Workout to Gain Muscle - The Best Possible Workout to Gain Muscle

If you ask any fellow lifter or bodybuilder about their routine, chances are they can't give you a very good answer. Most people use routines that are ineffective and just plain lazy.

This article will explain the best workout to gain muscle. At the end of the article, discover the best, most proven system for building muscle fast, and learn how you can gain up to 40 pounds of muscle in just 6 months.

Focus On Compound Movements

The most important thing to do when you work out to gain muscle is to focus on compound, multi joint exercises such as squats, deadlifts, presses, and pulls. These exercises allow you to use the most weight possible, and thus allow for the largest strength gains.

Train To Failure

After you complete your warm up sets, you should take your heavy sets to absolute failure, the point at which you cannot complete another rep. Some gurus and "experts" may say otherwise, and that doing it this way will "surely" lead to over-training, but those are the same people that tend to be small and weak.

The Program

This is a rough outline of the program. If you're going to truly learn how to train, you need to be able to add in your own extra movements and variations as you see fit for you own body.

Day 1: Squat

Do squats as your main movement on this day, and work up to a top set of 4-6 reps. After this, do a down set of 8-10 reps at a lighter weight, and then move on to other movements for legs, calves, and abs.

Day 2: Bench Press

Do bench press with the same protocol as you did the squat, and then move on to movements for the chest, shoulders, triceps, upper back and biceps.

Day 3: Deadlift

Again use the same protocol as on squats and bench press, and follow the deadlifts up with exercises for the legs, calves, and abs.

Day 4: Military Press

You guessed it, again work up to a top set of 4-6 and follow it with a down set of 8-10 reps. Work the same muscles with your extra exercises as on the bench press day.


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Build Muscle Up Quickly With These Diet Approaches

If you want to build muscle up quickly, there is a certain way of eating that you should follow in order to get best results. If you aren't eating properly, it's going to be hard to maintain the calorie intake that's required to generate this new lean muscle mass and you'll often find that you aren't seeing the results from your workouts as you'd like.

While you can have the best muscle building workout program in the world, unless you're also following a good diet program, the results you're going to see are going to be small.

Here are some of the main principles you should follow with your diet in order to build muscle up quickly.

Focus Carbohydrates Around Your Muscle Building Workout

The first way to build muscle up quickly is to make sure you're focusing your carbohydrates right around the workout period. It's this time when they will be most susceptible to take them up right into the muscle cells and use them for muscle glycogen storage.

Aim for at least one hundred grams of carbohydrates in the hour following your workout, either in the form of a shake or divided between a shake and a food meal.

Add One Or Two Home Made Shakes

The second thing you can do to boost your muscle building process is to start adding shakes to your day. Since these are not quite as filling as whole food meals, it can help to get the required calories in easier.

If you typically feel very full on your everyday diet, this will be a very smart move for you. Just keep in mind that you should aim to create your own muscle building shakes rather than using commercial weight gainer shakes.

Often these are filled with simple sugars and can be quite high in fats that will not help you see good results.

Eat More Frequently

Third, you should also aim to eat much more frequently than you likely have been doing. If you require 4000 or more calories per day to build up muscle quickly, it's going to be really difficult to fit this into three or four meals a day.

Instead, spread it out over five or six meals so that each meal is slightly lower in calories and easier to get in without feeling overstuffed.

Track Your Calories

Finally, the last thing you should be making sure you do is track your calories. If you aren't tracking your calories, if you don't see the weight gain you'd like, you're not really going to get a firm understanding of how many calories you should bump up your intake to start gaining weight.

In fact, you won't even know if you're coming close to your desired targets each day, so it's like taking a flying shot in the dark.

So keep these points in mind as you work to build up muscle as fast as possible. It definitely is achievable if you follow the right approach.


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Use Weight Training to Build Your Muscle Up and Improve Your Look!

The primary reason when commencing on a course of strength training is to build muscle up. You will have a vastly improved physique if you vary your training routines and employ several muscles at the same time as you train. You will, believe it or not, feel better also.

Lets consider the analogy of a child walking to school along a grassy, country path. Over a period of time the grass on the path looks worn, yet the grass around the path still looks fresh and vibrant. If, however, the child in our analogy selects a different route to school the worn out path gets a chance to recover and starts to look fresh and vibrant itself. Consider the path in our example as your muscles. If you are repeating the same training routine constantly, your muscles will become bigger and stronger, but what of your connecting tissue, ligaments and tendons?

These ligaments etc support your entire body frame and you may be neglecting them. The muscle groups that you have pumped up in your chest and arms may be impressive, but is it worth having withered legs or damaged sinews as a price?

It is imperative that if you plan to build muscle up that you prioritize strength training in your daily regime. Your strength training must include a combination of aerobic activity and strength training. Aerobic activities such as indoor cycling and rowing, plus outdoor running will train your muscles to use oxygen properly which in turn will strengthen your heart and lungs. Varying weight training routines will keep your strength training effective and fun.

Some core strength exercises that are essential to building up your muscle include: overhead press, lat pulldown, bench press, bicep curl, tricep pulldown, stomach crunches and leg extensions but to name a few. If you are starting out it is essential that you use good lifting form for 2 reasons; firstly for your safety to avoid injury, and secondly to get those great muscle gains. If you don't lift right you are only cheating yourself of the results you need. Start with an empty 20 kg bar to learn technique. Subsequently add weight to strengthen yourself physically and build muscle up.

Strength training also provides the following physical benefits:

Enhances your endurance;

Improves your concentration span;

Diminishes body fat;

Increases muscle mass;

Greater flexibility reduces the risk of injury.

Athletes at every level, from beginning to advanced, all incorporate strength training into their training regimes to achieve optimum results in their respective sports, and also to build their muscles up to record levels.


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Muscle Building Diet: What To Eat So You Can Build Muscle Up

Muscle building diet proteins can mostly be discovered in milk and dairy products, meat and eggs, while cereal and potato based meals are carbohydrate wealthy, and oils, nuts, fish, avocado and olives are full of healthy fats. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are also crucial for any muscle building diet, but their advantages are not restricted to body building and expand from helping blood circulation problems to anti-cancerous properties. Omega-3 and omega-6 rich foods are fish, flax and flax oil, eggs and poultry meat, too as whole grain baked goods and vegetable oils.

Food sensitivities often develop as we age as a result of increased exposure more than time from food chemicals, alcohol and medications, especially antacid medications. Other causes would consist of stress, taking pain relievers and antibiotics, genetics, poor diet plan, lack of workout or problems like irritable bowel syndrome or celic disease. Children can expertise food sensitivities, too.

Protein is important to the body simply because it is the primary nutrient that helps in muscle improvement; even though you can find a lot of people who say that you simply have to consume much more carbohydrate rich food in order to get the power that you simply need to accomplish your everyday tasks, the truth is, muscles basically call for protein as the source of amino acids that help your body to create and repair your muscles. This is why muscle building foods should be a daily part of your diet.

When you take in more calories then you expend, the caloric surplus is used to build tissue. This can be fat tissue or muscle tissue. In the absence of health conditions, this happens every time.

Dietary supplements can tremendously help you meet both your everyday caloric and macro-nutrient ratio objectives. Meal Replacements, Weight Gainers, Flaxseed Oils and Protein Powders can all help you by supplying quality nutrition with macro-nutrient breakdowns favorable to effective weight achieve diets.

Now that you simply know the components of a muscle-gaining meal program, part of the muscle gaining secrets that you ought to discover is the correct time for you personally to eat. The teaching that 3 meals per day is perfect should be disregarded. For your muscle building diet to work, you should eat about 4 - 5 meals on a daily basis, with intervals at 3 - four hours. For you to have the ability to do this and develop muscle up, remember to eat only tiny sized meals. Once more, what each and every person who has the dream of gaining muscle mass need to maintain in thoughts is this: regular workout and correct dieting are both the keys to enhanced muscles.


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Bicep and Tricep Exercises

Biceps and triceps are considered body parts that the general public equate to strength in an individual. To build these two muscle groups, there are several exercises that you should incorporate into your weight training program to get the best results possible. When training the biceps, the following exercises should be completed as part of your program.

