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by Chung Leong Yu

There is nothing more desirable than getting a nice set of abs. Having a flat stomach often sets one a part from the normal and gets lots of attention. The problem is that not many people know how to get a flat abs. It is not really rocket science but you need to know a few rules to adhere before even talking about losing weight. What you are about read here are three surefire ways help you lose that gut and make you look really good! Ok, without waiting any further, let’s get into tips number one.

Do The Cardio

Yes, you read that clearly. In order for you to really burn that stubborn body fat, you need to get that cardio in. There is no way around it. You have probably heard it over and over again on the internet, from health magazines and also perhaps from your trainer. But whether you like it or not, doing your time on the treadmill does the job. Doing cardio can really help you burn body fat in a very short amount of time.

How Many Times a Week?

I know you wish I would say once a week but dream on! In order to get results, you need to do your cardio three times a week. But if you want fabulous results, you need to do your cardio for five times a week.

How Long Per Cardio Session?

I have seen a lot of people just do twenty minutes on the treadmill and they thought that they have done enough for the week. To really get the results that you want, you need to spend at least thirty to forty five minutes on the cardio machine of your choice. I know it sounds a long time but, if you want results, you got to do it.

The second tip for getting a flat stomach quickly is to do high intensity interval training or also known as HIIT. This sort of training is rather the opposite of the conventional way of dong cardio. Instead of doing continuous running, HIIT requires you to sprint for one minute and walk for another minute. When I say sprint, I mean really sprint. You must be totally drained out by the end of the working minute.

Even though the calorie stated on the machine is lesser than it would if you run slower for forty five minutes, the after burn the HIIT creates has tremendous calorie burning capabilities.

Never Skip The Weight Training! Here Is Why!

I sometimes hear a lot of people saying that they want to lose weight so they would just do cardio and not include weight training. They are dead wrong! Weight training is one of the only way to increase muscle in the body and also a fabulous way to speed up metabolism. Every pound of muscle you put on, you burn an additional 50 calories! Isn’t that great? This is because muscles are living tissues and it needs calories to sustain.

How Many Times of Pumping Iron?

In order to get some results, go for twice a week of weight training. If you have the luxury of time, do three weight training sessions a week.

Pack On Muscle On The Legs

This is the third tip. Packing on solid high quality muscle on the legs can really help burn body fat. The legs can carry lots of muscle due to its size compared to the others. Besides that, if you have stronger legs, you can do more cardio at a higher intensity which translate to more calorie burn!

Getting that dream body requires extra work. If it is easy, everybody on the street would have a lean sexy figure. Stick to your workout program and never give up!

Leong is a very experienced American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer. He has written countless articles on weight loss, exercise, diet and fitness that have helped many achieve their fitness goals. For limited time only, you can download his unique info packed Fat Loss E-Mag value at $90 for FREE!

FitnessDude :: May.10.2008 :: Weightloss, Fitness, Bodybuilding, Workout :: No Comments »

By: Corwin Brown

Many of us have to train in the late afternoon or evening after work, and there is a tendency to eat more heavily during the day when you’re anticipating a late ride or run. However, most of these workouts are 60-90 minutes in length, so you really don’t need a huge amount of fuel for them. Try to avoid overcompensating with calories during the day, have your last big meal 2-3 hours before training and small (200-250 calorie) snack in the hour before training.

Start the workout a little hungrier than normal, and consume 120-240 calories per hour of carbohydrate (30-60 grams) during the workout. You’ll tend to eat less during the workout than you normally overcompensated with prior to it, but you’ll still have the energy to complete a quality workout.
A whole body exercise is most effective in lowering your body fat percentage. These types of exercises include barbell lifts and dumbbell swings and snatches. Cardio training and interval training can also help by accelerating your body’s metabolism.
An effective interval training workout would be to sprint for 30 seconds before slow jogging for 1 minute, and then repeating this process for around 10 minutes. It is highly effective for boosting your body metabolism.
Reduce your overall salt, sugar and simple carbohydrate intake. They’re just bad altogether Drink water regularly. Eat smaller portions more often throughout the day.

You can have the Ripped! Workout for an incredible price. It can cost hundreds of dollars to join a gym, and chances are it will not give you the opportunity to burn calories and build muscle so quickly. With the Ripped! Workout you can do the workout in the comfort of your own home and after only 3 to 4 weeks you will be in the best shape of your life - guaranteed.

The secret to getting ripped abs is extremely simple. I know this first hand because I have done it. Don’t waste your money on all this trendy crap….Even though what I am about to tell you is pretty trendy. Eat a bowl of special K cereal (or similar) for breakfast and lunch. Maybe ad a banana and orange to it at lunch.

Sit down on a sit-up board and hook your feet under the strap. With your knees slightly bent, put your hands behind your head and your chin on your chest. Twist your upper body to the right. Retaining this position, inhale and lower your torso down until your lower back touches the board. Return to the starting position and exhale. Now twist your upper body to the left and repeat the same movement. A movement to the right and left is considered one repetition.

Proper nutrition is the key to fat loss. No matter how much or hard you train, you’ll never get visible abs if you live on crisps, sodas, fast food, cookies and other crap. Don’t fall for any of the low carb, low fat, high protein and other fad diets. Instead, eat a healthy and well balanced diet that includes various food groups - carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins and minerals.

Resistance training not only sculpts your body but is important for building muscles. Like interval training, it raises your post workout metabolism so your body continues to burn calories even when you are doing nothing. Aim for low rep resistance training, i.e. 8 reps per exercise, as it has been shown to boost metabolism after the workout.

Read about Herbal Remedies, Natural Remedies. Also read about Breast Enlargement and Breast Enhancement and Pregnancy Information Guide

FitnessDude :: Apr.28.2008 :: Fitness, Bodybuilding, Workout :: No Comments »

“May I know how long does it take for my muscles to grow visibly?” Well, as a professional fitness personal trainer, I get variations of this question from almost every new client.

So how can I answer that question because there are also many variable factors like for instance, if you are fat, you can’t see your muscle growth unless you take the fat off or what is being visible is subjective from person to person.

For the hardgainers (people who have difficulty in gaining weight), gaining weight or muscles can be very a difficult and tedious process without professional help. For the genetically endowed, muscle growth can be very fast while some others may make only little progress or even no improvement at all (the latter being lack of muscle building education).

