Choosing the Right Weight Lifting Program

The right weight lifting program is crucial in attaining the goal of any muscle builder seeking to build his muscle mass. It entails the design of a program that will bring about the desired result. This means that a muscle builder should not simply go into the gym and throw weights around. Rather, he should have a specific routine to follow. Specifically, lifting weights involve weight training programs that are based on the proper science and tested techniques.

At present, there are two dominant schools of thought on weight training. The first one involves intense workouts, thus it goes by the name HIT- high intense training. Given that this is a more physically taxing training regimen, it means that a bodybuilder will only go through 1-3 sessions a week. However, since it involves less frequency, it entails that he works out his full body or all of his muscle groups in each of the session.

As a result, he stays longer at the gym because he needs to do more types of weight exercises to ensure that he trains all of the relevant muscle groups. Moreover, this type of training requires 8-12 repetitions or reps per set. And each workout seeks to increase muscle strength. So every succeeding workout must increase the number of reps with the same weight from the previous session. If the body builder intends to use the same number of reps from the previous sessions, he is required to increase the weight he would lift.

Though he goes out of the gym more physically drained than usual, he is assured he went through a full body regimen. Likewise, aside from seeing results fast, he need not go to the gym frequently as others do; leaving more time to do other important tasks. The other type of weight training is dubbed periodization. This philosophy of weight training shifts the focus from intensity to frequency.

As such, the weight lifter goes through three phases of weight training under this type of program. In the initial stage, he needs to go through light training for at least a three-week period. This is followed by medium training for a few weeks. Only after such training is he allowed to go through heavy training in the final phase. Unlike its counterpart, its focus is not to gain mass after every workout. Instead, it seeks to achieve cumulative gains after all of the three phases. Its general idea is to shift in intensity at every phase to prevent overtraining.

Whichever type of weight training the weight lifter opts, it is important that he chooses according to his initial strength prior to undergoing the program. Otherwise, he opens himself to possible injuries. These often result from improper executions and failure to take the proper precautions. It must be noted that weight training involves the use of weights that need proper handling.

Lastly, a weight lifting program involves the fundamentals of a science. As such, it involves proper form and execution. Any weight lifter must approach it with precision and care. Otherwise, the time he spends in the gym comes to naught. It is important that he goes through the program with this in mind if he seeks to be successful in transforming his body into the muscle buff he desires that it becomes.

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Proper Bodybuilding Routines

Bodybuilding is not a hit and miss affair. It does not take a genius to develop the proper bodybuilding routines. Together with the determination to carry out the right workout, the proper way of doing it will surely result in building muscle mass.

Any bodybuilder, either a beginner or a professional, must bear in mind that results from weight training do not happen overnight. He must have the determination and patience to stick with a program to gain the muscle size and strength he wants. He must make his weight training routine a priority.

Also, he should keep his workouts as efficient as possible. The really good bodybuilders know that the amount of time spent inside the gym does not guarantee muscle mass. You do not have to spend 3 hours a day in the gym to build muscle mass. In fact, spending that much time inside the gym while exerting the muscles will likely lead to overtraining. This will be counter productive. If you keep your weight training workouts under an hour and a half (or better yet, and hour) and perform them 3 or 4 times a week you will get enough rest to grow bigger and stronger.

The following are just some traits of proper bodybuilding routines.

One, it must be short. This means that it should be between 45 to 75 minutes maximum while the best should be 60 minutes being best. The reason for this is simple. After 75 minutes, the levels of muscle building and fat burning hormones that the body produces begin to drop. What this means is that training more than 75 minutes will prevent you from gaining muscle and losing fat fast! It will also prevent you from fast recovery. As crazy as it sounds, more is not necessarily better for huge bodybuilding gains.

Two, the rest in between sets should be kept to a minimum. The ideal is 90 seconds or less. Keeping your rest in between sets and exercises down not only helps you to perform a lot of work and still finish within the 75 minutes, but it also helps improve your cardiovascular system. Also, it has also been known that this kind of training stimulates growth hormones output the most.

