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by Derek Manuel
Whenever I receive e-mails from people wanting to know what is the best way to build muscle fast and gain weight, the first thing I tell them is squats. If you have read any of my past articles or newsletters then you know that I put a huge emphasis on squats when it comes to gaining weight and building muscle mass as fast as possible. Nothing can ever substitute for squatting hard and heavy, not more exercises, supplements, nothing.
If you've been having trouble gaining weight and/or putting some muscle mass on your frame, then I suggest you start doing some serious squatting. If you have been squatting but still aren’t seeing results, I would then suggest that you take a look at your squatting poundage’s. Almost 90% of weight trainer’s problems with gaining weight and muscle mass can be solved just by getting serious about squatting.
However, if you have been squatting for a while and are getting good progress but want to take a break while still gaining muscle mass consistently, then perhaps you should try what I believe is the next best yet simple exercise for muscle building: parallel dips.
Next to squats, parallel dips are the fastest way to build muscle on your upper body. Now, what I am NOT talking about is how many dips you can do. This is great for athletes and muscle endurance, but I would assume that if you’re reading this article that you are looking for ways to build muscle fast.
In order to utilize dips as a tool for further upper body muscle mass development, you need to treat them just as you would treat any other exercise for the same purpose, and that is low to medium amount of reps with progressively heavier weight. If you have never done dips with added weight before, you are in for a treat. They are defiantly more demanding then most upper body exercises, but the results they produce are just as good if not better.
What I love about parallel dips is that they are one of the few exercises that will add massive bulk to your chest, shoulders, and triceps all at once. This is by far one of the best upper body exercises for strength training as well, and you can get a terrific pump from them too!
My favorite way of doing dips is from the late John McCallum’s book The Complete Keys to Progress. Here is how he broke it down on how to do them for the best possible results:
-First start out with either body weight or really light weights tied around your waist for a set of five.
-Do a second set of five with a little more weight.
-Next jump to your best poundage’s (you’ll have to experiment with this to find out what weight is good for you) for three more sets of five.
-After you finish your first five sets, finish off by doing ten more sets of eight with much lighter weight with only thirty seconds in-between each set. Continue to strip the weight off each set if necessary.
-The weight for the last 10 sets doesn’t matter, just focus on no longer then 30 second rest periods and getting a really good pump.
Try these out for a while and try to add weight to your three heavy sets for each workout. You don’t need to do this more then twice a week, even once a week for some is enough. Also, don’t do to many other upper body exercises on days when you are doing these dips, as you will soon discover, you won’t need to, let alone have enough strength left to!
As always with a weight gain and muscle building program, don’t ever forget about your diet and nutrition, and especially don’t cut yourself short on protein while doing the dips. This exercise alone will take a lot out of you and you MUST make sure to put a lot of protein and other nutrition back in.
Derek Manuel is the author of the best-selling How to Gain Weight and Build Muscle for Hardgainers. If you want to learn how you too can gain 20 to 30 pounds of solid muscle in as short as 8 weeks, or if you just want more quality information on how to gain weight and build muscle, please visit http://www.hardgainers-weight-tips.comDerek Manuel may be contacted at http://www.hardgainers-weight-tips.com or derek_manuel@hardgainers-weight-tips.com
by john kelly
Wearing glasses, hearing aids and dying one’s hair are effective methods of reversing the effects of aging, but the most effective thing we can do to reverse the aging process is to do regular strength training exercise. It is the most effective exercise in addressing the biomarkers that effect not only how young we look, but more importantly, how we young we feel. Each our bodies undergo many changes that can be reversed by proper strength training:
1. Muscle mass decreases. As adults we lose about five pounds of lean muscle each decade. Stronger muscles are more toned, and this requires more calories. Stronger toned muscles present a younger look.
2. Base Metabolic Rate (metabolism) decreases. More muscle requires more calories. Those who are stronger can have the metabolism they had when they were twenty years younger.
3. Fat increases as a percentage of body weight. By increasing muscle mass, fat as a percentage is automatically less, and this extra muscle requires more fat burning calories. A stronger leaner person will be more active and the increased activity will further enhance one’s health and burn additional calories.
