Muscle Building Videos

April 19, 2011 by  
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One of the best ways to learn how to build muscle is to get some muscle building videos that can show you ways to maximize your workout and build the body you’ve always wanted. Watching a muscle pro perform the workout routine on video will help you to learn faster and give you motivation as well.

There are so many muscle building videos on the market; it can be difficult to choose which ones will help you with your goals. You can find all sorts of muscle building videos on subjects as diverse as posing, contests, exercises, and much more.

When you are choosing a video to follow, you really should keep some things in mind. First, decide what you really want to see. Do you want videos of people lifting weights and performing exercises so that you know how to do the exercises correctly? Do you want to have videos of muscle building contests that can show you the way you should be performing if you enter a contest yourself? The choices are varied, so think about what you are trying to accomplish before you buy.

 
 

Pumping Iron

When muscle building began to gain popularity in the 1970′s, Arnold Schwarzenagger made a video called “Pumping Iron” which was a big hit with bodybuilders everywhere. Since then, there have been other movies that have come out that feature muscle building pros. These videos can be great motivation for continuing your workout program and keeping you on track with your muscle building goals.

Muscle building videos are great resources to show you the correct way to pose when you are in a muscle building contest. You can look at the people who have won contests and then emulate what they are doing. Who knows – you might be able to win as well!
 

It’s so important to perform muscle building exercises in the correct way. When you do an exercise wrong, you are not only risking injury to yourself, but you are also not working your muscles in the most effective way possible. Having a muscle building video that shows you the correct way to perform an exercise can mean the difference between an effective workout or just wasting your time.

You can find muscle building videos in various places. A good place to start is online at places like Amazon.com or ebay.com. Pick wisely and then take whatever advice and tips you can gain from your muscle building videos.

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Muscle Building Magazines

April 19, 2011 by  
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When you are serious about muscle building, you will want to subscribe to a few muscle building magazines so that you can learn more about this great sport. Muscle building magazines offer so much information to both professionals as well as amateurs, that NOT subscribing to one is a huge mistake.

Besides the obvious advice that the articles will offer you, you will see much more inside the pages of popular muscle building magazines. You will get pictures of people who are considered to be ideals in the industry. You will receive reviews of popular supplements that can enhance your muscle building endeavors.

You will get information about the latest contests and competitions and how to succeed when you decide to enter a contest. These magazines have articles written by experts in the field and can offer up tips and techniques that you probably won’t find anywhere else.

It’s a good idea to subscribe to at least two muscle building magazines if you are an avid enthusiast. When you read these magazines, pay special attention to what the articles have to say. They can offer up some amazing information that will help you in both your workouts as well as with your diet.

What are the best magazines to subscribe to? The choice, of course, is personal, but there are a few magazines that remain in the forefront of the muscle building industry. Here are a few to consider:

* Flex

This magazine is considered the “bible” of hardcore body building. They do interviews with experts in the field and offer up some amazing advice for both the experienced as well as novice body builder.

Find them online at www.flexonline.com or subscribe to the paper edition at $42.97 for 12 issues / 12 months.

 
 
 
 
 
 

* Muscle & Fitness

This also is a highly respected magazine in the muscle building industry. Each issue refers a lot to the principles of fitness and muscle building. They give some good information on nutrition, weight training, and many other topics of interest to body builders.

Find them online at www.muscleandfitness.com or subscribe at $42.97 for 12 issues / 12 months

 
 
 
 
 
 

* Muscular Development

 

Another magazine for serious muscle builders. Muscular Development provides scientific information on sports, nutrition & training- written by doctors & specialists in the field. Each issue is packed with info on training regimens & nutritional supplements that will help you build a stronger, healthier body & perform at your best.

Their web address is www.musculardevelopment.com. You can also subscribe at $49.97 for 12 issues / 12 months

When you are serious about muscle building, you can’t go wrong when you subscribe to muscle building magazines. They can help keep you on track with your goals and make you shape the body you’ve always wanted.

