Saturday 27 October 2012

A Good Mass Building Workout Program Should Have These


So you know that gaining muscle requires a combination of  things including nutrition, weight training exercises, cardio exercises, reps, sets and recovery which all must work together in a well-outlined program to give you desired results.

However, discovering the most effective workout program that will allow you to gain muscle fast and properly can sometimes be a difficult task. A good mass building workout program should not just call for you to hit the gym every week.

What you're guided to do while in the gym is more important for making sure your muscles grow bigger. So let's look at what a good mass building workout program should be like.

Maximum Muscle Recruitment And Tear

One of the most important factors of any good mass building workout program is that it must be able to stimulate as many muscle fibers as possible as well as create much damage to the worked muscles in any given workout session.The critical factors directly related to this is the amount of resistance against your body, the type of exercises you use and the volume of reps and sets per exercise.

Compound Exercise 

Your workout program for gaining mass should include compound movements such as squats and deadlifts because these exercises cause large amounts of stress on a number of muscle groups, rather than an individual muscle. This type of exercises will also increase the distribution of important nutrients and hormones by increasing your heart rate. It's recommended to start your lifting with a major compound exercise in each workout session.

Isolation Exercise 

You need to perform isolation exercises on individual muscle groups that may have got stimulated by the compound exercises but did not get enough stress to create maximum muscle damage. Always remember that whenever you hit the gym to weight train you need to cause as much micro damage to muscle fibres as possible so they can be re-build larger and stronger. Isolation exercise which should allow you to perform more reps on a targeted muscle will ensure this muscle reaches the highest point of damage.

Correct Volume Of Reps And Sets 

When it comes to lifting weights you should lift weights that feel heavy but light enough to allow you to do 3 sets of 6 - 12 reps for an exercise. You should not start lifting too heavy and cause yourself to over-train even before you gain muscle. The key is to start moderate, let your body adapt and increase the weight overtime to continue developing strength and building more muscle.

Periods Between Reps And Sets

The small rest periods you have between sets and the time you take to perform another rep are very important factors of your workout program. This time affects muscle re-fueling, fatiguing and growth.

Time Given To Rest The Worked Muscle 

A good mass building workout program should call for you to hit your muscle hard during a workout, but not for you to hit the same muscle too often. It is very important that you give your muscles an ample amount of time to rest, recover and grow in between your workout sessions.

For a beginner, the most ideal muscle building workout routine would be a maximum of 4 days a week. For example, you can workout out on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and take rest days off on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

You should work on a different muscle group everyday which would allow enough time for the muscles to recover. Whenever you work a muscle group to maximum failure you should allow that muscle group to rest  for a minimum of 72 hours before working it again.

Cardio

It is advised to include some cardio exercises in your workout routine. Some people believe it's best to avoid cardio when building muscle mass because doing cardio will hinder muscle gain.

Cardio may hinder muscle gain only when you don't perform it right in accordance to your circumstances. The best type of cardio to do when building muscle is High Intensity Interval Training. Allow your cardio session to be long or short in accordance to the results you are getting.

Remember a good workout program to use to get the best results is one that is designed for your specific body type and training history. Don't neglect the importance of choosing the right workout program for you. It could really make the difference between gaining muscle fast and not putting on any muscle.

Wednesday 17 October 2012

Best Way To Gain Muscle Fast And Properly Is By Addressing Your Body Type

Everyone that's trying to gain muscle will be required to do the same things involving eating and training but not in the exact same way. Everyone should take an approach that's best for their specific circumstances and potential for building muscle. One factor that will greatly determine the best approach you need to take, in both your training and diet, to effectively gain muscle fast and properly is your body type.

Lots of people do not pay attention to the body type they possess and find themselves doing things that are not appropriate for them in their effort to gain muscle. Your body type will have a major impact on the way you gain weight and build muscle.

Therefore it's very important even before you start a muscle building program to know which specific body type you fall under, so you can plan your workout and nutritional diet correctly to have the best effect for you to gain lean muscle mass properly.

Best Way To Gain Muscle Fast - The 3 Main Body Types 

There are 3 main body types; Endomorph, Ectomorph and Mesomorph. Most people may not be 100% of either body type, but rather possess traits from more than one body type. For example, some people can be Ecto-Mesomorph, Meso-Ectomorph or Meso-Endomorph which all possess certain traits from two of the main body types.

