How Growth Factor-1 or GF-1 builds muscle

There are certain factors that you need to get right to build muscle. You need to eat a healthy protein rich diet, train intensely and get adequate recouperation time between workouts for muscle repair. But even when you satisfy these essential criteria there are still two limiting factors which will halt your muscle gains in their tracks and these are:

1) The levels of anabolic hormones in the blood :

2) The levels of catabolic hormones in the blood:

To elaborate anabolic hormones are utilised as muscle fuel and are extremely important for muscle tissue repair and catabolic hormones are tissue destroying hormones working directly against the anabolic hormones.

During a muscle building workout anabolic hormones in the blood are used to fuel the muscles and as the muscle is worked micro tears occur which require anabolic hormones for repair, so that the muscle can grow back larger and stronger. You can quickly see that it is vitally important to get adequate recouperation time between workouts to ensure the anabolic hormones in the blood are replenished, otherwise you end up in a catabolic cycle of muscle distruction. This condition can be seen when a bodybuilder overtrains and makes little to no gain in muscle mass.  It is an important balance to ensure optimum muscle growth conditions are met and even though we try our very best, unfortunately we all reach the dreaded muscle growth plateau. This plateau can be described as being equal to the amount of anabolic hormones that your body naturally produces. This is where growth factor-1 gives us the edge to overcome this plateau and gain significant increases in muscle mass and strength.

Muscle building benefits of Growth Factor-1

Growth Factor-1 or gf-1 increases the amount of anabolic growth hormones in your blood and in so doing greatly increases the available muscle fuel which increases muscle strength, muscle growth and leads to faster recovery times. It is this abundance of anabolic hormones that gives the ability to break through those muscle building plateaus to build serious muscle mass.  Growth factor-1 can be used by both men and women, but women should be warned that the level of muscle growth supported by growth factor 1 will give the appearance of a masculine phsique.

If you are serious about building extreme muscle mass in the shortest time possible then Growth Factor-1 is a new revolutionary product that is taking the muscle building world by storm.

If you are one of those people whose metabolism is really fast, you must have been embarrassed by it on various counts. Looking physically fragile is not the best thing for people who are looking to make a career in sports for example. But the good news is that with proper diet charts and food intake you can put on mass, and fast. There are also some body workouts and weight lifting techniques that you can incorporate into your daily routine, to gain well-built muscles.

Although this might come as news to some of you out there, skinny people go through as much ridicule in high as do the fat people. People who have a lean structure are basically endowed with a high basal metabolic rate. This means that the body uses up any kind of nourishment that you provide it with immediately after consumption. This leaves little or no unused energy for the body to store as fat! Such people have no muscle mass. Their body is literally a mass of bones and skin.

If you manage to find the right routine for yourself and manage to stick to it for a week, you will see the difference it can make. These programs are not for bodybuilders. If you follow the program religiously you can gain up to 30 pounds in seven days. When combined with other programs, it can give you the body that you have always dreamed about.

Moreover because you are a hardgainer, you will need to eat the right kind of food. If you don’t keep a watch on what you are consuming the food might even create a hindrance in the path of your gaining weight. Eat healthy but eat healthy in terms of what your body needs. You can eat 6000 calories and still not gain weight if you don’t eat what is needed by your body. So joining a hardgainer program might be a good idea for you as not only will these programs give you the correct exercises you need to do but also give you a whole list of stuff available in the market, that you need to eat to gain the weight you want.

Proteins play a key role in the hardgainer weight lifting technique. This means you need to include eggs, meat, and fish into your daily diet. Milk is the most efficient provider of calcium to the body on a regular basis. Therefore, hold on to that glass of whiteness for as long as you can. Drink a lot of energy drinks. Protein shakes are also available as supplements. Fresh fruits and green vegetables are very good sources of fiber.

If you are able to do the needful you will see your body change within a week and you will love the results. This would also help you attain self-confidence and self esteem. Use the program designed especially for you and there is no reason why you would not get desired results.

Try drinking green tea. This can inhibit the enzyme that inhibits nor-epinephrine which mean that you should experience increased levels of this muscle building metabolic hormone which can also help in fat loss too. what’s more it is also stacked full with anti oxidants that can aid a great deal with post workout recovery and general health.

Eat healthy fats. These are critical to the safe functioning of many part sof the body such as the heart, brain, energy production and hormone regulation. Great sources of this are: oily fish, natural peanut butter, avocado,  and oily dressings.

Eat casein protein. This type of protein takes longer to digest and breakdown so therefore supplies an ongoing release of protein. This is great news if you consume it just before retiring to bed as your body can then use it to build muscle up whilst you sleep.