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Muscle Building Nutrition

April 19, 2011 by  
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Muscle building nutrition is very important for anyone serious about muscle building. Good nutrition is essential for a healthy life, but it is most important for a body builder to have effective workouts and grow muscles quickly and efficiently. What type of nutrition should you have to become successful in your muscle building quest?

Protein
You need to first have a diet that is high in protein. That means eating a lot of chicken, fish, and meat. Chicken and fish are best for you because of their low fat content. Although fats are important in muscle building nutrition, you still must be careful that your fat consumption doesn’t contribute to health problems.

Carbohydrates
Another big part of healthy muscle building nutrition intake is to be sure that you consume lots of carbohydrates. Carbs are very important because they provide the primary energy source for our body from the foods we eat. You will need lots of energy to complete an intense workout which will build your muscles quicker and more efficiently.

Complex carbohydrates are the best carbs to take in. These can be found in foods such as whole grain rice, whole grain breads, and pasta. Be sure to take your carbohydrates with protein for maximum efficiency.

Fats
Fats are also very important in muscle building nutrition. Believe it or not, fats actually do good in our bodies providing insulation for body parts like the heart and lungs as well as making energy when the fats break down. Of course, you will want to consume the good fats as opposed to the bad ones so that you don’t gain weight through fat intake.

Saturated fats are the worst fats to take in. These are fats like animal lard and butter. Saturated fats are those that stay solid at room temperature. Unsaturated fats are the “good fats”, but they also should be consumed in moderation. Olive oil and flaxseed oil are good unsaturated fats. They stay liquid when at room temperature.

A very important fat group that can help both your body and mind are Omega 3 fatty acids that are found in fish. Omega 3 fatty acids are known to combat depression, fend off fatigue, and give you energy you need to workout.

Fruit and Vegetables
You should also include a lot of fresh vegetables in your diet. Foods such as broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots give you many vitamins and minerals that are necessary for a healthy body. Fruit should be consumed in moderation as they naturally contain a certain amount of sugar naturally. Too much sugar can hinder your progress.

Supplements
Musclebuilding supplements are a great way to get nutrients to the body fast. At a minimum I suggest you use whey protein supplements. Depending on your goals and level of training, creatine and glutamine should also be considered.

If you want to gain muscle mass you need to eat more calories than your burn throughout the day. Diet and nutrition is just as important as lifting weights and exercising. Getting good muscle building nutrition is essential for an effective muscle building routine.

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Muscle Building Exercises

April 19, 2011 by  
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In a muscle building program, the exercises that you do can make all the difference between an effective program and one that won’t do much good. The good thing is that there are many, many muscle building exercises you can incorporate into your workout that will help burn fat and build muscle.

Exercises for the Legs
For big legs, you’ll want to do a lot of barbell squats and dead lifts. The resistance you are putting on your legs when you perform these types of exercises will push your muscles to make them grow. That’s the point of an intense workout program in the first place. Lifting weights with your legs instead of your arms will help the quadriceps and hamstrings become tight and fit.

Exercises for the Arms
When working your arms, the muscle building exercises you should count on will consist a lot of barbell and dumbbell curls and well as bench presses. It’s easy when performing these exercises to just concentrate on lifting the weights, but what you really need to do is focus on the strain the weights are putting on your arm muscles. Really push them as you are lifting and feel how they are working in response.

Exercises for the Abs
Great abs are formed much in the same way as any other muscle group. They need to be worked, strained, and pushed in order to become toned. You can get that toned, sculpted look by doing crunches, but weights can help too. Try hanging from a chin up bar and lifting your knees up, or get on a machine specially designed to tone the ab muscles.

Exercises for the Upper Back
When working the upper back, a pull-down bar machine will make all the difference in the world. This is a two handled curved bar that is attached to weights with a pulley system. You pull the bar down with your shoulders behind you.

