Professional Bodybuilding: Under Construction

Professional bodybuilding is one of the less popular sports in the world. Almost everyone knows players like Lebron James and Barry Bonds, but if you asked someone who Ronnie Coleman is, chances are good that they are not going to have any idea. What has happened to the sport of bodybuilding since the days of Arnold, Columbo, and Haney? The media has pulled the plug on these great athletes, which makes you wonder why this horrific downfall has happened to our sport.

The present age of bodybuilding has a few kinks that need worked on. Some will argue that the voting system is rigged because there has been the same Mr. O the past eight years. There is also the issue of steroids in pro bodybuilding, and the media giving steroids a bad reputation doesn`t make things easier In 2005, the IFBB finally decided to raise the winner of the Olympia`s prize money to a staggering $661,000, but I don`t think this upgrade in prize money will put an end to the problems of bodybuilding.

In the past, you could turn to channels like ESPN and the Fox Sports Network to catch a glimpse of what professional bodybuilding was all about, but now you`ll be lucky to catch a live show on pay-per-view. Almost everyone in America knew who Arnold, Columbo, and Haney was. Everyone seemed to want to become the next Arnold and it looked as if bodybuilding would become the next big sport in the United States. In the year 1977, Arnold admitted the use of performance enhancing drugs to help him maintain muscle while preparing for a contest. This set the stage for the use of anabolic steroids in professional bodybuilding and before you knew it, ninety percent of bodybuilders were juicing.

Everyone knew Arnold and his popularity was as asset to the sport. The top bodybuilders of today`s industry are not well known athletes or celebrities which is one of the leading downfalls to the game. Look at how the World Wrestling Entertainment became so popular over the years. Hulk Hogan, The Rock, and Macho Man Randy Savage were all icons that everyone adored. Even outside of pro wrestling, these guys transformed the entertainment industry and brought more fans to the sport. Ben Weider needs to smarten up and use some of the marketing techniques Vince McMahon used to transform his company into what it is today.

Bodybuilding is slowly starting to get where it needs to be. The new bodybuilding web video and radio show being broadcasted on bodybuilding.com is a step in the right direction, but there is more work that needs to be done. They should consider getting a small television contract . They also need to somehow change the structure of the event to make it more entertaining. The fans should be able to vote at contests on who they beleive won. In bodybuilding, there is really no champion except for the Mr. Olympia contest held that determines the best bodybuilder in the world. There should be a point system like in Nascar or the BCS for college football to determine who the leaders are for the season and use the Mr. Olympia as a means of gaining more points to the bodybuilders`s yearly total. This will make smaller shows more interesting and make the bigger guys like Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler have to compete more. I really believe this would be a huge step in the right direction for the sport and should be considered by the promoters of the IFBB.

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

Bodybuilding While Working Full Time

Many of us don`t have the luxury of being able to focus all of our attention on bodybuilding. Unless your getting paid by a sponsor or making some serious cash doing bodybuilding shows, you almost have to have a stable job to afford the necessities that are needed to having a good body. Assuming most of us work the typical eight hour job, how do we achieve balance between work, bodybuilding, and all the other things we deal with on a daily basis. This article was written for the bodybuilders who want to bodybuild as well as work a full time job.

When we come home from work, most of us feel to tired to even cook dinner, let alone exercise. Not only do we have to motivate ourselves to put down the remote and hop on the treadmill, but we also have to sacrafice some things for the sake of bodybuilding. We have to develop a balance between our jobs, bodybuilding, family, and our social life. Who wouldn`t rather go to a club with a group of friends instead of going to the gym putting yourself through an hour of torture? This is when dedication becomes very important.

When we bodybuild we already create a bit of discipline for ourselves so making sacrafices is just a part of the game. It`s going to become tougher to maintain that discipline when working a job full time because of all the added stress a job can do to you. You have to be able to persevere through all the obstacles. Once you do that, you will feel on top of the world once you achieve your fitness goals. Just don`t get cocky and have to restart the process all over again. Set yourself up with a goal to improve on the goal you just met and never become satisfied.