When training the biceps one of the first exercises that should be completed is the standing barbell curl. The barbell curl is great for developing muscle mass within the bicep. You can place considerable stress on the biceps with this exercise when staying in the 8-12 repetition range. To help fill out the bicep, another exercise you can do is the hammer curl. This exercise completed either standing or seated, and used with dumbbells and with your thumbs pointed upward, adds considerable stress to the brachialis which works in connection with the biceps. These are just two basic exercises that help create bigger biceps. Other exercises you can include are alternate dumbbell curls, incline dumbbell curls and, standing cable curls.

The biceps also get included indirectly in exercises that involve working your back such as back rows, lat pull downs and pull ups,

The triceps which is considered to be 2/3 of the arms muscle mass should include heavy mass building exercises as well. One of the best is the narrow grip bench press. Lying on a bench, you take a narrow grip on a barbell and with your elbows in close to your body slowly lower the bar to your chest then press upward.

Another tricep exercise that is used in every gym in America is the parallel bar dips. This exercise uses your body weight to stress the triceps as you lower yourself inside a set of parallel bars and is a good tricep developer. Other exercises that are used to stress the triceps are dips between benches which stress the short outer head of the triceps

You can also include standing barbell triceps extensions, one arm dumbbell triceps extensions and pulley push downs. There are multiple ways you can work this large muscle group which gets included also in such exercises as the shoulder press and the bench press for instance.

It will be important to remember and practice good exercise technique when working your arms. The arms can be easily over trained due to the fact they are involved in working other muscle groups in the upper body.

There are many different variations of bicep and tricep exercises that you can use when weight training. Use your imagination and follow good form to build these two muscle groups to the fullest.


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Triceps and Biceps Workout Without Weights

Triceps and biceps workout without weights is a great way of continuing your training if you can't get to the gym or just want to have a workout at home, the exercises I am going to be showing you are a mixture of perfect pushups, chin ups and resistance training.

In The first triceps and biceps workout, we are going to be super setting between perfect pushups and medium grip chin up.

Start the workout with pushups but with your hands level with your shoulder and your elbows close to your sides, do a set of around 14-15 reps don't go over this as we are only warming up.

The reason for incorporating chin-ups with the push ups is because when you do push ups for the triceps it incorporates allot of the back muscles, so not are you only training your triceps and biceps but you are training your chest and back as well.

Without rest move onto the chin up bar and with a medium grip perform 13-15 reps, if you find that chin ups are too hard then you can put a chair under your feet and give yourself a little helping hand to hit the reps you are aiming for.

If on the pushups you want to add weight then put a rucksack on your back and fill it with something like water bottles, bags of food or something even heavier.

After performing theses two exercises move onto dips using a chair or if you have one a bench put a weight onto your lap if your bodyweight is not enough super set this with reverse grip chin ups this will work the outer head of the biceps and the forearms.

Perform at least 5 working sets so anything from 10-12 reps will be a working set.

As the sets go on you probably won't be able to do more than 8 reps for both of these workouts but just do as many as you can.

After the workout above you should have a good pump in your triceps, biceps, back and chest if not then you were not doing the exercises properly.

The next triceps and biceps workout without weights I am going to show you is done just with the resistance from you pushing one arm against the other.

Let me explain.

Sit on a chair with your elbow set on the inside of your leg as if you are going to perform a biceps concentration curl, hold your wrist with the other hand now bring the arm that is set on the inside of the leg up towards your chest but with the other hand try to stop the arm from coming up, by doing this the arm that is set on the inside of the leg will be workingout the biceps and the arm that is resisting the arm to curl up will be training the triceps muscle.

Once you have performed a set of 12-15 reps change arms so that the other arm is now training the biceps and the arm resisting is training the triceps muscle.

Don't rest in between go straight from one arm to the next.

The beauty of this exercises is that you can add as much or as little resistance as you want a bit like someone helping you to push the last lot of reps out.

This sort of triceps and biceps workout can be done with any biceps exercise for example hammer curl, standing biceps curl, reverse curl just hold the wrist with the other hand and push and pull so you workout the triceps and the biceps at the same time.

Try some of these triceps and biceps exercises without weight even mix the whole lot together depending on how advances you are I do have a lot more triceps and biceps workout without weights but that will do for now any way good luck and to your success.


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Arm Exercises For Men - Killer Arm Workout For Men For Explosive Growth!

Arm exercises for men are some of the most important exercises that we do. While lots of people try to sell you the latest powders or shakes to add protein, they ignore the fact that good, quality exercise makes the difference between being ripped and not being ripped. Workouts for your arms are probably more important than other exercises because women say they instantly notice your arms when they see a man. If you have big arms then you are immediately deemed more powerful, attractive and you'll feel a lot better about your physique. I want to share with you the best biceps, triceps and forearm super-set arm exercises for men so that you can get bigger arm muscles as fast as possible...

First I'm going to explain some exercise theory that I learned when I was starting out. This stuff has helped me go from super-weedy to super-ripped. I mentioned super-sets. They are sets where you work all the muscles in a muscle group after each other. This actually helps you to gain 30% more muscle than if you didn't do them. 30% is a lot in the long term. After a month or two you begin to see how beneficial super-sets can be. Arm exercises for men are very important here because we want bigger arms. Women, on the other hand, should probably stay away from super-sets!

Arm Exercises For Men - The Muscles We Target

There are three main arm muscles that we're targeting when we do arm workouts. These are forearms, triceps and biceps. The best way to see any real gains is to do a super-set on each of these arm muscles. Therefore, our arm workout needs to be focused on the best super-set routines.

Arm Exercises For Men - Forearm Super-Set

The forearm is often ignored by guys who want to get bigger arms. But when you have big forearms you don't get the case of having big upper arms and weedy lower arms. These forearm super-sets shouldn't be ignored.

Forearm Workout Exercise 1: Seated Dumbbell Wrist Curl

For this exercise, sit on a workout bench and lean forward and put your arm flat on the bench between your legs. Your wrist and hand should be hanging over the side of the bench. Now you should take a dumbbell and curl your wrist. So you go all the way back back and all the way towards you (with your palm facing up). Aim to do 15-20 reps at high weight. Remember to use your weaker hand first, then match the reps and weight with your stronger hand. Move immediately onto this:

Forearm Workout Exercise 2: Seated Barbell Reverse Curl

This time kneel on the floor and put your forearms on the bench. Your palms face down and your wrists and hands are over the edge of the bench. Grip the barbell and allow your hands to drop, then raise them as far back as you can. That's one rep. Again do 15-20 at heavy weight.

You should do two sets of this forearm workout. (Remember: The arm exercises for men that I'm revealing cause muscle growth. If you're female then use light weights!)

Arm Exercises For Men - Triceps Super-Set

Lots of guys believe that biceps are what make your arms look big. In fact, 66% of what makes your arms look muscular is triceps. Here's the best triceps super-set that you can do for fast, explosive muscle growth...

Triceps Workout Exercise 1: Close Grip Bench Press:

First, lie on your back with your head underneath bar, eyes aligned with bar and feet flat on the floor. Then position hands on bar together in the centre of the bar so that hands are touching (this is different from a normal bench press if that's what you're thinking - we're targeting the triceps muscles!) To start, lift the bar off the rack with the bar directly over head. Lower the bar to your mid chest area. Press the bar up to start position. Remember: Don't do this exercise using your normal bench-press weight. This is a triceps exercise and the weight you use should be significantly lower. However, it should still be hard to do 2 sets of 15 reps! If you can, use a spotter!

This is one of the best arm exercises for men in my opinion. It's my favorite triceps exercise ever because it works very well!

Triceps Workout Exercise 2: Reverse Grip Press down:

First, secure a door strap overhead at top of door. (This is on the exercise machines where you can adjust the height - you want this at the very top.) Now, stand approximately 2-3 feet away from the attachment point with your feet shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent.

To start the exercise, grasp the handles with your palms facing down. Lower the handles to chest level so that elbows are bent at 90°. Then, keeping your shoulders stabilized and elbows close to sides, extend your arm and lower bar to hip level. Repeat! This is two sets of 15 reps.

Arm Exercises For Men - Biceps Super-Set

Whenever you think about arm exercises for men you think of the classic biceps curl... That is included in this super-set. Here it is in full:

Biceps Workout Exercise 1: Supinated Incline Bicep Curls

Start by lying on an incline bench with your arms at your side holding dumbbells with palms facing downwards (you have to bend your wrist to achieve this). Then slowly curl the dumbbells up rotating your palms so that your palms are facing up at the top of the movement and your elbows at your side. Then return to the starting position and repeat for 15 repetitions.

