Remember, Diet and nutrition are essential elements in bodybuilding

Bodybuilding is getting more and more popular as it is a sport that requires both discipline and physical endurance. People involved in bodybuilding either do it as a way of getting in better mental and physical shape. More serious bodybuilder will aim at participating in bodybuilding competitions and are always striving to get to the top level in their category.

When involved in bodybuilding, a person has to watch her diet to ensure she is getting the proper amount of proteins and nutrients to build her muscle mass. A current misconception is that bodybuilders have to avoid carbohydrates. In fact, they eat them to help release energy in a steady stream rather than in spurts.

Carbohydrates are also known to help the body recuperate from the training regiment. Some bodybuilders choose to eat quick digesting sugars after their workouts. It is believed this process helps recover the glycogen in the muscles.

Diet and nutrition are essential elements in bodybuilding. It is recommended to do extensive research in this area or hire a trainer before getting involved in bodybuilding. Nutrition can play a major role and account for a big part of a successful bodybuilding program.

For people involved in competition bodybuilding, their training will be focused on acquiring an overall balanced, strong and healthy body.

Bodybuilding competitions are now judged by a panel who considers way more than just the size of the candidate’s muscles.

In a competition, the total scores of different factors are combined to determine the overall points. The winner at the end of the competition is the one with the most points. Natural bodybuilding gathers people who trained without any use of external supplements. It is much more intense and difficult that traditional bodybuilding. It requires harder workouts and a stricter diet. There are also stricter qualifying guidelines, but the winners as well as competitors in these competitions know they did all the work themselves without any supplements. Natural bodybuilding is gaining in popularity as there is a trend towards more natural training is all sports.

Teen Bodybuilding

Bodybuilding for men has been a competitive sport since the 1800’s. Women started participating in bodybuilding competitions around the mid 1900’s. In recent years, teenagers have demonstrated a growing interest in bodybuilding.

An added benefit to the physical ones is that teenagers involved in a bodybuilding program learn about discipline and good nutrition. They also acquire a lifestyle that will be beneficial for the rest of their life.

By: nathfiset

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Are you picking up that latest body building magazine?

Are you sick and tired of picking up that latest body building magazine off the shelve, opening it to the latest program on the current bodybuilding star and discovering that he is using a six day split program that has you in the gym for four hours and day!!

What it won't tell you is that the guy is a professional and probably doesn't have to hold down a steady job, pay off a mortgage or raise a couple of kids.

The thing is you don't have to train like an athlete to put on muscle, all you need to do is follow these action ideas below and you will start making big gains fast without spending all your time in the Gym.

Lets have a look:

1/ Back to Basics - To build muscle you must train short and with intensity, you only have a limited amount of energy per session. Tests reveal that blood sugar levels drop dramatically after 20 minutes, so exercise selection is crucial.

Compound multi-joint movements have to be used as these offer more training stimulus, are more functional and heavier loads can be lifted. Examples of compound movements include squats, bench press, dips, and chin-ups. Performing three to four exercises with high intensity during a session are what is needed.

All the main structures of the body are worked hard during this time, remembering that as you get stronger in your upper body exercises i.e. Dips, Lat Pull downs, you will also add size to your upper arms as well as your shoulders.

Working on these big compound movements has a knock-on effect throughout the whole body; there is no need for specialization techniques or isolation movements.

The thing is, the whole body is worked hard, rest and recuperation is allowed to take place and at the next exercise session we push out a few more reps than before with the same weight, then we have gotten stronger i.e. more muscle.

2/ Perform One Set Per Body Part - Having performed one set of an exercise to total failure then it should be near on impossible to generate the same force and intensity for another set.

If you are able to generate the same force and intensity for this second set then the first set was not worked hard enough.

If you give the first set 100% effort and work it to total failure (You cannot move the bar after the last rep) there is no more requirement for further stimulation.

Therefore you need to do one set per exercise, remembering to complete the training session in 20 - 30 minutes so to have the most stimulus as possible and then move on to the next exercise.

Current research shows that single set training is as beneficial as multiple set training, decreasing the chances of over training and saving energy for other lifts required during the workout.

Because you are doing one set per exercise, you will have to work it hard and to total failure.

3/ Cycle Your Strength Training - The development of muscle and strength is interrelated so the exercise session will have to be designed so that increases in strength are equal to increases in functional muscle.

Cycling intensity through changes in repetitions and poundage's throughout your training program is an effective way to maintain progression and avoid training plateaus.