So how can you accomplish any of your fitness goals when your locked up a job eight to ten hours a day? It`s very simple! Get organized. Write down everything you can do to achieve your goals. You also need to write down everything that gets in your way of achieving those goals and always look for a way forward. If your job is manual labor where it is physically demanding then you should consider work as part of your training routine. That way you kill two birds with one stone so to speak. Find out how many calories you`ve burnt throughout the day working and replenish your glycogen stores during and after work. Then you can exercise some of the muscle groups you didn`t hit at work and you will feel good about yourself for making an attempt to better yourself.

You are going to have days where you feel overworked, stressed, and feel that everything in the world is coming down on you. These are the days when you should treat yourself to something out of the ordinary like a cheat meal or consider going out to the club with a group of friends. Just keep everything in moderation. You can can accomplish anything you want in life if you stick to your plan of attack and stay focused. Good Luck.

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

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.

Build Muscle Fast with Bodybuilding Supplements

Are you known as "the weak one?" Got arms like pipe cleaners? Does this bother you? Then it's time. Time to get off your butt and do something. If you desire a Greek God like physique then you need to add bodybuilding supplements.

Bodybuilding supplements offer the necessary nutrtients muscles need to grow and get stronger. Eating a proper diet with lean meat, fruits and vegetables, and no junk food probably won't get the results you are looking for because it's hard to consume what it takes to build muscle from just food. This is where bodybuilding supplements come in.

The top bodybuilding supplements used by the best athletes are Whey protein shakes, creatine monohydrate, L-Glutamine, prohormones and a vitamin/mineral supplement. Other nutritional products designed to keep you healthy and looking great are meal replacement shakes, nutritional bars and low carb snacks. If you are training like an animal, watching everything you eat, but not reaching the desired results then it's time to add bodybuilding supplements.

Leading a healthy lifestyle isn't easy. You must stick with it without looking back. It takes determination, discipline, proper nutrition and supplements. Your body is only going to do so much on it's own. Nutritional support is critical to your success. While exercising and eating a balanced diet is very important, if you want to take your body to the next level you must increase the nutrients necessary to build muscle. Bodybuilding supplements help to do this.

Intense exercise takes a lot of energy and nutrients out of your body. If you don't replace them you will go nowhere! Furthermore, if you don't rebuild what is broken down you will go in reverse. Weight training breaks down muscle tissue and then your natural body reaction is to rebuild. But it can't if you don't feed the muscle with the right products. Bodybuilding supplements are what you need to rebuild and keep building muscle for the best shape of your life.

If you are tired of the way you look in the mirror, then set a goal and do everything you can to reach it. Never let anyone tell you it's impossible. Remember it's your dream, so don't let negative comments prevent you from getting the body you hunger for. Eat. Train. Supplement. Repeat this formula and you'll reach your goal in no time!

OCD Supplements offers advice and supplements for bodybuilding, weight loss and natural health to help you Live Better! Knowledgable staff, training tips, herbal nutritional products and more for complete total health.

Fitness and supplement experts at OCD Supplements. Giving you the best information and products for overall health.

Moving from beginner to intermediate level bodybuilding

By now you've made significant progress in your bodybuilding career. For the past three to six months you've learnt how to perform the core lifting exercises in a technically correct manner. You've also conditioned the body and developed sufficient core strength to prepare yourself for a whole new level of intensity. Hopefully you've also built some rock solid muscle! But that's only the beginning.

In recent weeks your workouts have probably lost some of their effect so, even though you're lifting bigger weights, your muscles now need even greater stimulation to generate maximal growth. Don't expect miracles though - from this point onwards, every little bit of improvement will take even greater and more intensive work than before.

