Bodybuilding in College: It Can Be Done!

Transitioning from high school to college is difficult for most people, but bodybuilders may find that being away from their home gym and kitchen is extra tough. The first week or so may be a little intimidating, but bodybuilders can stay successful in college with high levels of dedication and motivation. When you enter college, set your goals for the year and try to motivate yourself to stick to your workout and diet plans.

College meal plans vary, but nothing about college food is good for a bodybuilder. Many colleges offer plans that include three meals a day at most, but your diet will probably call for more meals each day of smaller amounts of food. Don't load up at the cafeteria if that's not what you are used to doing! Instead, invest in a small refrigerator for your dorm room. Set aside some extra money each week for food, and schedule your classes so that you have enough time to eat. Most professors don't mind if you carry a snack to class, so if you must take a class that's during your normal mealtime, have some energy bars or protein shakes on hand as a back up plan. When you do eat in the cafeteria, make healthy meal choices. It's ok to splurge on one or two rewards, such as pizza or ice cream every week, but in general, stick to the foods you would normally eat at home-eggs, grilled chicken, bran cereals, salads, cottage cheese, and the like-even if there's a buffet of other things available.

One of the first things you should do when you get to college is explore the gym and weight facilities. Note the hours of operation-most schools are aware that students have busy schedules, so your gyms will probably open early in the morning and still be open late at night, but get a copy of the schedule so you never have to question the times. If the gym is too small or inconvenient for you schedule-wise, check out the gyms in town to see if any would better suit your needs. Students even get discount memberships at some places.

Lastly, be conscious of your other habits. Continue to get enough sleep even with your new workload, and be aware that activities such as smoking will only have an adverse effect on your health. A big part of college for many students is drinking, and you will probably be faced with this as well. If you are just bodybuilding for the sake of looking and feeling good, a few beers every week won't hurt you as long as you are responsible, but drinking is out of the question for competitive bodybuilders. Not only will it pack on the fat, but drinking will also cause you to lower your levels of testosterone and become dehydrated. Volunteer to be the designated driver instead, and you will find that it is easy to fit in while still maintaining your healthy lifestyle.

Tom Ambrozewicz is one of the pioneers in using breakthrough audio technology on his web sites. You can read, you can listen to professional narrator reading to you or having MP3 files download and train in gym while you listen. You can check all bodybuilding tips at Ask-How.info now.

Cardiovascular Training during your bodybuilding workouts - fat loss that's good for the heart!

Bodybuilder or not, no one who's playing with a full deck wants to be carrying excess body fat. While weight training and dieting play major roles, to maximize fat loss you should also be doing some sort of cardiovascular training (more affectionately known as cardio) to compliment your bodybuilding workouts.

Cardio, can be defined as any continuous exercise that increases the heart rate to what exercise physiologists call the target heart range. You can calculate your target heart range by using a formula that takes into account your age, resting heart rate, and approximate fitness level. It is important to note that the general guidelines for calculating your target heart rate are only a guide. Many other factors such as family genetics, medical conditions, and even common medications, also play a role in determining the best level to workout.

Cardiovascular training can take many forms. You can walk, bike, run, swim, cross country ski, or attend aerobic classes. Another way to effectively vary your cardio training is by cross-training. Cross-training involves alternating various different types of exercises in one exercise session. No matter what you do, the primary objective is to raise your heart rate to your target heart rate zone, keep it there for 25 to 30 minutes, and to do this for at least three times per week. Make sure that if you are doing an activity like swimming or running, that your skill level is sufficient enough to allow you to maintain your heart in the target heart rate zone. Start/stop activities, such as tennis, hockey, bodybuilding workouts, and basketball, are great workouts, but do not provide continuous time in the target heart range. Therefore they have limited cardiovascular and fat loss benefits.

Calculating your Target Heart Range

Exercise provides the most benefits when the heart has been challenged, but not overstressed. The best way to do this is to bring your heart up to a range that is between 60% and 85% of its maximum heart rate. The maximum heart rate refers to the approximate level after which there is the potential for danger to the individual because the heart is being overworked. Maintaining this exercise level is both difficult and dangerous and will cause fatigue within minutes. Below this and within the target range, the heart is strengthened and made healthier. The target heart range can be calculated as follows: 1. Subtract your age from 220 to get your maximum heart rate.

