Becoming #1: Beginning Competitive Bodybuilding

If you are going to put a lot of time, effort, and money into training, you might wish to show off the end results in a bodybuilding fitness competition. These contests are held throughout the country and world and showcase some of the most physically fit bodies known to humankind. There are many levels of competition, so don't worry if you aren't Mr. Universe just yet-you can find a competition that is right for you. Any sort of contest does, however, require a dedication to training, including a healthy diet and lots of exercise.

The first thing you should do when you decide to begin competitive bodybuilding is to find a coach. It will be much easier to break into the competition world if you have someone with a little experience under his or her belt guiding you. With your coach, decide on a training schedule and diet, and choose whether or not you want to take supplements. Natural training is, of course, always best, but you may wish to take vitamins or other supplements to make sure your body is getting the nutrients it needs even if you cut some foods out of your diet.

Next, research some of the events held near you. Local events are a good place to start if you live in a big city. If not, you may have to travel some distance to find events, so plan accordingly. Some competitions have an entry fee, and all have different rules of conduct. In most cases, you will have an orientation session the day or morning before the event, but you need to be well prepared before this to avoid looking like a novice in front of the judges. Before the competition, you should not only train, but also learn to flex while you pose and still look relaxed. You may also want to tan, remove hair, and take other measures to help your body look as lean and sculpted as possible. Your coach, if he or she has participated in competitive bodybuilding, should be able to give you advice in these areas.

After the competition, evaluate your performance, good or bad. Nobody is perfect, but by learning from past mistakes, you can do better at future competitions. Keep your eyes peeled in the staging area-what are other competitors doing to help their performance? As soon as the winners are announced and the applause has died, head to the judges' table. They are the experts and can give you a quick verbal assessment of your body and give you advice for your next competition. Be humble and listen to everything they have to say, both positive and negative. In no time, it will be you in the winner's circle, and you can give advice to the new competitive bodybuilders in your area.

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

Bodybuilding Posing You've Got It Now Flaunting It!

Bodybuilding posing is usually one of the most ignored aspects of contest preparation. Competitors are so focused on their dieting and training that many don't take the time to prepare an exciting posing routine. Some bodybuilders leave it until the last week to try and put something together. There are even a few brave souls who step on stage and try to "wing it." It's easy to spot the bodybuilders who don't do their homework; they can't even perform the mandatory poses properly.

If you hope to win or even place well in a show, you must give your contest preparation the same diligence and dedication as training and dieting. You may be the biggest and most ripped guy on stage, but if you flounder around looking unprepared, your chances of winning, or even placing, will be greatly reduced.

The best bodybuilders select music that reflects their personality. It's also much easier to perform a great routine if you like the song you are posing to. In a manner of speaking, your physique is your product, and you're using the posing routine to 'sell' yourself to the judges. The judges award points in three areas: how well you hit the individual poses, how well your routine flows with your physique; and how well your routine flows with the music you have selected. If you have a rugged, muscular physique, music that is powerful and upbeat will be your best bet. On the other hand if your physique is more symmetrical than massive, slower pop music or classical music, will probably work better for your bodybuilding posing.

Here are a few tips for music selection and preparation:

Choose a song that you like (you'll be listening to it over and over)

Select a song that matches your athletic abilities (i.e. flexibility)

Pick a song that matches your personality.

Choose a song that suits your physique

Whenever you're listening to music on the radio, visualize posing to each song.

Always make at least two, preferably three copies of your music.

Contact the contest organizer to see if they want your music on CD or cassette.

If you have a gift for posing, put together two routines; one for the pre-judging and one for the evening show.

Posing: The Routine

Your first step in contest preparation is to take a series of photos showing all the mandatory poses as well as the other classic poses. Divide the photos into great, good, and poor. Unless your physique is really not ready for competition, disregard the poor photos. If you hold each pose for an average of 3 to 5 seconds, you'll only have enough time for 18 to 30 poses. And don't forget that it each pose will be separated by a couple of seconds of transition time. This means that you'll only have enough time to hit 18 to 20 poses in your routine. Your goal is to start and finish your bodybuilding posing routine with one or two of your best shots. Also don't forget that while not necessary, you should include some, if not all, of the compulsory poses in your posing routine. The judges will quickly spot bodybuilders who avoid hitting the mandatory poses. They'll assume that you're trying to hide something.

Once you have your best poses picked out, your next step is to set the poses to your music selection. Time it so that you are moving between poses as the music is rising and hitting the poses as the music peaks. Many bodybuilders hire dance choreographers to help them prepare their posing routines. One of the early scenes in the classic documentary, Pumping Iron, shows Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Columbu practicing their posing routines under the watchful eye of a dance instructor. While most bodybuilders have no problem holding each individual pose, what distinguishes great posers from good posers, are their transition skills; how well they move between each pose. The best make it look like poetry in motion.

If you don't have access to a dance instructor, check with one of your gym's aerobic instructors. Most aerobics' instructors, especially those who incorporate martial arts into their classes, know how to set coordinate static and transition movements with music.

Once you have your bodybuilding posing routine put together, it's time to start preparing for each of the four Rounds in the contest. As each round is distinct you must know how to conduct yourself during each one. You don't have to win every Round to place first, but you must place at or near the top in most of them.