Biceps Workout Exercise 2: Reverse Barbell Curl

Hold a barbell with an overhand grip and your palms facing your body. Then, keeping your elbows at your side curl the barbell up to chest level. Return to the starting position and repeat 15 times.

Arm Exercises For Men - Hints & Tips

When you do this routine, start with the forearms. Go from forearm workout exercise 1 to 2, then back to 1 and then 2. Then move on to the Triceps circuit, and follow the same format.

Remember that you should struggle to complete two sets of 15 reps. If you're not struggling speed up how long it takes and raise the weights. (Be very careful on the close grip bench press! Use a lesser weight so you don't hurt yourself unless you have a spotter.)


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Lose Weight in 2 Weeks With an Effective Cardio Plan

You need to make a significant effort and burn off enough calories if you intend to lose fat permanently. It is possible to lose weight in 2 weeks with an effective cardio plan and in order to lose a pound you need to create a three thousand five hundred calorie deficit. Let's say that are walking every day you would have to walk for around two hours to burn off half this amount of calories.

The good news is that you don't have to walk for two hours a day. The best way to lose fat is to cut the calories you eat and create a calorie deficit whereby you can burn calories from doing exercise. For instance you need to cut out 300 calories per day and at the same time you could burn an extra 300 calories by taking a jog or walk. Only part of your weight loss plan includes cardio exercises as you still need to embark on a calorie counted diet plan.

There is no quick way to lose weight as one needs to make a full and sound commitment. When you start your program you only need to lose one pound a week and you need to eat at least 1 500 calories a day or else you will deprive your body of essential nutrients which in turn will slow your metabolism down and you won't lose much weight. Not everyone can lose weight quickly as genetic plays a role in weight loss. You just need to be patient and persevere as you will definitely loss weight.

In order to lose weight in 2 weeks with an effective cardio plan you firstly need to see your doctor or a dietician which can help you devise a healthy nutritional diet plan and at the same time speak to a certified fitness trainer and ask them to help you come up with a cardio training plan. In order for this program to be effective one will need to do five workouts a week and you need to do at least 45 minutes of exercise which should include cardiovascular exercises.

The most effective way obtain maximum calorie burn is by using a treadmill. Walking and running are great cardio workouts as it works the larger muscles and after using the treadmill for around 45 minutes you can burn at least 700 calories.

The two most popular exercises which have proved to be the most effective is running and walking on the treadmill as the treadmill surface absorbs the impact which reduces pressure on the limbs which causes minimal or no injuries as opposed to jogging and running the conventional method.

No matter how unfit you are even 50% of your maximum heart rate level can help you achieve a fitness level as exercising at a low pace is far more effective when it comes to weight loss. In order to lose weight in 2 weeks with an effective cardio plan you can begin with low intensity exercises.


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The Insanity Workout Versus Normal Cardio Training - I Don't Like Hyped Up Programs!

Ok ladies and gentlemen, there is another method of losing fat on the internet these days. I am already hearing a lot of buzz about this and decided to do a quick review about whether you should buy the hype or just let it pass. In this article I will compare the insanity workout against conventional training programs. I have seen so much of these programs coming and going that I am getting a little sick of them all.

The Insanity Workout Explained!

Let me start by explaining what the insanity workout does. With this method of training the creator is pushing your body to over load. In bodybuilding this is quite common to get stronger and to let your body get used to heavier iron. The same method is used in the insanity workout. You have to push your body at approximately 110% to 125% to give it an natural overload. There are some negative side effects to this.

If your body is not used to giving 100% and you push it to overload, there is a big chance that you get yourself hurt in the process. And this is one of the biggest failures of this method.

The Conventional Training Regimen!

The conventional training regimen still is the best in my opinion. I start my day with the treadmill and run for about 30 minutes. When i am done with it I move on to the crosstrainer. The cross trainer really helps you burn a lot of calories. That`s why we call it a full body workout. I end my training with doing 4 sets of ab crunches to get the ab muscles in shape.


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Cardio Is Not the Key to Weight Loss & Fat Loss

Recently one of the UK's top trainers, Paul Mort interrogated Men's Health writer Craig Ballantyne on the benefits of high-intensity exercise for weight loss.

Q: First, can you tell us the basics about high-intensity training?

Answer:

This type of training is the result of years of study in the gym and in the research labs and library. From personal experience, I've found there is only one way to get the most fat loss and workout results in the least amount of time - you must increase your training intensity.

With the right workout, you can get more fat loss results in less
workout time. Period. That is the one and only goal of this
training program. A better body in fewer workout sessions, and
shorter exercise bouts.

That means:

a) Shorter interval workouts instead of long slow cardio workouts

b) More challenging strength training exercises, such as advanced bodyweight exercises and some traditional strength training free weight exercises

If you have two hours to spend in the gym everyday, you can feel free to stick to the same relatively ineffective and inefficient program of long cardio and light weights. But if you are like most
men and women and have 45 minutes (or less) on only three days of the week to workout, then harder training will work wonders for you.

Male or female, almost everyone I see in traditional fitness centers could benefit from increasing the challenge in their workout. And they can also benefit from getting in and out of the gym faster.

So that's what led me to intense training. It's simple, no B.S., no-fluff, just-the-basics, results-oriented training. You don't need fancy gym machines or even an expensive gym membership. If you have a bench, a ball and some dumbbells at home, you are set.

Q: Okay so we're clear these workouts will melt bodyfat fast, what makes it so effective?

Answer:

Most people are so darn hung-up on burning a specific number of calories on a cardio machine, that they don't care how long they spend in the gym.

But big deal. If you burn X calories over 30 minutes in the gym
doing cardio, but don't boost your post-exercise metabolism, you're wasting the other 23.5 hours to burn a lot more calories.

And that's what happens with slow, steady workouts that never
change. Sure you burn a few calories in the gym, but there is no
"turbulence" on the body to increase your metabolism outside of the gym.

Instead, by using challenging strength training, and choosing
intervals over monotonous cardio, research has shown that your post workout metabolism is significantly greater. And an increased metabolism for an entire 24 hour period is what gives people results.

It's like putting money in the bank. It makes you more money even while you sit at home or sleep! That's the power of a more
challenging workout.

And with intense workouts, and other "challenging" workouts are always exponentially more enjoyable than staring at a TV (or worse a wall) when "doing your time" on a cardio machine. You can get this great "metabolic turbulence" in a boot camp, with bodyweight, at home with dumbbells, or even in a busy gym.

Nothing is more effective than intense training if you only have 45 minutes, three times per week to workout.

Q: In my opinion, resistance training, both with free weights and bodyweight is the key to losing bodyfat, for our readers that are still unsure about this could you give me your opinion on my this statement?

Answer:

Strength training is just one key for fat loss, it is essential to
maximize your metabolism, and it is absolutely, positively
paramount to building the best body of your dreams.

For those that doubt, start with bodyweight training. Not only is
this method of strength training effective at helping you sculpt
your body, but it is also empowering to your self-confidence and
100% applicable to your daily living.

Everything from carrying groceries to "seks" will be easier if you are stronger in the bodyweight exercises. Your mobility and stamina will increase, so that you will be able to carry your children to bed easier, you will be able to do yardwork with less fatigue, and you'll literally improve your "zest for life" simply from mastering your bodyweight strength.

All of these benefits without touching a single free weight...but
if you do go with free weights, you'll take your fitness to an even
greater level.

Research from the 2001 meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine showed that female subjects boosted their post-exercise metabolism to a greater level when they did 8 reps per exercise, rather than 12 reps.

So low rep, strength training is best for boosting metabolism. It
will get you more results in less time because it will continue to
work while you recover.

Q: I'm always telling people that aerobic exercise is useless for fat loss, does you agree with this? And why?

Answer:

Aerobic exercise is certainly inefficient for fat loss.

By that I mean, the benefits pale in comparison to the fat loss you can achieve in less time with interval training. Most people would be able to cut their workout time in half simply by using intervals rather than aerobic exercise.

Now I've witnessed a few people lose fat and maintain a beautiful body with aerobic exercise, but these have been limited to: young University-aged males that also did 4 days of heavy strength training, who had no "life" stress and plenty of time on their hands to train up to 10 hours per week (not counting recreational sports).

But does that sound like your average gym-goer's lifestyle?

I doubt it. If it does, where do you live? I want to move there!