2. Multiply your maximum heart rate first by .60 (60%) and then by .85 (85%). This will give you your target heart range.

if you are 30 years of age, the calculations would look like this. 220 - 30 = 190, then 190 x .60 = 114 and 190 x .85 = 162

For practical purposes, the average of these two numbers is a good value to strive for. In the previous example the average is 138 beats per minute.

Now you calculate your own target heart range: 220 - _________ = _________ x .60 = _________ _________ x .85 = _________ This is your Target Heart Range.

How much and how often?

In order to gain the fat loss benefits of cardiovascular training, you should do sustained activity of the large muscle groups for a minimum of twenty to thirty minutes at least three times per week. Four to five is optimum but three times is adequate to improve your cardiovascular health.

When Should I do my Cardio?

You have four options when it comes to doing your cardio workout. The simplest options are to do your cardiovascular training immediately before or after your bodybuilding workouts. Most people choose one of these options, as it means only one trip to the gym. While some people claim that you should do your cardio before your strength training, we don't think this is necessary. You will receive the same cardiovascular benefits by finishing off your workout with cardio (just make sure you do a light warm-up before your strength training).

The third and fourth options are to separate your cardio and weight training workouts, either on the same day or opposite days. The advantage to this is that you will only be performing one form of exercise when you come to the gym. You will not have to worry about running out of energy during either your cardio or strength training workout. The disadvantage to this type of training is that you will need more time, as you'll have to factor in the commute to and from the gym. Still, for those who have the extra time and prefer shorter workouts, splitting your training is a great option.

Bob Howard expert on bodybuilding and steroids. Are you looking for more of his bodybuilding articles? http://www.bodybuildinginformation.com bdkosh?Article ? Bob Howard 5/5/2006

The Benefits of Bodybuilding Supplements Containing Colostrum

The use of colostrum as a bodybuilding supplement is currently an area of active research. Many studies aimed at addressing the overall benefits of colostrum for athletes have indicated promising links between supplemental colostrum and increased athletic performance, including improved digestion, increased absorption of nutrients, and heightened immune systems that are less compromised through increased physical activity.

More recent studies focused on the role of individual colostrum components in promoting overall athletic achievement suggest benefits particularly relevant to bodybuilding, including decreased body fat, increased energy, and increased muscle mass.

Colostrum is a very concentrated type of breast milk secreted only during the first few days of an infant's life, before true lactation begins. During this time, the digestive and immune systems of newborns are changing very rapidly, and colostrum plays a crucial role in their continued development.

The form of colostrum widely available for use as a bodybuilding supplement is bovine colostrum, which is nearly identical to human colostrum in many respects. The most important components addressed by manufacturers of bovine colostrum bodybuilding supplements are growth factors immunoglobins, lactoferrin, cytokines, and vitamins. The results of several studies now suggest that IGF-1 and IGF-2, two important growth factors present in colostrum bodybuilding supplements, may help in increasing lean muscle tissue and stimulating overall muscle growth.

Although the mechanisms for these effects are not yet fully understood, it has been hypothesized that the unique combination of proteins and IGF-1 present in colostrum bodybuilding supplements serves to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. In addition, the IGF-1 may exhibit metabolic effects that increase overall muscular endurance through an increase in free fatty acid levels in the blood.

Bodybuilding supplements containing colostrum have also been linked to reduced blood levels of creatine kinase, an enzyme released by muscle cells when they are damaged. Since serum creatine kinase levels are often used as an indicator of muscular damage incurred through excessive exercise and bodybuilding, their reduction in these studies seems to indicate that colostrum bodybuilding supplements also serve to decrease the severity of muscle trauma usually associated with these activities.

If you would like to be fit over 40, learn the fastest and easiest way to lose weight and reverse the aging process in your body, for more information go to :

http://www.BuyBovineColostrum.com

Farrell believes that health is The Greatest Wealth. For more information on Anti-Aging Guide, Visit

http://www.BuyBovineColostrum.com

The Various Categories Of Bodybuilding Supplements

The new millenium has seen a dramatic increase in the usage of supplementation by bodybuilders and those wishing to gain weight, helping them to attain the desired physical effects in a more drastic way and at a faster rate. It has almost come to the point now where there are so many different kinds of supplements available that a gym junkies choice lies not in whether to use supplements but which supplements to use and which ones are really required for their own personal needs.