Therefore, if you are wondering how long does it take to grow muscles, then I must be forthright with you and tell you that there is just no direct answer.

However, the good news is that if you eat and exercise correctly, your muscles will definitely grow, even for hardgainers.

Unknown to many people, muscles do not grow in a linear process but in a series of spurts and as such, no matter how hard you workout your muscles and how much you eat, your muscles will probably not grow at predictable pace. I know that this fact will surprise many people.

There are many more reasons influencing your muscle growth and not everyone will build muscles at the same rate even if they are working out with the same weight, exercises and eating the same food.

Some people are genetically predisposed to growing muscles and will see amazing results after only just a few months. We all know that the Mesomorphs (sporty body frame) will grow muscles faster than the Ectomorphs (slender body frame).

Your rate of muscle growth will also depend largely on how close you are to the upper limit of what you are naturally capable of in terms of growing muscle mass. This phenomenon is known as the adaptation ceiling.

What this means is that closer you are to this upper adaptation limit, the slower your muscle will grow. To put it in simpler terms, someone who has been working out with weights for a few years will grow muscles much more slowly than a novice who is new to weight lifting.

Another fact is that it is not uncommon for people to gain body fat when they are growing muscles. The amount of fat you gain will depend on how much you eat, what you eat and also on how lean you were when you first started to fuel your muscle growth with what you eat. Eating to propel muscle growth is commonly referred to as “overfeeding”.

Numerous studies have shown that during a period of overfeeding, you will gain more muscle and less fat if you are the lean body type. During the cutting phase to get rid of body fat to show muscle definition, it is known that fatter people tend to lose more fat and less muscle when they cut, but the leaner ones will find it harder to lose fat without losing muscle.

Why does this happen? Well, it could be merely be psychological.

Take for example when you have worked very hard to get your well defined six-pack abs, then you will not want to put the fat on again and obscure your hard earned abs and thus you may be reluctant to eat the amount of food necessary to gain significant muscle growth. Make sense?

Another reason could be hormonal imbalances as some studies do show a correlation between low body fat and low testosterone (male hormone) levels. If your testosterone is low, it is also difficult for you to grow muscle mass.

So how long does it take to see muscle growth will depend very much on your genes and many other factors besides merely exercising with the proper workouts and eating correctly.

Chris Chew is a celebrity fitness personal trainer and author of “Burn Fat Build Muscles Fast” system. More articles at his websites Online Gym Instructor Courses and Gain Or Lose Weight With Self Hypnotism

FitnessDude :: Feb.04.2008 :: Health, Fitness, Bodybuilding, Workout :: No Comments »

There are a number of steps involved in a successful muscle building program. To be successful all must be given equal amounts of attention. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link right? The difficult aspect of this is that one variable in muscle building is addition by subtraction. That’s a hard concept for most serious lifters to get their mind around. I am talking about the overlooked key to muscle building, rest and not over training. If you’re serious enough about lifting to do it regularly in the first place, then you don’t have to be told to hit the gym, lift hard, eat right and get rest. You already know these things, and you try and do them as best as possible. But here’s where most people make the big mistake.

Does it not make sense that, if you are doing everything “right”, that every chest work out you have, you lift exactly the same as before OR MORE? That is the point of muscle building, right, to get stronger and bigger. Does that happen? Probably not. Most people write it off to having an off day, or “being tired”. Well duh. Then it’s obvious that you didn’t allow yourself enough recovery time or you haven’t gotten the proper amount or quality of rest. People justify this lack of progress in each workout as “doing something is better than doing nothing”. WRONG.

The entire concept of muscle building is to build the muscle. Not wear it out. Sessions in the gym that do not make your muscles bigger and stronger are making them weaker and smaller! That’s over training! A perfect illustration of this is boxers. After they have trained and peaked for a fight they take an extended period of time off. One fight doesn’t make them that tired. It’s a matter of not over training their body.

If you use being tired, whether it’s from a day at work or a lousy night’s sleep, as a reason for not being able to match previous workouts, then again, you miss the point of muscle building. It requires a maximum effort to exhaust the muscle, so that it can recover and grow. Without the ability to exhaust the muscle because of a lack of energy means no growth. Why again are you in the gym?

So ask yourself going in how do I really feel? Don’t fall victim to the age old bane of mediocrity. Remember “time spent doesn’t equal progress”. Real maximum effort does.

Steve R. Robbins is a life long fitness enthusiast. He has the distinction of being in the select group who can say they ran a marathon and bench pressed twice their weight on the same day. At the age of 50. He is a regular contributer to www.MuscleandHealth.org

FitnessDude :: Feb.03.2008 :: Fitness, Bodybuilding, Workout :: No Comments »

Ah back training, other than leg day, nothing is probably more dreaded.

Why?

Simple, because a PROPER and I want to stress the word proper, back work out is not easy, it requires work, hard work to be honest, and that turns a lot of people off.

The reason I am focusing on back thickness in this article is because I feel it is an area that a lot of people are lacking in.

It really is a shame because a super thick back will help you stand out from the crowd, either at the beach or on stage.

O.K. lets get to it.

DEAD LIFTS

To me nothing symbolizes back training like dead lifts, they are hard, they work the whole back, and to me are a true test of total body strength, and trouble is you rarely see anyone doing them anymore.

While people like to throw around excuses, like they are bad for the back, I suspect the real reason is because of what I said above, dead lifts are hard, pure and simple.

Now it is beyond the scope of this article to outline the proper technique to use when dead lifting, but I would like to give a few tips.

First, and foremost, learn how to do the lift properly from someone knowledgeable. Then master the technique, and then and only then, start to add weight to the bar or dumbbells, depending on which variation of the dead lift you choose.

Second, make sure your body stays tight throughout the lift. Now I do realize that you may be able to get away with improper form when the weights are small, but when the weight on the bar starts to get heavy, any form problems you have will come to a head quickly.

BENT OVER ROWS

Really you could get away with doing just dead lifts, but the bent over row exercise is one that not many people do. Plus it is simply great for hitting the middle back, and most programs are woefully deficient in ANY form of rowing (and chins and pull ups do not count as rowing movements) so that is why it is included here.

The bent over row can be done with either a barbell or dumbbells, but for beginners I feel it is easier for them to learn proper form with a barbell. That is what I mostly recommend, but if you have been around bodybuilding for awhile and you simply have gotten away from this exercise, use whichever variety you feel is best.