So next time you go to the gym, do this admittedly un-scientific
test...Take a visual survey of the "cardio" area and the strength
training area. Where are the best bodies?

In the strength training area, no doubt.

And in fact, we can also find a lot of beautiful bodies in the Yoga
and Pilates area. Why? There's certainly no "fat burning" cardio
zone going on there. So what gives?

Nutrition.

Nutrition is the #1 factor in fat loss. It trumps any fat loss
program, no matter how good it is. Yes, even my beloved intense training will not be 100% effective if someone continues to eat chips and pints as their meals.

There are far more efficient ways to change your body.

Eat for fat loss, and do some form of strength training to sculpt
your body. When you take care of your nutrition and eat according to simple fat loss nutrition guidelines, your body will be like modeling clay in your hands...and the exercises you choose to do with sculpt it. If someone continues on with aerobic exercise, the improvements will be negligible.

So that's why you don't see cardio in a structured intense program. If
someone wants to do a family bike ride or play a game of football on the weekend, by all means go ahead. But it is far too
inefficient to get put in my main workouts.

Q: What about somebody that isn't a member of a gym? Can they still benefit from intense training?

Answer:

Absolutely. As mentioned earlier, all you need is a bench, a
Stability Ball (aka - Physioball), and a set of dumbbells. A pullup
bar would be a bonus, if you are strong enough to use the pullup
and chinup exercises.

I've done many of the bodyweight exercises outside, as obviously you don't need any equipment to do many of the novel ab, leg, and pushing exercises. Heck, I bet you use many of the exercises in your boot camps and you know how little equipment is needed for a hard workout.

Think back to the days before the glitzy chrome-and-machine gyms.

People were still able to get fit with free weights andbodyweight.

And good nutrition certainly doesn't need a gym membership.

Q: And lastly, I meet a lot of people who seem to have tried every diet going, tried classes, gyms and DVDS, what makes intense training different from these?

Answer:

Most people train in their comfort zones. And while a lot of
programs require a lot of effort (those classes are no joke), most
programs lack an effective level of intensity.

By intensity, we are talking about working closer to your maximum level of effort.

Sure, a set of 15 repetitions to failure for triceps pressdowns is
tough, but it's not truly intense. Compare that to doing a set of 8
pushups - which for many people is much more intense - and now you are using your entire body a lot harder. Thus, the turbulence on the body is much greater. And your body will have to work harder after training to recover - and that's what increases your metabolism - and allows you to burn fat all day, rather than just for 20-30 minutes.

The same goes with the cardio vs. intervals. If you switch to
intervals, you'll notice changes in days.

Stay consistent with the plan, and you're gold!


Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

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3 Waist Trimming Cardio Exercises

Waist trimming exercises come in all shapes and forms, usually as twists and bends. But one of the best ways to reduce waist size is to do cardiovascular exercises. These exercises can help you to lose a lot of body fat and get a sexy and lean tummy. This article will describe 3 cardio waist reducing exercises.

1. Running - My personal favorite cardio workout, running, incorporates virtually every muscle group into each motion and it is a high intensity workout which can burn a lot of fat. One added benefit of running is that the stomach is naturally tucked in while you're doing it, so that the abs muscles are working with each step. The abs muscles are connected to the waist muscles, so this is indeed an excellent exercise to trim your waist. Make sure to run at various speeds as this works the body better and to do a little sprinting as this really gets the abs muscles hard.

2. Jumping rope - This is an exercise you can do at home and which burns a lot of calories in a very short time. Jumping rope also works the entire body and abs muscles and so is also an excellent waist trimming exercise. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes while your jumping, and it's best to do this over a soft surface like grass or sand, and not a hard surface so that your body sustains less reverberations with each jump.

3. Walking - This is a far more laid back cardio workout than running, but it's perfect if you don't feel you're fit enough to run, or if you like to workout in the company of a friend or family member. Walking can also be an effective fat loss workout if you make sure to walk at a brisk pace, and incorporate a bit of uphill stretch with it. You can also use ankle weights and hand held dumbbells to increase the effectiveness of this workout.

Use these 3 cardio waist trimming exercises and you should see an improvement in your physical shape in a matter of weeks.


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Exercises For the Best Fitness and Weight Loss

Cardio and weight lifting together tone the body and help you lose fat. You can do each of these exercises separately, but using them together provide the best benefits for your body and overall fitness. Even if you do not have a trainer, some basic exercises will keep you toned and healthy, and they can be done in the gym or at home.

Cardio Exercises

Cardio exercises burn fat. Cardio exercises are also the best way to get the blood pumping and maintain a healthy cardiovascular system. Cardio exercises reduce the chance for heart disease, and they can give you more energy during the day. You can choose low or high impact exercises. High impact exercises are used by people who are more advanced, and they include running, jogging, and mountain biking. People who want a good low impact workout should try walking or swimming.

Upper Body Toning

The upper arms get flabby as you age and limit their usage. The main muscle groups you want to target are the biceps, triceps and deltoids. These consist of the upper arms, the flabby area underneath, and the shoulders and chest muscles. Pull-ups, push-ups and arm curls are the basic exercises used to tone the arms. You can use free weights, or heavy cans found in the kitchen. Do at least 3 sets of 20 repetitions each day.

Lower Body Toning

The cardio exercise you do helps tone the legs and buttocks, but some exercises can help tone different muscle groups, making each part of your legs, calves and buttocks more defined. Squats and lunges are probably the best exercises for the buttocks. Hold some weight in your hands for a more intense workout. Leg lifts and aerobic exercise can also benefit the legs.

Don't Forget the Tummy

Belly fat is some of the hardest pounds to get rid of on the body. Belly fat (or visceral fat) can mean several layers of stored energy on your waistline. Cardio exercises help rid the body from belly fat, but the basic crunches and sit-ups help you tone the area. The side-to-side motion also helps the oblique area, which is the sides of the stomach most people forget.

Crunches and sit-ups can be done each day after cardio workouts or during a weight lifting session. Most exercisers choose to do stomach exercises each day as an end to a full body workout. The stomach takes the longest to see results, because it is the area of the body that can hold most of the body fat. People who are trying to lose belly fat should be patient as they continue to exercise. Doing cardio exercises along with some crunches will show noticeable results in the long run.

These few exercise tips help keep you healthy and fit. The cardio exercises lead to a loss in body fat while the weight lifting or resistance training helps you tone even the most stubborn areas. Stubborn areas may take longer to see results, but with patience and motivation you can achieve fitness goals.


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Tone Your Stomach in a Few Minutes a Day - Flatten Your Belly Before the End of Summer

Here's how to tone your stomach in a few minutes a day. If you follow this easy and flexible outline, you'll flatten your belly before the end of summer.

Tone Your Stomach

1. To reduce your waist, you'll need to do a specific isometric exercise which forces your belly in... the vacuum pose.

The vacuum pose is a fancy name for sucking in your stomach. Now, before you write this technique off, understand that most people do this wrong. Not only that, they don't do it consistently enough to get results.

Here, do this. Suck in your belly button. Make sure it's the lower part of your abs that gets sucked in. Not the upper part. The upper is no good... that's what most people do.

So do it. Hold for as long as you can. Then relax. Then do it again. And again. And again.

Do it for a total of at least 5 minutes. Why 5 minutes? After working with thousands of women online, I have 100's of emails from women who've lost close to 2 inches from their bellies in 25-28 days doing the vacuum pose for 5 minutes.

Do it for longer and you'll lose even more off the waist. I have lots of emails on those as well. But start with 5 minutes. Try suck it in for at least 20 seconds each time.

2. To tone up your stomach more, you need a cardio exercise to burn off belly fat... I suggest you walk on a treadmill that you can incline.

Slow weight loss is the opposite of fast weight loss. If you want slow weight loss, just walk on some sort of flat surface... outside or on a treadmill. If you want fast weight loss, walk up a hill or on a 15 degree inclined treadmill.

I won't explain why they're so different from each other. I'll just simply have you do a test. Walk on an incline for 20 minutes and see for yourself. That will prove more to you than anything I'll say.

So to summarize... to tone your stomach, use the vacuum pose and incline walking and you can expect to flatten your belly before the end of summer.


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Back Workout Routines: Get Wide Lats and Thick Traps With This Killer Workout!

