Inside Bodybuilding ...Past and Present (Part 1)

By Mick Hart

Bodybuilding is really beginning to piss me off and you might even describe the feeling as having haemorrhoids. I am constantly being swamped by journals and articles about how poor physique standards have become and what really gets at me are the concerns about professional contests judging results.

Having attended more such muscle show downs than most over an unrelenting half a century, I have certainly witness huge changes, i.e. the evolution of bodybuilding contests and what appears to be the requisites for 'star' standards, from finalists to winners.

I love to go and watch other people competing at international levels and I will always make my own personal opinion on the possible outcome, but there is one thing I will always resign myself from doing and that is judging other people.

Thus the following notes are in no way a criticism of those braver souls whom set themselves up as easy targets when they sit on judging panels, the results of which can make or break physique careers in the competitive jungle of the body beautiful, with all its commercial offspring's. Advertising, sponsorships, film careers even FAME.

To be quite frank with you I am not really sure what the exact percentage of bodybuilders is that train with the sole objective of competing in physique contests. I am pretty sure it is a very small amount as the majority of bodybuilders will have varying alternative targets from rehab, to just getting better in their chosen major sport. Many will just want to get fitter or stronger or just improve their own physique standard, gain or lose weight, as well as just adding some muscle.

If you just take a good look around your local gym you might just be able to pick out one bodybuilder that might have the potential to enter these bodybuilding physique competitions and maybe just at a local level. The majority of the guys in the gym will not have any interest what so ever in these contests and will most probably just be fed up with constantly being reminded of them in the muscle mags. If anyone was the exception to the rule then it was definitely Arnold the great who knew right from his very first squat and dead lift where his efforts were to be best concentrated. (Coming soon Part 2)

About the Author:

By Top UK Bodybuilding And Anabolic Steroid Expert Mick Hart. Discover how to Build Lean Muscle at Micks New Blog

Vegan Body Building - Can Vegans Be Bodybuilders?

By Gerry Marsh

Can you bodybuild and remain a vegetarian? If you have not checked this out, you are probably among those persons who do not consider vegetarians to be able to be bodybuilders. The prevailing culture to a large extent believes that a vegetarian diet lacks all of the nutrients needed for a healthy body and that such a diet cannot produce the muscle sought after by body builders.

We have a tendency to think of a vegetarian bodybuilder as the 98 pound weakling on the beach taking another face full of sand. Vegan body builders are quickly changing this view.

Vegetarian diets exclude all animal products including meat, milk, and dairy derivatives. Many meat eaters think that a vegan diet is inferior when it comes to building muscle simply because it does not contain animal protein. However, there are many complementary sources of vegetable protein available.

Protein is used by the body to repair torn muscle fibre and to boost the immune system as well as to build lean muscle mass. It is also important for the bodybuilder choosing a vegetarian lifestyle to make sure that he or she is getting sufficient quantities of other necessary nutrients in their diet.

A well balanced vegan diet has all of the essential amino acids required by the body for the synthesis of protein. There are also numerable vegan protein supplements available in the stores so vegan bodybuilders should have no difficulty fulfilling the body's needs for protein.

While supplements can play an important dietary role in a vegan bodybuilding diet plan, you can also obtain many necessary nutrients from fresh fruit and vegetable juices, Gatorade and Spirtein. Soy products are also a great source of protein, not only for vegetarians but for anyone wanting a more heart healthy lifestyle. Nuts are also a delicious alternative source of protein that are sometimes overlooked.

Vegetarian diets are not without controversy for muscle building. In spite of the recognized health benefits of soy, some critics claim that soy may have long-term negative effects. There is more evidence of its health benefits however than of any harmful side effects. Each person thinking about a vegan diet for muscle building should do some independent research and then make up their own minds.

Proper nutrition is more important to a bodybuilder than the amount of time in the gym or even what you do there. Basic muscle building requires that you take in more calories than you burn or you will lose weight. If you are not eating enough, the more you workout, the more weight you lose! For vegans, this means you have to eat a lot of fresh foods and use protein replacement products.

Protein replacement products are not to be confused with the muscle building supplements sold in muscle magazines and on the internet to those persons looking for a magic pill. There is no magic pill and for the most part the supplements are useless and often actually dangerous.

It can get discouraging to look through those magazines and see the ads for the latest "muscle enhancing" supplement and the accompanying photos of beautiful physiques. Keep in mind that while the buffed bodies are nice to look at they are not attainable by the every day builder and the ads are targeted toward the normal meat-eating, supplement-using muscle builder.

If a magazine or web site is not advocating natural bodybuilding, you should look elsewhere. There are many good sources of guidance for the vegetarian muscle builder and you do not need to take the advice of the steroid and HGH peddlers. Just make sure that you consume adequate nutrients and supplements in the right quantity to give you the beautiful sculpted body you are looking for!

About the Author:

Find out how to become a natural bodybuilder with reviews of top bodybuilding programs like Muscle Gaining Secrets - written by a vegan bodybuilder - on Gerry's blog at Muscle-Building-Reviews.com.