With this exercise you want to really think two things stretch and squeeze, and by this I mean you want to give your back muscles a good stretch at the beginning of the movement and squeeze them hard at the top.

With the rows, do not worry so much about the weight, get a good stretch and squeeze and focus on pulling the bar to your lower pec line and you will be fine.

For variety and to work even more of the back (which is a good thing) you can also do bent over rows with a reverse grip (palms facing up instead of down with the regular bent over row).

A good way to fit this row into your routine is to do regular bent over rows for two weeks and then switch over to reverse grip bent over rows for two weeks, the change is not only good for your muscles but for your mind as well.

For the above three exercises I would recommend in the beginning sticking with the trusted 5×5 program, that is five sets of five reps per set, when you are just learning them. Then when you get the form down and are comfortable with them, feel free to try different rep ranges to see how these affect you.

CONCLSUSION

There you have it, three very basic but very hard back exercises, which if done properly, will add some serious thickness to your back FAST!

However, I would be remiss if I did not add this final point. Please, especially after any workout in which you do dead lifts remember to consume some form of post workout nutrition, (I prefer a formula which contains whey protein hydrolysate and maltodextrin) which will help to ensure that all your hard work will not be wasted.

HAPPY TRAINING!

Want to learn even more Bodybuilding Tips to help you achieve your goals and learn how you can get your hands on a hot new FREE report that reveals two almost Secret exercises that you can use today to add inches of pure muscle to your pecs fast! then please visit http://www.howtobuildupmuscle.net

FitnessDude :: Feb.02.2008 :: Fitness, Bodybuilding, Workout :: No Comments »

By: David Monyer

20 Mass Gaining Tips for the Hard Gainer. If you are having a hard time gaining muscle mass or, if you just want to have a little more information on how to stay on track with continuing gains in your muscle mass, here are 20 tried and true bodybuilding tips. Learn these 20 tips and apply them to your bodybuilding program regularly.

1. Increase resistance regularly. Your muscles will grow in response to increased demand upon them. You must regularly increase your weight, reps, or intensity in order to increase your muscle mass.

2. Use Moderate Reps. Sets of 6 to 10 reps are best for bodybuilders. Sets of five or less reps tend to build more strength than muscle mass and sets greater than 10 reps tend to increase endurance in a muscle, rather than cause it to grow in size. (The exceptions to this rule are calves, abdominals, and forearms, which tend to respond best in rep ranges of 10 to 15).

3. Use Basic Exercises. Build your workouts around compound multi-joint movements such as squats, deadlifts, barbell rows, military presses, and bench presses (inclined, flat and decline).

4. Eat Protein Frequently. Each day you need to give your body 1 to 1.5 grams of high quality protein per pound of body weight. Divide this intake into five or six meals that are spaced no more than three hours apart. Try to get most of this protein from animal sources like beef, fish, dairy and high quality protein supplements.

5. Do Not Use Shortcuts. Avoid trying to speed up your progress by working out too much without sufficient rest, taking steroids, eating too many unnecessary calories and using weights that are too heavy. These methods will do more harm than good in the long run.

6. Evaluate Your Physique. Take a good look at yourself in a mirror and do an honest assessment of your weak points and strong points. Arrange your exercises to hit your lagging muscles first when you are strong, and hit your best body parts last. If your shoulders tend to be narrow, be sure to emphasize deltoid movements, especially lateral raises. If your hips tend to be wide, you may need to prioritize your lats to create the V- taper.

7. Get Enough Rest. You grow when you are resting, not when you are training. Be sure to give each muscle group at least four days rest between workouts in order to recuperate and grow. Be sure to get seven to eight hours of sleep each night for maximal muscle growth.

8. Create Intensity. Use more intense methods like forced reps, negative reps and drop sets on most of your exercises. This will all allow you to push your muscles past failure and trigger even more muscle growth.

9. Try New Equipment. You should base your bodybuilding program around compound free weight exercises as mentioned in Tip number 3, but don’t be afraid to experiment with some of the machines that are available in your gym. Some machines can stress your muscles in new and different ways which can stimulate new muscle growth.

10. Make Periodic Changes. Every month or two alter the order in which you do your exercises, or alter the exercises you do for a particular body part, or alter the number of sets and reps. Your muscles will become accustomed to the same workouts if they are repeated over and over again. Periodic changes will keep your muscles from adapting and therefore continue to stimulate new muscular growth.

11. Know Your Limits. Understand what your realistic potential is in the sport of bodybuilding. If you are unlikely to compete at a champion level, be realistic about how much money you spend on supplements, how much time you spend in the gym, and how much effort you put into your training. There is no sense in going broke, alienating your family, and risking injury f there is realistically no real possibility of ever making it to the pro level.

12. Supplement Your Diet. As a bodybuilder, you need much more protein and other nutrients than your average person. Be sure to supplement your diet with protein powder, creatine, multivitamins, glutamine, etc. in order to meet the additional demands on your muscles.

13. Prevent Injuries. One of the biggest potential roadblocks to your muscle building success is a training injury. A serious muscle tear or tending injury will not only halt your progress in the short term, but in some cases can limit your long term success as a bodybuilder. Always warm up and stretch before getting to your heavy sets. Start with a relatively light weight and pyramid up from there to your heaviest set. Be sure to use a spotter or power rack on your heaviest sets.

14. Limit Your Volume. Don’t do more than about 15 working sets for your larger body parts (quadriceps, back, chest) and no more than 12 working sets for smaller muscle groups (biceps, triceps, forearms, hamstrings, cabs and abdominals).

15. Train the Weakest Muscles First. Whenever possible, train your weakest body parts first, when you have more energy and strength. If certain muscle groups continually lag behind, increase the volume on those body parts, and possibly decreased the volume in your strongest body parts until your body reaches a better balance.

16. Train Your Entire Body. Do not neglect any body part. Be sure to train your forearms, legs, and lower back just as vigorously as you’re training chest and biceps.

17. Learn to Control Your Muscles. Practice flexing each muscle in your body. This will help to develop the mind-muscle connection that will enable you to apply more force in each repetition of your exercises.

18. Trust Your Instincts. After you have been training for about a year, you should have a good idea of which exercises and techniques work best for you. You should also have some idea about which time of day you feel the strongest. The more closely you monitor your body and the way you feel after a workout, the better you will be able to increase your intensity, and therefore increase your muscle mass.