Consume 20 grams or more of whey protein immediately upon rising. As soon as you awake have a protein shake. This will put a stop to the catabolic state of your body that you may have been going through whilst you were sleeping and furthermore give you a great start on achieving your daily protein intake target.

On body parts you find difficult to grow try using dropsets. This is a very intense technique that can stimulate growth in even the most stubborn body part. Firstly, complete your set as you would normally and when you have pushed out your final rep lower the weight by around 20 percent and perform more reps, then decrease the weight once again and do more reps. Continue repeating this process as many times as you can bear but the next day you are likely to experience significant muscle soreness and a tremendous burn at the time.

Ingest lots of water. Do not underestimate the benefits of reaming well hydrated during the day. water is used in nearly all of the bodies natural reactions to some degree inclduing muscle building ones.

Continue learning as much as you can. There are many new ways, techniques and strategies to try in developing your physique. try different things and fidn out what works best for your body and leave the rest.

So, by applying some of the above weight gain tips you should be able to build up muscle even faster than before. Good luck.

So what exactly is this well kept secret? A new amazing routine or something?

No not at all. It is a hormone know as cortisol, known about for a long time but ignored by many weight lifters.

What actually is cortisol?

Cortisol is a hormone released by the body steadily throughout the day and is produced in response to stress such as weight lifting. Cortisol levels decrease gradually throughout the day from their highest point in the morning.

What does it do?

Well it enhances your short term memory, aids in regulation of blood sugar levels and helps detox the liver. However it can increase blood pressure and reduce bone density if your cortisol levels are excessive, although this is not normal. However it will decrease muscle mass as it promotes the use of muscle as energy and not fat. This is the primary reason why training sessions should be less than one hour duration. After this they will actually be inhibiting their progress not speeding it up!

Here are a few guidelines to ensure that you are not wasting your time trying to build muscle up:

1) limit your cardio workouts, too much cardio causes the body to release cortisol which as explained is not what we need.

2) Cortisol levels also increase due to caffeine intake so try to keep this to a minimum.

3) Keep your workouts down to one hour in the gym. Put headphones if you are easily distracted.

4) Try to relax as stress causes the body to release more cortisol.

5) Consume small frequent meals as infrequent meals make the body assume it is starving and will thus try and use muscle mass as a form of energy before it makes use of fat reserves by releasing more cortisol.

6) Sleep. This is when your cortisol levels are lowest and your muscle building hormones highest so aim for 8 hours if possible.

With those building muscle tips in mind you should be able to give your workouts a great boost and help you to build up muscle more efficiently.

1) Train for more than 45 minutes. training longer than this can be counter productive as at this point a hormone is released that actually inhibits the muscle building process, train for less than this and the hormones are at the right level for building muscle.

2) Follow a ‘see food’ diet. Often you hear people say to eat as much of everything as you possibly can. Well of course we need extra calories to add muscle mass but do you really believe that stuffing yourself full of E numbers, fatty red meats, fast food, simple carbs (sugars) and so on is going to be healthy for you long term. Of course not stay with the nutritious muscle building foods and these will then make sure that you develop lean muscle mass and prevent your body suffering long term health problems.

3) exercises that isolate individual muscles. That refers to exercises such as tricep presses that place focus on one individual muscle alone. This is not a very efficient use of either your energy or time. Stick to multi joint exercises like presses, squats, pull ups and so on. Muscle growth is triggered in more than just one muscle at a time.

4) Ignoring cardio-vascular fitness. I’m sure you have heard that you should avoid aerobic stuff as it uses up valuable calories that could be used for burning muscle. yes this is correct but come on there is a sensible balance to be had. Sure get big, but do you really not want to be able to walk up a few flights of stairs without losing your breathe. For long term health include aerobic exercise 2-3 times a week in your program and eat more calories to make up for this energy use-age.

5) Alter your exercises a great deal. You may know that variety keeps the muscles growing, that is true but at the same time not allowing your muscle to establish an exercise groovecan also stop you from making the progress you otherwise could do. Use an exercise for two or thress months before you drop it.

6) Over train. A major cause of limited muscle building progress is over training. One to two workouts a week for each muscle group should sufficient fro most people.

7) Give in. Too may people give in when there muscle growth diminishes. This is the exact time when you should be rising to the challenge and training with more intensity, paying attention to muscle building nutrition and showing determination.

Go get em!

1) Train for more than 45 minutes. training longer than this can actually inhibit muscle gains because at this point a hormone is produced that limits the muscle building process, train for less than 45 minutes and the hormones level is about correct for building muscle.

2) Eat lots of all types of food. Often you hear people say to eat as much of everything as you possibly can. Well of course we need extra calories to add muscle mass but do you really believe that stuffing yourself full of E numbers, fatty red meats, fast food, simple carbs (sugars) and so on is going to be healthy for you long term. Of course not, stick to sensible nutritious foods and you will put on lean muscle mass and save your body from long term health problems too.