Whether you're trying to gain gobs of muscle mass or to just look lean and strong, nothing says "I train hard" like broad, thick back! Just like with legs, getting a stand-out back takes some serious blood, sweat, and tears - you've really got to leave all you've got on the gym floor if you want serious results. Here are a few key tips and exercises for constructing great back workout routines!

Deadlifts for Mass

There's no doubt that squats are the king of all exercises when it comes to putting on muscle mass as fast as humanly possible. However, the deadlift is a close second to the squat and is definitely the best mass-builder for the upper AND lower back. Simply put, if you don't have deadlifts in your back workout routines, you're not getting anywhere near the most you could be out of your training.

The deadlift obviously works your lower back hard, since that is a primary pivot point for the movement. If you execute the deadlift properly, you will be both straightening your legs and extending your back. However, the deadlift also places HUGE stress on the lats and traps. The lats are used the keep the bar in close to your body as you pull upwards. You may not feel them contracting in the same was as you would on a pull-up or a row, but they are working! The same goes for the traps. You're not performing a shrug at the top of the movement, but your traps will be on fire just from being stretched to hold the weight in place! You will never see a strong deadlifter with small traps.

If you're going to put full-range deadlifts in your back workout routines, it's best to do them at the beginning. They are a hard, heavy movement with a relatively large range of motion, and doing them after any other pulling movements is going to seriously limit the weight you can use. You can't get the benefit of deadlifts if you're moving serious weight! This is the exercise on which you can probably lift more than any other.

However, there are other variations of the deadlift that you can use if you want to start your back training with pull-ups or rows. Rack-pulls are a kind of shortened deadlift done with the bar resting on the safety pins in a squat rack. You start with the bar around knee height and pull the bar to lockout. Since the range of motion is much shorter, you can still sling some serious weight around even when your back is fatigued from other movements!

Row to Grow!

Most people focus on pull-ups and pull-down movements when they train their upper back. While these are certainly essential for getting that width everyone wants, you're never going to build a truly massive, thick back without putting some serious work in on heavy, free weight rows. Getting stronger at rows also tends to help your bench press strength. A row is essentially the opposite of a flat press, and getting strong at the movement gives you great stability on the bench.

People differ on what their favorite type of row is, but I've always preferred the basic barbell version. Bend about 45 degrees at the waist, put a slight swing into the motion, and pull the bar towards your stomach. Wear a belt and wrist straps if necessary, and work up to some seriously heavy weight! Rows are unique among exercises in that you can typically use a very heavy weight AND high reps, so don't wimp out and stop the set early!

Another great row variation is the one-armed dumbbell row. It's also one that, in my opinion, most people do the wrong way. I usually see trainees using super-strict, slow form with a small weight that they can probably curl! Strict form is all well and good sometimes, but seriously, you don't build a huge back with light weights! Think about the deadlift - it's the best back movement there is, but you use tons of other muscles. Do you really think you need to "isolate" your lats to make them grow? If you're going to row with dumbbells, take a strong stance, bracing yourself with your off-hand on the dumbbell rack, and tug a huge weight for high reps! If you're willing to get a little loose with your form, you'll surprise yourself with how much weight you can use.

Get Wide

Finally, we come to a movement that every bodybuilder, weight lifter, and athlete is familiar with. While deadlifts and rows are going to put most of the mass on your back, you'll never get wide, flaring lats if you don't get strong on vertical pulling movements. Which movement should you pick? If you're anything but an advanced bodybuilder, the answer is the pull-up. You may eventually find pull-downs of various sorts to be better for back development, but until you're seriously big and strong, you need to bust ass pulling your entire body to that chin bar. This part is crucial in order to see success with your back workout routines.

There are tons of ways to perform pull-ups, but until you're experienced at them, go ahead and do what is hardest (and most effective)! The basic, wide-grip pull-up done from a dead hang on every rep will build your back and grip strength faster than any variation and will lay a great foundation for a developed, muscular back. Use some chalk to get your grip right, get up to that bar, and tug like your life depends on it. Once you're able to handle your bodyweight for 10-12 reps with FULL range of motion, start adding weight to yourself. Get to the point where you're doing pull-ups with 100 pounds attached for 10 reps and see if you don't have the widest back in town.


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Get Ripped Arms and Forearms - Add Inches to Your Biceps and Triceps in a Few Weeks!

There is no body part that screams "fit, strong, and capable" like your arms and forearms. Whether you are a student looking to get pumped or an adult who is about to take the plunge into fitness, everyone wants bigger arms and the increased strength gains that come with them.

One of the first things to realize is that to get bigger arms and forearms, you need to work your biceps, triceps, and your forearms. Too many people make the mistake of concentrating on the bicep, and they're missing out on 2/3 of the potential results!

Here are three exercises that will increase your forearm size if performed properly three times a week for three weeks.

Triceps - Skull Crushers

Don't be intimidated by the name, skull crushers are safe and easy to perform.

Find a bench pressing bench and lay down. Grab the bar and hold it at the top of the bench press position. Bend your elbows slightly and then lower the weight down by bending your elbows until it is right above your head. The movement should make an arc, with your forearms moving downward and the bar approaching your forehead. Push the bar back up by contracting your triceps hard until the bar is in the upright position.

Biceps - Barbell Curls

Barbell curls are the king of bicep workouts. They are easy to perform and effective.

Start by grabbing the barbell just outside shoulder width. Hold the bar with your palms facing away from your body. Keep your elbows tucked into your core. Tighten your abs and, without pulling backwards, use your arms to raise the barbell to shoulder-level. Use only your bicep muscles. Slowly lower the weight back down. As you get more fatigued, you will begin to use your body, but try to keep your biceps as the primary mover.

Forearms - Wrist Curls

An strong, firm grip not only helps you in the gym, but in life as well. People with strong, powerful handshakes leave a lasting impression on those they meet.

Sitting on a bench with your elbows resting on your legs, hold the barbell with your palms facing downward. Keep your arms pointing forward and simply raise and lower your hands in a slow, deliberate manner. Repeat this exercise with your palms facing the ceiling.

Programming

Do these exercises in sets of 2 or 3, for 10 - 15 reps per set. Work your arms 3 times per week for maximum results. You will see gains!

Diet

While implementing your new arm workout, keep in mind that working out is only half the equation to building a stronger body. The other depends completely on your diet. You are trying to add slabs of lean, strong muscle and your body needs plenty of food, amino acids, sugars, and protein to build this new muscle tissue.

Consider increasing the amount of food you eat. Stick to high protein foods like nuts, red meat, chicken, and tuna. Try to eat significantly more (about 500 calories) food each day.

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The Best Workout Routine to Build Muscle - Get Results Fast!

Ask almost any bodybuilder, powerlifter, or other big, strong dude, and he'll tell you there's no one way to train for building muscle and strength. Even so, I constantly get guys asking me "what's the best workout routine to build muscle?" "What's the one way to train that will really get me the best results?"

Truth is, most of these guys aren't really looking to learn any valuable information or put in any serious work at the gym. They're looking for a magic bullet, that "secret" workout that will get them a big chest, strong arms, and washboard abs by yesterday. That's not going to happen!

But then again, you're not that kind of trainee, are you? You really do want to know exactly how to build muscle, and you're willing to put in the work to make it happen. You just want to know what the best workout routine to build muscle is so that you can maximize the time you put in at the gym! Truth be told, there is no single, best routine, but there are a few rules you MUST follow to make quick progress. Tailor your training to these principles, and you WILL get bigger and stronger faster than you ever thought possible...

1. Squatting for Size

Many an old-timer, washed-up meathead will tell you that squats are the king of all exercises. Don't ignore them just because they aren't in their prime - they're right! Squats are truly the best overall mass-building exercise you can do, but they have unfortunately gone by the wayside as companies have developed new and fancy leg press and hack squat machines. Those have their place too, but they will NEVER replace the good ol' squat.

You can spend years perfecting your squat technique and routine, but here are a few tips that will put you head and shoulders above 99% of the other gym rats. First, take a medium-width stance, slightly wider than your shoulders. Don't buy into that "close stance to work the quads" crap, your quads will get bigger as long as you squat big weights.

Next, place the bar low on your upper back, pinching your shoulder blades back as tight as possible to create a "shelf" for the bar with your shoulders. Take the bar out of the rack in a controlled but firm manner, KNOWING you're going to dominate that weight. Once you've taken a couple steps back, fill your belly with air (not your chest!), and sit BACK and down into the squat.