Exercises for the Lower Back
If you want to do one exercise to work your whole body including the lower back, upper back, triceps, legs and buttocks then it should be heavy deadlifts. The deadlift is a power exercise designed to build overall physique which uses more muscles than any other exercise.

It’s important when choosing muscle building exercises that you pick the ones that you are physically able to do. Then be very conscious of the way the exercise is supposed to be performed. If you don’t pay special attention to your form, you risk injury which can set back your muscle building program significantly.

Take a look at the muscle building exercises here and learn how to immediately implement them into your muscle building workouts. Not only will you gain more muscular strength in the process, but you’ll begin to gain muscle mass.

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Muscle Building Supplements

April 18, 2011 by  
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If you are serious about muscle building, you will want to consider adding a muscle building supplement to your nutritional program. Supplements are sort of like vitamins. They add to what you are already doing when eating right for muscle building and provide you with more of what your body needs to grow muscle.

You have many choices when it comes to muscle building supplements. There are hundreds of brands on the market, and the choice is up to you which one you want to use. They are all essentially the same, but some are better than others. Pick a brand that is well known and well-respected who has proven results.

Types of Supplements
As for what types of supplements you should use, there are basically four different ones that can help you in your workout program. These include:

  • Protein powders
  • Creatine
  • Glutamine
  • Nitric Oxide

Each has its own distinct advantages depending on what you are trying to achieve in your muscle building program. Protein helps build strong muscle, creatine combats fatigue allowing for longer, more effective workouts, glutamine helps combat the stress you are putting your body under during a workout, and nitric oxide increases the flow of muscle building agents to skeletal muscle.

Another supplement many body builders use should be avoided. In order to grow quickly, some body builders will resort to the use of synthetic steroids and growth hormones. However, these muscle building supplements can have damaging side effects. Many of these substances are illegal, and if you are competing in muscle building competitions, you will be disqualified if they are found in your system.

Muscle building supplements are generally considered safe to use for most people. If you are considering using a supplement, you should check with a doctor first. If you have any underlying conditions, the doctor will be able to tell you if using a specific supplement can help or ultimately hurt you.

Supplements in a muscle building program are just part of the sports. You probably won’t find a serious body builder who doesn’t use them. But be sure to use those that are legal and safe to use. If they aren’t, you may find you are hurting yourself rather than helping.

Muscle building supplements can be great tools to help you grow muscles and enhance your workouts. It’s possible to get by without them, but they can really add to your workouts and help you achieve results faster.

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Muscle Building Equipment

April 18, 2011 by  
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Generally, people think of muscle building equipment as weight machines. While weight machines are some of the best ways to work specific muscle groups, there is still a lot of other muscle building equipment you can use to help tone and work your muscles to their fullest potential.

Of course, you will want to have some type of weights to help you with your muscle building goals. A stable weight bench and some barbells as well as dumbbells will help you workout at home. If you’re not able to get to a gym, having these types of weights at home will contribute to your workout program and help you burn fat and build muscle in an amazing way.

An exercise ball is a cheap way to work your ab muscles and make them strong. You simply roll over the ball and perform sit-ups while using the resistance that the ball can give you works your abs. Exercise balls can be purchased in many places including discount stores like Wal-Mart, and are relatively inexpensive when you consider what they can give you in the long run. A favorite of mine is the TRX Suspension Training System, which is versatile and can be used anywhere.

Muscle building equipment doesn’t have to be expensive. You can actually come across some great deals when you search out the types of machines that you want to enhance your workout. Check online and look in the classified ads of your local newspaper to find Nautilus machines as well as treadmills or stair step machines.

You should look for reliability in muscle building equipment before you buy. This is especially true if you are buying a machine with pulley systems. Look at the cords and see if they are strong and not frayed. If there is any sign of stress on the pulleys, don’t buy it.

If you are looking to buy some muscle building equipment from a large company, be sure that they are reliable and offer a guarantee. It’s convenient to have your own weight machine in your home, but if it doesn’t give you the workout that you need, you’re just throwing your money away.

