Friday, October 12, 2007

Mass And Muscle Definition Combo

Mass And Muscle Definition Combo
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kai_Lo]Kai Lo

I know a lot of you want to bulk up, and at the same time you don't want to be a huge, shapeless figure. Without any muscle definition, you will look like a giant powerlifter. What you can do is split your workouts to one heavy day and one light day. For instance, you can do your 5 sets of 5 reps flat benching on Monday for mass and strength, and then do 10+ reps per set of dumbbell flyes and cable flyes on Thursday for definition.

Here is a good routine for getting mass and muscle definition at the same time:

Monday


Superset

Flat Bench - 5 sets of 5 reps / 90 seconds rest

Bent-over Barbell Row - 5 sets of 6-8 reps / 90 seconds rest


Superset

Lying Triceps Extension - 3 sets of 8-10 reps / 60 seconds rest

Barbell Bicep Curls - 3 sets of 8-10 reps / 60 seconds rest


Twisting Crunches - 3 sets of 20 reps / 45 seconds rest


Tuesday


Barbell Squat - 5 sets of 5 reps / 120 seconds rest


Dumbbell Step-ups - 3 sets of 10 reps (2 steps = 1 rep) / 60 seconds rest


Superset

Reverse Barbell Wrist Curls - 3 sets of 20 reps / 30 seconds rest

Sitting Calve Raises - 3 sets of 20 reps / 30 seconds rest


Wednesday


Military Shoulder Press - 4 sets of 6-8 reps / 60 seconds rest


Barbell Upright Rows - 3 sets of 8-10 reps / 60 seconds rest


Superset

Barbell Shrugs - 3 sets of 8-10 reps / 30 seconds rest

Hanging Knee Raises - 3 sets till failure / 30 seconds rest


Thursday


Deadlift - 4 sets of 5 reps / 150 seconds rest


Superset

Pullups - 3 sets of 8-10 reps / 45 seconds rest

Dumbbell Flyes - 3 sets of 12-15 reps / 45 seconds rest


Superset

Seated Wide-Grip Rows - 3 sets of 10-12 reps / no rest

Incline Push-ups - 3 sets of 20 reps / no rest


Friday


Superset

Lunges - 3 sets of 10-12 reps (alternate legs) / 30 seconds rest

Bent-over Lateral Raises - 3 sets of 10-12 reps / 30 seconds rest


Superset

Cable Tricep Extension - 3 sets of 12-15 reps / 30 seconds rest

Supinating Dumbbell Curls - 3 sets of 12-15 reps / 30 seconds rest


Superset

Barbell Wrist Curls - 3 sets of 20 reps / 30 seconds rest

Seated Calve Raises - 3 sets of 20 reps / 30 seconds rest


Twisting Crunches - 3 sets of 20 reps / 45 seconds rest


You can put a rest day in between any of those. I recommend resting Thursday and do Thursday and Friday's workouts on Friday and Saturday. Stick cardio into your rest days.

Kai L.

For tips on bulking up / cardio / diet / workouts / and motivation go to my fitness blog - http://chinesemuscles.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kai_Lo http://EzineArticles.com/?Mass-And-Muscle-Definition-Combo&id=770050

Why Speeding Up Your Metabolism Is So Important For Bodybuilders

Why Speeding Up Your Metabolism Is So Important For Bodybuilders
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Terry_Edwards]Terry Edwards

There is no doubt that your metabolism affects your weight as well as your efforts in bodybuilding. Being able to speed up your metabolism is important in losing weight and strengthening your body. One of the best ways of speeding up your metabolic rate is through increasing your levels of protein. Numerous studies have proven this out. Here are some facts and tips in understanding how eating more protein can be so beneficial to increased muscles.

While most all of the numerous studies that have been done all have varying opinions on how protein affects muscle mass and how much protein it takes to gain more mass, one thing researchers can agree on is the fact that more protein helps decrease appetite. In turn, this leads to helping regulate body weight.

In fact, one study done in 2003 showed that protein gives your body a much more fuller feeling after eating than it does with eating a lot of carbs and fats. This is not only in the short term, but long term as well.

At the same time, eating foods that contain protein will also help in burning off fat and most importantly, keeping it off. This is due in part to what is termed dietary thermogenesis.