5 Muscle Building Myths

By Brad Martinson

If you've spent any time weight training, you are sure to be familiar with at least some of these myths.

1.12 Rep rule

Your average training regimens feature twelve repetitions, the theory being being that this is somehow the "magic number" of repetitions for building muscle. The truth be told, this does not adequately work the muscles enough to build mass.

The standard prescription of eight to 12 repetitions provides a balance but by just using that program all of the time, you do not generate the greater tension levels that is provided by the heavier weights and lesser reps, and the longer tension achieved with lighter weights and more repetitions.

Eight to twelve repetitions fails to create the greater tension levels that less reps with heavier weights can, or the longer tension that you'll get with light weights and more reps. To stimulate all types of muscle growth, vary your regimen - the number of reps and that this your weights.

2. Three Set rule

The truth is there's nothing wrong with three sets but then again there is nothing amazing about it either. The number of sets you perform should be base on your goals and not on a half-century old rule. The more repetitions you do on an exercise, the fewer sets you should do, and vice versa. This keeps the total number of repetitions done of an exercise equal.

3. Three to four exercises per group

The truth is this is a waste of time. Combined with twelve reps of three sets, the total number of reps amount to 144. If your doing this much reps for a muscle group your not doing enough. Instead of doing too many varieties of exercises, try doing 30 to 50 reps. That can be anywhere from 2 sets of 15 reps or 5 sets of 10 reps.

4. My knees, my toes

Sort of an old saw of the gym world, it is far more likely that injuries are caused by leaning forward too far. However, research by Memphis university has found that stress on the knees is increased by about a third when the knees move past the toes during squat exercises. At the same time, stress on the hips increases by ten times when the knee is kept from moving forward.

Squatters are shifting the strain to their lower backs, which is actually far worse than letting their knees pass that "no-go" line of the toes.

Keep the position of your torso at the forefront, and your knees a little farther back. Keep your torso as straight as possible when lunging or squatting. This will mean less stress for your lower back and hips. To stay upright, before squatting, press your shoulder blades together (and keep them there). Try to keep your forearms at a 90 degree angle to the floor when you squat.

5. Lift weights, draw abs

The truth is the muscles work in groups to stabilize the spine, and the most important muscle group change depending on the type of exercise. The transverse abdominis is not always the most important muscle group. Actually, for most exercise, the body automatically activates the muscle group that are needed most for support of the spine. So if you focus only on the transverse abdominis, it can recruit wrong muscles and limit the right muscles. This increases the chance of injury, and reduces the weight that can be lifted.

About the Author:

Want to find out how to gain muscles at home quickly? Come to my website http://2gainmuscles.com and download your free muscle building book now!

Rip and Repair: Building Muscle the Right Way

By Rudy Longfellow

One of the most important aspects of life is physical fitness. The fitness routines we choose to work into our every day lives can help to build muscle and thus increase strength and metabolism. With more and more people falling into the definition of obese or overweight, the time to build muscle and become more physically active through fitness is now and everyone needs to jump on the band wagon.

The rules of how to build muscle are simple and straightforward, but are some of the most unrecognized rules in physical fitness. Many people have no idea how muscle is built and this knowledge can immensely increase the chance of making the routine more rewarding and beneficial.

Get that muscle ready. Stretching is one of the most important parts of a program aimed to build muscle. The muscle will need to be warmed up before it can go through the stages of building. As with any fitness program, stretching requires careful movements that are elongated and held in order to increase the blood flow to the muscle. To build muscle that blood flow is essential and necessary.

Hydrate the muscle. Water is not just essential for life, it is also essential to build muscle. The muscles need hydration to build faster, recover more quickly and maintain those high levels of increased strength. The minimum amount of water per day needed for fitness programs that build muscle is 8 glasses of 8 ounces every 24 hours with many fitness magazines recommending even higher amounts per day.

Rip it. When attempting to build muscle through fitness, the muscle needs to be ripped, literally. Muscles growth is created when a muscle is torn and then rebuilds itself. To build muscle, the exercise will need to cause small rips in the muscle fibers and then allow those rips to heal and thus building the muscle mass needed to increase strength and metabolism. It is also important to note that stretching after a routine to build muscle can help to release the lactic acid build up in the muscle and thus remove some of the pain associated with the workout.

Healing Time. At least 24 hours are required to build muscle. This means that the same muscle groups of the body should only be worked on alternating days with one day of rest in between. On the off day, the fitness routine can include exercises to build muscle on other parts of the body or cardio. There is no way around the time needed to build muscle, at least 24 hours is REQUIRED, not suggested.

Repeat. The key to fitness programs that build muscle is consistency. The careful pattern of rip and repair needs to be repeated over and over again to keep the muscle building. It can take up to a month to build one pound of muscle, but the time is well worth it. For every pound of muscle built, the body will naturally burn between 30 and 50 additional calories per day.