19. Set Achievable Goals. You should always have a goal you are working towards. You should have some short-term goals such as adding 10 pounds to your bench press, adding a half-inch to your biceps, or losing and inch around your waist. Short-term goals should be achievable in a time frame of several weeks to a couple of months. In addition, you should have a few long-term goals such as gaining 10 pounds of muscle in one year, increasing your bench press to 300 pounds, or competing in your first bodybuilding contest. Goals are essential to keep you motivated and to give you a sense of accomplishment as you reach each one.

20. Keep A Positive Attitude. It has been said that your attitude determines your altitude. This is especially true when it comes to changing your body from an average one to a powerful and muscular one.

Muscular gains do not come easy, but if you keep a positive mental outlook, continually look forward to your next work out and apply these 20 tips, you will see great improvements to your physique in a short period of time.

David Monyer has been an avid bodybuilder for over 20 years and has written numerous articles on all aspects of the sport. For more information and sources for the best prices on supplements, visit: http://www.rocksolidbodybuilding.com

FitnessDude :: Nov.12.2007 :: Supplements, Nutrition, Fitness, Bodybuilding, Workout :: No Comments »

By: Ricky Hussey

As an amateur, it is necessary to join a proper gym, so as to seek proper bodybuilding tips for beginners from a trained coach. Many times beginning bodybuilders make the mistake of using the routines of professional bodybuilders featured on magazines, when instead they should be using a routine that is geared towards their level. Bodybuilding or even just showing up at a gym can be intimidating for a beginner. Provided below are some tips that can help you get into body building, and into your first fitness club:

Seek Advice - There is no sense trying to learn it everything yourself when starting out in Body Building. Take some time to talk to others who are more experienced, and learn what you can from them. When using new equipment or a new exercise it is also always a good idea to talk to someone, to ensure that you don’t get injured.

The first rule to abide by when you’re beginning to train is to only train each body part once per week. Many new trainees are so eager to get going that they often over train and instead of maximizing their muscle gains they actually lose muscle. It’s often viewed as too little work to only do each body part per week, but as a new trainee it’s more then enough. When training, another rule of thumb to go by is to train each body part in the order of largest to smallest. A good example of a routine that follows these rules would be something like, Quadriceps and hamstrings (legs) on Monday, Back on Tuesday, Chest on Wednesday, shoulders on Thursday and biceps and triceps on Friday. By using this sample routine for a while you will be able to see how much rest each body part is getting and change the days around if need be.

There are a number of exercises that you can choose from to build the body of your dreams. For the exercises to work in peak form, you need to cycle the exercises so that all the major muscles receive their fair share of resistance training. Change the sets, switch the order of body parts, choose different exercises and vary the rest time between sets. Bodybuilding has been causing a lot of waves within the past few years. There has been an increasing number of enthusiasts and apprentices all around the world. Body building is popular with men as young as 15 up to those who are more than 50 years of age. More women are also becoming bodybuilders. Learning body building is quite easy. Doing it is the harder part.

Do not start on any supplements right away. The need for supplements comes in only after you hit a plateau – the stage when you are doing all the right things, but not seeing any results. It is also important to do some type of cardiovascular workouts for about 10 to 15 minutes before proceeding to a more rigid set. You can run in place, use the treadmill, or jump on the rope to put your body in good condition before a scheduled workout.

Dieting is also important. Take in protein-rich food and cut on cholesterol and calories. Protein-rich foods are dairy products, meat, fish, tofu, and dried beans like peanuts. The general nutrition guidelines should also be followed.

Bodybuilding requires having a positive mindset to succeed. Beginners should have the right amount of commitment before going ahead with it. There is a lot of work to do. There are a lot of steps to undergo. It will be a long process but the results will all be worth it. Start today. Go on and build that body.

Whether you want to get into bodybuilding for competitive reasons or for your own personal achievement, it is essential for beginners in this sport to be on a gradual process. Making sure that proper rest, diet and exercise are accomplished is important to physical success. At first do not concern yourself about looking like a bodybuilder immediately; focus on a workout plan that will work for your specific body type as well as your specific goals.

Read out Bodybuilding. Also check out for pregnancy and obesity

FitnessDude :: Nov.12.2007 :: Fitness, Bodybuilding, Workout :: No Comments »

By: David Monyer

I personally have always struggled with developing my forearms to match my upper arms. I have recently started to use one of the oldest forearm development tools, called the wrist roller. This is a simple device that can be made with things that most people can find around the house, and yet in my opinion is one of most effective forearm developers ever devised. As you’ll soon see, the reason a lot of people don’t use this exercise is because it is quite painful to perform as it develops a deep burn in the forearm muscles very quickly!

This simple device can be made with a broom handle and a 5 foot length of rope. (you can see pictures by clicking the link at the bottom of this article) You can also go to Home Depot or your nearest home center and buy and 18 inch long wooden dowel that is between one and 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Drill a hole through the center of the dowel about 1/4″ in diameter. Now take one end of a 5 foot piece of rope and feed it through the hole in the dowel and tie in a nice big knot on the other and so it can’t be pulled back through. The next thing you’re going to do is to tie either a small dumbbell or a 5 - 10 pound barbell plate to the other end of the rope. Adjust the length of the rope so that when you hold the dowel in your hands and extend your hands straight out in front of your body, the dumbbell or barbell plate is just barely touching the floor.

Now you have made yourself your very own wrist roller exercise device! To perform the exercise, hold the dowel straight out in front of you with both hands and start to roll it either way, moving only at the wrist until the rope is wrapped completely around the dowel and the weight has been lifted all the way up until it stops. Now slowly roll the dowel the opposite way to lower the weight. It is very important that you keep the weight under control, and do it relatively slowly. Do not move your arms, only your wrist for maximum effect. When the weight is lowered all the way down to the bottom, keep turning the dowel in the same direction, and it will start to roll back up. Keep rolling it in that direction until the weight comes up to the top once again. Now reverse the direction and lower it to the bottom. This completes one rep.

There are several variations in the way you can perform this exercise. The method outlined above is my preferred technique. It can also be performed while resting your elbows on something to support your arms so that you can focus more on your forearms and leave your deltoids out of it. Another method is to stand on a chair or bench, and instead of extending your arms out in front of you just allow your arms to hang down in front of you and roll the weight up and down in that manner. If you follow the rolling technique I have outlined above, you’ll get a thorough workout of both the back and front of your forearms. If you do it correctly, you will quickly start to feel the pump and the burn that is so effective in building forearm strength using this device.

