Weight Gain Myths

The vast majority of myths about weight gain are mostly passed down from "gym talk" and so-called experts who know nothing about the body's workings.

Myths that lead to wasted time, frustration and if are taken blindly as truth, can really set back your progress in the gym. Don't believe everything you hear in the gym when it comes to exercise and weight gain, do the research yourself.

What To Eat To Gain Weight And Build Muscle

Build Muscle

Are you underweight and don't know what to eat to gain weight? Millions of dollars are spent each year on magazines, books, and weight gain supplements. Gaining weight does not happen overnight and requires a commitment from you, but does not have to be hard if you work out and eat the proper foods in large enough amounts.

Numerous people are continually searching for the fastest ways to gain weight and don't know what

How And Why Should I Gain Muscle?

gain muscle

Muscle is an amazing tissue of the body. It is the very part of our body that gives us the control that we want and need in life. The mind is a useless thing often if it doesn’t have muscle to put thought into action. It is also a major part of our body’s defense mechanism. It protects things structurally (joints, bones, etc.) and metabolically, and physically whether by means of escape or defense from the dangers both human and non that we encounter. I want to talk more specifically about these things that I have mentioned in order to help you to understand that it is good to gain muscle.

Bodybuilding Quiz: How Motivated Do You Feel?

how to keep motivated, goal setting

Copyright 2006 Marc David

Let me make a prediction...

96.8% of subscribers who actually are reading this have wished they had more passion in the gym.

And a full 99% of those still reading, do not have their goals written down anywhere.

Why is motivation so difficult?  How come the #1 question I receive is from somebody who asks, "I know what to do, but I just need somebody to motivate me to do it all year round."

So let me ask you...

Workout Without a Gym

We know that using free weights and machines is the fastest and most efficient way there is to improve your metabolism and strength, but for many reasons these may not be convenient or readily accessible to you.

You may also have no access to a commercial gym, home gym or are on business trip, but there can be a solution, a strength-training workout without the need of expensive machines.

Your Weight in Muscle

You probably have heard that muscle weighs more than fat.  Many people notice a small weight gain when they begin lifting weights consistently.  As a general rule, if you lift weights 2 to 3 times a week, you can gain 1 pound of muscle per month for about 6 months.  After that, the rate of increase slows down as you start to reach your genetic potential.  For the same reason, you will make a lot of progress on weight progression at the beginning, but the longer you lift; your progression will lessen because you are reaching your genetic potential.

Don’t be alarmed at the extra pounds of weight from weight training because it is well worth the effort.  For every 3 pounds of muscle you build, research shows you increase your resting metabolic rate by about 7 percent.  For example, if your body burns 1,200 calories per day (not counting exercise or any other movement), you would burn an extra 84 calories per day with those 3 extra pounds of muscle.

Many women have a difficult time outgrowing 2-3 pound dumbbell weights, because they are afraid that if they increase the weight they will bulk up.  If you are happy with the strength and appearance of your muscles, you can do a maintenance program with 5 pound weights.  However, if you want more strength, you could progress to 8 or 10 pound weights and still not bulk up.  Using heavier weights can increase muscle size, but it’s highly unlikely that you’ll get bulky. Women don’t naturally have enough of the hormone, testosterone, required to build huge muscles, and even if you could bulk up, you’d have to use significantly heavier weights.

Another option to tone muscle is to increase your repetitions instead of increasing weight.  A high-repetition/light-weight program will develop muscle tone and increase strength and endurance without significantly increasing muscle size.

I like to tell my clients to not just go through the motion when lifting weights.  I use the word “squeeze” a lot to describe the contraction of the muscle you should be focusing on.  Think about the muscle you are working and squeeze or contract it as you are lifting.  You will get a lot more benefit for your efforts if you squeeze the muscle on the lift rather than just raising and lowering the weight without focusing on the muscle.

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Vitamins And Nutritional Supplements: When Too Much … Is Too Much

There are a significant number of people who utilize vitamins and nutritional supplements in this day and age. In point of fact, there is a notable percentage of these vitamin and nutritional supplement users who utilize more of these products than is recommended. These people espouse the belief that “if one is good, a lot is terrific.” In other words, these people utilize well in excess the recommended daily allowance of a particular vitamin or nutritional supplement product.

In reality, the overuse of certain types of vitamin and nutritional supplements can have serious, negative consequences. A number of these consequences are outlined in this article to assist you in making better decisions in regard to the proper use of vitamins and nutritional supplements.

There are some vitamins and supplements that do not necessarily have harmful effects when used beyond recommend allowances. However, by taking more of these vitamins and supplements, you are not obtaining any additional benefit beyond that which you would enjoy by taking only the daily recommended allowance. In other words, “overdosing” will not cause you physical harm; however, “overdosing” simply will have no helpful or beneficial effects in your overall program for healthy living.

On the other hand, there are certain types of vitamins, minerals and supplements that can be harmful if taken beyond the recommended daily allowance. For example, if you are a man, you need to pay close attention to the amount of iron that you ingest. Too much iron in a man’s system can have serious medical consequences. (Many men who are health conscious avoid taking multi-vitamins that contain iron in their mixtures. Using multi-vitamins can make it more difficult to keep track of what you are taking and ingesting in the way of vitamins and minerals on a daily basis.)