4/ Don't Train To Long - Training itself causes the breakdown of muscle tissue. When a person trains very intensely cortisol is released into the blood stream, which causes the breakdown of muscle tissue.

The amount of cortisol released is highly dependant upon the length of training time.

Therefore to minimize this effect training should be completed in the absolute minimum time required which is no longer than 20 to 30 minutes max.

Your blood sugar levels are also dropping by this time, so do what you have to do in this time and get out of the gym, go home and grow.

5/ Don't Cheat - Do not cheat on your reps! Every strength-training trainee runs into this problem sooner or later and it will grind your gains to a stand still. There are many ways to increase the intensity of your sets and the weights used in order to maximize results.

Cheating to increase your weights actually takes strain off your muscles and places it on your joints, which is counterproductive.

Now that you are armed with this information, you wont need to spend all of your time in the gym, by all means workout hard while you are in there but when you are finished go home and grow and enjoy life.

By: bigbubby

Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooks Maximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visit www.maximumfitness.com right now for your 'free' muscle building e-course.

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many reasons why your muscles won’t grow

There are many reasons why your muscles won’t grow or why your muscle growth is retarded. One main culprit for your muscle tissue to in a catabolic and not in an anabolic state is the stress hormone called cortisol. This stress hormone, cortisol, is produced by your body when you are under stressful situations.

Yes, any type of stress, whether they are mental stress, physical stress or just emotional stress will trigger off an increased in the production of cortisol hormones. A high level of cortisol is always a bane for bodybuilders and that in itself, is creating more stress.

When you exercise or especially weightlifting body building exercises, you are placing a tremendous stress on your body. This in turn will cause the cortisol hormone in your body to rise to unacceptable level which may destroy your muscle tissues, bone density and causes weight gain especially abdominal fat. Ohhh...that abdominal fat that would not go away.

This hormone hates your muscles and wants you to grow fat. It takes away protein from the muscles. However to be fair to this hormone, the cortisol hormone has its positive functions.

Cortisol is produced by the adrenal cortex and is commonly known as a stress hormone because the level of cortisol in your body rises sharply when you are under stress. This hormone plays an important role in your body’s metabolic function, it facilitates cardiovascular function, carbohydrate metabolism and controls inflammation. After all, it is a steroid hormone.

As more cortisol is being produced, your muscle tissue breaks down further since the amino acids from your muscle protein is being converted into glucose for energy. This hormone also blocks new muscle tissues from growing because it interferes in protein synthesis in your muscles.

How to lower cortisol level?

• Get enough sleep – Let your body recuperate from the day’s stress and let the body rebuild its wears and tears. A lack of sleep will put your body under further stress and thus increasing cortisol levels.

• Avoid stress – Take up yoga, read a book, take a break from whatever you are doing. Learn meditation and breathing techniques to reduce everyday stress. Take a week or so break from your exercise routine after 6-8 weeks of regular training. As your body learns how to relax, the level of cortisol hormone will fall correspondingly.

• Do not over train – Over training is a common issue amongst athletes of all types. This is especially so in bodybuilding and weight lifting. You are already damaging your muscles when you lift weights, don’t let cortisol hormones rob your muscles of the much needed proteins and preventing muscle repair and growth.

Once your body and mind is free from stress, your cortisol production will be at a healthy level and you will once again see your muscles growing, provided that you are doing other things that are conducive to getting your muscles to grow.

By: Chris Chew -

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Chris Chew is a fitness personal trainer for fashion models, actors, pageant winner sand other celebrities. He is the author of Lose Fat Build Muscles Quickly! and Singapore Fitness Trainers

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The tendency to overtrain

You can only build muscle tissue if you can generate progressively stronger muscular contractions, so this calls for an emphasis on finding ways to increase exercise intensity. This should not be confused with exercise duration as maximum training intensity will actually shorten the time needed to achieve maximal muscular growth.

In an earlier article I outlined the ways in which you can intensify your training. Here we'll focus on the role that partial repetitions have to play in intensifying the training effect.

One of the biggest dangers confronting serious bodybuilders is the tendency to overtrain. Bodybuilders at the advanced level must resist the temptation to seek improvement by simply adding more exercises or extra workouts to an already demanding schedule.