4. Loss of strength, energy, and speed. Proper exercise will make you stronger, and day to day activities will be less strenuous and be less taxing energy-wise.
5. Loss of aerobic capacity. Choose a strength training program that involves circuit training to get the aerobic benefits. Non-stop circuit training method has a very significant cardiovascular effect and increases both aerobic and anaerobic capacity.
6. Body cells become resistant to insulin. Added muscles will lower your blood sugar level and lessen the need for insulin.
7. Bone mineral density decreases. Increase the demands on the muscular-skeletal system, and as self-protection, the body responds by maintaining stronger muscles and bones. 8. Loss of flexibility. More muscle contributes to flexibility. Muscles have the plasticity that tendons and ligaments do not.
9. Increased susceptibility to sickness and injury. A stronger body is less like to get injured and will have a stronger immune system. This might be the most important benefit. People wait until injuries occur and then exercise becomes problematic. To help avoid surgery the best thing you can do for your joints is to make the muscles supporting those joints stronger. Take the steps now to avoid herniated discs and hip and knee replacements.
10. Unsatisfactory cholesterol/HDL Ratio. Circuit strength training will improve your HDL or High Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol.
11. Blood Pressure increases. Elevated blood pressure or hypertension is known as "the silent killer" can be alleviated by strength training.
While other forms of exercise might improve a certain biomarker more effectively - running to improve aerobic capacity or yoga to improve flexibility - none address so many as effectively circuit weight training. You need not spend hours in the gym to make a profound difference. The body changes as a form of self-protection in response to increased demands of the body. Instead of trying to find out how much exercise you can handle but find out how little exercise is actually needed to produce a change. Studies have shown that significant strength increases result from strength training as little as once a week. Not exercising can lead to injuries which will result in more inactivity. You have to something. Do just enough to cause a change then come back and do it again in a week. As you become stronger you will find you are willing to engage in more activities and this will further enhance your health. It all starts with strength. Just improve a little each week and over time you will be a changed person.
John Kelly operates two personal training facilities that specialize in high-intensity circuit strength training. For more information go to http://www.kellypersonaltraining.com or http://www.ultimate30.com john kelly may be contacted at http://www.kellypersonaltraining.com/
by Phil Loomis
How to move efficiently and prevent injuries
The stable midsection- the core- is at the foundation for a fit body. And it may be more valuable to daily living and our fitness pursuits than most people realize. A new review of studies shows that a stable core can help people move efficiently and plays a role in preventing injuries in the legs, hips, and buttocks. The review appears in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.
Core Strength V. Core Stability It is important to understand the difference between core strength and core stability. People develop core strength by doing exercises for the muscles of the stomach, back, shoulders, and hips. But core stability is the interaction of strength and coordination of these muscles during movement. Having a strong core is only part of the equation. The other part is training the body and mind to naturally engage these muscles in every day activities so that our movements are safe and efficient. Having strong core muscles doesn’t mean you posses core stability! For example, people who have jobs that involve heavy lifting know to activate certain muscles to stabilize their lower back. But they get hurt when the do something as simple as bending over to pick up a dime or suddenly turning to catch a tipping glass of milk because there isn’t a trained response there. There is no shortage of ways to strengthen the core, from abdominal and back training programs, Pilates and most martial arts. These disciplines can sometimes help people remember to sit upright or stand taller. But taking the next step is crucial to your long-term fitness. People interested in fitness need to make that mind-body connection so that they can naturally engage their core, use correct posture and maintain health body alignment. That’s easier said than done. Think about how even the fittest people often slouch in their chairs instead of sitting upright. Or how many people bend at the knees or waist to pick up objects instead of squatting and using the muscles of the legs and buttocks. In order to improve your level of fitness you must learn core stabilization. Experience has shown me that nothing is better for creating core strength and stability than The Heus System. The Heus System trains the body to create and maintain stability by engaging the brain’s proprioceptive sensitivity- the bodies’ complex action of body orientation. This teaches the muscles to work efficiently in unison and prepares your body for sudden and unpredictable changes. When you develop fitness with the Heus System, it translates to everyday activities, a world of constant movement. No other program can match the Heus System in connecting the body and mind for optimal fitness. Not only will you develop strength you will be able to utilize that strength to create stability in your life!
philloomis@yahoo.com
Phil is a fitness nutrition professional committed to life long fitness and nutrition. Phil says true fitness starts from the inside out and that everyone one has unique abilities that they must recognize and put in to use with passion and energy in order to reach their full potential.