Unless you already have incredible forearm strength and endurance, you will notice that it doesn’t take much weight to fry your forearm muscles! I would recommend performing three or four complete reps of this exercise at least three times a week at the end of your workouts. Always do this workout last because you will greatly diminish your ability to lift weights for any other exercise! Or if you don’t have a workout that day, just do it before you go to bed. Just make sure you don’t do it right before you’re going to need your hands for something like typing!

I also recommend that you do not use this exercise as your entire forearm workout. I only suggest that this is an excellent additional movement that will really add mass and strength to your forearms if that is a problem area for you or if you really need to increase your forearm strength for some kind of sports activity.

A good complete forearm workout should include standard wrist curls and reverse wrist curls for three sets of 12-15 reps for each of the two exercises. Finish the workout with wrist rollers and you will experience a most incredible pump that will trigger new muscle growth!

I personally have noticed greater endurance, strength and size in my forearms in just a few short weeks of performing this exercise. Try it for a month and see if you experience similar results. you won’t be disappointed!

Please keep in mind that successful bodybuilding training requires proper nutrition. You must provide your growing muscles with the proper vitamins, minerals and protein.

Protein is by far the most important nutrient to a bodybuilder. You must consume 1 to 1.5 grams of high quality protein per pound of bodyweight every day to make quality muscle gains. This could mean 200-300 grams per day for most bodybuilders. This protein should come from chicken, beef, turkey, eggs, milk, and other animal sources. To determine how much protein these foods contain, here is a useful chart that will help you plan your diet.

David Monyer has been involved in bodybuilding for the last 20 years, making most of his muscle gains in his basement gym, as well as different clubs and gyms over the years. For more information and sites to purchase equipment and supplements, visit: http://www.RockSolidBodybuilding.com

FitnessDude :: Nov.01.2007 :: Fitness, Bodybuilding, Workout :: No Comments »

By: David Monyer

What is it?

Whey protein is one of the two types of protein found in cow’s milk. Milk is approximately 87% water and 13% milk solids. The milk solids are comprised of fat, lactose, protein and a small amount of other minerals. The protein portion of the milk solids is approximately 80% casein protein and 20% whey protein.

Whey protein is digested by the body much faster than casein and more closely resembles human milk, which makes it the most nutritious protein available.

Where does whey protein come from?

As mentioned above, whey protein comes from cow’s milk. To make whey protein supplements, the whey protein is separated from the fat and lactose, using one of several methods in order to create a powder of concentrated whey protein.

What is whey protein isolate?

Whey protein isolate is a more expensive form of whey protein. Whey protein isolate contains 90% or more protein and very little fat compared to whey protein concentrate, which could contain between 29% and 89% protein. The primary difference between whey isolate and concentrate is that whey protein isolate is made from a longer filtering process.

How is whey protein made?

Ion exchange is one method used to make whey protein. When the casein or curd and milk fat are separated from milk in order to make cheese, the remaining liquid whey goes through a series of filters to separate the whey protein from lactose and other ingredients. This concentrated liquid whey then enters an ion exchange vessel, which then uses electrical charges to purify the whey protein. The purified whey protein is then dried to remove moisture.

Why is whey protein so popular?

Whey protein is extremely popular among bodybuilders for several reasons. The biggest reason is because whey protein is the most complete, and most quickly digested protein available. It has the highest biological value and contains branched chain amino acids, which are critical in building muscle mass. The second reason why whey protein is so popular is because compared with other proteins, it is much less expensive.

Who can benefit from supplementing with whey protein?

Anyone involved in sports activities, especially bodybuilding, will benefit greatly from supplementing properly with whey protein. In addition to supplying the body with all the essential and nonessential amino acids, whey protein is especially rich in naturally occurring branched chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine). These particular amino acids are used directly by skeletal muscles, and therefore are in great demand during exercise or strenuous sports activities.

How much whey protein should I take?

Your daily intake of protein should be between 1 and 1.5 g of protein per pound of body weight. This means a 200 pound bodybuilder, should be consuming 200 to 300 g of protein each day. This amount should be divided up into at least 5 or 6 feedings. Two or more of your protein meals should be made up of seafood, beef, chicken, milk and other dairy products. The remaining feedings can consist of protein shakes made with whey protein. If your goal is in the middle of the range, and each feeding should consist of 40 to 50 g of protein.

The majority of whey powder supplements contain about 22 to 24 grams in a serving. Most whey protein supplements also come with a scoop that is equal to one serving, therefore, each shake should consist of two scoops of whey protein.

David Monyer has over 20 years of bodybuilding experience, making most of his muscle gains in his basement gym, and various clubs and gyms over the years. For more information and well researched sites to purchase equipment and supplements, visit http://www.RockSolidBodybuilding.com.

FitnessDude :: Oct.31.2007 :: Supplements, Nutrition, Bodybuilding :: No Comments »

By: David Monyer

I have always had trouble developing my forearms to match my upper arms in muscle size. Several months ago, I started to use a home made wrist roller, which is an old but very effective forearm exerciser This is a simple device you can make with things you can find around the house. As you will see, the reason people don’t use this exercise much is because it is quite painful to perform due to the intense burn it causes in the muscles!

I personally have always struggled with developing my forearms to match my upper arms. I have recently started to use one of the oldest forearm development tools, called the wrist roller. This is a simple device that can be made with things that most people can find around the house, and yet in my opinion is one of most effective forearm developers ever devised. As you’ll soon see, the reason a lot of people don’t use this exercise is because it is quite painful to perform as it develops a deep burn in the forearm muscles very quickly!

This simple device can be made with a broom handle and a 5 foot length of rope.You can see pictures by clicking the link at the bottom of this article.

You can also go to Home Depot or your nearest home center and buy and 18 inch long wooden dowel that is between one and 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Using a quarter inch bit, drill a hole in the middle of the dowel. Next feed one end of a length of rope (about five feet long should do it) through the hole you drilled in the dowel and tie a knot in the end big enough to prevent it from being pulled back through. The next thing you’re going to do is to tie either a small dumbbell or a 5 - 10 pound barbell plate to the other end of the rope. Adjust the length of the rope so that when you hold the dowel in your hands and extend your hands straight out in front of your body, the dumbbell or barbell plate is just barely touching the floor.