Because you'll be working your muscles more intensively, they'll also need more recovery time to adapt and grow and that's why you'll be reducing your workouts to three a week. Each primary muscle group trained will now need one full week to recover. After being used to whole body sessions and more workouts per week it may seem as if you're not doing enough but the point is, you'll be working your muscles very, very intensively and making better use of your time.

As you gain more experience you'll be able to tweak or re-design your basic muscle building program to suit your own individual needs, but the program described here should provide a useful starting point. What I'm proposing is basically a 3-split of the body on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

MONDAY (Chest, Triceps, Shoulders)

1. Chest Exercises

Incline dumbbell press - this is a compound exercise that targets the chest but also works the triceps and shoulders to a lesser extent.

Pec-deck flye - this is an isolation exercise that works the pectorals.

2. Triceps

Dips - this compound exercise targets the triceps but also works the chest and shoulders.

3. Shoulders

Front military press - this compound exercise targets shoulders but also works the triceps.

Dumbbell lateral raises - this isolation exercise works the shoulders only.

Bentover dumbbell laterals - this isolation exercise works the rear delts.

WEDNESDAY (Back, Biceps, Forearms)

1. Back

Front lat pulls - compound exercise that targets lats but also works the biceps and mid-back.

Deadlifts - compound exercise that targets the back and quads but also works hamstrings, calves and glutes.

Dumbbell rows - compound exercise that targets mid-back but also works biceps and lats.

Dumbbell shrugs - isolation exercise that works traps.

2. Biceps

Dumbbell biceps curl - isolation exercise that works the biceps.

Dumbbell hammer curls - isolation exercise that works the biceps.

3. Forearms

Barbell wrist curl - isolation exercise that works the forearms.

FRIDAY (Lower Body)

1. Legs

Squats or leg press - compound exercise that targets the quads but also works the hamstrings, calves and glutes.

Leg extension - isolation exercise that works the quads.

Leg curls - isolation exercise that works the hamstrings.

Standing calf raise - isolation exercise that works the gastrocnemius calf muscle.

Seated calf raise - isolation exercise that works the soleus calf muscle.

You could start this program by aiming for two sets of 8-10 reps per exercise but as your strength and size increase you should really introduce techniques that boost the intensity even further. This can be achieved in a number of ways including the use of pre-exhaustion, super sets, partial reps, isometric contractions and forced reps. These techniques are covered in detail elsewhere in this series of articles.

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.

Fitness - A Guide To Buying Home Gym Equipment

Membership of your local gym gives you access to a wide range of equipment and also provides you with advice and encouragement from the gym staff and other members, but also limits you to the opening times of the gym and means that you're going to have to add the time to travel to the gym and venture out, rain or shine. By contrast, a modern home gym can also give you access to a wide range of equipment but with the ease of being able to exercise whenever you want to without having to venture out of the house. But what should you buy?

If you're just starting out, or returning to exercise after a lengthy break, you should hold off on buying a home gym for a while and should enroll at your local gym for a short time so that you can check out some of the latest equipment with a knowledgeable instructor. This way you can get a good idea of just what you want to buy and, more importantly, don't want to buy.

If you're interested in weight training, then one of the first things you'll want to buy is a set of weights.

Free weights can be purchased quite cheaply with basic set of weights often coming in at under $50. You'll need a mix of small weights, 10 lb (4.5 kg) and 20 lb (9 kg) hand-held dumbbells and a bar with larger, exchangeable weights. There's little to choose these days between different bars but you'll need to choose between metal or plastic weights. Here it's largely a question of personal choice between the old-fashioned clink of metal and the marginally safer plastic (often a composite filled with sand) weights.

At some point, you'll probably want to move up to a weight machine which offers the ability to focus on specific muscle groups, such as the biceps, quadriceps and deltoids, in a much safer way than using free weights. In addition, some muscle groups, like the calves and hamstrings, are harder to work using free weights.