One way to maintain progress yet avoid overtraining is to make constructive use of partial repetitions. This allows the introduction of additional intensity without adding significantly to the duration of training. To get the most out of partial repetitions you should follow these simple steps:

1. Use a much heavier weight than you would for the full range version of the same exercise.

2. Perform partial reps only from the halfway stage or mid-point of the exercise.

3. Use this method primarily on lagging body parts.

4. Perform only one exercise for one set per body part.

5. Use only as a supplement to full range movement exercises, not instead of.

By: Rick Mitchell

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Rick Mitchell has written numerous articles aimed at helping athletes, from beginners to advanced, understand how to build muscle and increase strength. He has also developed several supporting web resources including Muscle Building Tips

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Reasons women should perform resistance training:

Woman tend to shy away from weight and resistance training, especially heavy lifting. They prefer to do light weights with lots of reps or long slow cardio. Many think lifting heavy weights will bulk them up which is not possible because women lack the male hormone testosterone. The also feel long slow cardio will take body fat off faster when moderate to heavy weight training is far more metabolic.
Here are several reasons women should perform resistance training:

1)You will get stronger without putting on a lot of lean muscle mass. Some lean muscle is desirable as it improves your appearance and raises your metabolic rate. You will not, however, bulk up. The strength you gain will make everyday activities much easier.

2)You will lose bodyfat. Weight training is the fastest way to lose fat. Gains in lean muscle mass mean increases in metabolic rate and calorie burning 24 hours a day.

3)You will decrease your risk of osteoporosis. Research has shown that weight training can increase bone mineral density just like weight bearing exercise. Add some dietary calcium and you have a good program for not developing osteoporosis.

4)You will improve your mood. Weight training has been shown to improve both depression and anxiety. It also raises self esteem and gives you a sense of accomplishment.

5)You will reduce your risk of diabetes. Resistance training improves how the body processes sugar which can reduce the incidence of diabetes. Adult-onset diabetes is growing and research indicates that weight training can increase glucose tolerance.

6)You will reduce your risk of heart disease. Improving cardiovascular fitness has always been a part of the aerobics domain. No longer! Research has shown that resistance training can improve heart health in many ways. These include improvements in cholesterol profiles, lowering blood pressure and reducing coronary artery disease.

7)You will reduce your risk of injury, back pain and arthritis. Building stronger muscles also builds stronger connective tissue between the joints. Strengthening the lower back is also a very successful method to reduce low back pain.

8) You will improve your recreational and sports performance. Weight training improves overall athletic ability. Your exercise performance will increase dramatically if you weight train

Over the last decade, researchers have made strong arguments for the participation of women of all ages in resistance training. Still, the number of women who actually heed this advice is lower than expected. Now that you know all the benefits, grab yourself a personal trainer if needed, and start pumping iron for optimal health.

By: Lanny Schaffer, Ph.D-4885

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Dr. Lanny Schaffer is an Exercise Physiologist and the President of The International Fitness Academy. For more cutting edge fitness and training information go to www.aerobic-exercise-coach.com

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Things You Must Know Before Running A Marathon

1. Proper preparation prevents poor performance
One of the biggest mistakes you can make before running a marathon is to assume that ‘it’ll be alright on the day’; ‘The crowd and adrenalin will get me round’; ‘How hard can it be to run 26.2 miles?’ Make no mistake, it is a very long way and people can seriously damage their health by underestimating the challenge. Proper preparation involves doing some consistent training and following a recommended programme set out by an expert. It also involves investing a little bit of money in good running shoes and other equipment.

2. Running a marathon requires a lifestyle change (sorry, it just does!)
If you are serious about running a marathon well it will require three major lifestyle changes, at least for most of us it will.
• You need to sort out your nutrition. What I mean is that no serious runner will put junk into their body and expect to perform well. I’m afraid that means MacDonalds and their likes need to be shelved for the duration of training and your intake of fruit and vegetables needs to increase dramatically.
• You need to sort out your hydration. Most of us are actually permanently dehydrated through a lack of water. Whilst training for a marathon drink much more water than normal and severely cut back on your alcohol intake. I’m afraid that alcohol is poison to a runner.
• You need to rest much more than you used to.
3. Your pre-race preparation can make all the difference between success and failure.
The worst thing you can do is just swan up to the start line and start running. It won’t be long until you’re a dying swan if you do that! Without proper pre-race preparation your race can be over before it begins. Here are a few vital things to get right before the race begins:
• Think carefully about what you will wear on the day. Don’t wear anything new but only what you’ve already trained in.
• Don’t get freaked out by the starting procedure. Give yourself plenty of time and take some warm stuff in case you are held up. A bin bag is always good in case it’s cold. Warm up properly so that you don’t get any pulled muscles.