Phil Loomis may be contacted at http://myhitechtrainer.com/philloomis1 or philloomis@yahoo.com
by Dave Soucy
Despite what the infomercials and headlines on the covers of the magazines at the grocery checkout will tell you, there is no such thing as spot reduction. The truth is that the only way you can target fat loss on a specific area of your body is through liposuction or surgery. If you carry excess fat around your abdomen, for example, all of the crunches, leg raises, and sit ups in the world are not going to target that fat and make your waist smaller. They only exercise the muscles underneath that layer of fat, and if you think about it logically for a minute, you know exercising a muscle is not done to make it smaller. And those infomercial gadgets that promise to give you a slim, trim waistline if you just use them for minutes a day? They are lying to you in order to get you to waste your hard earned money on their junk products.
While everyone is different, in general men tend to carry their excess fat around the abdomen and women tend to carry it on the hips and buttocks. Instead of trying to target these specific areas with endless crunches or hours on the hip abduction machine, what is needed is an integrated approach to fitness encompassing moderate aerobic exercise, proper resistance training, and supportive nutrition. A fitness program incorporating each of these elements will help you lose that stubborn body fat and kick start your metabolism by increasing muscle mass, while providing a wide range of other health benefits.
Your body will burn body fat from whatever area it chooses, and unfortunately, for most of us, that means the areas we gain it in first will be the areas we burn it from last. But, by incorporating the three elements of aerobic exercise, resistance training, and supportive nutrition on a consistent basis, you can turn your body into a fat burning machine and begin to see real changes in those formerly stubborn areas.
Dave Soucy, Fitness Consultant and Certified Personal Trainer, is the owner of Perfect Fit, LLC. Dave can be reached via email at info@perfectfitonline.com, or through www.perfectfitonline.com
Dave Soucy may be contacted at http://www.perfectfitonline.com or info@perfectfitonline.com
by Jim O'Connor
Natural bodybuilding enthusiasts, as well as strength training participants, all want rapid, muscle producing results. Depending upon each participant's objectives, they want to either gain, or minimally, maintain muscle tissue. Natural bodybuilders want to gain as much muscle mass as possible, where as, weekend strength trainers just want to increase their strength and maintain muscle mass. Each enthusiast may have different goals and objectives, but the same secret natural bodybuilding principle applies universally to both parties.
Natural bodybuilding magic occurs not during the first rep, but during the final, gut wrenching rep. Do you realize that the last, most difficult, repetition triggers 90% of natural muscle building results?
The main principle in increasing muscle strength and size is overload. If you place a greater stress on your muscles than you had during a previous workout, that specific muscle will be stimulated, and overloaded enough to trigger a muscle developing adaptive response. This physiological event results in greater strength and natural bodybuilding muscle development. The adaptive response is dependent upon the intensity of that final, magic, muscle producing repetition.
Natural bodybuilding, and strength training participants need to really key on overcoming that last, near impossible natural muscle producing rep. A lofty effort of trying to move that last rep will call for the muscle group to adapt, and become stronger.
The main objective is not to give up too easily when the weight feels challenging. Battle the repetition for a minimum of 4 seconds. Even if you are unable to finish the full rep, you have succeeded, and the natural muscle building process will occur. That is, only if you have had sufficient rest between workouts. Please be aware, it is not during the natural bodybuilding workout when muscle building results occur, but rather after numerous rest days allowing for muscle building compensation followed by overcompensation.