The equipment you use when you are undertaking a muscle building program can be very important. You will want to choose the type of muscle building equipment that will give you maximum results and contribute to your goals. There are many places you can go to get this type of equipment, but know what you are looking for before you buy.

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Muscle Building Routine

April 18, 2011 by  
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While there is no one specific way you should plan a muscle building routine, there are some better ways to go about a workout plan than others. An effective muscle building routine will blend with your schedule while allowing you sufficient time to build muscle by working out in the most efficient way possible.

Most experts agree that you need to schedule in rest days when considering how your muscle building routine will go. Beginners need to take into consideration their physical health before they begin so that they know what their body is capable of. This is so important because overall general health will dictate how often you can workout without risk of injury or fatigue that can lead to you quit.

An effective muscle building routine will concentrate on working certain parts of the body just one day a week. You should also include cardio workout into your routine. You need to have rest days to allow your body to recover, so be sure to take at least two days off. Do your research when choosing to emulate the muscle building routine from someone else. Did they get good results from this routine? Do they have the kind of body you want to have? If so, then you should go ahead and try their workout. If not, just keep looking!

Be sure to have clearly defined goals when coming up with your muscle building routine. Without goals, you are just lifting weights. If you want to lose weight and gain mass, that will dictate how you workout and what your routine will be. If you are just interested in toning your muscles, that, too, will help define how your muscle building routine will go.

To allow for continuing progress, your program must always be changing your workout load. That means adding weight when your muscles become stronger. There’s no one set formula for how much weight you should add at any specific time. You know your body and add sufficient weight that will push your muscles so that they can grow.

Different workout programs are geared towards different people. No one plan will work for everyone. You have to take into consideration your age, your gender, your physical health, and your capabilities. Tailor your muscle building routine to what you are able to do without causing significant injury to your body.

An effective muscle building routine is important in order for you to achieve your muscle building goals. When coming up with a routine, be sure that you are keeping those goals in mind and then devise a plan that works for you.

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Muscle Building Program

April 17, 2011 by  
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What makes an effective muscle building program? Well, it’s not all about just lifting weights. A good and efficient muscle building program will encompass various parts of the body as well as good nutrition and lifestyle habits. What do you need to know to make a good muscle building program? Actually, you need to know a lot!

First and foremost, you need to pay attention to what your body is able to do. Work slowly and work your way up to lifting the big weights. And yes, lifting weights is a big part of a good muscle building program, but it’s certainly not everything. You want to be sure that you start small and work your way up so that you don’t risk injury and hamper your progress.

Resistance Training
A good muscle building program will contain a variety of exercises meant to work specific parts of the body at any given time. Your muscles will grow when you provide an adequate amount of resistance that is provided by the weights that you are asking your muscles to lift. Don’t overdo it, though. If you get injured, you will hinder your progress and not be able to grow in the ways you want to.

Nutrition
Good nutrition is important in any muscle building program. You need to be sure that you are getting the appropriate nutrients you need to be sure that your muscles are being given what they require to grow to new proportions. That means loading your diet with lots of protein and lots of carbohydrates. Fats are important as well – but be sure they are unsaturated fats which are actually good for your body in moderation, of course.

Rest
Be sure you schedule some rest days in your muscle building program. Your muscles need time to heal and to grow. The only time they will get that advantage is when you are resting. Muscles grow when the body is in a sedentary state, so be sure that you get a minimum of eight hours of sleep a night to help your muscle building program work to its full advantage.

You should also choose a variety of exercises that will focus on specific muscles. Your muscle building program should work every single muscle in your body, so choose exercises that will tone and work every muscle group possible. That way you will burn fat and build muscle.

