Bicep Exercises for Beginners

By Caleb Lee

Well, friends, here you have it ? the third and final installment of my series of articles on exercises meant to work out your biceps. Since I get asked often about what the best way is to work these muscles, I created a few articles to give everyone some of the best and most commonly used bicep exercises. Without further delay, here are a few more to get you started on your bicep workout.

Preacher Curls:

This exercise is great for your biceps (and none too shabby for working out your forearms!). You?ll need a preacher bench for this one, so if you haven?t got one at home, keep this one in mind for when you?re at the gym next,

Sit on a preacher bench, with your upper arms resting on the pad, palms facing upwards. Have someone hand you a barbell. Lower the barbell until your arms are nearly straight ? you should be feeling a good stretch in your bicep now.

Using your biceps and moving only your forearms, curl the barbell to shoulder height. Hold for a moment to get the maximum benefit for this curl, then repeat.

Dumbbell Concentration Curls:

This one is a little tougher for beginners, but provides a great bicep workout by isolating the muscles.Sit at the end of a bench, legs spread. Use a lighter than usual dumbbell for this one, the isolation will give you the same results with less weight. Reach down between your legs and grab a dumbbell. Brace your elbow on one knee, and place your other hand on your leg for balance. Using only your bicep and moving just your forearm, slowly curl the dumbbell to shoulder height. Hold this position for a moment then slowly lower back to starting position and repeat. This exercise should be done for both arms (but not at the same time!).

That?s it for now. I hope these exercises have been beneficial to beginner and pros alike. Maybe I?ll see you at the gym!

About the Author:

About the author: Caleb Lee will teach you a lot about building muscle. His website will sways you ways to build muscle fast.

Muscle Definition: everything you need to know

By Caleb Lee

Do you know what muscle definition is? Most people aren't quite clear about it - we know when a muscle looks defined, but what makes it that way and how do you achieve it?

"Ripped" is another name for definition. Have you ever seen the outline of a muscle against someone's skin? That is the goal of anyone into bodybuilding and naturally everyone would like to achieve that look themselves. Definition makes muscles look larger-you might have a bicep that is 12 inches around and it looks bigger than someone who has a less defined bicep of 15 inches.

So exactly what constitutes "being ripped"? Basically, definition depends on two things. One is muscle size and the other is body fat percentage. Basically, to become defined you need to build muscle while losing fat. This is of course what most people who work out are hoping to do.

Wow! I can hear you saying "Caleb sure knows his stuff. He can surely tell me what exercises I can do to get ripped." While I am flattered and humbled, I have to say this is the one thing I can not do for you. Why? There is no such exercise.

Simply stated, to get ripped, you need to build muscle while you lose excess fat. One thing that bothers me when I see people get into weightlifting, they neglect working out in other ways. Many drop out of bodybuilding when they neglect other fitness areas, simply because they can't get the results they are looking for.

To get an all around fitness workout, I recommend low impact, low intensity cardio exercise. This can be done by biking or hiking. Much has been said lately about the damage running can do to the knees so I don't recommend running. Especially for weightlifters.

For building muscle mass, my advice is low reps with heavier weights. This will build the muscle fast. Use enough weight so that you can't do more than your planned set of reps. This along with low impact cardio and a healthy diet will get you the look you want-ripped!

See you later; I'll be at the gym.

About the Author:

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

The Right Way To Develop A Wide, Muscular Back

By Ricardo Daryans

It never ceases to amaze me how incredibly misguided the vast majority of the population is in the gym. Everyone is desperate for that wide, powerful and muscular physique, yet very few understand how to properly channel their efforts to get there.

And if you are not training your back in the right way because that's an area you cannot check in the mirror or because you think it's just doesn't worth the effort, then its clear that you doesn't know how important that area is.

70% of your upper body muscle mass resides in the back area! Nothing can replace the upper body thickening effect of big, bulging lats and a set of wide, tall trapezius muscles. That's how important your back is. I am, of course, talking about the major muscles of the back: the lats, traps, spinal erectors, rhomboids and lower back.

There are 4 major movements that you must perform to properly develop your back. And here they are:

1) Deadlifts. There is not a single exercise out there that can even come close to matching the effectiveness of a basic, bent-legged barbell deadlift. This should be the most important part of your routine.

2) Vertical pulling movement. Examples of vertical pulling movements are chin-ups (overhand or underhand), lat pulldowns and v-bar pulldowns.

