When it comes to body building, many people erroneously assume that all one needs to do is haphazardly do any type of exercises without any rhyme, reason or logic. This is not a wise move because there are very specific purposes for body building exercises designed to provide two goals of either increased mass or increased definition. By understanding that there are differences between mass building exercises and those exercises that are designed for more definition the ability to arrive at one’s goals will be greater facilitated. After all, if you are exercising then you have a certain set of goals in mind and you will want the proper exercises that will be required to reach those goals.
Mass
The most common body building exercises people perform are compound exercises. When you are performing compound body building exercises you are primarily working on mass. That is, compound exercises mean that more than one body part is used to lift the weight. Bench presses, while generally considered chest exercises, also provide secondary stress to the biceps, triceps and shoulders. So, these other muscles grow as well as the chest although not to the same degree. Other common body building exercises that perform compound exercises include squats and military presses. Now, these exercises are not necessarily designed to make the person’s muscle mass huge (although they certainly can be used for this purpose) these exercises can be used in a lesser capacity so as not to massively pack on muscle.
Definition
The second type of body building exercises that are employed are those exercises that are isolation exercises. These exercises do not involve more than one muscle group and are designed to specially develop the muscles of a particular area. These exercises can be employed with high repetitions to burn fat and usually follow a cycle of mass building so as to create the definition that mass requires for aesthetic looks. Please note, contrary to popular belief these exercises cannot spot reduce fat in a particular area. Yes, fat will be burned, but it will be burned evenly throughout the body as opposed to any specific or particular area.
Of course, there are other areas that need to be taken into consideration as well such as diet, cardio etc, but the areas of mass building and definition generally cover the basics that one would need in order to achieve a baseline level of success and to reach his or her goals.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Tips On How To Go About Muscle Body Building
It is important to learn of as many tips as is possible with regard to muscle body building that will help you build up your muscles and keep your body in good shape. To begin with, it is important that you learn to do the right warm up exercises prior to beginning your workout that will enable you to have more exercise outputs and it will also add to your efficiency while also safeguarding you against injuries such as strained muscles or even pulled muscles that are common occurrences.
Need To Recuperate
Another important tip with regard to muscle body building is the need to recuperate properly, which many a bodybuilder often overlooks and which can also result in poor development of the muscles. What you really need to do is to muscle-up and then get adequate rest which will help your muscles to grow, and even getting the right amount of sleep helps in this regard.
While performing muscle body building, you should also not try and train your abs in order to shed weight, which is an activity known as spot reduction and which is almost impossible to achieve, though there does no doubt the fact that you can burn fat by training hard. Still, fat is later reclaimed from other parts of your body prior to it being reclaimed from a particular area on your body which means that training will lead to the burning up of fat from other parts of the body before a particular area of fat is burnt.
You may also consider jogging as well as running to be worthwhile exercises for losing body fat though there is no way by which you can turn fat into muscle, and all you can hope to achieve is to change the body’s composition and at the same time keep your body weight constant.
In addition, to have a realistic chance of gaining from muscle body building, you must also consume at least 2 grams of protein for each pound of weight on your body, which will result in gains in muscles. Furthermore, you should also expect that muscle body building will cause soreness in the muscles, especially on the day following your training and so you will need to rest till the soreness has vanished before returning to your muscle body building.
And, you can also gain more from your muscle body building by keeping a log of your workouts and also remember never to over train for it is really not necessary to workout for long hours since that won’t benefit you all that much and may even do some damage in the process.
Need To Recuperate
Another important tip with regard to muscle body building is the need to recuperate properly, which many a bodybuilder often overlooks and which can also result in poor development of the muscles. What you really need to do is to muscle-up and then get adequate rest which will help your muscles to grow, and even getting the right amount of sleep helps in this regard.
While performing muscle body building, you should also not try and train your abs in order to shed weight, which is an activity known as spot reduction and which is almost impossible to achieve, though there does no doubt the fact that you can burn fat by training hard. Still, fat is later reclaimed from other parts of your body prior to it being reclaimed from a particular area on your body which means that training will lead to the burning up of fat from other parts of the body before a particular area of fat is burnt.
