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Thursday, March 4, 2010

Foods That Help Repair Muscle

There is more behind eating than just the appealing taste of food. The foods that we eat play a variety of roles in our body. A healthy diet, comprising of all the major nutrients, is vital to the smooth growth and functioning of our various body organs. Different nutrients contribute to the health of the body in a number of ways.

For example, carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for the body. These complex sugars are more easily broken down than other groups and provide a richer source of calories which the body requires to function. However, although carbs are an important part of our daily diet, they do not provide all that the body needs. They are for instance not used in the repair of muscles. This function is instead the responsibility of proteins.
If carbohydrates are the energy source of the body, then protein are the building blocks which it uses. Most of the muscles and organs in the body are largely made up of protein. In order to repair damage muscles, our body makes similarly makes use of protein towards achieving this end. Protein is required for the formation and repair of new body cells. It is also required for the creation and production of the many hormones and enzymes which our body systems rely on. The following are some important tips about using protein.

If you plan on building muscles, you will need to ensure that your diet contains a rich supply of protein. This is particularly important because during workout sessions you actually break down instead of building up your muscles. It is only after you have completed your workout routine that your body then repairs and rebuilds the affected muscle group. It is because of this that people are always encouraged not to exercise every day. This gives the body a chance to work on repairs.

Without protein in your diet however, none of this will be possible.

Unlike the calories found in carbohydrates which can be stored in your body, the human body does not retain protein deposits. If you therefore fail to include a regular source of protein in your diet your body will find it difficult to repair your damaged muscles when it needs to.

There are two major sources of protein: animals and plants. Good animal sources of protein include eggs, fish, and lean cuts of meat. Healthy plant sources include most legumes and some nuts. Dairy products can also be included as well. It is recommended that you eat a protein rich diet after a weight/resistance training session. This will ensure that your body has enough to attend to the tissue rebuilding that will need to be done. However, if you already maintain a healthy diet (one which is rich in protein) this will hardly be necessary.

Many people wrongly assume that the amount of muscle which you gain is related to the volume of protein in your diet. People thus completely ignore carbs and rely solely on proteins as their main energy source. This is risky because the amount of calories provided by proteins is hardly sufficient. Also, the body takes a much longer time to digest protein than it does carbohydrates. A diet based on this is not only ineffective but also unhealthy. Doing this can be result in many dangerous results one of which is ketosis a situation where you lose muscle amongst other symptoms.

It is recommended that people consume at least 0.36 grams of protein for every pound that they carry in body weight. You will therefore need to take about 55grams of protein daily if you weighed 150 pounds. Put in a simpler light, a healthy diet is one which accounts for 15% protein in the total daily calorie intake. In most cases this value is normally found to be between 60grams to 90 grams depending on the individual.

For people who wish to exercise regularly during the week however, they will be required to eat a lot more protein than an average person. As earlier stated, exercise routines require a much higher concentration of protein in a person's diet. Instead of 0.36 grams per pound, you should therefore aim at eating at least.55grams for each pound of your body weight. Doing this will ensure that your body has enough protein for its regular daily needs as well as the extra that will be required to build up and repair the damaged muscle.

To learn about proper nutrition and ab work out techniques check out The Truth About 6-Pack Abs.

Here is an article that also covers how to exercise to lose belly fat.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jonnie_Blaylock
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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Shock your arms into rapid growth - Developing big and defined arms

Bodybuilding at Gaza

Although there are a good amount of people who genetically have the ability to develop big and defined arms with little efforts, some of us are not as fortunate. Now, there may be a few determining factors as to why your arms still aren’t as big and defined as you want them to be, check out my “top 5 reasons your arms aren’t getting bigger” for the most popular.
In the case that you ARE
-Paying sufficient attention to your triceps
-Not overtraining the arms
-Training the rest of your body enough
-Doing the right arm workouts
-Alternating the weight
and still have not seen much results, there may still be hope. With one small change in your daily workout routine, you could easily shock your arms (biceps and triceps) into rapid growth.
If you are currently performing split routines for your workouts, chances are you currently have a “chest day” that is followed by a few tricep exercises or a “back day” that is followed by some bicep exercises. Some people might have a chest routine followed by bicep exercises and follow their back routine with tricep exercises.
Don’t get me wrong, both variations are perfectly fine when building your upper body. As they say, “if its not broken, don’t fix it”.
For those who just cant seem to develop big and defined arms
So you have a “chest day” and you have a “back day” (assuming you are following split routines), you may or may not incorporate arms into these days because in a sense you are already exercising your triceps with the chest workouts and the biceps with the back workouts. Either way, I recommend adding an “arm day” in there every so often for those who have trouble building bigger arms. In case you were wondering, NO that is not my ultimate solution to shocking your arms into rapid growth.
Shock your arms into rapid growth
Before I tell you how you can start developing bigger arms within weeks, I must warn you that the routine I’m going to share should not be performed too often. I would say perform each routine once every two weeks (assuming you are working back and chest at least once a week).
Routine #1 (Back days)
As simple as the change to the routine is, it is extremely effective. On your “back days” you will simply start off with your bicep exercises and follow them with your back routine. I recommend performing 3-4 different exercises for the biceps, each exercises should consist of 4 sets each with 8-12 repetitions per set.
Routine #2 (Chest days)
If you haven’t guessed it, your chest routine should now be as follows:
3-4 different tricep exercises, each exercise will be performed in sets of 4 with 8-12 repetitions per set. These 3-4 tricep exercises will then be followed by your original chest routine.
The idea
Because your chest workouts are assisted by your triceps and your back workouts are assisted by your biceps, applying the added strain to each muscle (bicep and tricep) will shock the muscle. Working your chest with tired triceps or working your back with tired biceps will allow the chest and back routines to add necessary strain to the biceps and triceps forcing them to grow.
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Thursday, February 18, 2010