3) Horizontal pulling movement. There are a ton of different rowing movements to choose from: bent over barbell rows, dumbbell rows, seated machine rows and cable rows just to name a few.

4) A shrugging movement. A basic barbell or dumbbell shrug will be enough for this part. Why is it necessary to perform this movement after your workout? To develop that mountainous, diamond-shaped look from behind.

So, all you have to do is to perform 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps of every single exercise i mentioned before. That will do the job.

Perform this workout once per week with full effort and I guarantee that your upper body will appear thicker, wider and more muscular than ever before. What about specific routines for the chest? What about the biceps, triceps and shoulders? How about the thighs, calves and abs? Don't worry, i will write about them in future articles.

About the Author:

Sean Nalewanyj shots the lid off of the bodybuilding and supplement industry to reveal the honest and unbiased truth about building muscle, gaining strength and dissolving away unwanted bodyfat.

factura electronica

Muscle Growth, The 60 Seconds That Make The Difference

By Ricardo Daryans

In the same way a small fraction of a second is crucial in a sprinter's race during a 100 metre dash, fractions of seconds can mean success or failure in a bodyduilding process. That seconds will make or break your body's muscle growth response in the gym.

In fact, your entire margin of success in the gym can ultimately be reduced to just a short time span of 60 seconds. That's correct, how you choose to handle a short 60 second time period during your workouts will translate to either poor, mediocre or significant muscle building results. Although each entire workout will last for about an hour, only 60 seconds of that actual time will determine what kind of gains you achieve.

How does it works? Well, the first reps in your set means just a little bit than nothing in terms of muscular growth. However, they play an important role.

Reps 1-4 are only performed in order to get to reps 5 and 6. But there's more than meets the eye in that. The last reps you perform in a set actually are the ones that will determine if the results of your workout are or not the results you desire.

What's important then, is to overload the muscles on reps 5 and 6. And the most important thing to achieve better results is try to keep that stress level as long as you can at the end of each set.

The best way to trigger your body's adaptive responses is training until your muscles cannot move the weight another inch. Drop the weight some seconds before the guy next to you and you will see the difference between his and your muscles after some weeks.

The closer and closer that you can come to muscular failure, the more dramatically your body will respond. This time frame is literally measured in single seconds. If you drop the weights 5-6 seconds earlier than the next guy (the margin is probably even smaller than this), you'll be significantly sacrificing your muscle growth.

Then, your succes in the bodybuilding process is measured by the short moments at the end of every single set you perform in the gym.

As long as you can force yourself to train to all out muscular failure, you'll see the best possible results. If you drop the weight 3 or 10 seconds before muscular failure, it will mean a great difference in muscular growth terms.

You have to train really hard and with full effort every single day. When your muscles aches and you can feel they're burning, if you feel the weight really heavy, that's the right moment to give your maximun effort until true muscular failure is reached.

You must train hard and with full effort at all times. When the weight feels heavy and your muscles ache and burn with discomfort, you must push through and continue until true muscular failure is reached.

If you stop short, even a second short, your gains will be compromised. Keep this in mind at all times in the gym and you'll experience better results than ever before.

About the Author:

Get #1 best-selling natural bodybuilding method available today, The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System! Learn the reliable truth revealed by a genuine muscle-building expert and finally start seeing the gains YOU deserve

web hosting

Keeping at Your Workout Plan

By Caleb Lee

The thing all of us who are bodybuilders or fitness enthusiasts have all struggled with from time to time is motivation. It can be hard to drag yourself out of bed to get to the gym before work; it can also be hard to summon up the energy to do anything other then going home and lying in an exhausted heap in front of the TV after a long day at work. However, all of us also know that working out actually gives you an energy boost and makes you feel better (and sleep better so you're more refreshed for the next day at work).

How can you stay motivated when you feel like skipping one workout, which sometimes leads to another and another, until we quit going altogether? We know we get great benefits from exercise, not only for our physical well being but mentally, too. Here's some helpful tips to get you up and moving.

About Setting Goals:

It's hard to achieve success if you don't have a clear goal for yourself. Tell yourself "By next week, I want to be able to do 5 more reps". This way you have a plan to work towards and hopefully make it to the gym to meet that goal!

