Archive for November 2008


Weight Lifting Program

November 30th, 2008 — 10:40am
Weight lifting program that works

 Weight lifting program that works to build muscle fast

If you want to lose body fat or add muscle tone, one of the most important things you can do is to begin to use an appropriate weight lifting program.

A healthy diet and cardio exercises are important for losing body fat, but they do not offer the dynamic change in outward physical appearance that lifting weights can provide. There are some good gyms that offer great weight lifting programs at online sites they sponsor.

For individuals who want to build bigger muscle mass and to transform their own body appearance, lifting weights is definitely the way to go. The benefits of having a successful weight lifting program include:

  • A healthy increase in metabolism – Because muscle burns more calories than fat, when you have more muscle mass you will be burning more calories throughout the day.
  • Greater body strength and increased physical endurance-These both come about when you use weight lifting as a means of gaining more muscle size and improving your overall health.
  • Increased confidence and self-esteem- When you notice that your physical appearance is enhanced and you have more strength it will positively impact the way you feel about yourself.
  • Improved coordination and balance are also benefits of working out with weights. If you use a weight lifting routine that uses free weights, you will notice that your coordination and sense of balance improve quicker than using only machine weights.

Beginning a strength training and weight lifting program can be confusing. Some individuals need to find out how to begin, and they can find many of these weight training programs at online sources.

What types of these exercises should you do?  How do you determine exactly how many sets and repetitions should be done?  How do you calculate the weights that are best for you to lift?  The answers to these and many other questions will depend largely on your present condition and your own fitness goals.Here are some basic principles to keep in mind as you begin to create your individualized weight lifting routine.

1. To increase the size of your muscles, use heavier weights in your routine than your muscles are used to handling. You should start slowly with any weights and advance the poundage with care. The more weight lifting that you do, the more your body is capable of doing.

2. Progression is essential to your overall success – You should work to elevate the intensity of your workout in order that you avoid plateaus. This means increasing the amount of weight at periodic times.

3. Individualization and specifying your weight routine. – Set your goal for both long and short-term goals, and train accordingly. If you want to increase muscle size and strength, work with heavier weights and do fewer reps and sets. To lose weight or add muscle tone it is better to do more reps and more sets. The weights that you work with for losing weight and toning are going to be comfortable for you to handle.

4. Rest and recovery are two key elements for success in any weight lifting routines. – It is during these rest periods that the tissue of muscle will repair itself, regenerate, and begin to add mass and strength to your body. After an intense workout with weights, a 24-hour period of rest is necessary for proper muscular development.

Other important body building tips to remember are to always have a good cardio warm-up before you begin to work with weights and to remember to use proper form.

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Build Muscle Fast

November 30th, 2008 — 10:23am
Build Muscle Fast
Build Muscle Fast

 Shape Up and Build Muscle Fast

Every time that you look into the mirror you are disappointed with what you see.  You just do not have the muscle definition, or even frankly the muscles that you want.  When you look at yourself without a shirt on you cannot help but feel embarrassed and disappointed with what you see.  Is there really a way that you can build chest muscle fast?  You bet, but you’re going to need to take a few important steps in changing your workout routine to accomplish this. 

When looking to build chest muscle fast your will need to focus your workouts on your problem area. Typically the best way to build muscle fast is through weight training.  You do not want to do too much cardio because that has actually been shown to break down muscles.  Cardio is fantastic for weight loss, but not necessarily for building muscles.
 
To build muscle fast you need to apply the progressive overload principle to your weight training workout.  That actually means that for every workout that you do you increases the level of weights that you are using every time that you go to work out.  Of course within that principal you have to take care to make sure that you are not pushing yourself too hard, but by employing the progressive overload concept you will be providing a constant stimulus to your muscles so that they are constantly encourage to build and grow.

Within your weight training routine you need to perform about 8-12 reps of any particular exercise.  8-12 reps are optimum for you to build muscle fast because it is a high enough level that your muscles will be sparked to work and grow.  However, it is a small enough amount that your muscles will not be pushed to the brink and forced to release additional hormones.  These hormones can actually be detrimental to your overall muscle mass because they can actually break down the muscle that you are working so hard to achieve. 

Believe it or not you need to eat to build muscle fast.  You are working hard in the gym so you need to make sure that you are giving your body the fuel that it needs to do the work.  You would not expect your car to work without gas, but quite often we expect our bodies to work without the fuel that it needs.  That is unreasonable.  You need to have a nutritious low fat high protein diet to give your body the energy that it needs. 

A low fat diet makes sense, but why high protein?  Protein is actually the main thing that will spark your muscles to grow.  Protein is the primary source for your muscles that gives the strength that they need to work and repair themselves.  There are great sources of protein like cheese, lean meats, seafood, and nuts that are easy additions to your diet. 

You also really need to be sure that you are drinking enough water every day.  Hydration is essential for your overall health, especially when you are aggressively trying to build muscle fast.  You should try to drink at least 12 8 ounce glasses of water a day.

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