You may also consider jogging as well as running to be worthwhile exercises for losing body fat though there is no way by which you can turn fat into muscle, and all you can hope to achieve is to change the body’s composition and at the same time keep your body weight constant.
In addition, to have a realistic chance of gaining from muscle body building, you must also consume at least 2 grams of protein for each pound of weight on your body, which will result in gains in muscles. Furthermore, you should also expect that muscle body building will cause soreness in the muscles, especially on the day following your training and so you will need to rest till the soreness has vanished before returning to your muscle body building.
And, you can also gain more from your muscle body building by keeping a log of your workouts and also remember never to over train for it is really not necessary to workout for long hours since that won’t benefit you all that much and may even do some damage in the process.
Understanding Body Building Diet Basics
Legendary body building mogul Joe Weider once said that the true secret to body building success what found in the proper body building diet. What Weider meant was that people who over eat and pack their body with fat ultimately harm all the benefits of body building because the lean, ripped look becomes impossible to attain. Hence, if you eat the proper body building diet of low fat, high protein and decent carbs you will do ok. Now, while a body building diet will consume more calories than a common diet, there are certain considerations that also must be understood as well.
Basic Metabolism and Basic Myths
While it is true that a ton of calories eaten will be burned while working out, there will also be a metabolic calorie burning effect that will occur as well, but please keep in mind that it is wrong to over do it! The larger the mass of a person is, the more the person will want to eat more and more.
This is not a bizarre side effect it is simply a logical reaction the body will have to maintaining a significant volume of muscle mass. Keep in mind, muscle is significantly more dense than fat and this means that muscle will require more calories to maintain its size. This is why muscle bound people do not pack on fat when they increase their calorie intake – the muscles burn the calories by “eating” the excess calories. Now, that is often misunderstood by people as a green light to eat whatever it is they want and in massive quantities.
This is a huge fallacy of the body building diet. That is, you will increase your calorie intake…slightly…but if you increase it ridiculously then you will start to pack on a lot of fat on top of whatever muscle that you have. The resultant physique will make you look like someone who enjoys working out, but enjoys overeating more. That is hardly the type of physique to aspire!
As one can see, there is a great deal of common sense associated with the body building diet. Basically, if you eat quality food you can get away with eating a lot provided you have solid muscle mass. However, once you slip into the fallacy of eating whatever you want and in significant amounts that far exceed what you need, you will find yourself undermining your own goals. Now who would want that?
Basic Metabolism and Basic Myths
While it is true that a ton of calories eaten will be burned while working out, there will also be a metabolic calorie burning effect that will occur as well, but please keep in mind that it is wrong to over do it! The larger the mass of a person is, the more the person will want to eat more and more.
This is not a bizarre side effect it is simply a logical reaction the body will have to maintaining a significant volume of muscle mass. Keep in mind, muscle is significantly more dense than fat and this means that muscle will require more calories to maintain its size. This is why muscle bound people do not pack on fat when they increase their calorie intake – the muscles burn the calories by “eating” the excess calories. Now, that is often misunderstood by people as a green light to eat whatever it is they want and in massive quantities.
This is a huge fallacy of the body building diet. That is, you will increase your calorie intake…slightly…but if you increase it ridiculously then you will start to pack on a lot of fat on top of whatever muscle that you have. The resultant physique will make you look like someone who enjoys working out, but enjoys overeating more. That is hardly the type of physique to aspire!
As one can see, there is a great deal of common sense associated with the body building diet. Basically, if you eat quality food you can get away with eating a lot provided you have solid muscle mass. However, once you slip into the fallacy of eating whatever you want and in significant amounts that far exceed what you need, you will find yourself undermining your own goals. Now who would want that?
Prepare Mind And Body Well Before Body building Competitions
Bodybuilding is an activity that people enter into for a number of different reasons and among the reasons why you may want to build your body is the need to train in order to achieve better health and to also appear fit and also trim. However, there are also those that want to excel in bodybuilding and would thus like to enter into bodybuilding competitions in order to win a title and become the best in their field of activity.
Self Discipline
Thus, bodybuilding can be used to both live healthy and stay in good shape while at the same time also wins at bodybuilding competitions, and thus are able to live a good life as well. However, participating in bodybuilding competitions is not a simple task and requires a great deal of self discipline, and it requires being emotionally as well as physically stable, and keeping a close control over your diet and also remaining stable all the time.