3) Isolation muscle building exercises. That refers to exercises such as tricep presses that place focus on one individual muscle alone. This is not a very efficient use of either your energy or time. Stick to multi joint exercises like presses, squats, pull ups and so on. Muscle growth is triggered in more than just one muscle at a time.

4) Do not ignore aerobic exercise. I’m sure you have heard that you should steer clear of aerobic stuff as it consumes valuable calories that could be put towards building muscle. yes this is true but come on there is a sensible balance here. Sure get big but do you want to be huge and not be able to walk up a few flights of stairs without panting. For long term health include aerobic exercise 2-3 times a week in your program and eat more calories to make up for this energy use-age.

5) Change exercises too much. You may know that variety ensures muscles keep growing, that is correct but naturally at the same time not letting your muscles establish an exercise rhythm can also limit your progress that you might otherwise make. train with a new exercise for at least 8 weeks before changing it.

6) Over train. A major cause of limited muscle building progress is over training. The majority of people will make good gains from just two workouts a week.

7) Give in. Too many people give up when their muscle growth slows down. This is the exact time when you should be rising to the challenge and training with more intensity, paying attention to muscle building nutrition and showing determination.

Go get massive!

1) Eat big. Some people never really grasp this concept! If you do indeed want to build up muscle mass then you will need to give your body a supply of excess calories for it to build up muscle out of. If you are not taking on extra calories then your body has nothing to build up muscleswith. A good way to make sure you do not forget this is to buy a set of over sized crockery. This way at each meal you are always reminded of your increase need for calories. Consuming a high number of calories will be easier if you break your meals down into 5-6 meals.

2) Intense training. If you are not training hard in the gym then your muscles have no reason to increase in size and strength. Give your muscles a reason to grow by training intensely for up to 45 minutes. Stick to the time proven mass building exercises like: bench presses, deadlifts, shoulder presses, squats,. These stimulate more muscle growth than many others.

3) Drink lots of water. Just as your body needs excess calories to grow you r body also requires water for all of the muscle building reactions to take place. Training of course will also increase your fluid intake needs. Try to keep a bottle of water handy through the day.

And of course just as you cannot expect a plant to grow if you throw harmful substances and so on on it there are several things you absolutely must not do in order to build up muscles

1) Do not over-train. Pushing your body too hard and too often can actually decrease your strength. Why? You see, tiny micro-tears appear in the muscle group after an intense weights session. Your muscles will then grow back bigger and more powerful than before over the following days. You are never going to get bigger if you do not allow your muscle to grow back and get bigger. Rest is vital. 

2) Do not stuff your body full of useless calories. Of course your body needs lots of calories for muscle growth but it also needs then to be good quality for maximum benefit. Food such as fish, chicken, eggs, pasta, potatoes, leafy green vegetables, fruit, rice and so on should be the norm. To build muscle up they can’t be beaten.

3) Never ever give up. What works for one person might not work for you. If progress is not apparent then mix things up and experiment with different exercises, a different diet in fact do anything you can but never ever give up. Focus on your goal and you can make it. do not forget to enjoy the process of growing and being healthy, don’t punish yourself for not turning into Arnie overnight it will take time, keep a training log to monitor your progress and for motivation.

So ask yourself honestly and sincerely if you really are adhering to these guidelines as best as you can. If you are not then if you really want to build muscle up then wouldn’t now be a good time to change?

Whilst they are very effective your body needs to be constantly challenged in new and different ways if your goal is building lean muscle mass. For some reason theses following exercises are often overlooked which is surprising as they are real mass builders. From time to time try and include these exercises in your workouts. Variety prevents boredom setting in and provides new reasons for your muscles to grow.

For calf muscles try running on the sand, skipping or donkey raises. Using a jump rope for skipping will create a real burn in your calves as will running on sand. Calf muscles are often stimulated into growth more by more endurance related training as that is what they are primarily used to. Donkey raises are when you place your toes on the edge of a 3-4 inch high block bend over to 90 degrees at the waist and rest your hands on a bard or bench at that height. A training partner or two then jump on to your back and you raise your body up and down by flexing your calf muscles. stabiliser muscles all around the calve have to be used in order to perform these correctly making them more difficult.

When was the last time you hit your chest muscles with dips? Dips are a tremendous mass builder for the entire chest region and also the triceps. Some of the older gyms have parallel bars installed in them for this precise exercise. Often a v shape is formed which provides scope for different grips. This enables you to train a specific part of your chest muscle or tricep muscle really well.

