to increase the number of calories burned on an elliptical trainer is to take advantage of the backward and forward directions. Rather than just staying on one or the other, by switching it up and going back and forth you will be adding more intensity to your workout and burning more calories as a result. Also keep in mind that no matter how hard you work out, if you are not eating properly and drinking enough water you will not be getting the best results. It is important to live a generally healthy lifestyle in combination with proper exercise, to achieve the results that you desire.
When shopping for an elliptical trainer you will notice that there are two main types: ones with poles and ones without poles. Often it is recommended that you choose one that comes with detachable poles. The purpose of having the poles is that they allow you to work your upper body and not just your lower body. This allows you do work out your whole body and burn calories more efficiently.
When buying an elliptical trainer, there are a few things that you must consider, include these following guide:
Budget. There are many types of elliptical trainer all at different prices. You should always shop around for the best deal and even consider buying a second-hand model. Some elliptical trainers can cost up to thousands of dollars, so you should be sure that you can afford that. Unless you are training to become a bodybuilder or a marathon runner, most budget elliptical trainers should be more than sufficient for most people. Budget elliptical machines usually cost less than $500 and should be quite affordable. All too often people buy treadmills, exercise bikes and elliptical trainers with the good intention of getting fit. However after a few weeks or months they get bored and end up selling them at a much cheaper price than what they paid. So this gives you a great opportunity to pick up a bargain, plus if you do decide to re-sell it, you’re probably more likely to get your money back on it.
Manufacturer. There are so many different manufacturers of elliptical trainers and these include Rebok, Proform, Life Fitness and Schwinn. Make sure you read up on product review sites about each company and also the different brands they have to offer. You also want to learn about the customer service reputation of any company you plan to deal with. Depending on the manufacturer, getting service or repairs can either go smoothly or be a nightmare. In fact, one of the largest fitness equipment manufacturers has a horrendous reputation for customer service. You will see countless complaints in various elliptical trainer reviews. Buy from a company that stands behind their equipment.
Handrails. Elliptical trainers with handrails aren’t usually considered the best ones. This is because handrails can prevent the user from having the best workout overall.
Feature. You need to determine exactly what features you desire on an elliptical trainer. For example, what is a comfortable stride length for your height? The stride length can vary from 14″-22″. With a short stride length, you get a bouncy, circular motion, rather than a smooth elliptical motion. Other features to consider are:
- Rear vs. Front Brake System
- Selection of Workout Programs
- Quality of the Console and Display
- Articulating Foot Pedals – Pedals that angle with your strideH
- Heart Rate Control
- Stability
- Noise Level
How easy and comfortable it is to use. Each machine is built to different dimensions and standards. The only true way you are going to be able to determine what machine you prefer to use is simply to try it out. Read more
