6 Pack Abdominals

Posts Tagged ‘build muscle up’

Developing good habits is crucial to build muscle up on a long term basis. It is highly important to be consistently doing the right things if you want to keep building muscle. Unfortunately often people get into bad habits without thinking about the danger they are risking or about how much they are adversely affecting their progress. Here we have outlined the top 7 worst muscle building habits and included a few build muscles tips too:

1) The worst of all! Taking steroids, this is harmful for a great number of reasons take your pick from any of these:different coloured spots on the body, acne, swelling of the legs and feet, bad smelling breath and yellowing of the skin, dizziness, trembling, nausea, vomiting, mood swings, premature balding, aching joints, liver damage, palpitations, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and reduction of your final adult height.should you need more reason not to use steroids then take a look at these: pain on urination, testicular shrinkage, impotence, breast development and even sterility. Enough said.

2) Trying to lift too much weight. Ok, attempting to better your training partner is fun but be very careful. Lifting too much weight can cause you to lose form and increase the chances of injury and won’t help you build muscles quickly. If you are unable to lift or lower the weight under complete control or if you have to use momentum to do so then you need to lower the weight.

3) Protein intake levels too high. The average adult should be taking on board 0.8-1 gram of protein/kilo of bodyweight/day and a hard training bodybuilder should not take on board more than 1.7 grams/kilo of bodyweight. Consuming more protein than this increase the likelihod of getting osteoporosis and also it could lead to irreversible kidney damage. Also homo-cysteine, a by-product of protein metabolism is a risk factor for heart disease so be careful!

4) Using stimulants like ephedrine has potentially dangerous side effects such as heart attack, heart palpitations, and stroke. Whilst these are not prohibited you wold be wise to exercise extreme caution and in fact would be much better off not using them. you may give caffeine pills a go as they are much less dangerous. If you have any doubts at all make sure you ask a health care specialist.

5) Some people believe that working out on an empty stomach will help them burn fat. However most of your energy comes from carbohydrate therefore if you haven’t eaten you will have a great deal less energy and have virtually zero chance of having a decent training session. You will not be able to lift more than your previous personal best and you will most likely be left jittery, shaking and even dizzy after your training session possibly due to low blood sugar levels. Instead of this it is far better to have a small pre workout meal containing fruits, vegetables and such like.

6) Neglecting to stretch or warm up adequately. Preparing your body for exercise is crucial in preventing injuries such as muscle tears and ligament strains, it also increases your performance, range of motion and posture. It takes only around 10 minutes to do a decent warm up and it is time very well spent. 

7) Not keeping a training diary. Without this how are you supposed to know if your training program is working or not? How can you keep a track on your personal best lifts. A training log is very motivating and simple to do. Why aren’t you keeping one.

OK, the above are a few pointers but mainly relax be safe and enjoy your workouts most of the time a healthy dose of common sense is enough to ensure your safety.

Technorati Tags: build muscle up, build muscles quickly, build muscles tips

Exactly what is a superset?

A superset is a combination of two or more weight training exercises done consecutively after one another with no break between them. The exercises selected have to be working opposite muscle groups. For example a set of squats immediately followed by hamstring curlstricep or a set of tricep press downs followed by barbell curls.

Why do Supersets?

First off they are probably a nice change from what you have been previously doing. They place a new type of stress on your muscles which provides additional stimulus to grow. When you do away with the rest intervals there is very little chance for you to be put off from your training goals. Also after doing a superset you will more than likely feel a powerful muscle pump whereby the muscles are literally being pumped full of oxygenated blood to help cope with the demands which is a real good feeling. Overall they are a great way to build muscle up fast. 

Doing supersets prevents you from cooling down to quickly and keeps your heart rate higher creating an almost aerobic workout too. Another great thing about supersets is the excitement and variety that they bring to your workouts.

What supersets should I try?