That backwards motion with your hips is essential for bringing your hamstrings and glutes into the equation and allowing you to lift some serious weight. You'll never squat big if you just worry about your quads! Once the crease of your hip is at the same level as your knees (this is called parallel), explode back up to the starting position.

As far as actual routines go, there are tons of ways to train the squat. For a beginner or intermediate, I would recommend a routine where you've got one "lower body" or "legs" day where you focus on squatting as your primary exercise, working up to one or two heavy sets of 4-6 reps. You should strive to increase the weight on these sets week after week. Follow up your squatting with other leg exercises like lunges and leg presses, and you're good to go. Remember, your legs have as much or more muscle mass than your entire upper body, so get them big!

2. Strength? Size? It's all the Same!

If you read any conventional bodybuilding "wisdom" these days, you'll see most guys talking as if size and strength are two totally different goals, and that you have to focus on one or the other. What a bunch of crap! Stereotypes of the "all show and no go" bodybuilder aside, have you really ever seen someone who was massively muscular and NOT strong? No way!

The thing is, your muscles grow in response to certain stimuli. There are a number of ways to stimulate this growth, but the only one that can work in the long term is getting stronger. Think about it - if you increase your bench by 100 pounds, do you think you'll have bigger pecs? If you take your max on the squat and get strong enough to rep it 10 times, do you think your legs will be bigger? Of course!

I don't care what kind of workout routine to build muscle you end up doing. Traditional bodybuilding split, powerlifting workout, 5 x 5, it all works. The thing that really matters is that you get stronger! If you train your heart out but don't worry about actually getting stronger, I guarantee that you will be the same size as you are now, six months or a year from now. Now THAT is wasted time.

There are tons and tons of ways to go about getting stronger, but the main thing you should worry about is gradually adding weight to the bar, week after week, for sets of 4-6 reps. Fewer or more reps is alright if you really want to, but the important thing is to always focus on the weight. Don't get too eager, either. A five pound increase per week on the squat or bench may seem like next to nothing, but if you did that for a few months, you'd have made over a 100 pound increase in your strength!

3. Massive Food for Massive Gains

Hopefully you already know this, but just in case it's not drilled into your head yet, I'll say it again - nutrition is THE most important aspect of bodybuilding. You can have the perfect routine and stick to it like a champion, but at the end of the day, your body still needs enough nutrients to repair damage muscle tissue and build it bigger than it was before.

Proper bodybuilding nutrition is actually somewhat well-known these days, so I'll just give you the quick and dirty on how to eat for lean muscle gains. First, you want tons of protein. If you get one gram of protein per pound of your own bodyweight per day (not counting the incidental amounts in grains), then you're on the right track.

Second, you've got to get extra calories from fats and carbs to have the energy to train and grow. Don't bother getting out calculator or counting calories, though. Just make sure you eat most of your carbs before and after training and eat fats with your proteins during the rest of the day. For carbs, eat nutritious foods like oats, other grains, and potatoes. For fats, take in plenty of olive oil, nuts, avocados, and some red meat.


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Workout Routines for Women - Lift Heavy, Look Fit!

There is a huge misconception in the fitness world that only men should lift heavy weights, and that women should stick to light, "toning" routines. Many women fear they will get big or bulky if they lift heavy. Nonsense! Do you realize how hard it is for MEN to gain muscle mass, even with their testosterone and larger calorie consumption? Nobody, man or woman, will ever get "too big" for their liking on accident.

The truth about workout routines for women is that they should contain mostly heavy lifting! Lifting heavy weights has a variety of benefits for women. First, it helps stimulate the growth of lean muscle tissue. This extra muscle helps create a slim, fit body contour. In other words, it makes you "toned." You can't actually "tone" your muscles with high reps on those little pink dumbbells - you've got to actually build that firm muscle tissue with heavy weights.

The second benefit of lifting heavy weights it that gaining a few extra pounds of muscle can help burn fat. Muscle is metabolically active tissue, which means it's constantly burning calories. Gain some more muscle, and you'll be able to lose fat more quickly or just eat a little more of the foods you like without consequence!

Third, heavy lifting is a type of exercise that "stays with you" all day. Whereas walking, jogging, and other moderate-paced cardio exercises only burn fat while you're doing them, a hard weights workout will keep your metabolism raised and revving at high speed for the rest of the day.

Finally, workout routines for women should contain plenty of heavy lifting because it's fun! Many people complain about going to the gym not because they're lazy, but because it can be so boring. Given the average workout routine, they're right! Hours of treadmill walking and stair stepping combined with long, high-rep sets of light lifting gets old quick.

Lifting heavy provides a new, fun challenge every time you're in the gym! It may seem weird to think about now, but you'll start to get excited about setting a new personal record on the squat or pushing more weight than you ever have on the bench press. Besides, these workouts take much less time, anyway. Get in, have fun, get your work done quickly, and get on with the rest of your day!

Hopefully you can see that workout routines for women should actually be all about lifting heavy weights and getting stronger. Leave the boring cardio routines for people who can't handle some harder exercise! If you get stronger and eat right, you will develop a slim, lean physique.


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Weight Training Routines - How to Get a Solid Chest

There are some common misconceptions when it comes to building muscle for a solid chest. As with any area of the body it take disciplined work of the pectorals to achieve that much desired chiseled look. Many body builders are under the impression that the best way to do this is through bench presses. While this exercise does in fact work the pectoral, muscles there are other exercises needed to get a truly refined look.

To build a well-defined chest here are a few simple weight exercises you can do:

o High Cable crossovers- This exercise will work the difficult to reach inner Pecs
o Low Cable crossovers- Another inner pec exercise the key is the correct amount of tension
o Bench press- Wide grip, your wide spaced handling will work the lower pectoral
o Bench press- Close grip, this will work the inner Pecs quite well, however the movement will also work triceps and upper chest
o Dumbbell Flyers- Works the inner pectoral muscles but you really have to squeeze them together. Alternate this on incline, decline, and flat bench
o Dips- Depending on elbow position, you can work either the inner or the outer Pecs.

These are a few good chest muscle exercises, varying your workout will decrease the likely hood of you reaching a plateau. Now it is important that you also realize that nutrition and rest are equally important.

Nutrition

When you are building muscle, nutrition is as important as weight lifting. When you lift weights, you are actually tearing muscle tissue. To repair the muscle and thereby make it larger your body requires protein and complex carbohydrates. It is also a good idea to increase your vitamin and mineral intake.

Hydration is also important for any workout routine. The body requires water to provide nutrition to the cells, eliminate waste, and regulate internal body temperature. In addition to all these, water also cushions the joints and protects major internal organs. Increase your water intake above the recommended daily amount as strenuous exercise quickly depletes fluid levels.

Rest

Equally important to a good bodybuilding is getting the correct amount of rest. Some product marketers have pushed the idea that sleep is detrimental to muscle building, claiming that a catabolic happening can occur while sleeping. This is where the muscle wastes away; this however is a false claim by marketers wanting to sell their product. Not only is this an outright lie, it can lead to serious repercussions both mentally and physically.

Sleep is your body's way of regenerating and healing itself, without sleep your muscles will not heal properly and all your work will have been for nothing. Not to mention the fact that you will be fatigued and enable to complete future training sessions.

Finally

Bring all of the above elements together and you will quickly build muscle and have the solid chest you have always wanted. Eat right, diversify your routine, and get plenty of sleep to make the most of your body building sessions.


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Weightlifting Workout Charts

Weightlifting workout charts are a great way for beginners to learn a wide range of different weight lifting and bodybuilding techniques that will help to build the body that you've always wanted. While pro bodybuilders have had years to hone their techniques and put together the perfect workouts, many new weight lifters don't have the same experience, and many may not know more than the absolute most basic of workout methods.

Being told to keep your back straight at a 45 degree angle while bending knees perpendicular to some slanted bench while using proper lifting techniques doesn't really help most beginners. Seeing a chart that shows good technique step by step can help even the most novice of bodybuilders to learn good form and technique in every new weightlifting exercise that they attempt.

Weightlifting workout charts are not hard to find. Many are available at various fitness and health stores, from fitness magazines, or even for free as dozens, if not hundreds, of websites have downloadable or printable versions of weightlifting workout charts that you can just print out for free.