4. Get your mind sorted out for the actual race
• Prepare your mind. Visualize the course as much as you can.
• Visualize finishing and celebrating.
• Everyone has negative thoughts. When they occur just push them away and remind yourself of the good training days.
• Apply lubricant to areas that will chafe.
• As you warm up check that you don’t need a last minute toilet break.
During the Race….
• Do not "race" during the first 20 miles of the marathon. Start slowly!
• Do not panic if the pace seems wrong. Many things can happen, it's a long race and there will be plenty of time to make up early slow splits.
• If it's windy stay behind other runners and shelter from direct head winds.
• Do not race through the water stations. Stop if necessary. Finally, and most important, HAVE FUN!
5. A good after-race strategy is crucial if you want a quick recovery.
Many runners find themselves in great pain after a race. So much so that it puts them off ever running another race. Here are a few tips to help you get back to normal living as soon as possible.
• Immediately after finishing you should try to keep walking for 5-10 minutes to allow your legs to cool down. If the weather is cold, windy, or wet make an effort to get inside or back into warm clothing. Keep drinking small amounts of water or sports drink if your stomach will allow it, even when you feel you no longer need to. My personal favourite is ‘Complete’ from the Juice Plus+ organization.
• Ice any sore spots immediately.
• As soon as you feel like eating, begin with small amounts of easily digestible food that you know will agree with your stomach. Although carbohydrate replacement is vital, protein is important for rebuilding damaged muscle tissue immediately following the race and for the next few days. Drink a lot of water for 48 hours.
• Keep your legs elevated as much as possible for the 24 hours after the race.
If you found this article at all helpful then please visit my blog which is updated regularly with helpful advice and my own personal take on marathon training and nutrition. Go to resource box.

By: wully-m

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www.marathontrainingandnutrition.blogspot.com www.juiceplus.co.uk/+mm026962

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the different types of bodybuilding workouts

Try and name a sport that you can participate in even if you are an old person. Chances are, you will have a hard time naming even one. But if you named bodybuilding, you are dead on right.

Bodybuilding is the art and science of developing the musculature of your body via certain kinds of physical exertion and diet whose end goal is to showcase the body for competitive exhibition. The most popular kind of bodybuilding exercise is weightlifting or weight training.

What makes bodybuilding so appealing is that it is a sport that everyone of any age can participate in. The only requirements are that one be in relatively good physical condition, has access to gym equipment, and can financially afford the lifestyle it demands.

What are the different types of bodybuilding workouts? Well, it depends first on whether your body type is that of an ectomorph, endomorph or mesomorph.

An ectomorph is considered the slow gainer among bodybuilding types. He needs to slow down his hyper metabolism in order to gain muscle size and strength. This means his exercise routine should be severe enough to trigger muscle growth yet short enough to avoid nervous drain.

An endomorph, on the other hand, has a sluggish metabolism. He needs some kind of stimulating exercise every session in order to rev up his metabolism. Also, an endomorph should restrict his calorie intake due to an over-efficient digestive system that makes him gain weight easily.

The luckiest among the body types (as far as bodybuilding is concerned) is the mesomorph. A true mesomorph is able to gain muscle even with little effort on his part. Mesomorphs can be said to be gifted with muscle-building abilities, the Chosen People of bodybuilding.

No one belongs solely to one body type. Most people can be said to be a mixture of the three. However, one body type usually dominates a person’s build so that it is relatively easy to categorize bodybuilders.

Despite one’s body type, there are common techniques to follow when bodybuilding. These are:

1. Keep a training diary so that you can monitor your progress and determine what you should aim for in the future.

2. Pay attention when lifting any kind of weight to avoid injury. Carelessness is probably the foremost cause of injuries in bodybuilding.

3. Choose the types of exercises that can contract as many muscle fibers as possible during one set. This will maximize the effectiveness of the core repetitions which make up most of one’s training.

4. Warm up properly prior to doing any exercise to prevent injury.

5. Don’t change the technique of doing any exercise unless you know what you are doing. Experimenting is another cause of injury.

6. Don’t do those exercises which are known to cause tendon or joint damage.

7. Good exercise style prevents injury. So keep proper form while exercising.

8. Learn to distinguish between the pain caused by lactic acid build-up within the muscle, and the pain caused by a serious injury. Mistaking one for the other could cause you to keep exercising despite being injured, thereby worsening the injury. Rest if you are injured.

9. Practice stretching before working out. This also helps you ward off injuries.

Hopefully, these tips will help you enjoy participating in the sport of bodybuilding

By: Mike Selcsum

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