The following combinations are some of my favourite and provide a tough but satisfying workout: Bent bar curl/lying tricep extension, Dumbbell incline press/dumbbell pullover/seated lat row, Leg extension/leg curl/calf raise, Dumbbell alternate curl/overhead tricep extension, Bench press/wide grip pulldown, Chins/dips/rope tuck, Steep dumbbell shoulder press/sidearm lateral raise,

What tips can you give me when doing them?

Well, you would be wise to maintain strict form throughout the exercises. It is all to easy to get carried away with it and start using sloppy form. This is particularly true as you are going to be out of breathe more than you usually would be pumping iron and also as you will be jumping from one particular exercise to another weight training exercise very quickly. Maintaining good form will both minimise the risk of injury but also ensure you hit the correct muscle group.

Anything else I should know in order to build muscle now with supersets?

Bearing in mind supersets are very intense you may not really want to be doing more than a couple of supersets, although this will vary on your fitness and experience levels. use a different superset each workout between your regular sets to avoid wearing yourself out.

It should also go without saying that you will have to continue to eat a lot of quality build muscle food, we all know muscle comes from excess calories so keep eating quality foods and also make sure you keep your water intake high. Finally, make sure you do not over train, this is the number one reason for lack of muscle gain along with poor nutrition. Working out twice a week will be plenty for the majority of people and that is probably more than enough for hard gainers. Ok then, why not go ahead and build muscle up with supersets just make sure you bear the above guidance in mind. I can near enough gaurantee you will not be disappointed!

Technorati Tags: build muscle food, build muscle now, build muscle up, supersets

Developing good habits is crucial to build muscle up on a long term basis. It is very important to be doing the right things regularly in order to build muscle continuously. Unfortunately there are bad habits that many people pick up on the way that are limiting their muscle building progress. Here we have outlined the top 7 worst muscle building habits and included a few build muscles tips too:

1) The worst of all! Taking steroids, this is harmful for a great number of reasons take your pick from any of these:different coloured spots on the body, acne, swelling of the legs and feet, bad smelling breath and yellowing of the skin, dizziness, trembling, nausea, vomiting, mood swings, premature balding, aching joints, liver damage, palpitations, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and reduction of your final adult height.Before using steroids ask yourself if you really want any of these side effects: pain on urination, testicular shrinkage, impotence, breast development and even sterility. I’m sure that is all that needs to be said.

2) Attempting to lift too much. Ok, so competing with a training partner is highly motivating but be very careful. Lifting too much weight can cause you to lose form and increase the chances of injury and won’t help you build muscles quickly. If you have o use momentum to lift the weight or you are unable t control it 100% whilst lifting or lowering you really ought to be reducing the amount of weight you are using.

3) Excessive protein intake. The average adult should be taking on board 0.8-1 gram of protein/kilo of bodyweight/day and a muscle building athlete ought not to take on board more than 1.7 grams per bodyweight kilo. Consuming more protein than this increases your chances of getting osteoporosis and also it could lead to irreversible damage of your kidneys. Also your risk of heart disease is increased because a by product of protein metabolism homo-cysteine can cause damage to your heart over time!

4) Using stimulants like ephedrine has potentially dangerous side effects such as heart attack, heart palpitations, and stroke. Whilst these are not prohibited you wold be wise to exercise extreme caution and in fact would be much better off not using them. you may give caffeine pills a go as they are much less dangerous. If in any doubt always consult a trained health care professional.

5) Working out on an empty stomach is believed by some people to help burn off more fat. However most of your energy comes from carbohydrate therefore if you haven’t eaten you will have a great deal less energy and have virtually zero chance of having a decent training session. You will not be able to lift more than your previous personal best and you will most likely be left jittery, shaking and even dizzy after your training session possibly due to low blood sugar levels. Instead 30-60 minutes before your workout have a small meal with food such as vegetable rice and pasta.

6) Not warming up or stretching properly.Getting your body ready for exercise is essentail in order to prevent injuries like muscle tears and strains, what’s more it enhances your range of motion, flexibility, performance, and posture. It takes only around 10 minutes to do a decent warm up and it is time very well spent. 