Entering bodybuilding competitions also means preparing hard for it, which in turn requires a great deal of self belief and being totally in control with regard to what you eat and also maintain control over all of your other activities. It also requires conditioning your own mind so that you are well prepared for what lies ahead of you (both the good and the bad), and thus must be in peak physical and also emotional condition at all times.
For those who are nervous ahead of bodybuilding competitions, it requires training to stay calm and cool in the face of all odds and you should be careful that other competitors are never allowed to even sniff that you are nervous about the competition, which will egg them on to taunt you and even beat you.
You should learn also to exercise your mind over body since it is the mind that will control your actions and the body only follows through instinct, and because the body is sure to respond to what you think inside of your mind, it is thus very important to pay close attention to your own thoughts so that they follow a desired path and lead you in the direction of the winning podium.
It is only the contestant that can remain confident about his body shape when he is on the stage that is going to get ahead in bodybuilding competitions, while those with doubts and lack of mental strength will most certainly lag behind. It is thus in your best interests to keep a healthy training regime and to keep your mind healthy as well.
Self Discipline
Thus, bodybuilding can be used to both live healthy and stay in good shape while at the same time also wins at bodybuilding competitions, and thus are able to live a good life as well. However, participating in bodybuilding competitions is not a simple task and requires a great deal of self discipline, and it requires being emotionally as well as physically stable, and keeping a close control over your diet and also remaining stable all the time.
Entering bodybuilding competitions also means preparing hard for it, which in turn requires a great deal of self belief and being totally in control with regard to what you eat and also maintain control over all of your other activities. It also requires conditioning your own mind so that you are well prepared for what lies ahead of you (both the good and the bad), and thus must be in peak physical and also emotional condition at all times.
For those who are nervous ahead of bodybuilding competitions, it requires training to stay calm and cool in the face of all odds and you should be careful that other competitors are never allowed to even sniff that you are nervous about the competition, which will egg them on to taunt you and even beat you.
You should learn also to exercise your mind over body since it is the mind that will control your actions and the body only follows through instinct, and because the body is sure to respond to what you think inside of your mind, it is thus very important to pay close attention to your own thoughts so that they follow a desired path and lead you in the direction of the winning podium.
It is only the contestant that can remain confident about his body shape when he is on the stage that is going to get ahead in bodybuilding competitions, while those with doubts and lack of mental strength will most certainly lag behind. It is thus in your best interests to keep a healthy training regime and to keep your mind healthy as well.
Wearing Body Building Clothes
If you are an avid gym rat then you know that you need to have some special clothes for when you work out. Jeans and a t-shirt simply don’t cut it in the gym because they are restrictive in terms of the motion you can employ as well as the fact that they are totally uncomfortable. Needless to say, the way around this would be to purchase a nice set of body building clothes that would be more appropriate for the gym and workout session.
Looking Stylish
Body building clothes are not only comfortable they are also stylish to look at. Many of the top name brands of body building clothes are very well designed and have a unique look about them. This is why many top brands commandeer a solid price and are the envy of many people who wish they could have them. Of course, there is far more to these types of clothes in addition to their looks. As previously mentioned, there is a functional need for these clothes that is critical to understand.
Why These Clothes Are Important
In addition to looking good, these body building clothes are designed to be loose enough so that a person can easily have full range of motion. (On a side note, there are also body hugging Lycra shirts that allow range of motion, but they are really not all that popular anymore) Without full range of motion, the ability to perform exercises properly becomes greatly inhibited. This is why wearing a button down flannel shirt is not exactly the type of attire you would want to wear in the gym. It just flat out doesn’t help your ability to exercise. Additionally, it is not exactly safe to attempt to lift weights with restrictive clothes either so using quality attire designed specifically for working out in the gym is a far more preferable option to explore.
Saving Money On The Expense
Now, there are body building clothes that are quite expensive and this will surely cause some budgetary concerns for those who may not have much to invest in such clothes. While expensive name brands often receive a great deal of publicity, there are also a number of inexpensive brands that are on the market that are equally effective and well within the affordability range of the average person. Also, there are a number of overstock services that can provide excellent discounts for those looking to save a little money. So, there will be a set of clothes for any budget range; you just have to look for them.
