What Is the Best Way to Build Muscle?

The worst mistake made by several individuals while building their muscles is that they follow workout plans found in muscle building books or magazines. Almost all men you see on these papers take anabolic steroids or they have a naturally blessed mesomorph edge which allows these individuals to gain muscle sooner than typical individuals like you and me.

Let me prove the best ways to grow muscles effortlessly and fast - although not by injecting yourself with things or getting caught up in insufficient, incorrect exercise habits that don't work.

Here are the three best ways to build muscle?

Weight Lifting

When you lift up heavy items, segments of your muscles will breakdown and then reconstruct. It means you do not need to go to the gym and you can actually do them at home on your own. Keep in mind that you must continue this exercise routine on a daily basis. You can't stop it for a while and pick it up again and do a couple of days. This back and forth way won't assist you to build your muscles; instead the exercise might hurt you. In the meantime, you can also add some extra and effective exercises to build your muscle mass, such as deadlifts, mass rows, push-ups, and seat press and so on. All of those mixtures of lifts will help you build muscles.

Eat Foods to Build Muscles

However, when you follow your workout plan to do daily exercise at the gym, don't forget to eat a healthy diet at the same time. When doing deadlifts, or barbells, your body consumes calories and burn fat and you need to recover the strength. What quantity of food is enough for muscle building? For example, if your weight is 132 pounds, you would need to consume at least 2460 calories every day to build your muscles, therefore, a healthy diet plan is essential.

Sleeping Habits

Relaxation and a free mind are always vital factors for good health. Without restful sleep, your muscle building will slow. Why? The reason is that human muscle tissues are built only when our bodies are relaxed. The tissues are not built when doing your workout at the gym. Normally people need 7-8 hours of sleep per day. Don't stress yourself and live healthily.

In addition to the tips above, there is some other, extra information for those men wishing to build their muscles. "SOMANABOLIC MUSCLE MAXIMIZER" - Kyle Lean, a well-known nutritionist as well as professional trainer, vividly introduces how to build muscle mass. His goals are to help men understand in what conditions muscle mass can be built and assist those gym goers to correct their improper thinking and ways of building muscle mass. Food and exercise plans should be undertaken at the same time so as to build up mass and lose weight. Hopefully those men obtain nutrition regularly and keep their bodies in good shape.

5 Easy Tips to Get Stronger

There are a lot of people that strength train trying to get stronger for many different reasons. These people may be putting in the time, but are lacking the desired results. With the help of my five tips, people can power through their sticking point and get stronger.

1. Control the weight down- A lot of weight lifters out there only focus on how much weight they are using, and these people view form as a secondary action. Most people do not know that the eccentric contraction breaks down more muscle than the concentric contraction. For example, the way down on a bicep curl or the way down on a bench press is an eccentric contraction. Lifters who only focus on driving the weight up and forget to control it down not only are more prone to injury, but they also are skipping the most important part of their workout.

2. Rest- Muscle growth does not occur at the gym. The act of strength training breaks down the muscle, and it grows back bigger when you rest. If you over train and do not rest, the muscle is not growing back properly and you are wasting your workouts. Each muscle should be trained no more than two times per week. Also, the best workouts come after the body takes 3-5 days of rest. For example, power lifters will take up to a week off from lifting before a competition.

3. Protein- Up to about an hour after your workout, your muscles absorb nutrients such as protein easier. After a workout you should be consuming about 40-50 grams of protein because that is how much protein your body can absorb at a single time. Your body is capable of absorbing more protein about 4 hours later. For greater muscle gains, a lifter should be consuming the equivalent of their body weight in grams of protein however this is frowned upon by nutritionists. Protein can be acquired through various sources such as food, protein powder, or milk.

4. Push yourself- When weight training, many people lift to a predetermined number of repetitions during a set. They feel like once they reach this number they have to stop. The most muscle is being built on the last two reps a person performs when he or she thinks they cannot do any more.