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Muscle Building Diet

April 17, 2011 by  
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A muscle building diet is one of the most effective weapons you can have to achieve maximum potential.  Diet is so important to the muscle builder as it not only supplies the body with the energy needed to perform your exercises as well as giving you the nutrients you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Protein

A good muscle building diet will include a lot of protein.  It is critical for building muscle, losing fat, and contributing to the overall health of our tissues and organs.  You should be consuming 1 gram of protein for each pound of your body weight.  Body builders should increase that amount to a gram and a half per day.  Good sources of protein include meat, fish, and milk. You can also add whey protein powder.

Carbs

Carbohydrates should also be a big part of the muscle building diet.  Carbs are a major source of the fuel our body uses for activity.  You should include complex carbohydrates in your diet through starches and fiber.  That means eating pasta, whole grain rice, and whole grain breads as well as potatoes.

Fats

Believe it or not, fats are also an important part of a muscle building diet.  Our bodies need fats to function correctly and efficiently.  They are an energy source for the body and regulate most of our bodily processes.

The key for including fat in your diet is to consume the good fats as opposed to the bad one.  Good fats are unsaturated ones found in olive oil or flaxseed oil.  Unsaturated fats are ones that are liquid at room temperature.  Saturated fats can clog your arteries and lead to health problems, so they should be avoided as much as possible.  Animal lard and butter are saturated fats and are solid at room temperature.

Fiber

You should also have adequate fiber in your muscle building diet.  Fiber helps your body flush out impurities on a regular basis and helps contribute to weight loss.  Some good sources of fiber are whole grain as well as nuts and seeds.

Vegetables

Finally, you will want to include a lot of vegetables in your diet as well as a moderate amount fruit.  Fruit can cause you to retain water and contribute to a larger amount of sugar that you would otherwise need.  However, vegetables contain essential vitamins and nutrients that you body needs to operate efficiently.

A good muscle building diet is one that is balanced and nutritious.  You should consume the majority of your protein and carbohydrates in the morning and eat five or six small meals daily instead of three large ones.  A good diet is important to effective muscle building.

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Muscle Building Workout

April 17, 2011 by  
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A muscle building workout should be a well-rounded program that provides an adequate amount of resistance to all areas of the body and all muscle groups.  It should contain a variety of exercises including weight training and a cardiovascular rotation as well.

Before starting a muscle building program, you need to consider the current state of your health.  Your health can factor in your recoverability, susceptibility to injury, and your physical limitations.  If you are beginning a muscle building workout to get fit, you will probably have to start slow and work your way up.

Know Your Goals

Another factor in a muscle building workout is to consider what your personal goals are in this endeavor.  Do you want to increase body mass, burn fat, or just become stronger?  Whatever goal you have will dictate what type of workout will work best to succeed.

Basic Knowledge

You must have a basic knowledge of human anatomy and what muscles are located where on your body.  When you know where your muscles are, you’ll be better equipped to work them to their maximum capacity.  You can concentrate on the specific muscle groups and use the weights to tone and sculpt those muscles.

Workout Routine

An effective muscle building workout will be four days long to begin with.  A good idea is to workout on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday with your rest day on Wednesday and the weekend.  Here is a good, basic muscle building workout that will focus on each part of the body, but not all at the same time:

  • Day 1: Deltoids, Triceps
  • Day 2: Back, Traps
  • Day 3: OFF
  • Day 4: Legs, Forearms
  • Day 5: Chest, Biceps
  • Day 6: OFF
  • Day 7: OFF

Working out in this way will work each body group on one day only which will allow for maximum recovery time as well as maximum growth potential.  You need recovery time due to the intensity of a strong muscle building workout to allow your muscles to heal in between workout sessions.  This is very important in any muscle building program.

Exercise Log

Keep a log of the exercises you are performing and note your progress regularly.  By doing this, you’ll know where you stand as far as your strength potential, and you can make changes as needed to realize your personal goal. Keeping an exercise log is a great way to stay motivated.

Muscle building workouts vary from person to person, but they all contain basic components that can help all body builders build muscle and tone their bodies.  When putting together your muscle building workout, keep your personal goals in mind and then go for it!

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