Looking Stylish
Body building clothes are not only comfortable they are also stylish to look at. Many of the top name brands of body building clothes are very well designed and have a unique look about them. This is why many top brands commandeer a solid price and are the envy of many people who wish they could have them. Of course, there is far more to these types of clothes in addition to their looks. As previously mentioned, there is a functional need for these clothes that is critical to understand.
Why These Clothes Are Important
In addition to looking good, these body building clothes are designed to be loose enough so that a person can easily have full range of motion. (On a side note, there are also body hugging Lycra shirts that allow range of motion, but they are really not all that popular anymore) Without full range of motion, the ability to perform exercises properly becomes greatly inhibited. This is why wearing a button down flannel shirt is not exactly the type of attire you would want to wear in the gym. It just flat out doesn’t help your ability to exercise. Additionally, it is not exactly safe to attempt to lift weights with restrictive clothes either so using quality attire designed specifically for working out in the gym is a far more preferable option to explore.
Saving Money On The Expense
Now, there are body building clothes that are quite expensive and this will surely cause some budgetary concerns for those who may not have much to invest in such clothes. While expensive name brands often receive a great deal of publicity, there are also a number of inexpensive brands that are on the market that are equally effective and well within the affordability range of the average person. Also, there are a number of overstock services that can provide excellent discounts for those looking to save a little money. So, there will be a set of clothes for any budget range; you just have to look for them.
Pump It Up with Amino Acid Body Building
How do some of those athletes and body builders look so sculpted with defined musculature? Well, there are a lot of factors at play to create a well-toned body and amino acid body building is one practice that seriously pumped up athletes rely on. Amino acids are often called the building blocks of the human body in layman’s terms but they are really the molecular building blocks that create protein.
Protein is one of the most essential components that create strong healthy muscles which is the reason why many athletes in strength training will indulge in amino acid body building, usually in the form of supplements and pushing weights. Protein also fuels the health of your hair, nails, ligaments, tendons, central nervous system and even how your muscles retain water for maximum elasticity and strength.
Reasons for Supplements
Many body builders have discovered that without enough amino acids in their system, the body tends to feed on its own muscles when faced with the crisis of not enough energy. This has led to the interest of amino acid body building to ensure that the body has plenty of fuel to build muscle rather than cannibalizing on it.
Serious body builders will take amino acid supplements either in a protein shake or pill form immediately after hard muscle exercises. This moment in time represents a unique opportunity to introduce amino acid into the body while the muscles still have optimal blood flow and is most amenable to nutrients. This timing takes a knowledgeable athlete to understand why amino acid body building can be very important.
Popular Supplements
Glutamine is one of the most popular in amino acid body building because it is plentiful in the muscles and is known for promoting muscle growth. Arginine is another amino acid that is beneficial to your amino acid body building practices. This particular amino acid kicks off the growth hormone in your body and helps regulate the metabolism of the muscles, building bulk. Fat decreases while your connective tissue, cartilage and bone strengthens under amino acid body building practices.
Supplements are important as these days people are slacking on their diets and not getting enough proteins, which means not enough amino acids. Without these helpful body building blocks, you would eventually become weaker and lose muscle tone. Therefore, stick with amino acid body building and you will discover that your muscles will not only get the workout they need but that they are also growing larger, creating the telltale body builder sign of a sculpted muscles.
Protein is one of the most essential components that create strong healthy muscles which is the reason why many athletes in strength training will indulge in amino acid body building, usually in the form of supplements and pushing weights. Protein also fuels the health of your hair, nails, ligaments, tendons, central nervous system and even how your muscles retain water for maximum elasticity and strength.
Reasons for Supplements
Many body builders have discovered that without enough amino acids in their system, the body tends to feed on its own muscles when faced with the crisis of not enough energy. This has led to the interest of amino acid body building to ensure that the body has plenty of fuel to build muscle rather than cannibalizing on it.