Basically there are a few categories of bodybuilding supplements. Each of these play a certain role in the process of breaking down then building up those muscle tissues for the attainment of that perfect physique. The main categories are as follows:

Weight gaining supplements

Weight gainers are usually comprised of protein and carbs to help you stack on quick mass, both muscle and fat. The more advanced kinds come with amino acids that perform certain functions too but for the most part these supplements are simple powders containing the ingredients we know we need. I mean let's face it, if you aren't taking in huge amounts of protein generally in the form of a protein shake you probably shouldn't be at the gym. For this reason this category of supplements unlike the others are essential assuming you are looking only to lose fat. You have to use a protein based weight gaining supplement unless you are eating like a swedish mountain goat.

Creatine based supplements

Creatine now is on the border of reaching a level of acceptance where it can be said that if you are training for strength and size, you NEED to be taking it. Numerous studies have now proven the benefits to both lean muscle mass and during workout energy levels through creatine supplementation. As a result creatine has become its own market of supplements as it is able to be purchased with your protein and carb formulas, combined with various amino acid chains to enhance effectiveness, in liquid, caplet or powdered form. While not necessary it is becoming a staple of more serious athletes.

Fat burners

The name is basically self explanatory here. These supplements are used by bodybuilders through the cutting down phase to reduce body fat levels while attempting to maintain an optimum level of muscle. These supplements are generally targetted to more hardcore bodybuilders and athletes as let's face it, there are more skinny people wanting to be big than big muscly guys who want to lose some fat and get ripped. These supplements again are not essential but come available in diverse natures with varying benefits.

Supplements X

I call them supplements X because I really have no way to describe what this last category of supplements do. They are very new to the market because they have been being developed over the last 8, years as documentation suggests. Basically they are supplements different from all above as they actually act on biochemical processes within the body to cause muscle gaining, recovery enhancing, fatigue reducing, workout power boosting effect at rapid speeds that are seemingly unavailable through every day supplements. They are generally more expensive and taken only in tablet form but some examples of which being Muscletech's Gakic or Leukic. These are not steroids although are shown to be anabolic compounds and hence very powerful.

Do your research and learn what supplements are correct for your needs but no matter what make sure you take action. With new technological advancements constantly occuring the increases in performance through supplementation is an advantage you can't afford to miss out on.

Gary Stephens is a writer on Bodybuilding Supplements and runs an informational website on the new Muscletech Supplement Leukic.

For more information please see http://www.leukic.org

Protein and bodybuilding (2)

Many body builders and weight lifters are overly concerned about what they eat and what food supplements they take. If you want to grow larger and stronger muscles, you should concentrate on lifting weights, but you can help muscles grow larger by understanding how what you eat affects how you recover from hard exercise. Just exercising will not make you strong and it will not help you to grow large muscles. If exercise made you strong, marathon runners would have the largest muscles. The only stimulus to make muscles larger and stronger is to stretch them while they contract. When you lift a heavy weight, your muscles start to stretch before they start to contract. This tears the muscle and causes soreness on the next day and beyond. If you rest and let the muscle heal, it will be stronger than before you stretched it lifting weights. This training principle of stress-and-recover is so strong that you can enlarge a muscle by lifting weights even if you are fasting, losing weight and all your other muscles are getting smaller. In one study, obese, un-athletic women were instructed to restrict food and lift weights. They averaged a weight loss of more than 35 pounds in three months and gained a lot of muscle. Training for sports is done by taking a hard workout and then having sore muscles on the next day. Then you take easy workouts or you take off until the muscle soreness disappears. You improve by taking hard workouts and your muscles grow and heal while you recover on your easy days. Of course, if you could recover faster from a hard workout, you could do more work and be a better athlete. Scientists have known for years that you recover faster by eating carbohydrates immediately after you finish your hard workout. Other studies show that eating extra protein on the day that you take hard workouts helps you recover even faster. Eating extra protein reduces muscle damage during hard exercise. Eating carbohydrates along with a protein building block called leucine helps you to recover even faster. Chronic muscle fatigue in athletes is associated with low blood levels of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. The sooner you eat protein after you finish your hard workout, the quicker you will recover. The benefits of eating protein soon after you lift weights do not apply just too elite athletes. A study from the University of Arkansas shows that eating meat helps older people grow large muscles when they also lift weights. Muscles are made primarily from protein building blocks called amino acids. Muscles heal from a hard workout when amino acids and other nutrients travel from your bloodstream into the muscles. Eating food, particularly protein, immediately after you finish your workout helps muscles heal faster. This study shows that men between the ages of 51 and 69 recover faster and grow larger muscles when they include meat than when they eat only dairy, fruits, vegetable, whole grains, beans, seeds and nuts. Most foods contain protein. Your stomach acids and enzymes in the stomach and intestines break down proteins into their building blocks, amino acids, which pass from the intestine into the bloodstream. If your body needs to build protein, your liver combines amino acids to form body proteins. Your body has no way to store extra protein. If you don't need all of the protein you have eaten, it is broken down into organic acids and ammonia, which can be used for energy or stored as fat. .