The final, most challenging rep is the key stimulus that triggers this whole process which bodybuilding and strength gains are based upon. Please note, this entire process can be short circuited by not allowing enough muscle recovering rest between workouts for overcompensation to occur. If you allow your body ideal rest, your muscle strength will continue to show improvement with each subsequent natural bodybuilding workout. You only have a limited number of resource recovery abilities available, so don't destroy your results by not allowing the recovery process to finish.
Instead of worrying about which bodybuilding supplement yields good bodybuilding fortune, concentrate on what really matters, the last, bodybuilding rep. Then allow your body to complete the rest.
Your main training goal should be to reach that all important repetition you can't complete after struggling four or more seconds. If you follow the simple principle of maximum last rep stress followed by ideal rest, then your natural bodybuilding results will skyrocket.
You can find out more tips, tricks, and results producing secrets about natural bodybuilding by visiting Bodybuilding Hub.com.
*** Attention: Ezine Editors / Website Owners *** Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine, Blog, Autoresponder, or on your website as long as the links, and resource box are not altered in any way.
Jim O'Connor - Exercise Physiologist / The Fitness Promoter
Copyright (c) - Wellness Word, LLC 9461 Charleville Blvd. No.312 Beverly Hills, CA 90212 1-866-935-5967
Jim O'Connor, A Beverly Hills celebrity fitness expert, has conducted thousands of fitness consultations with highly motivated individuals. Mr. O'Connor is the Chief Exercise Physiologist for Wellness Word, LLC, and author of the popular ebook Home Gym Shopping Secrets, as well as Wellness Word "multimedia" Newsletter, published online every other week promoting the health and fitness truth. For special access please visit http://www.WellnessWord.com/.
Wellness WORD, LLC 9461 Charleville Blvd. #312 Beverly Hills, CA 90212 1-866-935-5967 http://www.HomeGymShoppingSecrets.com/
Jim O'Connor may be contacted at http://www.WellnessWord.com/ or Jim@WellnessWord.com
| Exercises | Muscle Groups | Safety | Techniques | Workout Programs |
The Best Way I Know To Lose Stubborn Belly Fat
Lose Weight-Can You Get Flat Stomach With An Electronic Muscle Stimulator?
| Exercises | Muscle Groups | Safety | Techniques | Workout Programs |
by Marc David
Everyone wants to know how to lose fat around their abs, well, here's how I do it...
The #1 question that is asked on all fitness sites, bodybuilding forums, magazines and late night TV infomercials sounds a lot like these:
How to I lose the stubborn belly fat? How do I lose abdominal fat? How to do I get great abs? How do I lose the stomach pouch off the lower abs?
These are all too common question and they are so popular that it's the reason the weight reduction arena is a multi- billion dollar (yes billion) industry.
You are about to read the real secret to great abs and how to lose the abdominal fat without spending money on supplements or following some diet-of-the-month and it's going to be a very simple formula that you can follow. Remember...
Your abdominal muscle is like the rest of the muscles in your body. They require training if you want them to be larger and stronger. A common mis-conception is that you must train your abs several times a week. This will only lead to overtraining. Your abs are a muscle. Train it like everything else. No need to focus and go overboard. Two to three times a week of focused ab work or core strength is generally the rule for 6 pack abs.
An Easy 3-Step System For Ripped Abdominals:
Step 1
Training: 1% of your overall ab development will actually come from training. Consider the fact that most people think 90% of your results come from training, you can see this isn't the popular consensus. Needless to say, that's where most focus their efforts. They don't get their nutrition in order, they don't use cardio effectively so the masses just do more ab training and more crunches. Ultimately for your abs to show you must have abs to show and a low percentage of body fat for them to appear. More training does nothing to eliminate the layer of fat that is covering them. This is commonly know as spot reduction. Training an area for the sole purpose of eliminating fat in that area.
Tip - Do not make training the #1 priority to show off those abs. Train them like any other muscle. More ab work will not make your abs appear. Focus on lowering your body fat levels and not spot reduction.