Eat before bed for quick muscle gains

Death Toll Rises As Rescue Efforts Continue
If you are looking for quick muscle gains, you will have to ditch all the myths and nonsense you may have heard about muscle building and opt for a strategy that is based purely on science. Did you know that one of the worst things that you can do when you are looking for quick muscle gains is to go to bed on an empty stomach.

When you sleep, your body and muscles recover from the day's activity and your workout, and you need nutrients to accomplish that. If you go to bed without these essential nutrients, you will only be selling your muscles short and not see any quick muscle gains.

Think about it. If you sleep for eight hours (as you should) on an empty stomach, you are forcing your body to starve for this entire duration. If you want to see quick muscle gains, you have to do everything you can to prevent this induced starvation from occurring.
I'm not saying that you should feast on a five-course meal just before you go to bed. Doing so will only result in poor sleep and indigestion. What we're talking about here is a small snack, eaten half an hour before your bedtime, which will help your body, especially your muscles, to be primed with adequate nutrients. The idea is to keep your body in an anabolic state for as long as possible so that you can experience quick muscle gains even in your sleep.

With pre-bedtime nutrition, your goal is to provide your body with all the necessary nutrients that can be released gradually while you are asleep to promote quick muscle gains. Keeping your body in this anabolic state for a couple of hours every night helps to ensure that less muscle is broken down, promoting quick muscle gains.

This meal should contain carbohydrates, fats, and amino acids and also be "timed-released." To achieve this, the meal should consist of slow release carbs, unsaturated fats, and a slow release protein.

One of the best sources of protein is whey protein (25-35 grams) mixed in 400-500 ml of milk. Milk contains casein that helps to slow down the release of all the nutrients, including whey protein. The protein will take about four hours to get digested by your body, and during this period, you will experience anabolic growth that will result in quick muscle gains.

For solid protein, consider cottage cheese, which is naturally high in casein and in glutamine.

You should also consume a small portion of a complex, slow release sugar before you hit the sack. This could be in the form of a small container of yogurt, a small bowl of oatmeal, or a slice of whole grain bread. All of these will slowly enter your system and will regulate your blood sugar levels, keeping your glycogen stores up for as long as possible.

By adding some fat to your pre-bedtime snack, you naturally slow down the digestive process. This is precisely what you want out of your digestive system while you are asleep.

Consume some flaxseed oil and olive oil (tablespoon amounts) to slow down the digestive process and promote quick muscle gains by keeping your body in an anabolic state.

All natural peanut butter is another good way to obtain a dosage of healthy fat before bedtime. Mix one to two teaspoons into a protein shake.

To find out more about how you can achieve quick muscle gains by proper bedtime nutrition, visit the following website…

Grab Your Free Gift: Discover the true secrets to gain more muscle with Sean Nalewanyj's famous 8-part mass building tips course.

Get even more free muscle building advice from this article: How To Gain Muscle Fast: Get Back To Basics.

http://www.musclegaintruth.com/

Article Source: UnArchived Articles
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Friday, February 12, 2010

Hardgainer diet plan - Go from scrawny to brawny in weeks!