Hamoon Arbabi We provide you detailed information about whey protein powder, benefits, possible side effects, and ... http://homebusiness.nexuswebs.net/wheyprotein.htm

Whey Protein and Bodybuilding

Most bodybuilders would agree that supplementing with whey protein is an important element in achieving serious muscle gains. This article will examine the facts relating to whey protein as a supplement and help you decide whether you need to follow this particular strategy. Whey protein is produced during the process that sees milk turned into cheese. It is also found naturally in dairy products, eggs, soy and vegetable proteins but none of these compares in quality to whey protein powder. It also scores highly in providing the branched chain amino acids (BCAA's) that are important in the building and retention of muscle. Whey protein is highly favored by bodybuilders because it provides the necessary building blocks to produce the amino acids that the body uses to build lean muscle tissue. Many studies have shown that whey protein contains the perfect combination of amino acids, in just the right concentration for optimal performance in the body. It is also thought that whey protein has a role as an anti-oxidant and immune system builder. It is best taken in powder form mixed in juice or milk, spread throughout the day to maintain a positive nitrogen balance. Serious bodybuilders often consume up to 150 grams each day but as a rule of thumb, daily protein intake for active trainers can be calculated by taking your weight in pounds and multiplying by 1 or 1.5. But remember, you need to work out how much protein is taken from food and other sources, and then spread the remaining whey protein balance over the day. Whey protein is a relatively safe supplement but no more than 30 grams of protein should be taken at one sitting as excessive single doses could overload the liver. The safety of whey protein has been well documented in many scientific studies and there is clear proof that taken consistently, coupled with regular exercise, it will result in meaningful muscle gain. You can find out more about the muscle building benefits provided by whey protein at the web site listed below.

Hamoon Arbabi We provide you detailed information about whey protein powder, benefits, possible side effects, and ... http://homebusiness.nexuswebs.net/wheyprotein.htm

Natural Bodybuilding Superior To Steroids

Bodybuilding enthusiasts and athletes looking to gain an inside competitive advantage constantly battle with the temptation to take steroids or not. Deciding to body build naturally is much better than taking the steroid route. There are a number of good reasons to support this statement.

First off, have you ever seen what happens to a bodybuilder when they go off muscle enhancing anabolic steroids? Two words that muscle building enthusiasts never want to hear, atrophy (get small), and strength lose. The fact is a steroid induced bodybuilder shouldn't stay on steroids day in and day out for years on end. It is suggested to cycle your administration, say, 6-10 weeks at a time, and then go off for an extended period of time before starting again. Weeks following going off tend to equal muscle atrophy, decreased strength, and even depression.

Natural bodybuilding may not elicit that huge, rapid spike in muscle growth in a super short time, but illustrate a long term, stable growth curve. It may take longer to develop muscle strength and size, but when you have it, you have it as long as you keep training at an intense level. However, as witnessed many times by former steroid users, a rapid shrink in size and strength occur to levels sometimes below the natural bodybuilder's production. How much fun is that?

Take, for instance, a professional baseball player who administers generous amounts of steroids one year and hits 58 home runs, but is only able to hit 16 during his next, steroid free season.

Since we all want instant results, steroids may be attractive, but the medical side effects don't quite seem worth it.

Is adding ten pounds of muscle more important than increasing heart disease risk, cancer risk, or manipulating your natural hormonal balance? This question is only for you to answer, not me. In my opinion, the risks far outweigh the benefits which are only visible when you are taking steroids. Size and strength quickly decrease after ceasing steroid use.