7) Not keeping a training diary. Without this how are you supposed to know if your training program is working or not? How can you keep a track of your previous best lifts and so on. A training diary is motivational and easy to do. Why are you not using one.

OK, bear in mind the above points and make changes if you have to but mainly use your common sense and think about the long term.

Technorati Tags: build muscle up, build muscles quickly, build muscles tips

What exactly is a superset?

A superset is a combination of two or more weight training exercises done consecutively after one another with no break between them. The exercises selected have to be working opposite muscle groups. For example a set of barbell curls followed immediately by tricep press downs or a set of squats immediately followed by hamstring curls.

Why do Supersets?

First of all they are more than likely a good break from the routines you may have previously followed. They place a new type of stress on your muscles which provides additional stimulus to grow. What is more when you remove the rest intervals you prevent yourself from being distracted and losing your focus and intensity. Also after completing a superset you will probably experience a powerful muscle pump as the muscles are literally being flooded full of oxygenated blood to help keep up with the muscles demands which is a great feeling. Overall they are a great way to build muscle up fast. 

Doing supersets prevents you from cooling down to quickly and keeps your heart rate higher creating an almost aerobic workout too. Another wonderful aspect of supersetting is that they inject in to your training session great variety, excitment and also a real challenge.

What supersets should I try?

The following combinations are some of my favourite and provide a tough but satisfying workout: Bent bar curl/lying tricep extension, Dumbbell incline press/dumbbell pullover/seated lat row, Leg extension/leg curl/calf raise, Dumbbell alternate curl/overhead tricep extension, Bench press/wide grip pulldown, Chins/dips/rope tuck, Steep dumbbell shoulder press/sidearm lateral raise,

What tips can you give me when doing them?

Well, make ure you perform them with good technique. It is all to easy to get carried away with it and start using sloppy form. This is particularly true as you are going to be out of breathe more than you usually would be pumping iron and also as you will be jumping from one particular exercise to another weight training exercise very quickly. Keeping to correct lifting technique will ensure that you keep hitting the correct mucsle group and also reduce the chances of injury.

Anything else I should know in order to build muscle now with supersets?

With the increased intensity of supersets it may be wise to cut the volume slightly and shoot for just a couple of supersets however if your fitness and energy levels are good by all means do more. use a different superset every workout between your normal sets to prevent yourself from becoming worn out.

It should also go without saying that you will have to continue to eat a lot of quality build muscle food, we all know muscle comes from excess calories so keep eating quality foods and also make sure you keep your water intake high. Finally, overtraining is the number one reason for slow muscle growth so take this into account. Working out twice a week will be plenty for the majority of people and that is probably more than enough for hard gainers. Ok then now it is your turn, follow the above guidelines and there is no reason why you shouldn’t build muscle up fast with supersets too. I can pretty much garauntee you won’t be disappointed!

Technorati Tags: build muscle food, build muscle now, build muscle up, supersets

Many bodybuilders especially amateur bodybuilders like to enjoy the occassional drink of alcohol whther it be in the form of beer, wine or spirits. Here we ask just what affect this has on our body and is it ok to drink if we want to build up muscles.

Unfortunately alcohol interferes with many chemical reactions in the body that are productive in order to build muscle up. The effects of alcohol are felt by the body for at least a couple of days as it is processed very gradually and can affect performance negatively for up to 48 hours after you drank your last glass. 

Just two normal drinks of alcohol can reduce reaction time, lower strength levels, interfere with balance and hand eye co-ordination and increase fatigue. Clearly as a sportsmen all of these will directly affect your performance and as a bodybuilder these will only inhibit your ability to build muscle up.

The body can be left more fatigued as the glycogen that it would normally process is not processed as it is busy dealing with the alcohol thus leading towards fatigue. This is what causes increased fatigue. The muscle growth of the body will inevitably suffer when the cellular functions of the body cannot operate efficiently.