5. Strengthen your core- A person's core is very important to lifting of any exercise because it is always being used. If a power lifter has a weak core, they are limiting their workouts. It is important for people to keep in mind that the core is not limited to the abdominals, but also includes lower back.

Grow Bigger And Stronger

When you understand the "science" behind how and why the body gets stronger and bigger, you can apply it when you choose to do so.

The body is a mechanical and organic energy that "grows" and becomes stronger when it is under "PROPER" stress and work.

The science is simple. But do not make the common mistake to underestimate the science just because it is simple. Simple things are usually the most powerful things.

To grow, you must take in more calories, lift heavier, and sleep as much as possible. The body needs more nutrients as you break it down with hard training. The body needs heavier loads in order for it to be forced into growth and strength. The body needs enough rest in order to restore and build.

Take in at-least 3,000 clean calories per day, if you can not do that everyday, do it at-least on your workout days. Clean calories are calories NOT from fast food or junk foods. Vegetables, fruits, and lean lean meats. If your calories are NOT clean, be ready to add a lot of fat to your body.

Lift heavy, work 100% effort every time you workout. Keep reps within the 1-7 rep range, warm-up with a light weight for about 30 reps at 2 to three sets. The warm up is important so that you will NOT tear a muscle or inflict some other kind of injury. ALWAYS use proper form, some exercises allow a little room for cheating, but normally use VERY STRICT form.

DO NOT work out more than 45 mins to 1 hour if your goal is for size.

Long workouts mean you need more energy, the energy your body requires will cause your body to seek that energy by burning possible muscle tissue, long workouts also lower testosterone levels.

Stretch after each workout, stretch until you feel very loose and relaxed all over the body and through it. A stretched and flexible muscle grows much faster than tight stiff muscles.

Drink PLENTY of WATER, almost a gallon a day if possible. The body grows faster and suffers less energy loss when it is hydrated well.

Breathe deeply. Simple: Breath is "life". Breathe OUT when exerting force.

Eat more green vegetables, lean protein, and lower carbs. make sure to eat plenty of GREEN VEGGIES. Green veggies clean the body and make it stronger supplying vital nutrients. The CLEANER the body, the faster it RECOVERS and builds.

Eight Reasons Strength Training Rocks For Your Health And Looks

Why strength train?

It's hard to think of a training method that offers so many benefits as progressive strength training. No one other method can enhance every facet of fitness;

Run faster, jump higher, cycle longer, hit harder, increase endurance, bigger muscles, stronger bones etc.

Any athlete that strength trains is a better athlete for it. In fact, any person that strength trains is better off for having done so.

Muscles are our own personal movement motors - they propel every movement we make. If your motors are withered and weak, it reflects in every aspect of your life. Strong muscles make movement and life in general more enjoyable and easier.

When you strengthen a muscle you increase it's ability to produce force, which in turn can be trained into a specific sports related skill.

Not only that, a stronger muscle is harder to hurt (sprain) and as a result, the joints that they surround are more stable for it and thus also harder to damage.

SO thus far we have:

1) Strengthening your muscles increases force potential and thus movement performance

2) Strength training reduces the chance of injury and strengthens joints which in turn keep your bones and posture healthy.

For the majority of people, training with weights is considered reserved for those that want bigger muscles - think body building. I would like to educate a person right now that is a possibility, if that is want you want to do, however it is not something that has to happen. Getting big muscles is not as easy as simply lifting weights.

When you do lift weights/ strength train you are toning your muscles - tone simply means the residual electrical energy running through a relaxed muscle, holding it in a state of readiness. So when someone asks to "tone" an area, what they are actually seeking, is a way to strengthen that area. They may not know it, but strength training is the best and fastest way to tone a muscle.

Not only is it the best way to tone a muscle, it also happens to be one of the most overlooked ways to increase endurance too.

Taking cycling as an example (Us Brits like our cycling after Beijing) to help explain and how and why strength training helps your endurance capacity;

Your maximum strength level is 100 units in this example.