Workout charts can also be used for individuals who want to practice a very specific type of workout schedule or program. These charts are tools that should be used by every serious individual, whether the goal is true bulking up bodybuilding, toning up, or dieting with weightlifting as a part of a quality exercise and weight lifting program. Good weightlifting workout charts are a convenient and useful tool that should be used by everyone. Anytime there is all upside and no downside, you need to jump at that!

Finding the right weightlifting workout charts for what you're doing will be the hardest part, but even that isn't very difficult at all. There are different workout charts for a huge variety of different workouts, and if you do a little bit of searching around online you should be able to find any kind of a weightlifting workout chart that you want.

There are weightlifting workout charts for arms, legs, back, chest, shoulders, abs, and literally every single part of the body that can be improved through various weightlifting workouts. You can put weightlifting workout charts to good use by having a series of specialized workout charts, or with some general workout charts that instead of focusing on one muscle group focus on your overall weightlifting exercise program.

Either way, using weightlifting workout charts is a sure fire way to really help your workouts.


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Best Bicep Workout For Mass and Tone

I first want to go ahead and say that some of the best bicep exercises are actually back exercises. Most back exercises are compound movements as the bicep is recruited more often than not. These include supinated barbell rows and chin ups. A lot of people will tell you, because of this fact, you don't actually have to train your biceps directly but I happen to disagree and feel that isolation exercises can take your training to the next level and really sculpt your biceps.

To get really big and strong biceps, it is a wise idea that you focus your energy on the task at hand. We are going to start by making your biceps bigger using high volume training for 2 months and then 1 month strength training. Once you get your desired size, you can do the maintenance workout.

Okay, to get bigger biceps you need to fatigue them. The rep range isn't the most important thing, but it helps if this fatigue takes place in the 6-15 repetition range, so the bicep workout for mass will manipulate all of these repetition ranges. Rest between sets should be 30-60 seconds.

Best Bicep Workout For Mass

Barbell Curl - 4 sets. Select a weight you can do 6 reps on and do 6 reps. Lower the weight and do 8 reps and proceed in this manner for 10 reps and then 12 reps.

Preacher curls - 4 sets. Select a weight you can do 15 reps on and do 15 reps. Lower the weight slightly and perform 12 reps and repeat until you do 10 reps and then 8 reps.

Concentration curls - 2 sets. Perform 15 reps on these 2 sets. By this exercise your biceps should be really tired and these are designed to finish them off and develop the peak of the bicep.

Bicep Workout For Tone

To get really ripped biceps, it is best to combine a low calorie diet, some cardio and working your biceps the correct way by using strength training. For strength training of your biceps, select an exercise out of barbell curl, alternate curl or drag curls and do 5 sets. Each set should build on the previous one, building up to your heaviest set where you will perform 2 reps. To make the most of these 2 workouts, alternate between them, so do the first one for 2 months and the second one for one month and keep switching back until you reach your desired goal.


Here is a video of me performing the best bicep workout for mass, and you should consult my blog if you would like to know more about the listed bicep exercises such as proper form with video and also learn a bicep workout for maintenance once you are satisfied with your bicep size.

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The 5 Best Bodyweight Exercises For Building Big, Muscular Arms

I've recently read several articles in which some self-proclaimed fitness "guru" insists that you must choose between bodyweight and weight lifting exercises in setting up your strength or muscle building program. The usual argument claims that bodyweight exercises are absolutely better than weight lifting techniques without any consideration of your specific training objective.

In reality, it's a false debate because if your goal is to build big, muscular arms you should use both bodyweight exercises and weight lifting movements to do so.

Specifically, if your goal is to maximize the size and strength of your biceps and triceps, you need a program based primarily on isolation bodybuilding techniques that are supplemented with compound exercises. These compound exercises should include both weight lifting movements (which I've discussed in other articles) and bodyweight exercises. While the isolation training will stimulate maximum growth in your biceps and triceps, there's no question that the following bodyweight exercises can enhance the amount and rate of that growth and ensure balanced development of your entire upper body.

1. Triceps Pushups

Triceps pushups are the only isolation exercise in this group and designed to minimize chest and shoulder involvement with targeted resistance on your triceps. For proper performance, simply take a standard pushup position with your hands and arms extended and shoulder-width apart. Then slide your hands closer together until your thumbs nearly touch each other. This is the starting position. Slowly lower your arms underneath you and then push yourself back up to the starting position as you would with regular pushups. Make sure that you keep your back straight and your head up for maximum resistance on your triceps.

If your bodyweight doesn't provide sufficient resistance, have a training partner gently place barbell plates on your back as needed to keep your rep range within 6-10 reps per set. A sample pyramid sequence could consist of 3 sets of 10, 8 and 6 reps with gradually increased poundage in each set.

2. Seated Triceps Dips

Seated triceps dips are another terrific triceps builder. To do this exercise, sit on a workout bench or chair with your legs together and extended on the floor in front of you. Your arms should be fully extended and shoulder-width apart behind you. Slide your body slightly forward to suspend yourself so that your arms are bearing your bodyweight between the bench and the floor. With your arms extended and your hands nearly touching behind you, slowly lower yourself as though to sit on the floor and then push yourself back up by extending your arms and returning to the starting position. This exercise, when performed properly, will add tremendous power, shape and definition to your triceps.

Again, if your bodyweight doesn't provide enough resistance, keep your legs together and extend them to another chair or workout bench in front of you so that they're parallel to the floor. Then have a training partner gently place barbell plates on your thighs as needed to keep your rep range within 6-10 reps per set. A sample pyramid sequence could consist of 3 sets of 10, 8 and 6 reps with gradually increased weight in each set.

3. Parallel Bar Dips

Parallel Bar Dips are great for shaping and building mass in the long and medial heads of the triceps. Grasp the handles of a parallel dip apparatus and hold your body suspended between them. For substantial training emphasis on your triceps, hold your torso as erect as possible (leaning forward puts primary resistance on your chest). Inhale as you lower yourself as far down as you can comfortably descend and then exhale as you push yourself back up to the starting position. This exercise is a great bodyweight triceps builder as long as you watch your technique and keep your torso straight throughout the movement.

For an overload effect or to pyramid your work sets, use a harness to hang a barbell plate or dumbbell from your waist for added resistance. Most commercial gyms and some health clubs have these harnesses, so if you need one, ask for it. Make sure to keep your rep range within 6-10 reps per set. A sample overload sequence could include 3 sets of 10, 8 and 6 reps with gradually increased weight in each set.

4. Chin Ups

Chin Ups are excellent for building strength and muscle mass in your biceps. This exercise also thickens the latissimus dorsi ("lats") and rhomboid muscles on the sides and upper-middle portion of your back. Simply grasp the Chin Up bar with an underhand grip and your arms shoulder-width apart. Inhale as you pull your body upward until your chin nearly touches the bar. Exhale as you lower your body to return to the starting position.

For variation and balanced biceps development, you can alternately do this exercise with your arms slightly wider than shoulder-width to place more emphasis on the short head or inner portion of your biceps.

Use a weighted harness if you need to increase your resistance beyond your bodyweight. Make sure to stay within the 6-10 rep range with gradually increased weight in each set.

5. Pull Ups

Pull Ups are another excellent bodyweight exercise for adding power and muscle density to your biceps. Like Chin Ups, this exercise also works your lats and and rhomboids. Pull Ups also put significant resistance on the trapezius muscles in your shoulders when you squeeze your scapulae together at the top of the movement. Simply grasp the Pull Up bar with an overhand grip and your arms spread comfortably but wide apart. Inhale as you pull your body upward until your eyes are slightly higher than the bar. Exhale as you lower your body to return to the starting position.

For variation you can pull your body upward with your chin facing the bar or with your head facing downward as you pull yourself up with the bar behind your neck. When performing this movement with your chin facing the bar, primary training emphasis in on your biceps and lower lats. But when you pull yourself up with the bar behind your neck, focused resistance is placed on your biceps and upper lats. Either approach will add strength and muscle tone to your upper arms.

As with your Chin Ups, use a weighted harness when doing Pull Ups if you need to increase the training resistance beyond your bodyweight. And always make sure you stay within 6-10 reps per set with gradually increased weight in each set.

As you can see, bodyweight exercises and bodybuilding techniques go hand-in-hand when it comes to building big, muscular arms. If anybody tries to tell you something different, tell them to go do some weighted Chin Ups and Dumbbell Preacher Curls.