Alcohol causes dehydration as it interferes with the electrolytes and fluid inside the kidneys. The function of the kidneys is to regulate the body’s cells with nutrients they can use for building muscles up and repair and also to remove from the body cellular waste.Attempts to exercise vigorously and to your peak will likely be ruined because in order to process alcohol effectively, water must be drawn from other areas of the body this has a dehydrating effect which thus harms any athletic performance.

Tachycardia an abnormally fast heartbeat may be caused by alcohol consumption which also causes high blood pressure in some people. Furthermore alcohol reduces the quality of your sleep which is when the body should be growing. It also reduces the ease at which the body can absorb vitamins and minerals, these of course play crucial roles in metabolic functions for muscle growth.

The effect on the way the brain processes information will also be affected negatively. Slow disoriented thinking is the general result when not enough glycogen gets through to the brain. Alcohol use also may cause a loss of drive and motivation to succeed which is so important in any sport!

So bearing all this in mind, clearly if you are seriously want to build up muscle then you are going to have to lay of the alcohol. just drinking the recommended daily amount of alcohol can and will affect your body in a negative fashion! Beyond the scope of this article are the many and varied effects on the body of alcohol consumption.

Technorati Tags: alcohol, build muscle up, build up muscle, build up muslces

When building muscle up without even knowing it you can put your self at serious risk of injury, illness and dramatically restrict your progress. Sure it is fantastic that you wish to train and build muscle up but at the same time just one single injury, one moment of carelessness can put you out of action for weeks or months and with consequences related to both health and financial matters. Such traumatic incidents can easily be avoided by adhering to the following guidelines. Here we go with our build muscle up safely guidelines:

1) Always check and double check you have put the barbell collars on before you start lifting. One side can be made heavier by just a slight looseness of a collar. The heavier side will drop down and the weight disc can slip further and drop off. When this occurs that side of the bar will be extremely light and leveraged upwards by the heavy side. The barbell will then swing through the air and could do some real damage to people or equipment!

2) If you are doing one rep maximum lifts then do so with a spotter. This is someone who can aid you should you not be able to push or lift the bar back up. The last thing you want to occur is to have yourself stuck weighted down by a heavy barbell, you may laugh but I’ve seen it happen.

3) If you are ill stay away from the gym. Sounds really obvious but I have lost count of the times I have seen people coughing and spluttering through a gym session with a fever. More often than not the trainer beats none of their best scores and only lands themselves in bed for a few days. Exercising actually for a while at least lowers your immune system so if you are already feeling ill then by exercising you give the illness the ideal opportunity to take a bigger hold of you.

4) Maintain correct technique. If you do exercises with poor form like swinging barbells using bodily momentum then you risk serious injury but and will also not make much progress due to that fact that you won’t be targeting the muscle group specifically enough. Always use strict form.

5) Do not do too much. It is very common when motivation is high especially for newbie’s that you want to lift weights as often as possible. This motivation is good but training everyday or even every other day will probably be too much for most people unless it is a split routine. You will actually weaken your muscles if you workout again when they are not yet fully recovered.

6) Not dieting properly. Emphasis will have to be placed on muscle building nutrition if you want your muscles to grow. You will be wasting your time in the gym if you are not taking on board enough calories to support muscle growth. Throughout the day consume high quality meals.

7) Boasting to you gym partner. Trying to lift more and more weight to beat your mates can be fun yet can also end in disaster. It is much more productive to try to beat your own personal best scores. Record your workouts in a training log so that you know what your personal best to beat is. This will be more motivating for you and reduce your risk of injury.

Warm up enough. If you fail to do your muscle are more likely to snap and give-way. This can keep you out of action for weeks or possibly even months. It is very simple to do, 5-10 minutes cardio, stretching exercises followed by a few warm up reps will do fine.

With those above guidelines in mind and with correct muscle building nutrition there is no reason why you should not build muscle up happily and safely where ever you train.

Technorati Tags: build muscle safely, build muscle up, build muscles up, how to build muscle