To keep the crank turning at 100 revolutions per minute you need to produce a force of 60 units each rotation. (Numbers are purely for illustrative purposes).

60 units out of a possible maximum of 100 units has you working at 60% of your maximum to hold that speed and your place in the pack.

Now fast forward 6 months and some serious, well programmed strength training later and you have increase your maximum strength level to 200 units.

That same effort of 60 units to keep the crank rotating at 100 revs per minute is now only 33% of your maximum effort and thus much easier leaving you more energy and strength for a spectacular sprint finish.

OR

You could continue to work at 60% of your maximumstrength levels which would now have you able to be pushing 120 units of effort through that crank - I'll leave you experiment with how many more revs you will get out of it (or what gear you can now work in) and how much further up the pack you are now you have added a well designed strength programme to your training!

I don't know how Lance Armstrong trained but I am willing to bet he lifts weights to get the edge.

So now we have 2 more;

3) Progressive strength training is the quickest and safest way to tone a muscle.

4) Strength training is a hugelybeneficial method to increase your performance in endurance based events

But wait, there's more.

When a muscle has been well toned and strengthened, it needs more energy to help hold it in that readied state - it burns more calories. Bad for your food bill, great for your waist line and getting lean. The stronger you are, the more calories you will burn. Don't get the image of a super heavyweight power lifter in your mind, yes they are strong and yes they are fat, however, they choose to be fat to stay in their weight class and the extra fat around joints helps store energy and reduce the range of motion they lift a weight over and thus allows them to lift more.

Power lifters and weight lifters that stay in a lighter weight class to show off huge power to weight ratios are super lean for sure.

Strong muscles hold a better shape and are more pleasing to the eye. I am not suggesting we all look like body builders or that is even pleasing to the eye. I am suggesting that the muscles of a well trained athlete are far more pleasing than the soft out of shape muscles of your average person. Strength training can literally transform your shape - saggy bingo wings, get them stronger. "Relaxed" abs, strength train. Smaller tighter bum, strength train!

When you have a strong body you feel more confident, this leads to less stress, that leads to better health and lower levels of stress hormones, leading to better sleep and quicker recovery - bonus for sure.

As a happy side not worthy of mention strength training will also keep the muscles of you cardiovascular system strong, elastic and clear from junk.

To add to this list;

5) Strength training causes your body to burn more calories per day through an increased metabolic rate.

6) Strong muscles look better

7) Strength training reduces stress through increased confidence and better sleep.

8) Progressive strength training also helps keep your heart and vessels strong.

No other one mode of training offers so much from so little.

Be stronger, be better.

5 Tips To Get More From Your Workouts

"So, what do you do?"

I get this question on a consistent basis from people when inquiring about what type of workout I do. The thing is, it's not as much about the workout I'm doing as it is about the principles that I apply to all my workouts. To be honest, my workouts change as my body and my goals change. There is no single perfect workout that when utilized will be the end all be all of workouts. Sorry, but it's the truth.

What's more important is being optimal to what your goals are. For some, that may be to build muscle. For others, it may be strength or weight loss. You can get results from all kinds of different workouts, but it may not be optimized for your goals, meaning you might have gained 5 lbs of muscle doing a certain workout, yet if you optimized your workouts more, you could have gained 10 lbs of muscle. This also applies to weight loss and strength.

It's not as much about what other people are doing, but it's about what is it you want to do and applying the correct principles to your workouts. I have learned from my mentors over the years and many professional bodybuilders, powerlifters, and athletes that I follow and read about. All their training programs are designed for what they want to specifically get out of them. A wide receiver doesn't do the same workout as an offensive lineman, not if they want to be a productive wide receiver.

So what are these principles that I'm babbling all about? I'm glad you asked. Even if you didn't ask, here they are:

1) Goal specific workouts - your workouts should always match up with your goals. You can train for strength, muscle size, weight loss, speed, power, etc. If you are wanting to gain muscle mass, but you're running on a treadmill an hour a day... your training isn't matching with your goals.