About Burning Out:

Sometimes we get so excited at how good we look and feel we work out everyday. Your body really doesn't need this; in fact, it's good to rest between workouts. 3 times a week is a good schedule. Your body needs recovery time. Most muscle injuries occur when you don't let your body rest between workouts. Working out everyday or too often can lead to burn out fast-trust me, I've seen it more than once.

Progress, Progress, Progress!

Make sure to measure your progress from time to time. There is nothing to keep you motivated like knowing that your hard work is getting you somewhere. If you are trying to lose weight, weigh yourself once a week. If you're trying to lose fat and build muscle, measure your BMI. If you're just trying to build muscle, go ahead and measure your biceps. The excitement you'll get from making progress will keep you on track with your fitness plan.

Try out these tips next time you feel yourself getting into a rut with your workout or just are feeling like there's no way you can face up to going to the gym again. Stick with it and you will get results -- I did!

About the Author:

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

3 Core Strengthening Exercises for Killer Abs

By Michael Jans

Rock hard abs are the hallmark of a sexy body today. No abs? So sorry... goodbye!

Getting a six pack abs is not so easy. You must do it the old fashioned way, work for them. There are no machines that will do the work for you. To get those amazing abs you need to start with core training.

If you have lower back problems check with your doctor before attempting to work on these exercises. These exercises are designed to build up the core which is the foundation for developing killer abs.

The three exercises are:

1. The Plank 2. The Side Plank 3. The Superman

1. The Plank

Keeping your body straight is absolutely important in this exercise. Get into a push up posture and support your upper body by using your forearms.

Keep your body absolutely straight and make sure that you don't lift your butt, drop your head, or arch your back, doing this can make the exercises easier and that will make the exercise less effective. Once you are in position hold your position for 30-60 seconds or as long as you can hold.

We will now make this exercise harder for more effectiveness. Lift and hold one foot a few inches higher from the ground while doing this exercise. Uneven load on the core makes the plank tougher and hence more effective.

2. The Side Plank

The side plank is an exercise that's tougher than the plank. Lie down on the side with your fore arm firmly planted on the ground. Lift your hips above the floor in such a way the only your for arms and your feet are on the ground.

Remember to keep your body in a straight line... don't bend forward. Hold the position for 15 to 30 seconds or as long as you can.

To get more benefit from the Side Plank, try lifting the top foot just a few inches while you are in position. It's surprising how really tough this exercise is -- but it is also a very effective exercise for strengthening your core.

3. The Superman

You've seen superman fly, right? SO lie down on the floor on your belly and stretch your arms out in front of you. Spread your arms so that they make a "V? with your head.

While keeping your legs together, raise them up till your knees are lifter off the ground. Hold your position for 30-60 seconds or as long as you can.

These three exercises are like the foundation for building up killer abs. Instead of wimpy ab machines, these exercises are an effective way to start.

But remember what Vince Lombardi said, "The dictionary is the only place where 'results' comes before 'work'." That sums it up when it comes to conquering that belly flab -- without core training, no results!

About the Author:

Get 6 more FREE tips on how to get rid of your belly fat and be well on your way to having rock hard six pack abs. For more information visit http://www.fitnessmadeeasy.net.

Starting Smart on Strength Training

By Caleb Lee

I know, I know. You're champing at the bit to hit the gym after that New Year's resolution to get ripped this year. You're eager - but hold on there. You need to start slow and work your way up, trust me. I was once like you; amped to get into the gym and start pumping iron. And if I haven't caught you before that first visit, maybe you're like me where I ended up being too sore to work out for a week afterwards? Where did I go wrong? I wondered.

The truth is, I had gone too fast and just jumped in when I should have taken things slow and built my strength gradually. Now for me, everything worked out fine in the long run, but a lot of would be weight lifters get discouraged quickly because they failed to start small in their bodybuilding plans -- and they never end up getting back on track which is a shame and something I want you to avoid!

It's not only this that concerns me (although I do hate to see people drop out and fail to reach their potential). Injuries can easily result as a product of newly minted body builders getting too enthusiastic about those first few workout sessions.

I'd like to give those of you who are new to strength training a few pointers on getting started the right way. It can make all the difference between success and failure in weightlifting; so please, read on!

The first thing you want to do is help your body be prepared for the rigors of strength training -- we call this anatomical adaptation in the "nerd" circles. Before you even hit the weight room, consider starting with a routine of full body workouts to build overall strength and endurance.