In order to build muscle, the fitness program must first be set upon the rules of the muscle build. Without the knowledge of how a muscle builds, it is often easy to break these rules and create muscle pain and weakness that essentially dooms the program. Learning how to build muscle sis as easy as following these steps over and over again.

About the Author:

Find your free tips and advice on how to efficiently to build muscle. Whether you're a newbie or a pro, these tools and resources can help you to achieve your fitness goals.

How to build big arms & a huge chest by working your... legs?

By caleb lee

If you'd like to know how to build a bigger chest and monster arms... without... spending any extra time working those muscles out, then this article will show you exactly how to do that...

In fact, I will explain how you can build muscle on your chest and arms by working your LEGS!

Does this sound like I don't know what I'm talking about?

Many bodybuilders and weight lifters think so. But it is why they still have limp noodle arms and a scrawny chest.

You see, most trainees spend too much time doing isolation exercises for their arms and chest in an attempt to build a bigger upper body...

Are you wondering, "Why is this bad?"

This is a poor way to do things because one of the primary factors of muscle growth is making sure you jack up your levels of growth hormone, testosterone, and other "body chemicals"... this is what signals your body to "build more muscle NOW!"

The absolute best way to raise the levels of these chemicals in your body is by intense exercise that involves your WHOLE body (or as much of it as possible)... and not just certain parts (like you would do with pure isolation exercises for your arms or chest).

So when weight lifters spend too much time doing lots of different workouts for their arms (curls, etc)... and lots of different exercises for their chest (bench, flies, etc)... they're only working out small muscle groups and not putting their whole body under enough stress to signal muscle growth. (are you making this same mistake?)

So what's the answer?

The secret is to work out ALL of the muscles in your body as often as possible. Focusing primarily on the biggest muscles of your body (because this will put it under more stress -- stimulating more chemicals to be released). Like your legs and back and THEN your chest, arms, etc.

The best way to accomplish this is to start with multi-joint (compound) exercises and lifts like the Squat and dead-lift before you go on to isolation exercises like specific arm exercises (curls, pushdowns, etc) and chest exercises (bench press, dumbbell flies, etc).

So, if you want to build a shirt-popping chest and hulk-like arms then you need to work out your LEGS... follow the guidelines above and you're sure to start building new muscle almost overnight!

About the Author:

About the Fitness expert: Caleb Lee knows a lot about building muscle. His website will teach you how to build muscle fast.

Gain 30lbs of muscle or lose 30lbs of fat in only 4 hours

By Caleb Lee

Most people don't realize that you can build a massive amount of muscle if you just forget everything you read in the bodybuilding magazines... and choose to follow what has been proven to work by science.

The best example is best-selling author Tim Ferriss (The Four Hour Work Week) because He was able to gain 34 pounds of lean muscle... and... lose 3 pounds of fat in just 28 days.

The best part? He only worked out for 30 minutes... two times per week... for a TOTAL work out time in the gym of ONLY 4 HOURS!

If you'd like to get the same results then keep reading for the six steps Tim Ferriss used to make this possible... and how you can get the very same results starting this month!

From his blog...

"1. Follow Arthur Jones' general recommendations for one-set-to-failure from the little-known Colorado Experiment, but with lower frequency (maximum of twice per week) and with at least 3 minutes between exercises.

2. Follow a 5/5 cadence (5 seconds up, 5 seconds down) for every repetition to eliminate momentum and make sure there is a constant load.

3. Do no more than 4-7 multi-joint exercises (overhead press, Yates bent row, dips, incline machine benchpress, leg press, trap bar deadlift, etc.) and work out your entire body each time you're in the gym to get a maximal hormonal (testosterone, growth hormone + IGF-1) response.

4. Eat enormous quantities of protein with low-glycemic index carbohydrates like quinoa, but drop calories by 50% one day per week to prevent protein uptake downregulation.

5. Because your recovery abilities can only increase 20-30%, while you can often increase fat-free muscle tissue up to 100% before reaching a genetic set-point... you need to exercise less frequently as you increase strength and size.

6. Remember that this is an experiment, and you need to control the variables to accurately assess progress and make adjustments. So record every workout in detail, including date, time of day, order of exercises, reps, and weight. "

That's it!

Only six steps (or guidelines) that you need to follow to form your own "four hour body" workout so you can forge your dream body (whether that involves building muscle or burning fat!)

Tim also recommends using this exact same outline if your goal is to lose stubborn fat (without putting on size). Here is his comment from his blog:

"For the ladies not interested in adding size, if you follow a "slow-carb" diet (low-GI carbs) and reduce the rest periods to only 30 seconds between exercises, you can use this exact same workout to help lose 10-20 pounds of fat in the same short 28 days."

Now you have no excuse. You only need to workout for four hours next month and you can gain either 30 pounds of muscle... or... lose up to 30 pounds of fat! Get to work!

About the Author:

Fitness expert Caleb Lee knows a lot about building muscle. His website will teach you ways to build muscle fast.

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