2) Train with a purpose - your workout time is your time. It's a time that you can be completely selfish, clear your mind, and escape from everything around you. So you should train like it. Chatting with everyone around you, talking on your cell phone, texting, checking facebook, really anything that takes your mind off your workout is super counterproductive. Sorry, it just is. I doubt you would have see Jerry Rice or Michael Jordan running over to check their phones when they were training or practicing.

3) Stick to your plan - this one here may be the most important one out of all of these tips. One of the worst things you can do is to start a workout program, then 2 weeks in ditch it for some newfound program you ran across in a magazine or a friend told you about. If you want results from a plan, you have to give it at least 8 - 12 weeks to see comparable results. Being a workout jumper is not something that you want to be known for. I don't know how many times someone has told me "I did the (insert workout here), but I didn't see any results after a couple of weeks". You can then insert my face in hand reaction and try to instruct these well meaning souls that the greatest workouts won't garner great results only after a few weeks. OK, sorry I had to rant there... I'm good now. Also, if you are constantly jumping from workout program to workout program, you will never know how your body reacts to certain types of training. Do you respond well to high volume, low volume, high intensity, drop sets, max sets, etc? You will never know and therefore you won't train your body optimally and see your desired results.

4) Eat to support your workouts - now this should go without saying, but I shall sayeth it (you like that Old English). If you are not supporting your workouts with a proper nutrition plan, then you might as well be at home watching TV and spend some time with your family. Keep in mind that this is applying to people who want to achieve physique goals in the gym of building muscle, burning fat, etc. If you are one that is just at the gym to stay active, I applaud you. But you should still follow a good nutritional program:)

If you hit the 4 windows of opportunity when it comes to nutrition then you will be well on your way to supporting your workouts and achieving the physique you desire. These 4 windows are:

1) Breakfast

2) Pre Workout (30-60 min before exercise)

3) Post Workout (20-45 min after exercise)

4) Bedtime

If you nail these 4 times right then you will see some astonishing results in a short amount of time.

5) Pump Up The Jams - want to have great workouts and stay focused in the gym? Then you should plug in your iPod and listen to your favorite tunes. According to the U.S. periodical Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, when participants listened to their favorite music while jogging, they increased their endurance by 15%. Pretty sweet right?

If you don't agree, then I don't know what you're looking for.

OK, so anything is probably better than overhearing conversations you wish you didn't, crappy gym music, or listening to the guy awkwardly scream as he is benching next to you. So even if you have some favorite closet tunes like Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, or God forbid the Backstreet Boys, you can crank it up and reap the results. The beauty of it is that no one will be able to hear what you're listening to so there won't be any judgements... besides when you look in the mirror and you shamefully mouth the words to Backstreet's Back. Be honest, you know exactly what I'm talking about and sort of like it.

OK that's all I've got for now, but I promise you that if you implement these 5 principles into your workouts, you will see some great results and really start reaping the benefits of your training. You might even enjoy it a little more, too.

5 Reasons Why Weight Trainers Should Get Wicked With Water!

Approximately 70% of the planet is water. Coincidentally or not, approximately 70% of your body is water too - mixed with a few pounds of chemicals. Water is good for your brain, as it seems to help the thinking process. But physically it is great for you too. It provides moisture for your skin and assists in the passage of food through the body.

Approximately 2 percent of your weight is lost before you start feeling thirsty. Just 2 per cent. Therefore, it is important to drink even when you do not feel thirsty. Your performance in the gym starts going downwards as a result and you will not be able to lift as much. That is how finely balanced your body is. To keep hydrated is the best policy as the body is not very good at recognising when dehydration is taking place. One sign obviously is discoloured urine. Deep yellow is a sign that the body is very dehydrated.

You should drink according to your size some body who weighs 200lbs should drink more than somebody who weighs 120lbs. You should aim to drink eight large cups of water a day. Below are some more tips regarding being in the gym and water:

1. It lubricates your joints, which is especially helpful when lifting weights. Your joints obviously move easier when lubricated. Drinking plenty of water combined with a good fish oil supplement each day helps you to avoid any mobility problems you may have.