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

Diet For Natural Bodybuilding - Powerful Tips You Can Use Everyday

We are going to examine the most common challenge bodybuilders face which is nutrition.

Unfortunately there is so much confusion about what to eat, when to eat, how much to eat and on and on that it is almost impossible to sort out what to do. Also eating to grow is very different the eating to get shredded so the key point to remember is that your diet needs to evolve with your physique.

Consistency and self-discipline on your eating is two biggest keys to long term success on whatever eating program that you are following. Bodybuilders who are successful always plan ahead and have meals prepared well in advance. If you don't plan out your meals and have them with you at all times you will invariably fail in giving yourself the best possible gains. Hoping that restaurants, or friends or relatives will be serving "bodybuilding food" is unrealistic and leads to frustration as well as no progress. Don't be one of those people who do not prepare their meals in advance.

Here are a few simple rules to remember:

1. Always carry 1-2 meals with you more than you think you will need. This way any delays in your schedule will not throw your eating off.

2. Always eat before you go shopping, to the movies, or to other social occasions where non-nutritious food will be served this way you will reduce any cravings for junk.

3. Prepare food in bulk and use Tupperware containers so that you can grab quick meals at any time. Also you will find it takes very little extra time to prepare 10 meals as it does one meal. This savings in time will actually make your life way more efficient and your eating plan easy to stick too.

4. Get off all artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners cause cravings for sugar, mess up your metabolism and brain function, and may have negative effects on your overall health. Cut them out of your diet immediately and switch to Stevia, or Raw Honey for sweetening. No Diet Sodas.

5. Drink plenty of water each day. Most often dehydration is misinterpreted as hunger. Slug back a liter of water 30 minutes before eating or when you feel hungry and you will see how it curbs appetite significantly.

6. Place nutritious snacks in you car, your office desk at your house basically everywhere that you spend a considerable amount of time. You will quickly develop the habit of eating healthy and junk foods will quickly lose their appeal.

7. Schedule a regular junk food meal once per week. This is a powerful lesson that starts building the will to understand delayed gratification. Every time you have a craving for junk food simply right it down and schedule to eat it on a set day. By the end of the week you can review the list and go eat those foods guilt free. Often times by the junk food day you won't want the food or it won't taste as good as you anticipated. Over time you will develop more control over your cravings and reduce negative guilt associations with food.

This list isn't the be all and end all of eating but it gives you a start to work with.

Keep in mind that your eating program should evolve over time. Your body will naturally adjust from desiring different types of foods depending on a variety of factors such as season, nutrient levels, PH balance of the body, training demands, and conditioning levels to name a few.

Recording how food affects you as biofeedback is critical in understanding the powerful effects of food on your mood and your performance. Review your eating journal regularly so that you become aware of your patterns of eating as well developing awareness of how each food affects your body.

You must master eating and training first before supplements can be effective. So many people try the other way around and wind up frustrated. No supplement can make up for a poor diet or poor training so vow to master these two facets first before wasting money on supplements. Once you master your diet than the right supplement at the right time can do wonders to improve performance but seldom does the supplement deliver when the diet is poor.

Check out http://www.muscle-guide.com for more great information on building muscle and getting fit.

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

Avoid Common Bodybuilding|Weightlifting Injuries-Common Mistakes In Gym

Bodybuilding by weightlifting if done wrongly is a sure recipe for injuries. Sometimes even painful and permanent injuries that will derail your bodybuilding program. This article will address the common injury prone mistakes bodybuilders make in their quest to build a fit and muscular body and how to avoid those weightlifting injuries.

Many people who workout in gyms complain about backaches and they blamed it on their desk bound jobs sitting in front of the computer at long stretches of time. Perhaps they are right. Then why is it that more bodybuilders have backaches when compared to their non gym going colleagues?

Aren?t those people who lift weights are supposed to have stronger back muscles to support their musculature and should be less prone to backaches? I think you are getting the drift. Many bodybuilders suffer from common weightlifting injuries that they don?t even know it.

Many people actually think that if they do not suffer any pain when they are lifting weights, they are not injured. I want to debunk this bodybuilding myth right now. You see, many weight lifting injuries are very often sustained over a period of time.

It is because of the wrong weightlifting form being repeated over and over through many training sessions that cause the wear and tear of joints, tendons, cartilages and muscles. Many injuries do not just occur immediately or overnight like the weights dropping on your toes or painful muscle tear during your lifts.

Therefore executing your weightlifting movements in the correct form and techniques not only help your muscles to grow big and fast, it is also crucial to prevent bodybuilding injuries.

Common causes of injuries can also be attributed to lifting weights that are too heavy or that the bodybuilder who may be sick, and yet headed for the gym when his condition is not optimum for handling the weight he usually lift as he is in a physically weakened state.

So when the weights are too heavy or you are too weak to lift the weights you usually do, you are forced to cheat by swinging the weights up using momentum and lowering the weights by using gravity.

These movements not only waste your time in the gym as they are definitely not helpful in helping you build muscles. They will cause injuries.

An example of a common exercise done in the wrong form and a recipe for injuries is the common bar bell curl.