Endomorphs 

This body type naturally possess more body fat, a larger frame size and a lower metabolism rate. Endomorphs have a difficult time losing body fat due to their high quantity of fat cells and low metabolism rate.

Required Approach To Gain Muscle Fast

If you are an endomorph, you'll need to take strong measures to curb body fat while building muscle. Due to carb sensitivity and insulin resistance your diet should comprise of less carbs and high amounts of lean protein. You'll also need to eat your meals correctly for boosting your metabolism.

One way to achieve this is by eating small meals regularly. You'll also need to include daily cardio of 45-60 minutes in your program. The best type of cardio is High Intensity Interval Training (HITT). It involves alternating between high and low intensity when exercising. With Intensity Interval Training you'll burn more calories during your workout and continue to burn after you stop exercising.


Ectomorph 

This is the very skinny body type with thin arms, narrow shoulders and small waist. Ectomorphs find it really hard to put on muscle or fat. The reason is because they have a high metabolism rate and burn up excess calories really fast, and storing calories is needed for gaining weight.

Required Approach To Gain Muscle Fast

An Ectomorph will need to eat a high calorie diet with regular meals in order to beat your metabolism to be able to put on weight. Your diet should consists of lots of complex carbs, sufficient protein and some healthy fats. You'll need to limit cardio to around 10 - 15 minutes per workout and reduce high levels of physical activity if you live a very active lifestyle. You'll also need to be consistent with your weight training but avoid over training.

Mesomorphs 

This is the body type that are genetically fortunate when it comes to muscle building. They gain muscle easily and can stay lean without much effort. If you're a Mesomorph you'll naturally have an athletic and muscular build with strong arms, large chest and broad shoulders and small waist.

Required Approach To Gain Muscle Fast

If you're a mesomorph you'll most likely not be faced with the same problems like Ectomorph and Endomorphs when building muscle. For that reason you should aim for a diet that consists of average portions of protein, carbohydrates and fat.

Since you'll be able to gain muscle well with an average food intake you should not bulk up with calories or eat too little calories which can both have negative effects on your body. You want to make sure that you don't ruin your lean and muscular build by deliberately bulking up with excess fat.

Customized Program Based On Precise Body Type Is The Best Program To Gain Muscle fast

Getting a clear understanding of the body type that you possess is very important in order for you to select and work with a muscle building program that is customized specifically for you.

Both your diet and training should call for you to perform required procedures appropriately that'll lead to the most favorable effect on your body to build up lots of lean muscle in the fastest way.

Trust me, using a muscle building program that is most suitable for your special body type is crucial if you seriously want to succeed in gaining your desired amount of muscle.

Wednesday 10 October 2012

How To Start Building Muscle Properly - 3 Essential Tips


If you're aware of the basic steps required for gaining muscle and building up a muscular body, it's important to get certain things straight first before rushing into a program. It's very important to start off on the right path to increase your chances of successfully getting muscles to develop on your body.

Though the basics of muscle building such as weight training, calorie consumption and recovery applies to anyone that want to gain muscle, their are variables that'll affect people differently and these will play a significant role in determining your success in putting muscle on.

How To Start Building Muscle

1. Know The Correct Information Pertaining To Your Specific Condition And Potential For Gaining Muscle

Everyone's circumstances is different and being fully aware of how your personal circumstances will affect your potential for building muscle is one of the best things you can do to ensure optimal results.

Take into consideration that factors such as your age, body type and fitness history can affect they way you gain muscle. Choosing a program that's most suitable to you will not only make sure you successfully get the quantity of muscle you want, but also gain muscle as fast as possible.

One big mistake people aiming to build muscles make is taking advice and recommendations that's not appropriate for them. For example, beginners using training techniques that's suitable only for experienced trainers, and skinny hardgainers eating like guys who are able to put weight on easily. Always remember to use a program that's best for you, not one that's working for someone else.


2. Set a specific goal and Aim For It

So we know that you want to gain muscle. But gaining muscle is just a general objective. You need to have a precise gold that you want to achieve. For example you should decide how much pounds of muscle you want to gain and within what period, what muscular body type you desire to get etc.

When you firmly set your specific goals you should then do all that is necessary to make sure you're on the right path that'll allow you to achieve those goals.