When you feel ready (or simply cannot wait), try just one exercise per area of the body you want to focus strength training on and keep your number of reps low; even if you don't feel "pumped" right away don't worry. You are laying the ground work for serious bodybuilding later. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither were the weightlifting pros. Be patient.

After a few weeks, you can gradually increase the amount of weight you are lifting and add a few more reps - stick with this new weight and number of reps for a few weeks before increasing. One more thing; the pros know this, but it's extra important fro the beginner: make sure to take a day off in between workout days (two days if it has been an exceptionally strenuous workout).

Remember, slow and steady is the smart way to start strength training. Why? Because proper form and performance of exercises is MORE important than how much weight you lift. Don't let your ego get in the way. You'll begin building muscle before you know it, but you have to start small. Have a great workout!

About the Author:

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

Big Shoulder Exercises!

By Caleb Lee

Everyone wants to have bigger, stronger shoulders; whether you are a long time bodybuilder or someone who just wants to look better on the beach.

To help you get on your way to bigger, stronger and more defined shoulders, I am providing a few exercises to get the results you want.

Two kinds of shoulder exercises are most common; the press and the raise. I will be writing about the raise in future articles so be sure to keep checking back in. The presses are wonderful exercises for the shoulders which primarily work the triceps, but involve other muscles as well.

Sitting or Standng Military Press:

This exercise can be done while standing ? though for beginners, I?d recommend starting out with seated military presses, on a bench with good back support.

Sitting or standing, use an overhand grip to grasp barbell. Hold it at shoulder height; hands slightly farther apart than your shoulders. Slowly raise the barbell up until your arms are as far up as they can go without straining. Slowly lower the dumbbell to shoulder height and repeat.

Dumbbell Seated Press:

This is similar to the Military Press except you will be using dumbbells. This mainly targets the front and side deltoids so consider mixing it in with other press exercises.

Your sense of balance gets a workout here, and this one requires using less weight than you normally do.

While sitting on a bench, take a dumbbell in either hand. Hold the dumbbells at shoulder height, palms facing outward. Press both dumbbells up slowly until your arms are locked out. Slowly return the dumbbells to shoulder height and repeat.

These are just a few of the many presses you can do for building bigger shoulders, but this will hopefully give you enough of a taste to seek out some other press exercises (of course, I?ll cover more in my articles at some point). Keep working those shoulders and I?ll see all of you at the gym!

About the Author:

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

Your Own Gym, In Your Own Home

By Ricardo Daryans

Some people have asked me if the only way to have a strong, muscular body is to spend a lot of hours working out in the gym. Well, yes...and no. Yes, you'll have to work out for hours if you want to have huge muscles, they will not magically pop up. But no, you don't have to spend that time exactly in the gym. You can do it in your own home and achieve the same (or even better) results.

You may have a lot of reasons to not want to go to a gym. It doesn't matters. Whatever your reason, there are still a lot of options if you want to workout and have huge muscles. And, as i told you, your home may be the best gym for you.

There are guys who like a lot doing the workout in their own house. They have their gym just down (or up) the stairs waiting for them. And they don't spend their time trying to go there and back.

And working out in your own place have some extra benefits. You can grunt and scream through your sets if you are in the mood without disturbing anyone, the music you hear is the music you want and you can focus in yourself and your training.

When the workout was over, I could sprawl out on the floor in exhaustion and know that my post workout shakes were just a few steps away, and that I wouldn't have to hobble to my car and spend anymore time driving home. It was great.

The only real disadvantage is that your exercise selection will decrease because you won't have access to certain pieces of machinery such as a leg press or calf machine. You can purchase certain machines if you have the money to spend and plan on training at home over the long term, but for the majority of people this simply won't be possible.

But, even if you can't afford that machinery, you can plan out a proper bodybuilding routine. All that fancy equipment is not crucial, and you can swap some of that exercises for freeweight substitutions.

The basic equipment that your home gym should contain is: a) An adjustable barbell with freeweight plates. b) Adjustable dumbbells. c) A bench with incline adjustments. d) A chin-up bar. e) A squat rack.

If you can't afford a squat rack then you'll have to be creative. Don't ever squat without a safe place to drop the bar! Most full squat racks will also provide a chin-up bar on top, so you can kill 2 birds with one stone if you decide to purchase one.

About the Author:

Obtain the best-selling natural muscle gain program, the Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail Method and achieve great results in a few weeks.

Alojate.com is the premier web hosting company in Mexico.