? Barbell Biceps Curl ? This exercise is perhaps the most commonly executed in the wrong form and causing injuries that people don?t even know why they are injured. In every gym, you will see people swinging their barbells with their body rocking thru and fro in the movements.

The rocking movement places tremendous stress on the shoulder joint which is the most unstable joint in the human body and the lower back. Over time, the shoulder joints and lower back will pay a heavy price for the wrong form and technique used during the lift.

Other common bodybuilding exercises which are often wrongly executed are the lat pull down, bench press, leg extension, military press and list goes on.

So the next time when you have backache or joint pain, don?t blame it on other causes if you are a bodybuilder and that you lift weights often. Just reflect on the weightlifting exercises you are doing and examined them as to whether they are the cause of your injuries.

Better yet, hire a personal trainer or a bodybuilding book with picture illustration and description to learn how to lift weights in the correct form and technique to prevent common and serious weight lifting injuries.

Chris Chew is a fitness personal trainer of actors, pageant winners, fashion models and other celebrities. More articles on his websites Lose body fat build lean muscles fast and Choose your fitness trainer

Positioning Of The Spine During Bodybuilding Workout

Although the entire body needs to be properly positioned during bodybuilding workout, the axial skeleton and its immediate attachments are of greatest concern and require particular attention. Correctly positioning and stabilizing the spine, neck and pelvis during resistance-training exercises are especially important. To see better how these areas should be positioned during exercise, you should first be aware of how they are positioned when held or stabilized aat ret. Not everyone has the same degree of spinal curvature, and some may have spinal abnormalities. If you or someone you are training has any of these abnormalities or any type of back problems, be sure a doctor is consulted before beginning any exercises program.

Different schools of thought exist regarding the spine and exercise. Some people advocate flattening the back during most any exercise in which a bench, pad, or some sort of outside support is present. The theory behind this concept is to reduce the stress on the spine, intervertebral disks, and lower-back area by bracing them against a support. Flattening the back actually requires most people to tilt the pelvis posteriorly. The spine is in its strongest position and the disks are under the least amount of compression when the spine, neck and pelvis are all in a neutral position with the normal arches and curvatures intact. With this in mind, we prefer to do most every exercise while keeping the lumbar spine and the cervical spine in a neutral position. The only change is a slight degree of extension or straightening through the thoracic religion. To do this, we simply pull the shoulder blades together and lift the chest slightly up and out while maintaining the ntural arch in the lumbar and cervical regions of the spine. An example of this would be soldiers standing at attention with their shoulders back and their chest out. This spinal positioning is called a ready position.

Positioning the spine in this manner supports weight more efficiently and still allows for the least amount of intervertebral disk compression in the cervical and lumbar regions. Instead of bracing the lower back by flattening it, you should maintain the natural arch in the lumbar spine. Maintaining this position will require stabilization from the muscles throughout the back, particularly those of the lower region. This is an added benefit. These muscles will be working to stabilize what is a natural and desirable spinal position while the targeted muscles are working against the resistance. Muscles of the trunk and lower back are typically weak links in most individuals. Using this positioning will help to strengthen and stabilize these weak links rather than pacifying them. Isn't strengthening weak muscles one of the reasons we do resistance training in the first place ?

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Training Gear For Bodybuilding

Bodybuilding is a constantly evolving way of life. As you progress through different levels you may need to pick up additional training aids and equipment to help you advance to the next level.

I have been involved in bodybuilding for over 30 years and therefore feel infinitely qualified to advise you on the items you will need for bodybuilding training.

First I will cover the basic equipment needed by someone who is going to a commercial gym to train. By the way, it is my recommendation that anyone who is serious about bodybuilding go to a gym. You will progress much more rapidly and have access to all the best equipment plus you have the added benefit of the environment and the possibility of acquiring a training partner.

The basic equipment you will need for weight training starts with a sturdy pair of shoes. I prefer the shoes made for weight training or a good cross training shoe. DO NOT buy the shoes with the gel in them. When training legs with heavy weights I have blown the gel right out!

Next you will need comfortable shorts, or if you prefer sweatpants. The important thing here is flexibility. You do not want something tight and constricting. You may opt to wear something like under armor tights underneath for support which are very stretchy but you outerwear should be loose.

You shirt should also be loose, again you may wear underarmor if you choose, but you want to have a loose shirt like a T-shirt or tank top that will allow you freedom of movement. As you progress and become stronger you may elect to wear a power suit on heavy lifting days if you gravitate towards powerlifting.

I recommend you wear nothing on your head as this can cause over heating and in my experience is conducive to headaches. To take care of the sweat, bring a towel. It is also good gym etiquette to wipe your sweat off the equipment you have been on.

You will definitely want a good weight belt if you intend to train seriously at all. Squats and deadlifts should be at the core of a beginners routine and should be used in some form all throughout your life so invest in a good weight belt. When I first started the only thing available was the leather weight belt, now other materials are available and may be more comfortable.

I personally do not wear gloves during training as I prefer to build the calluses and toughen up my hands, however if you are concerned about calluses or you don't have a very good grip gloves may help you.

Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and has been bodybuilding for over 30 years. Get your training gear at http://www.sportinggoodsupply.com

Bodybuilding, Work, And Life...finding Balance

Life can be rough and sometimes you need to be able to organize your thoughts to make everything better. You can become focused on one thing and forget about the other priorities in your life. I am going to explain the importance of keeping a balance between bodybuilding, work, and life. You`re also going to learn a few natural techniques than can be used to keep your life in balance.

Being fit is crucial to being able to handle all the obstacles you come across on a daily basis. It gives you the the ability to perform better at your job and also gives you the confidence to have a good social life. The best way to improve your health is by bodybuilding, but participating in a recreational sport such as basketball, is a step to improving your health as well. This will put you in a social setting that you feel comfortable in and also gives you the ability to make a couple of new friends that share the same interests.

Having a positive social life is one of the most important factors in a person`s life. It makes everything you do worthwhile and makes you realize that others are going through the same problems as you are. You may also find the love of your life when your out with your friends. Nobody wants to be with a hermit so you have to fit some sort of social fun into your busy life or you`re going to live a long, lonely life. What you can do to become more social will depend on your values and who you feel most comfortable around. You only know what type of person you are and what makes you comfortable. A bodybuilder wouldn`t feel right at a golf course. A car mechanic wouldn`t feel comfortable being around a bunch of computer wizzes. Learning who you feel good around takes time and a lot of maturity on your part to realize you can`t be friends with everybody. Its the same way at a job, you can`t just fill out an application somewhere because your desperate for a job. You need to know what the job does, the type of people you`ll be working with, and how well you will fit in with the rest of the crew.

Work can become your worst enemy if you let it. If you hate your job and the people you work with, of course you`re going to have a negative attitude towards your job. Sure making money is nice, but when you start questioning yourself, "what am i doing here," you have a problem. There are also other problems a job can bring. If you have a bad boss, work around negative people, work long hours, and can`t handle the stress involved with the job, then you need to take a step back and develop a list of ways you can start to feel better. Are you getting enough sleep, are you exercising, are you spending enough or to much time with friends and family, eating right? You can also try yoga or some kind of other meditation practice, which are all good alternatives to seeing a therapist or some doctor who just wants to take your money.

You don`t want to do to much or to little of anything. Everything has a happy medium and you need to incorporate the practice of balancing into your everyday life.Again, you need to write down things you do on a daily basis and decide what things your doing in excess and develop ways to cut back on what is customary. To much of a good thing is just as bad as a repetitive bad habit and is important for you to realize. Life isn`t easy and it takes a lot of time to improve on it but taking small, gradual steps to improvement is the only way to achieving anything. Until Next Time, cya!

MY SITES: http://www.clubbodybuilding.com and http://www.geocities.com/bashore69/bodybuildingarticles.html

Bodybuilding Magic In The Last Rep

Bodybuilding enthusiasts, as well as strength training participants, all want quick, visible muscle defining results. Their main goal is to add different degrees of lean tissue or fat burning muscle to their bodies all according to personal objectives. Bodybuilders want to add as much muscle mass as possible, while fitness enthusiast want to either maintain muscle mass, or slightly increase strength and size. It all depends upon the specific goals and objectives of each participant.

Bodybuilding magic occurs not during the first rep, but the last. Do you know the last, most difficult, repetition triggers 90% of 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 the previous workout, that specific muscle will be stimulated, and overloaded enough causing an adaptive responsive. This event results in greater strength and muscle tissue development. The adaptive response is dependent upon the intensity of that last magic, muscle producing rep.

Bodybuilding and strength training participants should really focus on conquering that last, near impossible muscle building repetition. A valiant effort of trying to move that last rep will trigger the muscle group to adapt, and grow stronger.

Don't give up too easily when you feel the weight is challenging. Battle that rep for at least 4 seconds. Even if you are unable to complete the full rep, you have succeeded, and the muscle building growth process will follow. That is, only if you have had sufficient rest between workouts. It is not during the bodybuilding workout when muscle building results occur, but rather after consecutive rest days to allow for muscle building compensation followed by overcompensation.

The last rep is the stimulus that triggers this whole process which bodybuilding and strength gains are based upon. Please note, this whole process can be short circuited by not allowing enough rest time between workouts for overcompensation to occur. If you allow your body sufficient rest, your muscle strength will continue to increase with each subsequent bodybuilding workout. If not, you need more days off to recover from the previous workout. You only have a limited number of resource recovery abilities available, so don't short circuit your results by not allowing the recovery process to finish.

Instead of focusing on which bodybuilding supplement brings good bodybuilding fortune, focus on what really matters - the last, muscle building rep. Then allow your body to do the rest.

Your primary goal should be to reach that repetition you can't complete after struggling four or more seconds. If you follow this last rep, maximum stress,followed by sufficient rest principle, then you will see magic in your bodybuilding results.

For even more detailed bodybuilding information, tips, and resources visit Bodybuilding Hub right now!