Step 2:
Cardio: 9% of your effort can be directed as using cardio as a fat burning tool. High intensity interval training is by far the fastest and most efficient method you can use to shed the pounds. You'll want to keep in mind, using cardio is a tool. Not a foundation. This simply means that doing marathon sessions will not be to your advantage. Learn to use cardio effectively and you can enhance and boost your metabolism beyond what even eating the right foods can do. Some competitive bodybuilders use cardio up to twice a day for 30 days to just chisel off that last remaining layer of fat that's cover up the abdominal region.
Tip - Cardio can be done twice a day for a full body shock! Just keep in mind this method is a short term tool and not a routine you would use for any length of time.
Step 3:
Nutrition: 90% of your efforts will be based upon your diet. In order to show off the abs, you must get rid of the layer of fat that is covering them up. It is that simple. Many people will train their abs and do all kinds of cardio and they still forget that nutrition plays such a massive roll in getting rid of belly fat. You must know how many calories a day you need to eat and what to eat in order to get your nutrition on track and working for you. Going to the gym more often, doing more cardio and more hanging crunches will do you no good if you fail 90% of the test.
Tip - Use nutritional fundamentals to turn your body into a fat burning furnace.
Wait just a second...
Before you rush off to check your nutrition, cardio and training, take this next concept into consideration.
Loose Skin: Skin is very elastic and over time (age) or with a large amount of weight reduction it may not just spring back like it did. In this case, surgery may be the only option once you have reached a very low level of overall body fat.
-Many women may experience this because of pregnancy. -Many men and women may experience this because of a large amount of weight reduction.
For example, if a man was under 10% body fat and had loose skin, this is a prime example where skin may need to be taken away because of other circumstances. While this is pretty rare it does happen and if the skin cannot bounce back, there's little options a person has except to have it removed. What this means is...
If you have a low enough (12-15% or less body fat for a woman in this example) and you still have a lot of loose skin from slimming down or pregnancy, you may want to explore the option of having that excess skin removed.
With that said...
The secret to ripped abs is nothing more then 3-steps in this order of importance:
-Nutrition -Cardio -Training
You see, all of the programs you'll find will adhere to these 3 concepts. Once you have the abs, you need to show them. In order to show them, you will need to get rid of the layer of fat that is covering them up. It's easy to lose the belly fat when you know how.
Marc David is an innovative fitness enthusiast and author of "The Beginner's Guide to Fitness And Bodybuilding." Once a self-confessed skinny, "135-pound weakling," today Marc is a 200 pound bodybuilder who teaches thousands of people to gain weight, build muscle and reduce body fat with a workout and nutrition system so simple that even a complete beginner can understand it! To find out more about Marc and The Beginner's Guide To Bodybuilding And Fitness, go to: http://www.beginning-bodybuiding.com where you can also download Marc's Free report, "The Top 12 Beginner's Mistakes Revealed."
Marc David may be contacted at http://www.freedomfly.net or mrcd@freedomfly.net
by Chris Chew
You have probably seen plenty of advertisements extolling how Electronic Abdominal Stimulators can melt your belly fat fast and quickly. Most of these advertisements will also claim that their electronic abs stimulators can also flatten your tummy to reveal your six pack abs muscle. They even claim that by using electronic abs stimulators for X minutes is better that 300 sit ups or crunches, so you can say bye bye to diets and exercise forever. Too good to be true?
On the other hand, you may also have come across many articles and messages from the health and fitness industry or from your fitness personal trainers who refute the advertisers claiming that the only way to get a flat tummy with well defined six pack abs muscle is through healthy eating and exercise. Now that is hard work isn't it? So you will rather take a chance with an electronic abs stimulator won't you?
So who is telling the truth? Ok, instead of joining in the controversy, this article points out what the authorities such as U.S. Food and Drug Administration has got to say. Below is an excerpt from U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA Consumer magazine July-August 2002. You can read the full report at http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2002/402_abs.html :-
"In May, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed complaints against three manufacturers of these devices, alleging that they have made false claims in their advertising, seen in heavily aired infomercials on national cable television, shorter television commercials, and ads in the print media.