2. Water helps muscle definition too. Drinking cold water is excellent for the body. The body warms up the water that you drink and in so doing burns calories and therefore helps to maintain or lose weight. This process happens at any time, so if you are at your desk you can drink water as well as doing this when you are actually working out.

3. You need our beloved H2O when exercising to avoid cramps. Being well hydrated helps you to avoid that painful situation especially when doing repetitive exercises. I have done abdominal crunches before and endured agonising cramps in the abs. However, I have heard that a lack of water, along with lack of potassium is the main culprit. Eating a banana or two during the day as well as drinking plenty of water, will help with that scenario.

4. Our favourite fluid also assists in replenishing lost water through perspiration when working out. This is particularly useful when doing cardio vascular activity.

5. Water should be drunk before your workout routine, during and after. The amount of water in your body helps your electrolyte levels which in turn stimulates the nerves assisting in the muscle building process.

Drinks which are labelled as sport drinks can be useful after a prolonged period of exercise as they replace electrolytes. Generally speaking though, water is the head honcho. Many sports drinks contain sugars, which are not really needed unless you are doing a prolonged period of exercise. Drinking endurance drinks that keep you awake can be dangerous when working out too. They contain high doses of caffeine. Far from hydrating you, they dehydrate you and are not really designed to be consumed in conjunction with working out in the gym. In fact, they could be dangerous to take at the same time.

How to Gain Weight and Build Mass Without Getting Fat

The biggest fear when trying to gain weight and add muscle size is that the process used to reach those goals will also make you fat. It's a real concern. But, you should first realize that it is impossible to only put on muscle. If you have a calorie surplus, which is required for putting on muscle, you will also inevitably put on a little fat.

Don't feel down. Answer this question: Would you mind putting on a little fat for a lot of muscle? Well, that answer to that is the key for fixing your mentality when it comes to gaining weight and fat. It is significantly faster to lose fat than to put on new muscle mass. Of course, your goal should be to maximize muscle gains while minimizing fat gains, but try not to pay too much attention to slight fat gains during any "massbuilding" phase. If you train properly and follow a clean diet, it is possible to add significant amounts of mass without adding too much body fat.

Get Stronger

More strength means more muscle. Muscle burns more calories than fat. If you train to build muscle, you'll burn more calories which will eventually make it easier to reach a lower body fat percentage. That's why many trainers advocate focusing on maximizing strength. Keep strength as your primary goal and everything else will fall in place.

Clean Dieting

Learn your macronutrients. Eating enough to gain weight is one thing. But, eating enough food to gain GOOD weight is another thing. Altering the ratio of protein, fat, and carbohydrates is the most important thing you can alter to maximize your likelihood of reaching any fitness goal. You need to know how much of each macronutrient your body needs for a specific goal. Eating the right ratios of macronutrients when trying to add muscle will limit how many calories get stored as fat.

Eating clean also means exercising discipline even if you are trying to gain weight. Avoid junk food and eating out! Limit your cheat meals to once or twice a week.

Setting Goals

Set reasonable and attainable goals. Like I said before, putting on fat is inevitable when you are trying to gain weight. Not all of your gains can be muscle. But, your goal should be to limit fat gains while maximizing muscle gains. If you gain 10 lbs, but only 4 lbs of that are fat, I would call that a resounding success.

Everyone always wants the impossible. Don't let that get you distracted from your ultimate goal. Gaining a little bit of fat in order to gain a lot of muscle is a good trade-off. Once your body fat percentage starts to get higher than you want it, just drop into a 6-8 week cutting cycle to get rid of the excess fat while preserving the muscle you put on. For this time period, you will want to shift to a calorie restricted diet, change your macronutrient ratio and add in some cardio. If you are serious about preserving your muscle gains while losing body fat, I highly suggest using a cyclical ketogenic diet.