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Jim O'Connor - Exercise Physiologist / The Fitness Promoter

Wellness Word, LLC 9461 Charleville Blvd. #312 Beverly Hills, CA 90212 1-866-935-5967 __________________________________________________________

Jim O'Connor, a celebrity fitness consultant in Beverly Hills, california, has been passionately involved in bodybuilding for most of his adult life. He is the creator of Bodybuilding Hub.com. Get the latest informaton on the best bodybuilding supplements today.

The Truth About Bodybuilding Myths

You might disagree, but hear me out on this; the vast majority of myths about weight gain are mostly passed down from "gym talk" and so-called experts who know nothing about the body's workings. Myths that lead to wasted time, frustration and if are taken blindly as truth, can really set back your progress in the gym. Don't believe everything you hear when it comes to exercise and weight gain, do the research yourself.

Lets take a look at some of the most common weight gain myths:

High repetitions burn fat while low repetitions build muscle.

Progressive overload is needed to make muscles bigger. Meaning that you need to perform more reps than you did for your last workout for that particular exercise.

"If you perform the same amount of reps at each workout nothing will change on you" also "if the weight doesn't changes on the bar nothing will change on you, you need to become stronger" Definition has two characteristics, muscle size and a low incidence of body fat. To reduce body fat you will have to reduce your calories; the high repetition exercise will burn some calories, but wouldn't it be better to fast walk to burn these off?

Better still; use the low reps to build muscle, which will elevate your metabolism and burn more calories (less fat).

Vegetarians can't build muscle.

Yes they can! Strength training with supplementation of soy Protein Isolate has shown to increase solid bodyweight. Studies have shown that athletic performance is not impaired by following a meat free diet, and people strength training and consuming only soy protein isolate as a protein source were able to gain lean muscle mass.

Strength Training will make you look masculine.

If it is not you're intention to bulk up from strength training you won't. Putting on muscle is a long hard slow process. Your strength-training regime coupled with quality food will determine how much you will bulk up.

To bulk up you also require more food. Women don't produce enough testosterone to allow for muscular growth as large as men.

By working out you can eat what ever you want to.

Of course you can eat whatever you want, if you don't care how you want to look. Working out does not give you an open license to consume as many calories as you want.

Although you will burn more calories if you workout than someone who doesn't, you still need to balance your energy intake with you energy expenditure.

If you take a week off you will lose most of your gains.

Taking one or two weeks off occasionally will not harm your training. By taking this time off every eight to ten weeks in between strength training cycles it has the habit of refreshing you and to heal those small niggling injuries.

By having longer layoffs you do not actually lose muscle fibres, just volume through not training; any size loss will be quickly re-gained.

By eating more protein I can build bigger muscles.

Building muscle mass involves two things, progressive overload to stimulate muscles beyond their normal levels of resistance and eating more calories than you can burn off.

With all the hype about high protein diets lately and because muscle is made largely of protein, it's easy to believe that protein is the best fuel for building muscle. However muscles work on calories that should predominately be derived from carbohydrates.

If I'm not sore after a workout, I didn't work out hard enough.

Post workout soreness is not an indication of how good the exercise or strength-training session was for you. The fitter you are at a certain activity, the less soreness you will experience after.

As soon as you change an exercise, use a heavier weight or do a few more reps you place extra stress on that body part and this will cause soreness.

Resistance training doesn't burn fat.

Nothing could not be further from the truth. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue and has a role in increasing the metabolism. The faster metabolism we have the quicker we can burn fat. Cardio exercise enables us to burn calories whilst exercising but does little else for fat loss afterwards.

Weight training enables us to burn calories whilst exercising but also helps us to burn calories whilst at rest. Weight training encourages muscle growth and the more lean muscle mass we possess, the more fat we burn though an increased and elevated metabolism.

No pain no gain.

This is one myth that hangs on and on. Pain is your body signalling that something is wrong. If you feel real pain during a workout, stop your workout and rest. To develop muscle and increase endurance you may need to have a slight level of discomfort, but that's not actual pain.

Taking steroids will make me huge.

Not true, strength training and correct nutrition will grow muscle. Taking steroids without training will not make you muscular. Most steroids allow faster muscle growth through greater recovery, while others help increase strength which allows for greater stress to be put onto a muscle.

Without food to build the muscle or training to stimulate it nothing will happen. Most of the weight gain seen with the use of some steroids is due to water retention and is not actual muscle.

Strength training won't work your heart.

Wrong! Strength training with short rest periods will increase your heartbeat well over a hundred beats per minute.

For example, performing a set of breathing squats and you can be guaranteed that your heart will be working overtime and that your entire cardiovascular system will be given a great overall body workout.

Any intensive weightlifting routine that lasts for 20 minutes or more is a great workout for your heart and the muscles involved.

I can gain muscle and lose fat at the same time.

Wrong. Only a few gifted people with superb genetics and on steroids can increase muscle size while not putting on body fat. But for the average hard gainer, they have to increase their muscle mass to its maximum potential and then cut down their body fat percentage to achieve the desired shape.

In conclusion, simple basic principles that apply to all weight and muscle gain such as progressive overload, variable frequency of reps and high intensity workouts are the way to go.