Yes, lowering your intake of calories is important in losing fat, but it is not the only thing. Researchers have proven out what most bodybuilders already know; protein levels have a major role in shaping your body. Protein will help you lose fat and also prevent it from returning.

If you have seen the bodybuilding and nutrition program called Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, then you know how important of a role protein plays in bodybuilding and building increased muscle mass. It's an excellent source that lays it all out in an easy to understand system.

How much protein will give you better results? The studies that were done on increasing protein showed that increasing your levels of protein by only 30 grams a day helped to produce such positive results. Compare that to the protein levels of what many bodybuilders consume, which can be up to 40%-50% of their total calories.

What's the bottom line here? By taking out some of your carbohydrates from your daily diet and replacing them with more protein, even as little as 30-40 grams, then you will notice a big change in reducing fat and building more muscle mass. And isn't that the goal anyway?

By the way, you can find out more about [http://www.bodybuildinga-z.com/Speeding_Up_Your_Metabolism.html]Speeding Up Your Metabolism For Bodybuilding as well as much more information on everything to do with bodybuilding at http://www.BodyBuildingA-Z.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terry_Edwards http://EzineArticles.com/?Why-Speeding-Up-Your-Metabolism-Is-So-Important-For-Bodybuilders&id=771722

Gain Weight And Muscle Mass - Quick Tips

Gain Weight And Muscle Mass - Quick Tips
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jack_A_Black]Jack A Black

So you're visiting the gym, struggling to stack on those healthy pounds. Good job! This is probably the best ways to gain weight. You're slowly building muscle mass and body strength. There aren't  any downsides to this new regimen. But, it's not stopping there. At this point you're probably over-slim for a few possible reasons. One is genetics. It could run in your gene pool. Then it could be your metabolism. If your's is high, then it's a bit hard to keep up with. Finally, you just may not be eating enough or the right foods.

Here's the truth; to gain mass, you have to consume more calories than your body can burn. Along with lifting weights, this is one of the best ways to gain weight in a healthy way. Now all you need is a healthy diet and great supplements. I recommend you to have three low saturated fat, high protein meals each day. You need protein and carbs for energy and muscle repair. On top of this, you should add three supplements per day. Try whey protein powder. This is a great way to get the protein you need for building lean mass. You can mix it with skim milk, juice or water to make a quick shake.

Oh, and don't forget to take daily those multivitamins. Your body will crave all the nutrients it can get for recuperation from weight training. This puts you at six meals per day. Therefore you shouldn't be paying attention to the standard daily nutrition recommendations. It doesn't apply to you when you're tackling ways to gain weight.

To eat anything and everything is NOT a good plan. This may have been one of the best ways to gain weight in the past, but now we know better. Look for organic foods and healthy supplements. Try to avoid high levels of fat, sugar and sodium. You'll be packing on the muscle in no time.

If you want to find out more tips on getting from Skinny to Bulk visit me on my web page - http://howtogainweightandbuildmescle.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_A_Black http://EzineArticles.com/?Gain-Weight-And-Muscle-Mass---Quick-Tips&id=770593

Effective Bodybuilding Neck Exercises

Effective Bodybuilding Neck Exercises
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Edwin_A]Edwin A

New bodybuilders very often overlook bodybuilding neck exercises. Others however, include neck exercises only at the end of a workout session and consider it to be of lower priority. They concentrated on building the abdominals, chest, biceps and shoulders to get the nice v-shaped sculptured look. However, their overall appearance does not look balanced, as the neck is "pencil-thin". The neck is the most neglected muscle.

In clothing, a bodybuilder with a thin neck cannot be differentiated from a non-bodybuilder. A thick neck proudly announces that you have rippling muscles beneath the clothing. When you work on your neck muscles, other muscles such as the traps and back muscles are affected, which help contribute towards a more symmetric look from the back and front.

Isometric and head-harness exercises can build and strengthen the neck muscles.  In a standing position, with your right hand on your head, contract your neck muscles and push your head to the right, and hold and resist for 15 seconds. Repeat a few times and then with the left hand. Next, with body hands behind your head, try to move your head back, hold and resist for 15 seconds.

Attach a suitable weight to the head harness. With your hands on your leg and when seated, raise your head in a semi-circular motion, as far as you can.

Another exercise is to lie down on edge of the bench, hold a flat barbell weight at your forehead with your hand, and raise your head in a semi-circle motion, as far as you can. Next, return to the original position and repeat a few times. Repeat, with your stomach on the bench and with the weight held at the back of your head.