3. Make Sure You're well Motivated And Confident 

Confidence and motivation are two critical things you'll need to possess when you're aiming to transform your body to a higher level of fitness. Gaining muscle the natural way (which is the only way you should choose) requires lots of hard workout, discipline and patience.

Therefore you must have a high level of motivation and belief in yourself to achieve the big 3 S of goal reaching which is start, stick and succeed. You must also be prepared to shake off negative forces that may try to discourage you such as people telling you that "what you're aiming for is not for you", "what point do you want to prove" etc.

There are only good benefits you'll gain from having a fit body so don't let anything stop you from getting a fitter body.


Sunday 7 October 2012

The Best Nutrition Plan To Gain Muscle Mass


If you want to gain muscle and build up a strong muscular body you must include a good nutrition plan in your program. Working out hard and neglecting the nutritional needs of your body won't make you get any good bodybuilding results. When eating to gain muscle your aim should be to supply your body with the right amount of calories and the right nutrients it needs for building lean muscle mass.

Caloric Surplus

One fundamental requirement of a diet plan to gain muscle is making sure your body gets more calories (energy in food) than the amount you're burning through working out and other physical activities. There are different variables that'll affect exactly how much calories a person needs for gaining weight and building muscle, but the main point is you must be eating more calories than your body is using up.

Nutritious Foods

Another important factor of a muscle building diet that you must pay attention to is proper nutritional supply in correct proportions. You need protein, carbohydrates and some good fat to make up your muscle building diet.  In respect to proportion, your diet should comprise of approximately 50% protein, 30% carbohydrates, and 20% fat. Protein and carbohydrates should be supplied to your body consistently in adequacy so your body can grow bigger.

Carbohydrates 

The body uses carbohydrates for energy, and muscle cells are also filled with glycogen, which is the storage form of carbohydrate. You need to eat complex carbohydrates because they are slowly broken down into energy and used up by the body. Sources of complex carbohydrates include whole wheat flour products, brown rice, oats, quinoa and vegetables. Simple carbohydrates such as energy drinks, soda and fruit juices should not make up a large portion of your total carbs intake because they provide instantly usable energy that gets used up too quickly during exercise, and they also contain a very low nutritional value. These type of carbs are considered to be empty calories. The best time to consume simple carbohydrates is during or right after your workout.

Protein 

Proteins are actually the building blocks of muscles. You need an adequate supply of protein to get bigger muscles. To build or repair tissue including that of muscle, the body needs all of the essential amino acids that comes from protein. That's the reason it's highly important to include sufficient protein in your diet to gain muscle. Some ideal protein foods to eat to gain muscle are Eggs, Chicken, Turkey, Fish, Cottage cheese, Yogurt, Milk and Protein Shakes milk

Fats

Fats should also be included in your diet for gaining muscle because the right fats helps in the production of testosterone and many other different biological functions in the body. There are good fats and bad fats, meaning that some fats are good for your body and others are not. The idea is to include some good fats which is the unsaturated fats in your muscle gaining diet to help in anabolic growth. Sources of good unsaturated fat include vegetable oils and cod-liver oil.

Eat Enough But Keep Fat Gain Under Control 

Finally, another factor that needs to be given attention when eating to gain muscle is avoiding gaining an excessive amount of fat. Why minimize fat gain? It's the goal of everyone who're into fitness to keep fat off their body including bodybuilders, because fat is unhealthy and it takes away muscle visibility or definition. It also takes a lot of effort and time to burn stored fat, so avoiding storing as much fat as you can is a win. The same calories that's so essential for building muscle mass can also be stored as fat if they're not used up enough after they're consumed. Again, quantity of required calories may vary based on each individual's specific condition. The ideal approach is to aim for an intake that's good enough to build quality muscle from your workout without much excess to be stored as fat. One basic step you can take to reduce fat gain is cutting back on calories when you're fattening up too much.

Thursday 4 October 2012

How To Gain Muscle - The Main Steps You Need To Take


This is a guide to help the many people who want to gain muscle, but don't know exactly where to start, as well as, the numerous people who're already trying to gain muscle but are getting no results. One must clearly be aware that building up muscle mass is hard work, and it can even be very frustrating when you have to deal with circumstances that makes gaining muscle more difficult than it should. I often times feel the frustration coming from guys in fitness forums and websites who've been making efforts endlessly, but still have a reason to ask: how do I gain muscle? Clearly they haven't been doing what is required properly to get impressive muscle building results, and therefore need advice on the right approach to take that'll help them improve.