Steroid users seem to have a greater risk of injury from the muscle tissue growing faster than the, trying to adapt, connective tissue. The workloads are more aggressive, more frequent, and with faster muscle building recovery times. Once again, do you want the injury prone "quick fix," or the slow, but steady wins the race approach? Just remember, the natural bodybuilder will probably show better results compared to the steroid user who has not used steroids in years. Are all the health risks worth it?

Anabolic steroids are illegal if not administered by a physician. I known people who have died, and even been thrown in jail for using, and selling anabolic steroids. It just doesn't seem worth it to me.

There can also be a sense of addiction for the non-natural bodybuilders. The performance enhancing, drug user gets a very good feeling when their bodies are pumped up and buff. However, the opposite happens when they stop the steroids, and the muscle shrinking process begins. Imagine the feeling these athletes get. Their body image quickly erodes, and thoughts of the next muscle producing cycle are rolling around in their heads.

Aside from the health, and legal risks, it also costs quite a bit of money to take muscle enhancing drugs.

Hopefully, I convinced you to not take the performance enhancing pathway, but to use your resources, and energy into training smarter. If you are a natural bodybuilder, and want an advantage, you must train in an intelligent manner. That means providing the proper intensity of muscle producing stimulus, followed by adequate rest. The natural bodybuilder must pay extra close attention to sound training practices, in order to continue that gradual, continuous climb up the muscle development ladder.

Just remember to be patient and think long term results, not quick, short term, hi-risk muscular development. If you make a chart listing all the positives versus the negatives when it comes to natural bodybuilding versus steroid induced training, the natural bodybuilding positives far outweigh the drug induced positives. Therefore, in my eyes, natural bodybuilding is a much better training system than anabolic induced bodybuilding.

***** 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, text, and resource box are not altered in any way.

Jim O'Connor- Exercise Physiologist

Wellness WORD, LLC 9461 Charleville Blvd. #312 Beverly Hills, CA 90212 1-866-935-5967 http://www.naturalbodybuildinginfo.com/bodybuildingfeatures.html

Jim O'Connor is a Beverly Hills celebrity fitness trainer who teaches the natural bodybuilding lifestyle. Discover all his training secrets by visiting http://www.naturalbodybuildinginfo.com/bodybuildingfeatures.html

Shopping for Supermarket Protein Sources that Enhance Your Bodybuilding Diet

If you are getting into bodybuilding then you need to understand that what you eat is just as important as what you exercise. In other words, you can lift as many weights as you like but if your muscles are not getting the fuel they need to grow, you are wasting a great deal of effort.

You Need Protein

With just a little research into an effective bodybuilding diet you will quickly discover that enough protein is one of the most (some say the most) important parts of your nutritional intake. In short, protein is the building block of lean muscle - a lack of protein means your muscle building potential is much lower.

There are many opinions on how much protein your body needs each day and it may depend on your bodybuilding goals. Typically you might consider taking around 1 gram of protein per pound of your body weight each day.

Using Nutritional Information to Choose Your Foods

There are plenty of foods in your local supermarket or grocery store that contain a useful amount of protein. Today's regulations that ensure food product manufacturers display the nutritional content of their product make choosing your groceries a breeze. However, before you go running off to buy every high protein food you can find, a certain amount of care must be taken. Take the time to read through the food's nutritional information table in it's entirety. Not only are you looking out for the protein content but you also need to consider fat content, sugar content, carbohydrates, and so on. If your goal is to grow lean muscle then it is a good idea to avoid too many products high in simple sugars, calories and refined carbohydrates.

Popular High Protein Groceries in Your Bodybuilding Diet

You are now ready to hit the supermarket in search of quality protein food sources. These are foods that are high in protein but not so high in other elements that will hinder your lean muscle targets (i.e. calories, carbs, etc.):

MEAT: If you enjoy eating meat then generally 3 meats are recommended. The favorite is chicken (the number of recipes you can find on bodybuilding forums show this). Chicken is very lean and cheap. Similarly, turkey is actually slightly leaner then chicken and has higher protein percentage. Lean beef (look for cuts that are really red without any visible fat when possible) is another great source of protein.

EGGS: Raw or cooked, eggs are another staple in a lot of bodybuilder's diets. Many people will avoid the yolk of the egg and simply eat the white, discarding some quality protein. It's true that the yolk of an egg contains most of the calories but it also contains most of the eggs nutrients as well as some protein. Why not save a few of the yolks!