Mark G. Winston, "The Master Gunslinger," is author of the ground-breaking training manual, "GO For Your GUNS - 7 Simple Secrets to AWESOME ARMS." He has also created GOforyourGUNS.com, a bodybuilding and fitness website dedicated entirely to helping you build big, muscular arms. Mark's forthcoming book will be jammed with workouts and training techniques to help you build the big, muscular arms that you deserve! To learn about the GO For Your GUNS bodybuilding system and get free arm training tips that really work, visit [http://www.GOforyourGUNS.com]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_G._Winston

Top 3 Arm Toning Exercises to Help You Tone Your Arms in 14 Days

Toning arms is one of the most sort after exercises by women. Finding the best arm toning exercises aren't as easy as you'd think because there are many arm toning exercises to chose from. This article will help you find the top 5 exercises to help you get toned arms in just 14 days.

You cannot tone arms or muscles unless you lose fat. That's an absolute truth. Building muscles is one thing but having a layer of fat over it means that you will never be able to tone unless you lose the fat. Weight training is a good way to go about both gaining muscle and losing the fat. You also need to follow a good cardio workout program and healthy diet plan. Remember that these are the most important part of toning your muscles, specially your arms and the following exercises will only work if you combine it with these.

Here are the top 3 arm toning exercises.

1) Bar Bell Biceps Curls

This should be the basis of your biceps workout and is also the easiest to get do with the right form. You can also lift more weights with this exercise safely. Stand with feet slightly apart and lift the barbell up. Raise your chest and lower your shoulders as you curl the bar towards your chest. When you reach just above your pecs start lowering the bar slowly. Don't move your elbows as you go through the motion.

2) Skull Crushers

This works your triceps. Done correctly it will yield fast results. Done wrong, it can cause serious injury! So be careful.

Lie down on a flat bench holding a bar bell with your palms facing upwards and lift the weight up. Now slowly move the bar backwards as if you were trying to drop it down to the floor above your head. Move until your triceps are pointed behind you. Once there start lifting the bar up and straightening out your arms. Lower it slowly again to where you began and repeat.

3) Alternate Dumb Bell Curl

This is a great biceps exercise that help you focus and isolate one arm at a time. You can also lift more weights per arm without the weak arm stopping you from doing it.

Grab 2 dumb bells and stand with your back straight. Curl one dumb bell up to your chest and try to curl as if you were going past your shoulder and flex your biceps. Slowly curl it down as you twist you arm on the way to where you began, next to your thigh. Repeat it with your other hand.

Those 3 are the top 3 arm toning exercises to help you get tones arms in 2 weeks.


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When To Take Whey Protein For The Best Results

What Are The Best Times To Take Whey Protein To Really Pack On The Muscle?

When it comes to taking whey protein, it makes sense to try and consume the whey protein supplement for the best results. If an aspiring weight trainer is just starting out and looking to supplement their diet with a protein supplement, it can be very confusing as to when to take whey protein for best the results.

Let me give you a personal example. When I first started weight training, way back in '86, my first protein supplement was Beverly International's protein powder. Of course, this protein supplement was not a whey based product but a cheap variation of soy protein mixed with milk proteins.

I'll be the first to say that these early protein powders mixed like cement and tasted slightly better. Anyways, I had no clue when to take this protein supplement. I basically took this protein powder once every two days. This was a complete waste of money with no benefit whatsoever.

First of all, my protein intake was very inconsistent which is not conducive to building muscle at all.

Secondly, every two days was not enough to affect my protein intake at all.

How was I supposed to know when to take a protein supplement? There was absolutely no information - No forums, no blogs, no Yahoo answers, no information sites (such as building muscle101..hehe), no internet, no nothing. If you were an aspiring weight trainer back in the mid '80's, there was not a whole lot of information to be found, let alone use.

Anyways, now I know.

Whey protein is a wonderful supplement since it contains some great muscle building properties that has one important element that most other protein sources don't have.

That is it's digestibility rate. Whey protein isolate for example (the purest form of whey protein), is one of the fastest acting protein sources today.

Once ingested, whey protein isolate can be in your system shortly thereafter.

As well as being one of the fastest acting proteins, whey protein isolate is rich in Branched Chain Amino Acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine).

These amino acids are very important since they help prevent muscle protein breakdown during exercise and appear to preserve muscle stores of glycogen. In other words, whey protein isolate contains the muscle building properties that most weight trainers are looking for. This is very important to understand.

So, let's get back to the question: when to take whey protein?

Alright, so now you know that whey protein is 1) easily and efficiently digested, and 2) high in muscle building branched chain amino acids. All we need to know now, is when to take whey protein for the best results.

I've done some research and done a lot of personal experiments to see what works best. I've come to the conclusion that there are 3 windows of opportunity to put the power of whey protein to it's best use. Here is what I think are the best times to take whey protein:

o As soon as you wake up;

o 40 minutes prior to working out;

o Immediately after working out.

Let's take a closer look at each point for the best times to take whey protein.

1) As Soon As You Wake Up

"Get Your Body Ready For Growth!"

Upon wakening, your body is pretty much in a starvation mode. Whether you realize it or not, your body is craving for nutrients and needs these nutrients in order to kick start it's internal mechanisms to start building and working. Your body is weak and wants protein. The sooner you can get some protein into your body, the better.

Personally, I've found that a whey protein isolate drink mixed with some yogurt and orange juice works best. This is one of the more important times of when to take whey protein.

Now this is very important and one that can really boost your weight training results, OVERNIGHT! Approximately 45 minutes after you've consumed your whey protein shake, you must have a full, muscle building breakfast. By doing this, you are jump starting your bodies ability to use the protein effectively and efficiently. Believe me, if you can follow this one little tip, you will soon see your results skyrocket.

2) 40 Minutes Prior To Working Out

"Supercharge Your Workouts!"

If you have some pretty intense workouts, your going to stock up on some fast acting, high quality proteins. Whey protein contains high levels of branched amino acids which help preserve muscle stores of glycogen. This is very, very important. Since glucose is the bodies number one energy source, high muscle stores of glucose ensure high, intense workouts.

I would recommend you ingest a whey protein isolate drink mixed with some carbohydrates to supercharge your workouts.

3) Immediately After Working Out

"The REAL Secret To Building Huge Muscles!

In terms of when to take whey protein, this is the most important time to take in a fast acting protein drink. If you were to only have one protein drink per day, this is the time of day to take it. I'm going to very honest here, by simply taking a protein/carb drink right after after your workouts, you will improve your results immediately.

I strongly suggest that after your workouts, you ingest a fast acting protein source such as whey protein isolate and some fast acting carbohydrates.

Why carbohydrates and protein? When carbohydrates is taken with protein, there's a blast of insulin. Insulin kicks the body's glycogen making machine into high gear. Glycogen is considered the principal storage form of glucose and is found mainly in liver and muscle. Glucose supplies the bodies active tissues with energy.

Therefore, insulin will speed up the movement of glucose and amino acids into cells which is what you definitely want and secondly, it activates a special enzyme which is essential for glycogen synthesis.

Additional research has shown that ingesting a protein/carbohydrate supplement after exercise triggers the release of growth hormone. Great news for building muscle.

If you want to build muscle, always consume a power drink that is rich in whey protein and carbohydrates after your workout and include it in your weight training diet.

Try using the following drink for your post workout meal.

½ cup low fat yogurt

1 scoop(2oz) vanilla whey protein powder- 30 grams protein

1 tbsp honey

1 ½ cup low fat or 1% milk

1 cup orange juice

5 grams creatine monohydrate

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Includes: 590 calories, 45 grams of protein, 93 grams of carbohydrates, and 6 grams of fat.

Remember to adjust the ingredients to match that of your own nutritional needs. Now, like your breakfast, you will need to follow this up with a full muscle building meal approximately 1 hour later. I am very serious here, because if there is one element that will put you on the track to fast muscle growth, this is it. Have the above noted drink immediately after your workout, no later than 30 minutes and you MUST follow this up with a full muscle building meal 1 hour later.

There you have it. If you can manage to follow the above noted schedule, I'm 100% positive that your gains will improve almost immediately.


Blake Bissaillion is the owner of http://www.building-muscle101.com, a website offering free weight training routines for building muscle and strength. The website also offers free menus, nutritional advice, and tips on building muscle and weight lifting. Get your free 12 week weight training program filled with complete menus, supplement schedules, and weight training routine. Designed to add strength and muscle!

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