How about using stiff legged deadlifts for your hamstrings. These are an awesome hamstring exercise seen very infrequently. Simply do deadlifts but you legs have to remain straight throughout meaning you bend at the waist and keep a straight back to lift the barbell or dumbbell. Be warned however these reps can make you extremely sore the next day and also whilst lifting the weight ensure it is close in to your legs to maintain control.

Try hammer curls if you want big arms! The only difference between these and normal dumb bell curls is that the palm of your hand is kept facing in towards your body at all times. This directs much stress on to an inner bicep muscle giving it both thickness and size throughout and is named the brachialis muscle, the exercise also hits the main bicep muscle too.Stand with your back against the corner of a wall whilst curling to prevent yourself from swinging the bar.

How long is it since you saw someone do lunges at the firness centre? These are particularly good for giving your quads mass and shape. With a pair of dumb belss in your hands take a decent stride forwardsand bend both knees down to 90 degress step backwards and repeat with the other leg. A great alternative to squats.

For creating muscle definition and for a superb aerobic workout why not try boxing padwork it is very effective for the hitting the entire upper body or do uphill sprints to shred your leg muscles or even get on an exercise bike for uphill intervals immediately following a leg workout. That is a real killer of a mass builder!

so go ahead and switch your workout around a little to include some of these great exercises for building lean muscle mass.

Quite often it is recommended that to build muscles fastest you ought to keep aerobic training down to as little as possible. This is regularly stated because of the fact that aerobic training does two particular things that may restrict muscle growth, they are: 1) burn an abundance of calories 2) speed up your metabolism. Both of these two things contribute to the same problem, namely, not getting enough calories on board. This takes us to the question of exactly what amount of calories should I therefore be taking on?

Well, to keep at the same weight every day you would be required to consume enough calories to cover the energy usage of your body as if it were resting (basal metabolic rate), then eat enough extra calories to provide energy for your workouts. Each day you need to eat a further 500 calories if you wish to build muscle mass.

Is there a way to figure out this total?

Yes, one way to do this is using the Katch-McArdle formula (BMR based on lean body weight). Here it is:

Men: BMR = 66 + (13.7 X wght in kg) + (5 X hght in cm) – (6.8 X age in years)

Women: BMR = 655 + (9.6 X wt in kg) + (1.8 X hght in cm) – (4.7 X age in years)

Once you have gotten this figure you should then multiply it by one of the following to allow for your daily activity levels:

Sedentary = BMR X 1.2 (desk job, little or no exercise)
Lightly active equals BMR X 1.375 (sports/light exercise 1-3 days/wk)
Mod. active = BMR X 1.55 (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk)
Very active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)
Extr. active = BMR X 1.{9 (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i}.e marathon, contest etc

So, should you be doing cardio and weights frequently then you should multiply this by at least 1.725. This will give you the figure that will cover your daily energy needs. To suit your specific goals you should then adjust this total. Presuming it is muscle building, you would need to add at least a further 500 calories per day.

So, let’s say your final number is 3000 calories then you ought to be trying to eat 6 meals/day of 500 calories. To follow this strategy one snack or meal would be based around 11 gram coming from fat, 62 grams coming from carbohydrate and 37 grams coming from protein. This is calculated as so because one gram of fat equals 9 calories as opposed to one gram of protein or carbohydrate which is worth 4 grams.

Correct muscle building nutrition and working out your calorie needs like this is what is going to ensure you build muscles fastest, not any miracle new exercise!

1) Eat frequently and often. If you are new to trying to bulk up and increase your muscles mass then you may find it difficult to eat enough food to build muscle. To get past this problem you ought to consume 5-7 snacks and meals each day and eat double your usual portions.

2) Rest plentifully. Your muscles need times to rest in order to grow. They do no grow in the gym. So just as you should workout to build muscle mass you should also rest a lot to get big.

3) Restrict your training to less than 45 minutes a workout. A hormone that is detrimental to muscle building is released at around this time marker. Finishing your training after more than 30 to 45 minutes means that your body’s hormones are at the perfect level to support muscle building.

4) Keep a training diary. tracking your improvements provides information on what training routines work well for you. You can make use of them again at a later date. They also mean that you can have purposeful goals for every single workout which enhances your motivation and shows that you are progressing.

5) Make use of supplements. If you have cash spare make use of the following supplements to enhance you progress: essential fatty acids, whey protein, multivitamins and possibly creatine. You can make excellent progress even if you can’t afford supplements so do not lose heart.

6) Train with intensity and purpose. Keep intensity levels as high as possible in your training sessions by using techniques such as: drop sets, negatives, super sets and giant sets.

7) Never ever give up! You are going to be in this for the long haul. Sure you want to get big as soon as possible but remember the journey to get what you want is half the fun. So with those brutally effective building muscle tips in mind go out and get huge.