FISH: Fish is an important source of protein and many bodybuilders live off cans of tuna. In fact I knew one guy who would mix in a can of tuna with his cereal every morning - not really my idea of a tasty start to the day.

MILK/DAIRY: 'Skimmed' or 'fat free' milk is another good source of quality protein and can be consumed as it is (think homemade shakes or in your breakfast cereal) or in so many dairy foods. You need to take care with which dairy products you choose but there are always options for the dieting conscious. You can eat fat free versions of your favorite yogurts, ice-creams (watch out for other ingredients), cheeses (cottage cheese is always highly recommended), and more.

SOY: The vegetarians amongst you will no doubt be aware of the protein content of soy products. Soy beans are pulses and so they contain a good helping of protein. Soy beans are used to make soy milk, tofu and many meat substitutes, many of which taste like the real thing. This not only helps vegetarian bodybuilders but also people with a lower tolerance for dairy products.

AND...: There are plenty of other foods high in protein such as nuts (good for vegetarians) pulses (another good source for vegetarians), cereals, and so on. Take some time to research other foods on the internet - there is a massive amount of information on websites, forums, newsletters, and so on.

Is Protein All a Bodybuilder Needs?

No. Protein, although a vital part of a bodybuilder's diet, is not the be all and end all. Bodybuilders also need the energy to physically perform their exercises and this comes mostly from carbohydrates, or more specifically, complex carbohydrates. This is a subject of another article so watch this space. You need both a higher protein intake to 'rebuild' your muscle and the appropriate complex carbohydrates to fuel your workouts.

Now go and make a quality protein shopping list then hit the supermarket!

Adam Zahler has built the Whey Protein Supplements in Bodybuilding site, a free resource with information on using commercial supplements in your own bodybuilding recipes. Visitors to the site can find recipe ideas and also share their own recipes for making protein shakes, protein bars and other more.

7 Simple Steps To Beginning Bodybuilding (Part 2 of 2)

This is part 2 of the 2-part "7 Simple Steps To Beginning Bodybuilding" series.

4. You Must Track What You Eat

That's right! Needless to say... not a lot of people do this. They just bulk so they eat anything in sight. Or they want to burn fat so they just quit eating. If you don't track what you are eating, you are just guessing.

And guessing is no way to meet a goal. Once you know how much you need to eat, you can easily track that and meet your daily goals. Once you get into a routine (certain foods and portions) you'll have a very good idea of what you eating.

Tracking what you eat is a must. At this point, in only 4 steps, you've just outlined the foundation for nutrition!

5. Choosing An Exercise Routine

Here's a clue... it involves every major muscle group. A good basic workout should include:

* Legs (squats, lunges, leg extensions, leg curls, leg press) * Shoulders (military press, dumbbell raises, side laterals) * Chest (bench press, flyes, dips) * Back (pull-ups, rows, deadlifts, lat pull-downs) * Arms (ez-bar curls, barbell curls, dumbbell curls) * Abs (hanging leg raises, incline crunches) * Cardio (for the heart)

I could go on and on with this question and post 500 routines and reps and sets and you'd still be confused. So let me ease the confusion by saying this.

THERE IS NO GOLDEN ROUTINE THAT WILL WORK FOR EVERYONE!

I've tried several routines. Max-OT, Tom Venuto's supersetting, Optimum Anabolics and I'll tell you something. I've gotten gains out of all of them and they all have various philosophies. For less then $100, I have enough programs to try for a year.

Here's proof.

Do you see the same people in your gym, doing the same things, and a year later they look the same? It's really quite simple. If you keep doing what you've always done, you will keep getting what you've always gotten.

There's many variations on exercises and routines you can do. And you'll find out a ton of them while browsing around on forums and reading fitness sites. And while you might be tempted to stick with just one. Don't. Try it, evaluate it, and try another one. After about 6 months, you'll know your body very well and what it responds to. You will have tried many exercises and you'll know if you like something and if something else just doesn't work out.

6. Deciding On Supplementation

While 97% of your progress will come from nutrition and training there are still a few basics to consider. There's also a point when you might want to go beyond the basics if you want the optimal amount of gains.

But what are the basics of supplementation?

