What you should do when you hit the plateau

By Caleb Lee

Everyone, at one time or another, has hit this or will hit, what is called the plateau.

You train and train, but no matter how hard you try, you don't feel you are making any progress. It's really discouraging: I know, I have been there and done that myself. You can break through that plateau and continue on making progress in your bodybuilding routine.

Most people make one common mistake in their fitness routines, bodybuilders included. The plateau is noticed by all, but more so in the bodybuilder, than say, a tennis player.

The mistake is: working out too often. Forgive me for sounding like a broken record, but...your muscles need recovery in between workouts! If you want to build mass, you have got to give them a break.

When you workout you are stimulating the muscle to grow, but in order for that growth to happen, you have to give the muscle a chance to rest in between workouts. You know you need to work the muscles to exhuastion to build muscle. This doesn't mean, though that you have to overdo or strain the muscle. Remember, this is the number one thing that will help you move out of that plateau: rest!

Anaerobic exercise is a good thing to concentrate on at this point in your routine. Your legs are the strongest part of your body. By concentrating on, for instance, leg presses, you will actually benefit your entire body and this will help you get past the stagnant plateau.

Don't give up! The human body does have it's limits, but you can't throw away all your hard work because you think you have reached your limit. Try my tips for working through the plateau-they have worked for me! Good luck to you all as you strive to meet your fitness goals.

See you at the gym!

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.

How to make the pool a muscle building tool

By Caleb Lee

Summer is here and like everyone, I love escaping the summer heat with a dip in the pool. Guess what? I am going to talk about swimming.

As well as being a fitness guru, and bodybuilder, I love to swim. Why? It's fun. Better dig out that swimsuit!

What kind of cardio is best for bodybuilders? You guessed it: swimming. A lot of cardio exercises are great for the lungs and heart but puts too much stress on your joints, like running for instance. If you are into squats you need to take care of those ankles and knees.

Swimming gives you a great full body workout. What is so wonderful about it is: No Impact! For the bodybuilder, it strenghtens your muscles and cardiovascular system without putting any stress on your joints.

There is the added benefit of swimming being good exercise to build flexibility (although you should always stretch before you swim too ? remember what Ol? Uncle Caleb?s told you about always stretching!). This is great for bodybuilders, many of whom spend too little time on building flexibility.

Bodybuilders beware; don't let swimming become your only form of exercise. Swimming is great for your health, no two ways about it. It won't help you get that ripped, defined look, though, that all competitor bodybuilders are looking for.

The reason for this is that your body reacts to the cool temperatures of the water by distributing your body fat differently. Body fat is more evenly distributed, but is stored just under the skin, making it difficult to have a lot of muscle definition.

Swimming is still an all around excellent exercise, just make sure to work it into the rest of your cardio program (hiking, walking). Don't replace all your cardio with this enjoyable activity.

Until next time, see you at the gym (or the pool)!

About the Author:

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