The unfounded claims cited by the FTC include the promise of "six pack" or "washboard" abs without exercise, claims that the devices will give users a trimmer waist or cause fat loss, and that use of the device is equivalent to (or better than) regular abdominal exercises, such as sit-ups or crunches. The FTC complaints also allege that the advertising claimed falsely that the stimulators are safe for all to use, and did not disclose adequately the possible health hazards for some people.
Q. Why does the FDA regulate electrical muscle stimulators?
A. Electrical muscle stimulators are considered medical devices under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Under this law and the agency's regulations, the FDA is responsible for regulating the sale of all electrical muscle stimulators in the United States. Therefore, firms must comply with appropriate FDA premarket regulatory requirements before they can legally sell their stimulators. Most electrical muscle stimulators (EMS devices) that have been reviewed by the FDA are intended for use in physical therapy and rehabilitation under the direction of a health-care professional. If a company wants to sell EMS devices directly to consumers, the company needs to show the FDA that the device can be used safely and effectively in that setting.
Q. These electrical muscle stimulators are advertised not only to tone, firm, and strengthen abdominal muscles, but also to provide weight loss, girth reduction, and "rock hard" abs. Do they really work?
A. While an EMS device may be able to temporarily strengthen, tone or firm a muscle, no EMS devices have been cleared at this time for weight loss, girth reduction, or for obtaining "rock hard" abs.
Q. Is the FDA concerned about the unregulated marketing of these devices?
A. Yes. The FDA has received reports of shocks, burns, bruising, skin irritation, and pain associated with the use of some of these devices. There have been a few recent reports of interference with implanted devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators. Some injuries required hospital treatment. The FDA is also concerned because many of these devices have cables and leads. If those cables and leads do not comply with electrical safety standards, there is the possibility that users and other household members could be electrocuted. The FDA is currently investigating firms that are illegally marketing EMS devices.
Q. What does FDA regulation accomplish?
A. Before they may legally sell their devices, firms that market EMS devices must be able to demonstrate that these products are as safe and as effective as similar devices that are legally marketed. Devices may be marketed only for uses that are established for the device or for uses that the firm can support with data. At this time, the FDA is not aware of scientific information to support many of the promotional claims being made for numerous devices being widely promoted on television, infomercials, newspapers, and magazines.
Q. Does that mean that it's unsafe to use an electrical muscle stimulator that has not met FDA requirements?
A. Using a product that has not met FDA requirements isn't necessarily unsafe or dangerous. But it could be. Unregulated devices also may have safety problems associated with cables and leads that can lead to accidental shock and electrocution of users and other household members, including children.
Q. If I use an electrical muscle stimulator, will it give me the same kind of effect that lots of sit-ups, stomach crunches and other abdominal exercises will?
A. Using these devices alone will not give you "six-pack" abs. Applying electrical current to muscles may cause them to contract. Stimulating muscles repeatedly with electricity may eventually result in muscles that are strengthened and toned to some extent but will not, based on currently available data, create a major change in your appearance without the addition of weight loss and regular exercise."
Now, who is telling the truth about electronic muscle stimulator being able to melt tummy fat and reveal your six pack abs? Well, you be the judge and come to your own verdict.
Chris Chew is a Fitness Personal Trainer based in Singapore. His clients are made up of pageant winners, TV personalities, actors and international models. For more info and free fitness tips, check out his website at http://www.sgfitness.com and http://www.sgfitnessonline.com
Chris Chew may be contacted at http://www.sgfitness.com or chris@sgfitnessonline.com
| Exercises | Muscle Groups | Safety | Techniques | Workout Programs |
| Exercises | Muscle Groups | Safety | Techniques | Workout Programs |
| Exercises | Muscle Groups | Safety | Techniques | Workout Programs |
Trunz-Carlisi, Elmar. Practical Muscle Training. Barnes and Noble Books: New York (2003).
Wade, Jennifer. Personal Training: Individual Fitness Programs & Training Plans for Every Body Type. Sterling: New York (1998).
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