Third, the sets should be between 8 – 15 repetitions for muscle mass gains and 15-25 repetitions for body sculpting purposes.

There are many reasons for this range in reps:

You get the best blood pump to flow into your muscle cells within these repetition ranges. This is important since along with the blood come nutrients that nourish the muscle cells and help them recover and rebuild bigger faster. Since you are doing so many repetitions, there is less probability of injury since you will be using a weight that you can control.

Also, it ahs been shown in studies that muscle building and fat burning occur more efficiently at these repetition ranges.

Lastly, training must be varied and cycled. It is not wise to get stuck with the same routine for a long workout period. If a bodybuilder does this, this would result in zero muscle growth. Also, sticking at the same workout regimen will surely lead to a boring and unenthusiastic day at the gym.
Therefore, proper bodybuilding routines must possess four characteristics, namely; right duration, enough rest, proper reps, and variation.

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Building Muscle Through a Weight Lifting Workout

It is known that building muscle through a weight lifting workout is one sure way to build muscles. However, to learn how to build muscles we will have to go through some techniques. Many people take up weight lifting because they want to achieve three things. These are as follows: looking to build muscle mass, gain weight and lose fat. When going through a rigorous sport such as weight lifting, you should first thoroughly study what you should not do when going through a weight lifting workout.

Build Muscle Fast
Build Muscle Fast

The first mistake that weight lifters must stay away from is skipping warm ups. Unfortunately, this is one of the most common mistakes made by weight lifters. Admittedly, both beginners and well-trained lifters commit this mistake. Warm ups need not be too long to be effective. A warm up that lasts for ten minutes and includes stretching or any form of aerobic activity is enough. Anyone who would attempt to lift weights should never miss this warm up because it gives the muscles the important preparation it needs before the intensive workout it will go through later on. These warm ups help to decrease the risk of injuries and so it should not be taken out of the workout regimen. Any weightlifter who makes the mistake of lifting weights especially the big weights without going through warm ups does so at a great risk.

Also, proper form is important when practicing the correct weight lifting methods. The amount of weights that is used when performing weight lifting techniques should not be too light nor should it be too heavy.

It must be noted that weights that are too light will not provide enough exercise that will build the muscle. In contrast, weights that are too heavy can cause muscle injury. As a weightlifter, make sure that you are able to lift your weights at least fifteen times before feeling your muscles getting tired. Also, keep in mind that it is important to keep the proper form before even starting to lift.

One more thing that should never be skipped is rest. Rest is an important part of every sport. Having said that, it is important to practice with the correct weight by doing a good technique and proper form. By doing this, the body is provided a chance to rest. Weight lifting is very intensive. Because of that, it is not right to overwork muscles by doing the same thing every day. It is important to give the muscles a chance to rest. As such, it is important to change the exercise routine and work on different muscles for the best result.

It is also important to take your time. Many people hold in their breath while performing weight lifting techniques. This is very dangerous because it can cause a rapid increase in blood pressure. This can cause serious medical issues. So, keep the breathing regular at all times during techniques. Make sure to breathe out as you are lifting the weights and breathe in as you are bringing the weights down.

Finally, the weightlifter must remain focused and consistent in the workout. Never expect any results overnight.

Following these simple easy steps while doing a weight lifting workout will obviously help reduce a number of injuries like sprains, fractures, and dislocations.

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Mistakes that Prevent the Best Muscle Building

Without knowing it, people who frequent the gym encounter some common mistakes that prevent them from getting the best muscle building. To make sure that they get the most out of their bodybuilding workouts, it is important to identify these common mistakes. There are five mistakes that prevent muscle building. Read on and get the most of your bodybuilding programs.

The first of these common mistakes is trying to do too many reps. Most bodybuilders think that doing the most reps would help them achieve bigger muscle mass. This is obviously wrong.

If this was true, then people who use their arms a lot as part of their work would have arms the size of the best bodybuilders.