Now you have made yourself your very own wrist roller exercise device! To perform the exercise, hold the dowel straight out in front of you with both hands and start to roll it either way, moving only at the wrist until the rope is wrapped completely around the dowel and the weight has been lifted all the way up until it stops. Now slowly roll the dowel the opposite way to lower the weight.

It is very important that you keep the weight under control, and do the movement relatively slowly. Do not move your arms, only your wrists for maximum effect.

When the weight is lowered all the way down to the bottom, keep turning the dowel in the same direction, and it will start to roll back up. Keep rolling it in that direction until the weight comes up to the top once again. Now reverse the direction and lower it to the bottom. This completes one rep.

You can do this exercise in a variety of ways. The method outlined above is my preferred technique. It can also be performed while resting your elbows on something to support your arms so that you can focus more on your forearms and leave your deltoids out of it. Another method is to stand on a chair or bench, and instead of extending your arms out in front of you just allow your arms to hang down in front of you and roll the weight up and down in that manner. If you follow the rolling technique I have outlined above, you’ll get a thorough workout of both the back and front of your forearms. If you do it correctly, you will quickly start to feel the pump and the burn that is so effective in building forearm strength using this device.

Unless you already have incredible forearm strength and endurance, you will notice that it doesn’t take much weight to fry your forearm muscles! I would recommend performing three or four complete reps of this exercise at least three times a week at the end of your workouts. Always do this workout last because you will greatly diminish your ability to lift weights for any other exercise! Or if you don’t have a workout that day, just do it before you go to bed. Just make sure you don’t do it right before you’re going to need your hands for something like typing!

I also recommend that you do not use this exercise as your entire forearm workout. I only suggest that this is an excellent additional movement that will really add mass and strength to your forearms if that is a problem area for you or if you really need to increase your forearm strength for some kind of sports activity.

A good complete forearm workout should include standard wrist curls and reverse wrist curls for three sets of 12-15 reps for each of the two exercises. Finish the workout with wrist rollers and you will experience a most incredible pump that will trigger new muscle growth!

I personally have noticed greater endurance, strength and size in my forearms in just a few short weeks of performing this exercise. Try it for a month and see if you experience similar results. you won’t be disappointed!

Please keep in mind that successful bodybuilding training requires proper nutrition. You must provide your growing muscles with the proper vitamins, minerals and protein.

Protein is by far the most important nutrient to a bodybuilder. You must consume 1 to 1.5 grams of high quality protein per pound of bodyweight every day to make quality muscle gains. This could mean 200-300 grams per day for most bodybuilders. Good sources for this protein are animal meat, like beef, chicken and turkey as well as milk and eggs.

David Monyer has been bodybuilding for more than 20 years and has written numerous articles on supplements, training and equipment. Please visit his website for more information and sources for all your bodybuilding needs. http://www.rocksolidbodybuilding.com

FitnessDude :: Oct.30.2007 :: Fitness, Bodybuilding, Workout :: No Comments »

By: Ricky Hussey

New bodybuilders very often overlook bodybuilding neck exercises. Others however, include neck exercises only at the end of a workout session and consider it to be of lower priority. They concentrated on building the abdominals, chest, biceps and shoulders to get the nice v-shaped sculptured look. However, their overall appearance does not look balanced, as the neck is “pencil-thin”. The neck is the most neglected muscle.

In clothing, a bodybuilder with a thin neck cannot be differentiated from a non-bodybuilder. A thick neck proudly announces that you have rippling muscles beneath the clothing. When you work on your neck muscles, other muscles such as the traps and back muscles are affected, which help contribute towards a more symmetric look from the back and front.

Isometric and head-harness exercises can build and strengthen the neck muscles. In a standing position, with your right hand on your head, contract your neck muscles and push your head to the right, and hold and resist for 15 seconds. Repeat a few times and then with the left hand. Next, with body hands behind your head, try to move your head back, hold and resist for 15 seconds.

Attach a suitable weight to the head harness. With your hands on your leg and when seated, raise your head in a semi-circular motion, as far as you can.

Another exercise is to lie down on edge of the bench, hold a flat barbell weight at your forehead with your hand, and raise your head in a semi-circle motion, as far as you can. Next, return to the original position and repeat a few times. Repeat, with your stomach on the bench and with the weight held at the back of your head.

The shrug is also another effective neck exercise to build the trapezius region and back of the neck. With a dumbbell in each hand, perform the shrug by moving your shoulder upwards.

Bodybuilding neck exercises should be included into your workouts. It is best to allocate a separate day to work on the neck muscles.

What you need for the Weighted Neck Flexion

1. A bench 2. A towel 3. A single weight

Instructions for the Weighted Neck Flexion

1. Wrap a towel around the flat weight. 2. Lay on the bench perpendicularly, with the area just below your shoulders resting on the bench. 3. Hold the towel-wrapped weight against your forehead, and use your hands to support the weight, but not to carry its weight. 4. Raise your upper body in a sit up like movement. 5. Use your neck muscles to lift your head until your chin touches your chest. 6. Lower your upper body until you’re fully extended. 7. Repeat.

How to build neck muscles

There are quite a few exercises for neck muscles that you can utilize in your workout routine, but we just want to look at a couple that you can use real quick.

Please keep in mind that you must use pre-caution in doing any neck muscle exercises. Warm up before doing any exercises. Rotate your neck from side to side. To increase your flexibility you will always want to use a full range of motion.

1. Neck Flexion

This is a very good exercise for neck muscles that provides good results. Sit down in a chair and move your head back to where you are looking up at the ceiling. Now, place your hands behind your head and use them to build up resistance.

2. Neck Extension

This is another simple, but effective exercise. Take your hand and put it up against your forehead. Looking straight ahead, begin applying resistance. Slowly move your head down until your chin comes against your chest.

Neck bridge (wrestlers bridge)

This is a controversial exercise that is highly productive when safely performed, yet can be very dangerous if not performed correctly. This is a very advanced exercise. You need to have very strong neck muscles just to be able to perform this movement.

This exercise should only be used by advanced athletes who need very strong neck muscles; such as boxers, wrestlers, martial artists, etc. You should get proper instruction from a knowledgeable coach prior to trying to perform a neck bridge.

Read out Bodybuilding. Also check out for bodybuilding diet and men’s health.