Serious body builders will take amino acid supplements either in a protein shake or pill form immediately after hard muscle exercises. This moment in time represents a unique opportunity to introduce amino acid into the body while the muscles still have optimal blood flow and is most amenable to nutrients. This timing takes a knowledgeable athlete to understand why amino acid body building can be very important.
Popular Supplements
Glutamine is one of the most popular in amino acid body building because it is plentiful in the muscles and is known for promoting muscle growth. Arginine is another amino acid that is beneficial to your amino acid body building practices. This particular amino acid kicks off the growth hormone in your body and helps regulate the metabolism of the muscles, building bulk. Fat decreases while your connective tissue, cartilage and bone strengthens under amino acid body building practices.
Supplements are important as these days people are slacking on their diets and not getting enough proteins, which means not enough amino acids. Without these helpful body building blocks, you would eventually become weaker and lose muscle tone. Therefore, stick with amino acid body building and you will discover that your muscles will not only get the workout they need but that they are also growing larger, creating the telltale body builder sign of a sculpted muscles.
Lou Ferigno: Legend of Body Building
If there ever was a true legend in the sport of body building it would be the legendary Lou Ferigno. In the 1970’s, Ferigno was a true rags to riches story as he came from humble origins to worldwide fame as a bodybuilder and then to even greater fame in his endearing portrayal of the titular green monster in the classic television program THE INCREDIBLE HULK. While some may be familiar with Lou and his work, they may not be all that familiar with his background which may prove to be quite interesting even to those who do not follow the sport.
Early Years
Lou Ferigno was born in Brooklyn New York in the 1950’s and had the handicap of being deaf. Since attitudes towards the hearing impaired were not exactly progressive during this time period, Lou became somewhat withdrawn and isolated. While in his teens he would discover a new hobby in the form of weightlifting. Lou became enamored with this new hobby to the point of obsession. He would work out everyday and watch his diet religiously. In time, he would set his sights on competing in amateur body building competitions. He entered them and did well enough that he caught the eye of body building mogul Joe Weider who brought Lou into the fold of professional body building competition. Lou did extremely well in this new profession although he alternated his time between competing and working in construction as construction paid far more than professional body building! Lou would then become featured in the classic documentary PUMPING IRON, a documentary that would bring him to the attention of a number of Hollywood producers.
The Hulk
When former James Bond villain Richard “Jaws” Kiel bombed as the Hulk during the first few days of shooting the pilot for the TV series, Ferigno got the call to play the green goliath. While few believed this series would be a hit, it turned out to be a colossal hit lasting many years on network TV and decades in syndication. Ferigno was now a bona fide worldwide star!
Ferigno no longer competes in body building these days as he is well into his retirement years. He does, however, appear at numerous competitions as a special guest and as a judge. He also signs autographs at comic conventions and meets with all his fans who have followed his career through the years. In terms of pop culture history, Lou Ferigno is a true icon and definitely one of a kind!
Early Years
Lou Ferigno was born in Brooklyn New York in the 1950’s and had the handicap of being deaf. Since attitudes towards the hearing impaired were not exactly progressive during this time period, Lou became somewhat withdrawn and isolated. While in his teens he would discover a new hobby in the form of weightlifting. Lou became enamored with this new hobby to the point of obsession. He would work out everyday and watch his diet religiously. In time, he would set his sights on competing in amateur body building competitions. He entered them and did well enough that he caught the eye of body building mogul Joe Weider who brought Lou into the fold of professional body building competition. Lou did extremely well in this new profession although he alternated his time between competing and working in construction as construction paid far more than professional body building! Lou would then become featured in the classic documentary PUMPING IRON, a documentary that would bring him to the attention of a number of Hollywood producers.
The Hulk
When former James Bond villain Richard “Jaws” Kiel bombed as the Hulk during the first few days of shooting the pilot for the TV series, Ferigno got the call to play the green goliath. While few believed this series would be a hit, it turned out to be a colossal hit lasting many years on network TV and decades in syndication. Ferigno was now a bona fide worldwide star!
Ferigno no longer competes in body building these days as he is well into his retirement years. He does, however, appear at numerous competitions as a special guest and as a judge. He also signs autographs at comic conventions and meets with all his fans who have followed his career through the years. In terms of pop culture history, Lou Ferigno is a true icon and definitely one of a kind!
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