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

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

Seven Biggest Bodybuilding Mistakes: Avoiding Common Obstacles to Muscle Mass

Bodybuilding is hard work. As far as athletics and sports go, it may very well be one of the hardest. I have spent time in competitive boxing, martial arts, powerlifting and yet I think I can say with confidence that bodybuilding caused me to face some of my greatest challenges. All sports present different challenges that are unique only to that specific sport. My boxing taught me that I needed to take a punch, shake a punch and more importantly do my best to avoid getting punched. Boxing also taught me how to achieve incredible endurance. My martial arts training caused me pain in parts of my body I never knew existed. I learned the importance of stretching, flexibility and mental discipline.

Bodybuilding is completely different. Some of the same factors are there. Bodybuilding requires steadfast discipline, both mentally and physically. However, true bodybuilding is much more than a sport--it's a lifestyle. From the diet, to the supplements, to the workouts that impact your daily schedule, bodybuilding requires dedication unlike anything else. Then, on top of all of that, you must look in the mirror every single day and see progress in the form of new muscle with greater degrees of definition. It can be very disheartening when the mirror doesn't represent gains that you believe you have earned and worked hard for.

That's why it grieves me to see novice bodybuilders and even worse, experienced ones, making mistakes and succumbing to obstacles that are avoidable and inhibit their progress. As we consider the following obstacles, let's remember that they can make or break a bodybuilder.

1. Stick to the basics

Here comes Johnny Newcomer. He skips squats. He skips heavy bent over rows. If you asked him to do a deadlift he would look perplexed and wonder why you asked him such a ridiculous question. He would rather use the machines, swing the light dumbbells, and toy around with the cables. Oh yes, I forgot, he loves to bench press too. None of these things are bad and they all are important, but they must not replace basic, heavy compound movements (barbell). Compound movements involve more than one muscle group (squats, deadlifts, etc) and tax the body in such a way so as to cause the most favorable metabolic and hormonal environment--provided that you do not overtrain. If you incorporate heavy movements like squats, heavy bent over rows, deadlifts, and standing military presses into your regimen, you will see and feel the difference. Give it shot and let me know. I'm sure you will come back smiling even though they may be very physically challenging.

2. Go home--enough already: Stop overtraining

You see them every day in the gym. They move from machine to machine and never seem to want to go home. Sometimes I sit in awe and I wonder, "Does he have a home to go to?" They work 20-30 sets for biceps and then still have the nerve to do some back training after all that. If you're training for more than an hour, you are overtraining. As far as I'm concerned you have reached what I call the point of no return. After forty-five minutes of intense resistance training your body's defense mechanisms engage and that in turn causes a sharp increase in cortisol (stress induced hormone). You will also have significant decreases in testosterone and human growth hormone levels. If you cut your workout time and increase your recovery time and your post workout nutrients, you will grow.

3. Exchange light & fluffy for heavy & intense

Put down the light weights and stop looking at yourself in the mirror with such lust in your eyes. If you have the wherewithal to take smoldering glances at yourself in the mirror as you smirk and blow kisses, you may not be lifting a weight that is heavy enough. Muscles will grow only if they are forced to the adaptation necessary to lift something heavier than they are use to and normally recognize. In other words, lift heavy and lift with intensity. Working out hard and working out with intensity are two different things. Intensity is what you should strive for if muscle mass is your goal. How can you lift with more intensity? Lift heavier weight. I say that because I know the word "intensity" gives some people the wrong idea. You can yell and scream in the gym, but that doesn't mean you're lifting with intensity. In order to understand the true meaning of intensity I like to equivocate intensity with overload. I know that there can be a problem with this as well. Some can lift heavy, but lack the mental intensity. But keep in mind I'm that when I use the word intensity I'm not only referring to the mental aspects, but also force, strength and velocity. Keep your rep range in the 4-6 area and do 9-12 sets per body part maximum. Heavy weight would be when you can not get more than 6 reps with that particular weight on your own using strict form. When you get to this point, add more weight until you continue to fall in this rep scheme. Drop the light & fluffy. Heavy & intense is where the muscle lives.

4. There's no happy hour here: Focus, focus, focus.

I think that some people see gyms as bars, nightclubs or social societies. I'm amazed when I see people stop in the middle of a set to engage in conversation for 15-30 minutes or more. It's unbelievable. It's one thing if you're done with your workout and you're cooling down. But that is not the case most of the time. I once witnessed a girl walk up to a friend and begin conversation. Just by the duration I assumed she must have been done with her workout. Well, you know what they say about assuming--never do it. She turned around 35 minutes later as I was leaving and she picked up on the same machine she left off at. Focus and concentration is directly related to your degree of success and muscle growth. Save the conversation for after the workout. Think about and focus on nothing else but the muscle you are training. The only thing you should do between sets is mildly stretch the muscle you're working on. And I'm not talking about the one in your mouth.

5. Now is the time: The importance of pre/post workout fuel Last week a guy in the gym approached me and asked me if he should take a protein drink after his workout. I told him if he didn't plan on having a protein/carbohydrate drink following his workout, it would have better off for him to stay home. How can anyone think that it is okay to put the body through serious stressful resistance training and then not know how crucial it is to give the body the nourishment it needs to grow and repair? You have a window of opportunity immediately following a workout which could lead to the foundation of an incredibly anabolic (building) environment or one that is catabolic (tearing down). You should always ingest a good protein source at least an hour before your workout and then a protein/carbohydrate drink immediately following your workout. Make sure the pre workout source is pre-digested. It's never a good idea to workout with anything fully undigested in your system. I would recommend 5 grams of glutamine before and after every workout. Never miss taking your glutamine.