FitnessDude :: Oct.25.2007 :: Fitness, Bodybuilding, Workout :: No Comments »

By: Jason Ferruggia

Why is it that almost everyone you see working out in the gym does high volume bodypart splits? In every gym you go into Monday is always chest day. Tuesday is back, Thursday is legs and Friday is arms…or something like that, I guess.

Why the lack of variety or rational thought? What is the need for all that training volume?

You need to understand that most forms of training have just been passed down for decades from one generation to the next, without the inclusion of rational thought. Sometime in the 60’s, sensible muscle building training programs started becoming less prevalent with the rapidly growing usage of anabolic steroids.

In the days of old, men like Steve Reeves and Paul Anderson trained with far more sensible, lower volume programs but these started to disappear during the 60’s. By the time Arnold got to Gold’s Gym in Venice for the first time, high volume, bodypart splits were the widely accepted way for everyone to train for increased muscle size and strength.

This type of training is not based on deductive reasoning but just on the fact that “it’s what everyone else is doing.” The proponents of these training methods will always blindly tell you that “higher volume training is needed for muscular gains.” Says who? I can tell you for a fact that the University of Arizona isn’t wasting time examining the effects of Ronnie Coleman’s marathon workouts. There are no studies saying that you need 10-16 sets per bodypart to grow. In fact there are studies that show the opposite; that one set is just as effective as three for building muscle.

The proponents of this type of training will also tell you that higher volume training is associated with higher levels of growth hormone secretion. What they don’t tell you is that the level of GH increase is not enough to make any difference at all. In fact, almost anything you do elevates GH. Extreme temperatures elevate GH but my biceps don’t get bigger every time I take a shower. The increased GH secretion from training is so minimal that it is not enough to make the slightest difference whatsoever.

For the drug free lifter who does not possess muscle building genetics quite up to par with the Austrian Oak, training this way is a huge mistake. Not only does it drain your amino acid pool and glycogen stores but it dramatically enhances your recovery time between workouts. If you do 8-12 sets for chest on Monday you can not recover from that workout and be able to train again for seven days. So you are only getting one growth stimulus per week or fifty two per year. Now if you reduce your volume to the point where you can recover faster and more efficiently without draining your amino acid pool and glycogen stores so greatly, you can train bodyparts twice per week instead of once. Now instead of 52 growth stimulating workouts per year for each bodypart, you can now do 104.

To train more often you absolutely have to lower your training volume. The total sets per workout should be kept low and the total sets per exercise should be even lower. There is no need to hit four sets of incline presses, flat bench presses and decline presses for your chest workout. Doing that is a form of neuroses; you think that you need to hit every angle and do and endless amount of sets to stimulate every last muscle fiber, but this is simply not the case.

The reason these training programs remain popular is because nobody wants to be told that they are wrong. Admitting your mistakes is something many people can’t do. It is why when something radically different is proposed, the high volume proponents get upset and offended. Nobody likes to have their ego bruised so they keep on doing and promoting the same old high volume workouts that they always have.

That’s fine, let them continue to do what they choose; personally I have way more important things to do than spend all of my waking hours in the gym. If I can get better muscle building results in a fraction of the time I will choose that option every time.

Cut the volume of your weight training workouts way down, up your weights and intensity and get ready for the “what are you on” questions to start rolling in.

Jason Ferruggia is a world renowned fitness expert from New York City. His muscle building workouts, http://www.musclegainingsecrets.com, have helped thousands of men build incredible amounts of muscle in less than 45 minutes three days per week. Find out the best way to build muscle without spending your life in the gym or emptying your wallet on useless supplements at http://www.musclegainingsecrets.com/

FitnessDude :: Oct.23.2007 :: Bodybuilding, Workout :: No Comments »

By: Keith Crovatt

Bodybuilding supplements have the ability to augment muscle growth and enhance workouts when proper knowledge is applied.

Vitamins and minerals that occur naturally in good foods provide effective muscle building supplements. Artificial supplements are on the rise in the bodybuilding market as a way to speed up the results. Some potentially damaging effects are possible to bodybuilders if they try to gain spectacular results in a short period of time.

Cell-Tech(tm) is a leading contender in the bodybuilding supplement market. Added to a protein shake, this supplement tries to enhance creatine in a body. After a strenuous workout, this supplement claims to replace the exhausted burnt out cell mass.

A supplement also replenishes sugar that is burned up during a bodybuilding workout. The immediate surge in insulin after ingestion of a supplement may prevent you from feeling the after affects of exhaustion and fatigue after a hard workout. This will allow you to continue with the daily activities as normal.

The KEY factor in a bodybuilding routine is not necessarily external supplements. It is internal motivation. Many goals and dreams are zapped due to lack of internal motivation. Giving up when the going gets tough is all too common in bodybuilding. A disciplined schedule is a must if you are determined to build up your muscle mass. Lifting weights regularly would be as effective as consuming steroids if the discipline is maintained.

The natural method of bodybuilding, weightlifting, is a far better choice going forward for muscle growth. Make sure your doctor is in agreement with a new weightlifting program. After they clear you, the bodybuilding routine is less dangerous than other means of getting bigger.

Variety is also key to the bodybuilding routine. Not only will your mood be better and you will feel less bored but the muscles themselves will not get in a rut. Muscles will adjust to the same routine and stop the great growth after a period of time.

A multi-vitamin pill taken daily is an excellent way for your body to absorb vitamins and minerals in general. These are natural supplements taken to enhance the weightlifting routine and provide nutrients to your body.

Good fats in the right proportion are great for your body. Flax oil and good fats are in peanut butter. Taken moderately, these are necessary for muscle building on all levels.

Paramount to all techniques and advice going forward is the need to follow a strict, disciplined diet chart. A nutrition plan for food must be on hand. Avoid large splurge meals and invest in small ones spread out more evenly over the day. This will allow your body to increase its metabolism and burn fat quicker.

In order to achieve the maximum benefit in bodybuilding, consider integrating caloric cycles into the daily routine. To lose weight, have a high caloric intake for three days and a low intake for two days. An optimal bodybuilding diet would have the right proportion of the following components i.e., carbohydrates at 40%, proteins at 40% and fats at 20%.

The body itself becomes the best supplement going forward. It is highly efficient with muscle cells undergoing division and multiplication in this very natural and unique process. Adding the proper vitamins and minerals via foods is the key healthy approach to bodybuilding and muscle mass gain.