Daily multi-vitamin Omega 3 and 6 EFA complex (fish oil, flax seed) Whey protein (specifically for after workouts)

Just that small amount of supplementation is all you should need to bring your nutrition levels to 100%. Those are the basics. It's pretty simple.

As you progress down the line, you might want to consider going beyond the basics.

7. Monitoring Your Progress

I cannot tell you how many people do not follow this rule. If you don't take measurements, track your progress or inspect yourself in a mirror, it's pretty difficult to impossible to know where you've been to know where you are going.

Making small daily goes is a wonderful method of keeping the momentum moving forward and keeping yourself motivated to reach your goals. This is difficult when you don't keep track of what you just did in order to beat a personal best.

It's also the #1 reason why people get so frustrated with nutrition and training and progress in general. They just look at themselves at that very moment and decide immediately if the last 4 months of effort was worth it. They don't take into account they did better then the last workout and they don't quite realize they lost a pant or dress size. They just make judgments on what they perceive to be reality at that moment.

Methods of tracking your progress include:

Tracking what you eat Tracking your workouts in a notebook or other method Taking periodic measurements of standard body areas using a variety of methods Taking periodic photographs

When you measure your progress on a frequent but not daily basis, you will soon see that your efforts are paying off. And if there is a course adjustment necessary you can quickly correct it before it's too late. This critical stage is often overlooked because most people barely can figure out what to eat let alone be bothered to track their progress.

You will start to notice people around you year after year complaining of the same things they complained about the year before.

Would you build a house without tracking its progress? Would you drive your car without monitoring its performance and getting regular tune-ups? For those of you with children, you look at report cards and homework quizzes as a method of tracking your child's scholastic performance. You know where there might be a problem and can correct it before it becomes a major issue. Many of you track the performance of your portfolio holdings.

So why not track the progress of your workouts?

With just a few simple fundamental steps, you can ensure that all of your workouts and waking moments are spent on the right path to fitness. No matter what your goals may be, male or female, if you follow these steps, you will ensure your success.

Marc David is giving away free memberships to his Teach Me Bodybuilding 'private list'. To get your own subscription, visit http://www.beginning-bodybuilding.com while charter subscriptions last.

BodyBuilding Secrets

I'm filled with disbelief when asked why people do bodybuilding it's as incredulous as asking why get an education. The answer to both is to improve oneself. Perhaps people's perception of a bodybuilder applies only to those guys who compete in the national level contests or are shown on the covers of the muscle magazines. Bodybuilding isn't limited to them; it includes the recreational gym rat who just wants to look good in his Speedo's in the local pool and not be mistaken for a pencil-necked geek.

Besides the obvious health benefits, bodybuilding is the closest thing available to the Fountain of Youth. There are also benefits that can't be measured: self-confidence, self-discipline, and the esteem of others, since we are often judged initially on our looks. In short, the benefits, both tangible and intangible, far outweigh what minor incontinences there may be of going to the gym and getting hot, sweaty, and sore.

The world of bodybuilding can be a complicated one, especially for a beginner. What to eat? What type of exercise? Which routine? How many reps? How many sets? Etc. There is also conflicting information and various methods. First and foremost let's not kid ourselves. Bodybuilding is about re-sculpturing you body to any degree that you desire and is going to take a lot of determination and hard work nothing in life is easy. The rest is common sense.

A few things to remember when you do take up bodybuilding;

First and foremost, safety must take priority stay within your limits Having a six pack DOES NOT require special equipment, only the proper dietary knowledge. Know exact rep and set ranges for maximum muscle growth. Longer training sessions actually diminish results. The MOST EFFECTIVE exercises for each muscle group -- common "shaping movements" actually DETRACT FROM MUSCLE SIZE! Performing exercises in a specific order is crucial to success. Improve NATURALLY (through training and good diet) boost hormone levels naturally. High reps do NOTHING to promote definition. Manipulate sets accordingly for sustained growth. Varying grips are necessary for complete muscular development. Aerobics is an effective fat burner and helps to counteract the anaerobic lifting side. Performing a large number of exercises for a particular muscle group is a complete time waster and actually restricts growth. The proper amount of meals per day to maximize muscle growth AND fat loss is crucial. The calorie manipulation approach can help to control body fat levels. Volume based programs (large sets, many exercises, etc) are a waste of time. Each muscle group requires LESS exercise to produce MORE muscle! Water in conjunction with food produces fuller, larger muscles (70% of our body is water).