The shrug is also another effective neck exercise to build the trapezius region and back of the neck.  With a dumbbell in each hand, perform the shrug by moving your shoulder upwards.

Bodybuilding neck exercises should be included into your workouts. It is best to allocate a separate day to work on the neck muscles.

For FREE e-book on bodybuilding and bodybuilding info, please visit the blog at: http://bodybuildingworkout.nichinfo.com and at [http://bodybuildingworkout.nichinfo.com/muscle.php ]6-Pack Abs

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Edwin_A http://EzineArticles.com/?Effective-Bodybuilding-Neck-Exercises&id=769819

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Tehnorati Claim Post For Sean Nalewanyj's Program On Muscle Building

Technorati Profile. This is my post for the technorati claim on this blog. This blog is about Sean Nalewanyj's book on The Truth About Building The Muscle. It also provides reviews on matching bodybuilding programs and how do they compare with Sean Nalewanyj's Program. I hope you find useful.

Review of Sean Nalewanyj's Program

This blog is about the body building programs and specifically his ebook "The Truth About Building The Muscles". The blog provides unbiased review of his muscle building program and also provides an opportunity for the actual users to make a contribution by voting out their choices.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Articles By Sean Nalewanyj: Why Inadequate Rest Between Sets

Bobby finishes a hard, focused set of barbell squats and re-racks the weight. His legs are wobbly, his heart is racing and he feels light headed as he takes a big swig from his water bottle. He looks down at his watch and presses the “start” button to begin counting down backwards from 2 minutes.

Bobby read that 2 minutes is the ideal rest time between sets in the gym, and he wants to get it exact. Once that watch beeps at the 2 minute mark, he'll be back in the squat rack to perform another set.

He stands up tall and paces around trying to catch his breath in preparation for his next battle with the weights.

*Beep*

2 minutes is up. His legs still feel weak, his heart still beats frantically and he doesn't quite feel 100%, but that watch beeped and that means his time is up. He must perform his next set regardless of how he feels.

He unracks the weight and squats down. His legs still burn and he wishes that he could have had more time to prepare for this set. He puts forth a mediocre effort, re-racks the bar, and sets his watch for another 2 minutes.

Bobby, just like a ton of other aspiring lifters in the gym, is making a deadly, critical mistake.

By having a set rest interval between sets, he is forcing his body to train at an effort level that is far less than his maximum potential and is severely sacrificing the amount of muscle growth he can ultimately stimulate because of this.

Muscles grow because of an adaptive response to stress. You lift X amount of weight for Y number of reps, and your body adapts to this level of stress. In order to see continual gains in muscle size, you must continually force X and Y to higher and higher levels.

In other words, building muscle is all about progression in both weight and reps. It is about lifting as much weight as you possibly can for the greatest number of reps that you possibly can (within a given rep range of course) and then continually striving to improve.

Because of this, you must always go into every single set of every single workout at your maximum strength potential. By sacrificing the amount of weight you can lift, you sacrifice the amount of muscle you can build. And there is no worse way to make this sacrifice than by not providing your body with enough rest between sets.

Throw out your stopwatch and forget about looking at the clock.

You should only begin your next set when you feel that you can perform it with 100% of your strength potential. A stopwatch cannot tell you when that time has arrived; only you can by listening to your body and relying on your own instincts.

The set rest period theory is also highly flawed because it does not take into account the fact that certain exercises tax the body much more heavily than others and therefore require more rest between them.

A deadlift and a tricep pressdown aren't exactly in the same boat here. After a heavy set of deadlifts to failure I'll usually be resting for at least 5 minutes, often even more. A set of tricep pressdowns is obviously not as taxing and may only require a rest period of 2.5 minutes for me to feel fully recovered.

Go on your instincts and only perform your next set when you feel that you can do so with 100% of your strength. Implementing just this one training technique can have a drastic effect on your muscle size and strength gains.

What about proper rep ranges? Workout length? Exercise selection and layout? For more details on proper workout structure make sure to visit my website below for exclusive details. Most people are dead-wrong in the way that they perform their workouts, and I can help you to clear up the confusion once and for all...



www.musclegaintruth.com - Official Website of Sean Nalewanyj

The above article has been contributed by Sean Nalewanyj