In order for one to build up impressive amounts of muscle mass you must stick to performing required procedures properly to have optimal effect on the body. This includes tweaking your program to be most appropriate for your specific body type and potential for muscle gain. This is crucial because it'll make the difference between gaining significant amounts of muscle mass in a matter of months and not gaining any noticeable muscles at all despite trying year after year.

The following are the main steps you need to take to gain muscle, and it's important to note that everyone trying to gain muscle will need to take those steps but there'll be variables that will affect each individual's results differently.


Eat Enough Food In Correct Proportions

You need to consume enough calories everyday when you're training to gain muscle. At this point you should be eating a quantity of food daily that'll allow you to achieve a caloric surplus.

The exact quantity of daily calories to be consumed will vary based on each persons specific circumstances such as body type, training history, body fat level etc. Some people may be able to gain muscle without eating much more than they normally eat. On the other hand, some people will need to double or even triple their normal intake to make it possible to gain muscle.

It's important to also make sure your diet for gaining muscle is properly balanced and nourishing. You diet should comprise of all the various food types but in their correct proportion that's most suitable for gaining quality muscle with minimal fat gain. Avoiding gaining fat is another factor you need to pay attention to in muscle building. You want to eat and train to gain significant amounts of muscles and reduce fat. Your diet will play a crucial role in controlling fat gain.

Weight Train For Muscular Hypertrophy

Training with weights is that critical aspect of gaining muscle. You must perform this correctly otherwise, I'll put it simple, you won't gain muscle to accomplish the transformation you want. The key to effectively gain muscle from your weight training is to use a set and rep scheme that'll allow you to achieve maximum hypertrophy of the muscle groups you want to build. Hypertrophy of the muscle basically means making the muscle grow bigger in size. Some people might have the idea that lifting weights in any way will build muscle. this is not correct, if it's bigger you want to get you have to lift correctly to increase muscle size. There is a way of training that'll increase mainly muscle strength and muscle efficiency but not necessarily muscle size.

When you're aiming to gain muscle to get bigger you must train for progressive resistance. This means lifting heavier weights or a higher volume of reps and sets in each workout session than the one before to consistently break down muscle tissues as you continue to train. The concept is that when the muscle repairs itself, it will overcompensate and increase in size and strength. Over time, the worked muscles will become noticeably bigger. Apart from lifting heavy, breaking down the muscle to a great degree also involves training with a high volume of sets and reps, minimizing rest periods between sets and lifting to failure (point where you can't perform another rep) in every set you perform. On average, a workout of 8-12 reps per exercise and 6-9 sets per muscle group is good for stimulating the muscles for significant growth. You want to keep your workouts under 45 minutes to avoid releasing the wrong hormones that could hinder your progress .

You also need to perform the correct exercises in your workout for the most effectiveness and efficiency in causing development of your body. The best way to train is to use a combination of both compound and isolation exercises correctly. A compound exercise involves rotary movement of multiple joints and isolation exercise involve rotary movement around one joint. Compound exercises are crucial for muscle gain. They will work many muscle groups together in the same set and create great muscle stimulation. Squats, deadlifts and bench pressing are examples of essential compound exercises. You also need to perform isolation exercises such as biceps curls or triceps extensions for maximizing the stimulation of individual muscle groups that the compound exercises could not hit hard enough to induce sufficient muscle fibers tear.

Give Your Muscle Sufficient Rest For Recovery 

When it comes to gaining muscle, training with weights hard in a workout to completely fatigue a muscle group is good, but training the muscles too regular is not. It's crucial to give the muscles time to rest. It is during rest your muscles repair and grow. So you must avoid working out the same muscle groups everyday because this will just hinder your progress. It is generally required for a muscle that got fatigued to a great extent to get at least 72 hours to properly recover. That's the reason a muscle building workout routine should be designed in a way that different muscle groups get worked on different days allowing sufficient time for soared muscles to completely recover.

Use Cardio Accordingly

Cardiovascular exercise such as running, cycling and walking does nothing for gaining muscle but they'll burn fat to help you get lean. The idea is to use cardio with discretion because doing it inappropriately can hinder muscle gain.