6. The giver of life: Drink your water.

Your body can last months without food, but only days without water. Your muscles are made up of almost 70% water. Water is responsible for almost every single physiological function in your body. Lack of proper hydration can cause muscle weakness, stunt your muscular growth, cause joint pain, bring a lack of focus and concentration and inhibit your body's ability to burn fat. That is just to name a few. Drinking your water is the most important thing that you can do--period. Drink a minimum of one gallon a day.

7. Put down the pills: Eat your food

He walks into the local health food store and the salesman smiles as he sees the eager young bodybuilder with his wide-eyed hunger for muscle. The young bodybuilder then walks out with a box of supplements that he can now get home only with a truck. The biggest mistake that most bodybuilders make is wasting tons of money on pills and potions when they are not eating the proper amounts of solid foods to begin with. Supplements have their place. But supplements must never take precedence over healthy eating habits. Eating 5-6 solid muscle-building meals each day will build more muscle than any pill or powder. Make sure to have a balance of Protein/carbohydrates and fats. For muscle gains I would recommend a ratio of 25% Protein, 50% Carbs, 25% fats or depending on your metabolism another good ratio I put my clients on is 35/45/20. If maximum weight gain is your goal then add 500 calories above your maintenance & total expenditure levels.

Avoiding the common pitfalls can bring about rapid gains in muscle. Try to implement these basics if you're not currently doing so.

Tony DiCostanzo is a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer (NFPT-CPT) and the Founder of DreamBodies Body & Life Transformation System. With over 20 years of practical experience as a natural bodybuilder in the field of health & Fitness, Tony is also a coach and motivational speaker who inspires many through his lectures and seminars. His area of expertise is rooted in a multi-dimensional, body/mind approach to total body and Life transforma

Chocolate Bliss. Bodybuilding, bodyshaping and Fitness Walking nutrition.

Feel free to use this article for your web site or e-zine as long you include the author bio and make sure all links are live and working. Please dont change anything in the article. If you use the article, let me know where. 25 years of blood, sweat and tears literally go into my articles, please be courteous back. I wish you the best success if you use my article. This article is copyright protected by Nature Boy Bodybuilding 2004. Thanks so much! Kevin the Nature Boy.

Start of article.

Chocolate Bliss. Bodybuilding, bodyshaping and Fitness Walking nutrition.

You have been on your crusade to shed your layer of cellulite by watching your nutrition needs. You have been training hard in the gym bodybuilding, bodyshaping and putting the elasticity back into your muscles. You diligently had been Fitness Walking to burn the fat. You cant believe how much better you feel about yourself both physically and mentally. If you can have some chocolate bliss it would be a perfect world. Well now you can.

You are probably telling yourself, hey Nature Boy, did you slip on some deer dung in the wild and hit your head on an Oak stump. No I didnt. Excuse me, it was a White Pine.

First lets start with the ingredient list
1, A box of chocolate sugar free, fat free instant pudding.
2, A chocolate whey protein. (I use Optimum 100% Whey Protein) Whey protein mixes easily.

Thats it!

So simple. Just mix a scoop of whey protein into a serving of the instant chocolate pudding. You can add a sliced banana to it and still keep it low in carbohydrates. The fruit will add natural fiber and other nutrients.

As a bodybuilding treat, this will help you keep in a positive nitrogen balance.

Nitrogen balance needs; As a bodybuilder you would like to stay in a positive nitrogen balance to ensure growth. A negative balance will make the body cannibalize muscle tissue to feed the muscles you just worked. A bad thing if you want growth. Nitrogen from protein is the best way of receiving it. Egg and milk products naturally high in nitrogen. Whey protein is excellent.

The blissful stats:

Total calories-145
Fat grams-1.5
Carbohydrates grams-10, 1 gram as sugar
Protein grams-23

Well you have to pardon me. My head hurts from hitting it on that White Pine stump. Enjoy your chocolate bliss.
Jeopardizing your health is the last thing Nature Boy wants. Please check with your doctor before starting a fitness program. We want to make this a healthy start to a better lifestyle.

Start of article.

Chocolate Bliss. Bodybuilding, bodyshaping and Fitness Walking nutrition.

You have been on your crusade to shed your layer of cellulite by watching your nutrition needs. You have been training hard in the gym bodybuilding, bodyshaping and putting the elasticity back into your muscles. You diligently had been Fitness Walking to burn the fat. You cant believe how much better you feel about yourself both physically and mentally. If you can have some chocolate bliss it would be a perfect world. Well now you can.

You are probably telling yourself, hey Nature Boy, did you slip on some deer dung in the wild and hit your head on an Oak stump. No I didnt. Excuse me, it was a White Pine.

First lets start with the ingredient list
1, A box of chocolate sugar free, fat free instant pudding.
2, A chocolate whey protein. (I use Optimum 100% Whey Protein) Whey protein mixes easily.