Once you're ready to move up to a weight machine, be prepared to pay a fair amount of money. Configurations and cost will vary widely from simple resistance machines, at a few hundred dollars, to multi-station, adjustable weight stacks, which will run you somewhere between $2,000 and $5,000 or more.

Another increasingly popular option is stair steppers. A simple model, offering you the ability to get a good cardiovascular workout in a small space at home with low joint impact, while building thighs and calves will cost from about $80 up to $150.

A more elaborate stair stepper which is adjustable (speed, angle, resistance level, pedal distance etc.) and includes such things as a heart rate monitor and digital readouts for things like your speed, distance climbed and calories burnt, will come in at nearer to $1,7000 or $2,000.

Treadmills are also becoming a very common item in most home gyms. Again a very basic treadmill will cost you just a few hundred dollars but, like the stair stepper, a feature-packed treadmill will set you back at least $1,000 and could easily come in at about $2,000 with all of the features you'll want to have.

By the time you've finished your home gym is going to cost you several thousand dollars and so it's not something you should invest in unless you intend to make exercise a part of your daily routine and dedicate yourself to a regular and consistent program of training.

If you are looking for fitness made simple and information on any aspect of fitness such as a definition of physical fitness then please visit Lifetime-Fitness-Made-Simple.com today.

Create your Home Gym with Minimum of Equipment

Training at home could prove as a good solution for the ones interested. The effectiveness of this type of training could compare to the one of working out in the gym, as long as some factors are considered.

The first, and at the same time the most important of these, is owning the necessary equipment. If, besides this, you also have a partner who trains with you, the exercises can be as effective as the ones performed in the gym. Of course, we are talking now about the ideal situation of affording a gym in your own house.

Even with these conditions fulfilled, some practitioners, especially the more extrovert ones, might lack the stimulating atmosphere, the sharing of experience, the communication that they can find in the gym.

In most of the cases, what you can do at home is improvise a room or just a corner of a room, for fitness. Besides, most of the times you have to train by yourself. As these are the most frequent situations, we'll deal with them now. Anyway, it is preferable to have constant training at home, rather than interrupt it a lot because the gym is too busy, too far, too expensive, etc.

The minimum of equipment necessary for training at home includes: an adjustable bench, a set of two dumbbells, with increasing weights, a barbell, with free weights and a fix bar for pull ups. This equipment will enable both executing basic exercises (squats, bench presses, pull-ups, sit-ups, etc.) and diversity of exercises, necessary for avoiding routine.

The main disadvantage of not having a partner to train with is reflected in the amount of loading in some exercises, which cannot reach its maximum. There are many exercises which can be loaded to maximum without any risk, even if there is no partner to assist you (pull-ups, dips, shoulder presses, barbell curs, dumbbell curls, etc.).

An advantage which comes from training at home is that you can choose the training time without any restraint. Moreover, the speed of exercising can be increased a lot if the practitioner chooses to execute supersets, tri sets or giant sets. You can also save time, as you are not distracted by casual conversation, by waiting for the machines to be available, by having to change the weights for every personal series of exercises, etc.

In the extreme case when we can only afford as equipment a mattress, chairs and a towel, we can focus on exercises using the weight of the body (push-ups, reverse push-ups, between chairs push-ups, squats, sit-ups, crunches, hyperextensions, lunges, plyometrics, plunks, etc.).

All the exercises involving the body weight are considered as really demanding, because they mobilize more stabilizing muscles that ensure coordination and balance. The body-weight exercises are often introduced in the programs at the gym due to their proven effectiveness. They are also used in training and testing people in special troops, as these need a lot of force and discipline in their training.

Isabel Curini, fitness trainer and editor at http://www.healthfitnessworld.com. HealthFitnessWorld.com is dedicated to providing high-quality, free advices, tips and resources on exercise, fitness, body building, supplements, nutrition, weight loss.This article may be reprinted as long as the "About" and "weblinks" are kept intact and active.