Hardgainers often have trouble putting on mass because we always feel like we are eating enough. Fact is, if you calculate your actual daily caloric intake, I can guarantee you are nowhere near the amount needed to grow. Just to give you guys an idea of how much you should be eating daily, I created this hardgainer diet plan. I say “plan” but in reality it is just an example of what one of your days should look like in order to gain mass as a hardgainer.
Hardgainer diet plan
Meal #1 – 8am
1 serving of Weight gainer mix w/ milk, oatmeal, and one scoop of peanut butter
Or
1 serving whey protein w/ milk
Oatmeal (2 packets)
3 Hard boiled eggs
Meal #2 – 10am
Peanut butter sandwich on wheat
Or
Turkey breast sandwich w/ lettuce and tomatoes on wheat
1 banana
Meal #3 – 12:30pm
1 grilled chicken breast or fish fillet (preferably salmon or tilapia)
1 cup vegetables
1 cup brown rice
Meal #4 – 3:30pm (Pre-Workout)
Peanut butter sandwich on wheat
Fruit cup, banana, or small fruit bowl
Or
Small grilled chicken salad
Fruit cup or small fruit bowl
Meal #5 – 6pm (post workout)
Whey protein shake
Oatmeal (2 packets)
Meal #6 – 8:30pm
1 grilled chicken breast or fish fillet (preferably salmon or tilapia)
1 cup brown rice
1 cup vegetables
Or
Ground turkey meat
Whole grain pasta
1 cup vegetables
Hardgainer diet plan conclusion
For those of you hardgainers trying to bulk up, nutrition is the most important step to gaining muscle mass. Eat big and be big, you will not grow without the proper amount of calories.
Following this hardgainer diet plan will allow you to pack on about 5 pounds per week with the proper workouts and rest. I have no problem with you replacing some of the meals or snacks with foods you prefer, as long as the nutritional value is similar. For a beginner it may be a little difficult to consume this many calories in a day, I recommend building up slowly. Eat a little more everyday; eventually your body will become hungry more often on its own. At this point, consuming 3000 calories plus will seem more natural.
Full body workout to build mass for hardgainers
Here is a great full body compound workout routine to build mass that will work great with your new hardgainer diet plan.
Related Articles:
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Monday, February 8, 2010

High Intensity Dumbbell and Bodyweight Superset Workout

FREIZEITSPORT: FITNESS/SPORTGERAETE

Assuming that you only have a pair of dumbbells, what exercises can you do for a full body work out?? You can perform tons of exercises and combine them with body weight movements to see great results. Lets go over the exercises first, then I'll present to you the workout:
Chest
Dumbbell Push up Row
- This is a chest and back exercise. Take two dumbbells and assume the push up position. And then perform one push up. Lift the back up and then and lift one hand till the arm pits. Make sure the back is straight. Try to stabilise the body. Return and repeat. Then perform another rep with the second hand. Pair it with a lower body push up.

Shoulders
Dumbbell Front Squat - See Saw Press - this is for the lower body and the sloulders. Clean a pair of dumbbells upto the shoulders. Then squat keeping the back straight. Keep the chest out with the abs contracted. Stand up and press the dumbbell over the head with the other hand bending a bit in the opposite side. Return and repeat. Combine with the above exercise for full benefit.

Triceps
Dumbbell Close-Grip Floor Press - lie down on the floor, back down. Place a pair of dumbbells close to the chest. Put the dumbbells close t each other and press them over your head keeping them connected.

Biceps
Bodyweight Over Under Chin ups - take a pull up bar with mixed grip. Position the palms, each in the opposite direction. Pull up till the chin clears the bar. After half set, change the grips.

Forearms
Bodyweight Knuckle Push up
- These are regular push ups, done on the knuckles. Tighten your fists and put them on the floor and perform push ups. Try first on a softer surface, lest your knuckles don't hurt. Good for triceps and chest also.

Back
Bodyweight Chin Up
- perform a pull up with such a grip that both the palms face you. Pull up till the chin clears and repeat. Good for biceps also.

Abs
Dumbbell Crunch
- get into the position of a crunch and hold one or two dumbbells straight in the front of you, and over the head. Perform the crunches while keeping the dumbbells in the same position.

Legs
Bodyweight Burpees Plus
- squat down and put the hands in front. Kick the legs so you will be in a push up position. Then perform a position. Pull back to a squat position. Jump up to the sky. Immediately drop to the squat position when the feet hit the ground. Repeat.

Workout

A superset is where you pair two exercises and perform them back to back with little to no rest in between each set.

For the following pairs, perform sets of each exercise, followed by 30 second rest between each pairing.

Rest 1 minute, then move onto the next superset:

Superset #1:

Dumbbell Push Up Row, 3x10
Dumbbell Front Squat, 3x10
Rest 30 seconds
Rest 60 seconds

Superset #2:

Dumbbell Close Grip Floor Press, 3x10
Bodyweight Over Under Chin Ups, 3x5
Rest 30 seconds
Rest 60 seconds

Superset #3:

Bodyweight Knuckle Push Up, 3x5
Bodyweight Chin Up, 3x3
Rest 30 seconds
Rest 60 seconds

Superset #4:

Dumbbell Crunch, 3x10
Bodyweight Burpees Plus, 3x10
Rest 30 seconds
Move onto cardio or collapse

If you're really serious about getting into shape with Dumbbell training, then you need the right program. The best one out there is Turbulence Training, developed by Craig Ballantyne.

For more information on this amazing program, check out my blog, ShahTraining.com.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Parth_Shah
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