Thats it!

So simple. Just mix a scoop of whey protein into a serving of the instant chocolate pudding. You can add a sliced banana to it and still keep it low in carbohydrates. The fruit will add natural fiber and other nutrients.

As a bodybuilding treat, this will help you keep in a positive nitrogen balance.

Nitrogen balance needs; As a bodybuilder you would like to stay in a positive nitrogen balance to ensure growth. A negative balance will make the body cannibalize muscle tissue to feed the muscles you just worked. A bad thing if you want growth. Nitrogen from protein is the best way of receiving it. Egg and milk products naturally high in nitrogen. Whey protein is excellent.

The blissful stats:

Total calories-145
Fat grams-1.5
Carbohydrates grams-10, 1 gram as sugar
Protein grams-23

Well you have to pardon me. My head hurts from hitting it on that White Pine stump. Enjoy your chocolate bliss.
Jeopardizing your health is the last thing Nature Boy wants. Please check with your doctor before starting a fitness program. We want to make this a healthy start to a better lifestyle.

Kevin Doberstein has been a natural bodybuilder for the past 25 years. 15 years as a gym owner.Kevin was once quoted give me a barbell and flat bench and I will give you a bench press, give me raw broccoli to eat and I will give you gas. For more articles about bodybuilding, bodyshaping and nutrition you can visit his site and join his newsletter at www.nature-boy-bodybuilding.com. You can contact him at natureboy_bodybuilding@hotmail.com.

Know your bodybuilding supplement - l-tyrosine

L-tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid that plays a role in the creation of protein. The body can make it from the amino acid phenylalanine but nutritional sources include animal meats, wheat, oatmeal and seafood.

It performs a multitude of important roles in the body including the alleviation of depression, enhancement of thyroid efficiency, strengthening of the immune system, prevention of neurological degeneration and protection of the skin.

Bodybuilders find it useful for several reasons:

1. It offsets the stress and fatigue associated with intensive training.

2. It helps in the retention of muscular protein.

3. It heightens mental alertness thus helping to offset mental fatigue.

With any amino acid supplement overdosing can lead to weakness and nausea so care should be taken in applying small doses and increasing them gradually until an optimum level is reached. Bear in mind that many protein powders and other supplements are fortified with amino acids so check the labels carefully. The manufacturer's instructions should be followed in all instances.

Richard 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.

Get In Shape with Total Gym Exercise Equipment

 

The Total Gym exercise equipment has been around for quite some time and has become known as a great way to obtain a full body workout in the comfort of your home. Unlike many other products out there, the Total Gym exercise equipment truly is an all over workout and doesn?t just target one part of your body or another. Most people can enjoy the Total Gym and see serious changes in their physique no matter what fitness level they were at when they began.

There have been numerous Total Gym exercise equipment models out in the past and every year the product seems to be a little more refined. The thing is, the most basic models do what the high end models do, they just don?t come with as many accessories. The Total Gym is definitely worth its weight in gold, but take a look at the different models before you buy one that may be more than you need. If you think you will utilize all of the accessories to make up for the price difference, then go for it and really enjoy your Total Gym.

The great thing about Total Gym exercise equipment is that it really is as simple to use as the television commercials say that it is. You can do your workout in just minutes a day by following very comprehensive video guides. Over time you will probably learn the routine so that you don?t have to use the videos, but in the beginning they can prove very useful. Unlike so many other fitness products this truly does take just minutes a day and you will begin to see positive changes in your body.

While the Total Gym really works well it is for a specific type of consumer. If you want to increase strength or bulk, then the Total Gym really is not worth your time. If you want to tone up and become leaner, you will find that the Total Gym exercise equipment is ideal for the changes you would like to see in your body. Those that are looking for the bulky look will typically need to combine this program with another weight lifting program, as the Total Gym alone probably will not help you reach the goals on its own. The Total Gym provides a full body workout that not only works specific muscles of the body but also provides a fairly good cardiovascular workout.

The Total Gym exercise equipment really is a good investment for people that do not want to spend hours upon hours in the gym every week. If you enjoy long workouts the Total Gym may not be what you are looking for because you can literally complete these workouts in just a few moments. There are instructional videos that will teach you routines, as mentioned above, but after you get comfortable on the machine you are free to create your own program that will target your problem areas so that you can achieve the look you want. The Total Gym is really versatile, which means you can do a variety of exercises on it and really do things your way. But, because of the way it is set up and the quality of the exercise you won?t need to spend all that time, making this a perfect piece of equipment for those that are busy and can?t always squeeze in a visit to the gym.

The Total Gym exercise equipment is relatively inexpensive when compared to other fitness equipment, but it could still be considered an investment. If you cannot or do not want to afford to purchase it outright you can look into financing options or you may even want to look into buying a used Total Gym. There are a lot of second hand fitness equipment stores that offer a variety of fitness equipment options, and the Total Gym can often be found there as well. The Total Gym exercise equipment is made really well, so it will typically stand up well so that you can purchase it second hand and not worry that it will fall apart or not function well. No matter what your budget, you can get in shape with a Total Gym and see results fast.

Clark Hunter Total Gym Exercise Equipment