Obviously having a lot of reps would not do the trick because of a simple reason. Once you keep on increasing your rep without raising the level of your weight then your muscle will become used to it and would not get any exercise at all. Keep in mind that the body has the tendency to adjust.

The second mistake is related to the first. Most people fail to use enough weights because they tend to believe that more reps will be able to help them get more muscle mass without lifting big weights. They have failed to realize the value of ‘lifting big to get big’.

A person who lifts 500 lbs once builds more muscle mass than a person who builds 100 lbs five times. Though they both lift an equivalent weight, the effect is not the same.

Keep in mind that people will only build mass if they try to go beyond their limit. Muscle mass grow only if muscles tear and they only tear if they lift weights that are beyond the usual weights that are lifted.

The third mistake is that people do not workout with the right routine. They simply go to the gym and start lifting the first weights that attract their attention. Many of them do their workouts like crazy.

It must kept in mind that building muscle mass needs a proper plan that must be put into action. Workouts must be done by following this plan. Unless a bodybuilder shows up at the gym with a muscle building plan, he cannot expect to gain any improvement in his muscle mass.

The fourth common mistake is doing both building mass and losing weight at the same time. Chances are both these efforts will fail. It would be best to choose one over the other. Remember that to add muscle mass into your body would require considerable effort on your part. If you do cardio before or after the weight lifting, chances are you are going to fail your goal of building muscle mass.

The last mistake is connected with the previous one. People think that by doing cardio workouts on days where they would not do any lifting is the answer to the problem. This is wrong. Remember that the so-called non-lifting days are the days when
the muscles actually do their most growth. Allowing the muscles to recover is the only way they are strong enough when it is time to go back in the gym and lift more than before.

Do away with these mistakes and you are surely to achieve best muscle building.

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Important Principles of Building Muscle Mass

Building muscle mass would seem difficult for the average person. Come to think of it, it is not complicated at all. All it takes are simple principles that are known to everyone, both bodybuilder and the average person. This simple guide will explain these principles to help the reader build bigger muscle in no time. All it will take is a bit of patience and time.

The two basic principles of body building are lifting heavy and lifting big. Both involve lifting different kinds of weights. Follow these two guides and muscle mass will be built within a month.

Lifting heavy means that the muscle builds mass as it reacts to the amount of weight being lifted. Look at it this way, when a muscle lifts a weight that it cannot handle or difficult to handle, it becomes broken down and torn. This is an initial reaction. The really important buildup in the muscle mass happens after this initial reaction.

This time, the muscle reacts by increasing its strength in expectation of another load that it may have difficulty lifting. To become stronger, it has to build muscle mass. Put in simple terms, becoming stronger means that the muscle has become actually bigger so it can lift the heavy weight it expects. The reason behind this increase in muscle mass is actually easy. By exceeding the weight it was originally able to carry, the muscle has no choice but to become bigger and stronger.

Lifting big means exercising the big muscles of the body. The big muscles are those that make us buff and massive. It is important that if we would like to build mass then we should put a lot of time in developing the big muscles we have. If we do this, our muscle mass will increase a lot in time.

A bodybuilder must keep in mind that it is important to use mixed exercises to build up big muscles. In the past, people were taught that to build muscles, it would be best to focus on one big muscle at a time. This may have been true in the past, but nowadays it is best to exercise a combination of big muscles because in the process more muscle mass is developed at a shorter time.

This is may be done through a superset or a compound set. These combine two or more exercises with similar movements to maximize the amount of work a single muscle or a group of muscles does. If done properly, you can do a lot of muscle buildup by effectively using either of these two.

So anyone who would like to develop his big muscles should incorporate either of this type of workout into his program. That way, he will gain a big increase in his muscle mass in shorter time.

These principles would be useless though if a bodybuilder will not listen to his body. Keep in mind that our body builds muscle mass only when it reacts to the exercises it goes through. It would be best then to consult a medical professional before we even subject our body to any kind of exercise.

Having said that, all that a bodybuilder has to do in building muscle mass is to keep these two principles in mind.

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