Before you commence a diet regimen that includes vitamins, minerals and nutritional supplements, you should take the time -- indeed, you really must take the time -- to consult with your doctor to determine what combination of vitamins, minerals and other nutritional supplements will best serve your needs and best enhance your health. Your doctor can also assist you in selecting the best vitamin, mineral and supplement products or can recommend a nutritionist who can assist you in obtaining the most appropriate and healthy products for your needs and good health. By obtaining professional assistance, you will be able to create and craft the most appropriate overall eating, exercise and supplement program not only for today but for your own health future.

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Effective Muscle Building Through Understanding Unique Body Types and Their Traits

To be able to effectively build up muscles and tone one's body, it has been discovered that it is useful to first of all understand your unique body type before customizing a training program complemented with the right diet and nutrition to reap maximum impact. While genetics play a big role in what type of frame we are given, with the proper nutritional and exercise regime in place, any body types can acquire the strength, optimize athletic performance and keep body fat levels low. Below are 3 types of bodies, commonly known as the 3 "Somatotypes" and their characteristics.

Mesomorph traits:

- Tend to have a wedge-shaped body with very broad shoulders.

- Heavily muscled limbs, narrow hips and cubical shaped heads.

- Usually of medium overall structure and height.

- Typically excels in sports or activities that require speed, strength and agility.

- Respond well to both cardiovascular activity and resistance training, and experience gains in strength very effortlessly.

- Tend to keep a lower body fat percentage, although they can gain or lose fat with much less struggle.

- Tolerate carbohydrates fairly well, and tend towards being testosterone and growth hormone dominant.

Endomorph traits:

- Wide hips and often short arms and legs

- Gains fat easily and also de-conditions more quickly without a regular, consistent program

- Body fat is usually higher than the other 2 body types

- For women, fat tends to accumulate in the hips, legs and upper arms due to increased levels of estrogen

- Men who show signs of excess fat in these areas tend to be deficient in testosterone and growth hormone.

- Men tend to accumulate fat in the middle when not showing excess fats in the typical women's areas.

- Both genders are insulin dominant with slow metabolic rates and have a very low carbohydrate tolerance.

Ectomorph traits:

- Has a difficult time gaining muscle as well as fat.

- Has high metabolism, which can range from being thin despite eating "normally" to not becoming overweight despite eating huge volumes of food on a daily basis.

- Angular or lanky body. Body types can range from bony-skinny to lean to "proportionate", despite food intake that would suggest a higher body fat level.

- Not to be confused with people who are skinny because they hardly eat or spend large amounts of time running.

Only through knowing the body type one belongs to, can one find the right technique and training method as well as the right nutritional regime to complement that in order to achieve the ultimate fitness performance and physique goals. While foundational routines will work for all body types and help build the skeleton of the training program, understanding the physiological implications on a body-specific level is imperative for success in building the desired body.

To get more useful content and learn more about growing and building muscles as well as the associated diet and nutrition required, visit http://www.howtogrowmusclesfast.com

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Fantastic Physique Photos - Tips For Taking Great Bodybuilding Pictures

What do you want to concentrate on when you are trying to take a great body building pic?  You might want to show off your body – of course – but you also want to show off your muscle tone and bring to the forefront what you’ve been working so hard to achieve over the months and months that you’ve spent building this beautiful body.

To start with, you need to be sure that ALL of your muscles are perfectly toned and cut the way you want them to be.  When you take your body building pics, you want the best of you to come out through the photograph and showcase the muscle tone you’ve worked so hard to build.

If you are serious about body building, having some great pics can make the difference between people taking you seriously and people just writing you off as another wannabe.  Be sure that whatever pics you have taken are done tastefully and that they show what you have achieved in your body building career.

If you can afford it, you should hire a professional photographer to take your body building pics.  A professional will know how to pose you in the best ways to maximize the way you look.  They can also make you look amazing – assuming that what you have to work with is able to look good!

You will want to be sure and have a deep, dark tan, so go to a tanning bed or look into spray tans.  Tanned muscles look way better than white muscles, so you will want to have that “Hawaiian Tropic” look before your pics are taken.  Choose attire that will show off your muscles that you have worked so hard to hone.  Go tasteful, though, and don’t show too much skin.  You don’t want your body building pics to be pornographic in any way lest you take away from your credibility as a serious body builder.

If you are looking for body building pics, you will be able to find them in a variety of places online.  Just doing a quick search for “body building pics” yields results of over 20,000 sites.  If you are looking for motivational pictures, you can be sure to find them.  All you have to do is look!

Body building pics are a great way to not only show off the physique you have worked so hard to achieve, but they are also a great way to motivate others to keep going with their body building goals.  Post your body building pics on sites that allow you to do so and then take pride in what you’ve worked so hard to achieve!

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The Big Picture in Body Building

When a person decides that he or she wants to get into body building as a sport, it’s important to look at the big picture before starting out.  You’ll need to look at your new quest as a lifestyle change and know what you’re in for before you even start.  The big picture in body building is where you will want to end up.