Diet is important, take in only substances which aid in improvement

Remember every exercise you do affects more than one body part, so structure your routine accordingly. Each muscle group needs time to recover and grow.

Ash Trivedi is a local kid from the neighbourhood who, after facing torment and bullying at school decided to take up bodybuilding and went on to develop a toned, muscle filled body that most guys would give their right arm for. Learn more about bodybuilding at http://www.bestbodybuildingtips.com

Know Your Bodybuilding Supplement - Ecdysterone

Ecdysterone is a powerful compound that can help to maximise your genetic potential to build muscle. It exists in the herbs Rhaponticium and Cyanatis Vaga. Although it has been known about for many years the expense associated with its extraction meant it was not viable for commercial production. Recent advancements in extraction technology, through in-vitrio cultivation, have made wholesale production possible.

Ecdysterone has been subjected to over 50 studies with the following major findings:

1. It increases lean muscle mass.

2. It increases endurance.

3. It stimulates metabolism.

4. It decreases blood sugar levels.

5. It reduces fatty tissue.

6. It prevents loss of muscle mass and promotes growth of muscle fibers.

7. It is suitable for both men and women and has no known side effects.

Ecdysterone seems to create a kind muscle building environment in the body by maintaining a positive nitrogen balance and by increasing protein synthesis. The recommended dose for Ecdysterone is 80-120 mg per day although dosages of up to 600 mg per day can be safely taken.

Ecdysterone has been subjected to over 50 studies with the following major findings:

1. It increases lean muscle mass.

2. It increases endurance.

3. It stimulates metabolism.

4. It decreases blood sugar levels.

5. It reduces fatty tissue.

6. It prevents loss of muscle mass and promotes growth of muscle fibers.

7. It is suitable for both men and women and has no known side effects.

Ecdysterone seems to create a kind muscle building environment in the body by maintaining a positive nitrogen balance and by increasing protein synthesis. The recommended dose for Ecdysterone is 80-120 mg per day although dosages of up to 600 mg per day can be safely taken.

Rick Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding Advice to learn more about the issues covered in this article.

How Do I Find Discount Gym Equipment

A great way to get that new gym you've been looking for is to find home gyms at yard sales. This opportunity is a great one that is often overlooked. Yet it's quite simple to find home gyms at yard sales. This is because people often by exercise equipment on a whim and end up not following through on their New Year's resolutions, leaving old home gyms sitting. Other people just like to upgrade in order to get the best workout possible. Whatever the reason, you can get great deals at yard sales.

The first thing to remember when you find home gyms at yard sales is to ask questions. The more questions you ask the better idea you will have of how good a shape the equipment is in. You will want to ask when they bought it and how often they used it. You may also want to ask how often they cleaned it and did maintenance on it. Also remember to ask if it has been sitting around for a while and if so, how long? These are all good things to ask. It may prevent you from buying a home gym that wasn't properly taken care of or has been sitting around for too long and is more likely to have problems.

Once you ask questions when you find home gyms at yard sales, you will also want to look the equipment over yourself. Double-check everything that they said by carefully examining all the equipment. Make sure there are no pieces missing, including screws and rubber safety pieces that should be on sharp corners. Check how well oiled the machine is and ask to look at the manual if they still have it. This will give you a better idea as to how the original product should look. You will also be able to see from the manual what kind of care the equipment should get and be able to check and see if it was taken care of properly. Aesthetics may or may not be important to you. A few chips are not as bad as missing equipment and missing screws however. But do be sure to ask for a price break if you feel you need to.

One last thing to keep in mind when you are going out to find home gyms at yard sales is the prices. Make sure you are fully aware of how much certain machines may cost brand new. This will give you the information you need, just in case someone may try to sell it to you at a brand new price. This also gives you a starting point from which to bargain, based on the condition of the equipment at the time you buy it. Knowing the real value of certain gyms is always recommended before you go out and buy one used at a yard sale or other similar place.

When it comes time to find home gyms at yard sales, you will want to keep these ideas fresh in your mind. Many of them will help you to save not only a huge disaster but money as well. When you finally find the one that is right for you, you'll be glad you took the time.

Check out http://www.homegymsreview.com for more articles on 'weider home gym' and 'cheap equipment gym home'.