Therefore, traditional bodybuilding, weightlifting and exercise become the preferred supplement in many ways. Think natural, think lean, think now and start soon.

Finally exposed! We blow the lid off of the bodybuilding and supplement industry to reveal the honest and unbiased truth about gaining strength, building muscle and melting away unwanted body fat. For a limited time, get the free mini-course ($30 value) “Bonehead Bodybuilding Blunders” Click here => http://www.ProvenFitness.com/muscles

FitnessDude :: Oct.23.2007 :: Fitness, Bodybuilding, Workout :: No Comments »

By: Nic Roberts

The “Guns.” The “Pythons.” “Thunder” and “Lighting.” The “Rockweillers.” There is no other muscle group that has earned more nicknames than when describing a bulging and huge set of bicep! Bulging biceps - every guy wants them.

The days are far from gone when you walk into the gym and see 9 out of 10 guys doing bicep curls all at the same time with the same determination to add even 1/4 inch to their biceps. Training biceps has become almost an ‘obsessive addiction’ in the gym. I have seen guys do bicep curls in between sets just so they can ’see’ a little bit of a pump in their arms. I have seen guys spend an entire hour bent over doing concentration curls while starring in the mirror. I have seen guys take weights on vacation so that they can do some bicep curls at their hotel before they go into the club! I have seen guys spend longer amounts of times shopping for t-shirts than girls shopping for a blouse with the hope that one of these shirts will make his arms look ‘good.’

Someone disagree with me that bicep training has become an unhealthy ‘obsessive addiction.’ for many. In the “Skinny Arms” defense, the allure of peaked, mountainous biceps will never go away. Why should it? The ‘guns’ are of a man’s most prized possession and one of many women’s most desired body parts on a man (of course)!

My question is if 9 out 10 guys are obsessed with seeing their biceps grow and dedicate so much of their workout volume to isolating their biceps and using every technique from forced reps, drop sets, and 21’s which are ‘promised’ to be the most effective methods confirmed by pro bodybuilders, why do they still have little to show for their efforts?

Let’s examine five of the most common problems with bicep training before I offer a step-by-step program to take your bicep peak to new heights.

Problem #1 with bicep training - More is not always better

If doing 4 sets is better than 3 sets, why don’t you just do 10 sets? Even better, why don’t you just train them all day? It has been said before, but it obviously needs to be said again: “Less is often more.” Especially if you are not gifted with “muscle-friendly” genes.

Your goal of each weight training workout should be to simply ‘out do’ your last workout. Once you achieve this with an extra pound or a few extra reps, then it is time to move to the next exercise. Not to Nazi-torture the muscle for another hour.

I have found this a hard concept for many skinny guys to grasp because they are fixated on the instant gratification of making their biceps ‘look’ big during the workout and not what they look like when they leave the gym, which leads us to our next problem.

Problem #2 with bicep training - Being more obsessed with how they look while you train rather than when you are not training!

Problem #2 ties in with problem #1. The truth is that the longer you train your biceps, even if the weights are not extremely heavy, you can achieve a fairly decent pump that can turn a few heads while in the gym. This attention and perception that you are doing something beneficial is deceiving. Yes, there is something to say about keeping blood in the muscle as long as possible, but if the workout is done with weights that do not overload your muscles and emphasize an increase in strength, your biceps will quickly deflate back to normal with no true muscle growth.

Problem #3 with bicep training - Not focusing on increasing your overall strength

Some of the biggest guys I know rarely even train their arms. What they do though is put a strong emphasis around increasing their chest, back and shoulder strength. If you simply focus on increasing the weights on your rows, pull ups and chin-ups, rest assured that your biceps will come along for the ride and grow proportionally.

However, if you are always blasting and ’smoking’ your biceps, they will always be fatigued when you train your back muscles and, as you should know, you are only as strong as your weakest link. This is another reason to take a lower volume approach to arm training.

Problem #4 with bicep training - Using the same bicep exercises every time

Every pro bodybuilder will put their money on two of the simplest exercises for building huge biceps - barbell curls and dumbbell curls. According to the pros, these two exercises have built more huge guns than any other exercise in the world. I definitely agree that these ’simple’ exercises are a safe foundation to build a program around, but let’s also remember that pro bodybuilders using steroids are going to have a strong response to practically any exercise they do.

I have no problem using these two exercises under one condition - you are getting stronger from week to week. As long as you are increasing the weights and reps relative to perfect form, then your arms should continue growing. Aim to build your barbell curls up to 110 pounds for a few “slow speed” sets and your dumbbell curls up to 50 pounds for a few “slow-speed” sets that involve zero rocking and swaying.

Once you build your barbell curls up to 110 pounds, you will be ready to try these two different angles on the bar. You will have to drop your weights a bit, but stick with these two variations until you build back up to 110 pounds:

Bicep Exercise 1: “Stress” the outer portion of the bi’s by placing your elbows outwards and using a super-close grip.

Bicep Exercise 2: “Stress” the inner portion of the bi’s by taking a super-wide grip on the bar and digging your elbows into your side (and don’t let them move.)

Bicep Exercise 3: To “stress” the brachialis and brachioradialis stick to good old fashioned hammer curls and reverse curls. Don’t underestimate these two exercises in the slightest.

Problem #5 on biceps - Not enough tension on the muscle

I think many weight trainees do not fully grasp the concept of isolating and actually training a muscle. They do not know how to make the muscle work and fatigue. Instead, you see a lot of swinging, momentum and sloppy lifting used to move the weight from every part of the body except the one they are actually trying to train. The biceps have a very strong response to “constant tension,” which means you should never give them a chance to breathe. Keep the bar constantly moving without pausing at the top or bottom. Focus on squeezing the heck out of the bar and never let your biceps relax until the set is over. Your entire goal is to not allow any oxygen into the muscle which creates a spike with your anabolic hormones to promote muscle growth. Resort to a slower 3-0-3 or 4-0-4 tempo to get the job done.

Weight Training Program Notes:

Notice the simplicity of the workout structure. This program will work extremely well for hardgainers. The overall volume might be a little low for someone used to a traditional bodybuilder split program and has more than four years of consistent training.

The power of the program is found in the principle of prioritization by sequence on the first pull workout. Notice that your prioritization muscle is being sequenced at the start of the workout and the start of the week. This is happening on purpose. We are intentionally giving your biceps an opportunity to train at their two most “fresh” t