That means setting personal goals when it comes to your body building journey.  What do you want to look like when you are at your peak?  Do you have a specific person in mind that you want to emulate?  Keep that picture in your mind as you are working out as motivation.

You will also want to consider what type of goals you have for yourself as a result of your body building.  Are you wanting to lose weight, do you want to eventually compete, or do you just want to live healthier?  Keeping that picture in your mind as well will help you become more focused and more effective while body building.

The big picture of body building also includes living a fully healthy lifestyle.  That means eating right and getting the right amount of rest to make your workouts count every day.  You’ll need lots of different vitamins and minerals that can work inside your body and make your muscles work harder so they are well-defined and toned.

Are you wanting to ultimately compete in body building contests?  If so, the picture of body building you carry with you will be different than that of a person who is just striving to become fit.  You will want to concentrate on specific muscle groups and work them to their fullest potential.

Do your research before you start body building and look at pictures of people who at their muscle building peaks.  See what they look like and then keep that picture in your mind as you strive for your own personal fulfillment.

Body building is really more than a sport – it is a mind, body, and soul endeavor.  Keeping the big picture always at the forefront of your mind will make your body building more efficient, more effective, and will grow your body to new proportions.

The picture of body building is more than just an oily, greased up man or woman standing on a stage and flexing their muscles.  Today, body building has evolved to include the picture of health and wellness as well.  Those who remember that will become everything they ever dreamed of and will make that picture in their minds become a reality.

Body Building Routine

While there is no one specific way you should plan a body building routine, there are some better ways to go about a workout plan than others.  An effective body building routine will blend with your schedule while allowing you sufficient time to sculpt your muscles by working out in the most efficient way possible.

Most experts agree that you need to schedule in rest days when considering how your body building routine will go.  Beginners need to take into consideration their physical health before they begin so that they know what their body is capable of.  This is so important because overall general health will dictate how often you can workout without risk of injury or fatigue that can lead to you quitting.

An effective body building routine will concentrate on working certain parts of the body just one day a week.  You should also be sprinkling in a cardio workout here and there as well.  You need to have rest days to allow your body to heal the damage that you have done to it, so be sure to take at least two days off.

Do your research when choosing to emulate the body building routine from someone else.  Did they get good results from this routine?  Do they have the kind of body you want to have?  If so, then you should go ahead and try their workout.  If not, just keep looking!

Be sure to have clearly defined goals when coming up with your body building routine.  Without goals, you are just lifting weights.  If you want to lose weight and gain mass, that will dictate how you workout and what your routine will be.  If you are just interested in toning your muscles, that, too, will help define how your body building routine will go.

To allow for continuing progress, your program must always be changing your workout load.  That means adding weight when your muscles become stronger.  There’s no one set formula for how much weight you should add at any specific time.  You know your body and add sufficient weight that will push your muscles so that they can grow.

Different workout programs are geared towards different people.  No one plan will work for everyone.  You have to take into consideration your age, your gender, your physical health, and your capabilities.  Tailor your body building routine to what you are able to do without causing significant injury to your body.

An effective body building routine is important in order for you to achieve your body building goals.  When coming up with a routine, be sure that you are keeping those goals in mind and then devise a plan that works for you.  Having a sound body building routine will let you realize your body building goals.

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John Cena on Body Building

Many people know John Cena as one of WWE’s most prominent wrestlers.  But the reality is that John Cena is also known as a beautiful specimen of what body building can do.  John Cena has been fully involved in the body building industry for many years, and he has come to be known as one of the premier body builders of modern times.

Not only has John Cena found worldwide fame as a professional wrestler, he has also found amazing respect in the body building world as a great example of what effective body building can do.  He is constantly featured at the Arnold Expo and many people want to emulate his body as well as his workout regimen.

Most people get into body building to sculpt a beautiful body.  John Cena is no different.  He wanted a great body, but he also wanted to be super strong.  When Vince McMahon approached him about joining the WWE, the temptation was just too much to resist.  But, really, when you think about it, it’s a natural transition.

Professional wrestlers all have amazing bodies.  Their muscles are tight and toned just like professional body builders.  They just use their muscle mass for different entertainment purposes.  That doesn’t make John Cena any different than Arnold Schwarzeneggar.  Cena just chose to use his physique in a different way.

One of the best parts of John Cena’s body building career is that he pursued the sport as a profession.  He graduated from Springfield College with a degree in exercise physiology.  When he couldn’t find work in his chosen field, he opted to go with professional wrestling in his career path.  And nothing could have proved to be a better choice than that for him!

What does John Cena say about body building?  The answer is that he advocates pretty much what the other expert say:  Choose a program that fits your lifestyle and your goals; never give up on your aspirations; work like you’ve never worked before and always remember why you are doing what you are doing; and make sure that you work all your muscle groups equally.

John Cena has made an amazing career out of his body building prowess.  He is truly a beautiful specimen and a great model for what the human body can do.  When you want to build your body, you could take a few hints from John Cena on how to build a great body with amazing strength.

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