Posts Tagged ‘build muscle up’

The target of many new bodybuilders is to both gain muscle mass and also lose fat at the same time. Frequently a newbie will state that their goal is to build muscle and burn fat. here we are going to take a look at whether this is actually possible or not.

So are people really able to increase muscle mass and reduce their body fat?

Well, yes is the answer to that one. However there is a but and it is because it is a very difficult thing to do. If you desire to build muscle whilst burning fat you will need to work out precisely what number of calories you need to consume and then eat exactly that number.

Why ought we tro do that? The reason we have to do that is because if you want to gain only muscle and no fat you have to consume just enough calories to support muscle growth but not so many that you will have too much excess calories that get stored as fat.

Can I work out how many calories are required to do this?

Yes you can, but most of the calculations are not exact and indeed are based on the general population. this means that they are frequently not that accurate as most people do not conform to the norm, especially in terms of the rate of their bodies metabolism which greatly influences the number of calories you need to eat. You can type into goole ‘ Katch-McArdle muscle building nutrition formula’ if you want to work this out.

Is there a more effective way than this?

Yes, in fact however you will find it far easier to burn fat and build muscle in a two step process. this would mean that you would take around 3-6 months in a bulking up phase and then follow this with 3-6 monthS trying to get rid of excess fat. This period is then followed by a 3-6 monthS period of losing weight and ripping.

This way is a lot easier because losing weight and gaining muscle are actually opposites so by attempting to do just one of these at a time you stand a much better chance of succeeding. This is one of the best weight gain tips around.

Whilst you may still wish to work out how many calories you should be eating as a minimum you requirement to build muscle up you do not have to worry about going over this amount thus making it easier to achieve. If you take on board not enough calories then sure you may lose bodyfat but you will never increase your muscle mass, this means that the two step process is more reliable and will probably get you better results.

When all is said and done you can adopt either method and get the same results however most experienced weight trainers will recommend the two step approach as it is the simplest and most straight forward to get fast results with. One excellent program entitled burn the fat feed the muscle can be found here which guides you through the entire above process.

Developing good habits is crucial to build muscle up on a long term basis. It is highly important to be consistently doing the right things if you want to keep building muscle. Unfortunately there are bad habits that many people pick up on the way that are limiting their muscle building progress. Here we have outlined the top 7 worst muscle building habits and included a few build muscles tips too:

1) The worst of all! Steroid usage is potentially harmful for many proven reasons such as:different coloured spots on the body, acne, swelling of the legs and feet, bad smelling breath and yellowing of the skin, dizziness, trembling, nausea, vomiting, liver damage, mood swings, premature balding, high blood pressure, palpitations, aching joints, cardiovascular disease and reduction of your final adult height.should you need more reason not to use steroids then take a look at these: pain on urination, testicular shrinkage, impotence, breast development and even sterility. I’m sure no more needs to be said about that.

2) Trying to lift excessive amounts of weight. Yes, trying to beat you training partner is great motivation but be really careful. Lifting too much weight can cause you to lose form and increase the chances of injury and won’t help you build muscles quickly. If you have o use momentum to lift the weight or you are unable t control it 100% whilst lifting or lowering you really ought to be reducing the amount of weight you are using.

3) Excessive protein intake. The average individual ought to be consuming 0.8-1 gram of protein/kilo of bodyweight/day and a hard training bodybuilder should not take on board more than 1.7 grams per bodyweight kilo. Consuming more protein than this increases your chances of getting osteoporosis and also it could lead to irreversible damage of your kidneys. Also homo-cysteine, a by-product of protein metabolism is a risk factor for heart disease so be careful!

4) Using stimulants like ephedrine has potentially dangerous side effects such as heart attack, heart palpitations, and stroke. Although these are not prohibited you would be wise to be extremely cautious and in fact would be a good deal better off not using them at all. you may give caffeine pills a go as they are much less dangerous. If you have any doubts at all make sure you ask a health care specialist.

5) Working out on an empty stomach is believed by some people to help burn off more fat. However most of your energy comes from carbohydrate therefore if you haven’t eaten you will have a great deal less energy and have virtually zero chance of having a decent training session. You will not be able to lift more than your previous personal best and you will most likely be left jittery, shaking and even dizzy after your training session possibly due to low blood sugar levels. Instead have a pre-workout meal including thing like rice, vegetables and fruit.

6) Neglecting to warm up and stretch sufficiently.Getting your body ready for exercise is essentail in order to prevent injuries like muscle tears and strains, what’s more it enhances your range of motion, flexibility, performance, and posture. It takes only around 10 minutes to do a decent warm up and it is time very well spent. 

7) Not keeping a training diary. If you don’t have this how can you tell if you are making progress or not? How can you keep a track on your personal best lifts. A training diary is motivational and easy to do. Why aren’t you keeping one.

OK, bear in mind the above points and make changes if you have to but mainly use your common sense and think about the long term.

What is a Superset?

A superset is when two exercises are performed back to back with no break in between. The exercises should be training opposing muscle groups. For example a set of squats immediately followed by hamstring curlstricep or a set of tricep press downs followed by barbell curls.

Why do Supersets?

First of all they are a break from the normal type of weight training you may have grown used to. They will provide a different style of stress on your muscles and therefore act as a new trigger for muscle growth. When you do away with the rest intervals there is very little chance for you to be put off from your training goals. Also after completing a superset you will probably experience a powerful muscle pump as the muscles are literally being flooded full of oxygenated blood to help keep up with the muscles demands which is a great feeling. Overall they are a great way to build muscle up fast. 

Doing supersets prevents you from cooling down to quickly and keeps your heart rate higher creating an almost aerobic workout too. Another top thing about supersets is that they provide you with an edge of excitement, variety and challenge to your training sessions.

What supersets should I try?

The following combinations are some of my favourite and provide a tough but satisfying workout: Bent bar curl/lying tricep extension, Dumbbell incline press/dumbbell pullover/seated lat row, Leg extension/leg curl/calf raise, Dumbbell alternate curl/overhead tricep extension, Bench press/wide grip pulldown, Chins/dips/rope tuck, Steep dumbbell shoulder press/sidearm lateral raise,

What tips can you give me when doing them?

Well, make sure that you keep strict form through the exercises. It is very easy to get carried away and start losing your form. This is particularly true as you will be jumping from one exercise to another very quickly and also due to the fact that you will be out of breathe even more than usual. Keeping good form will prevent injury and ensure the muscles you want to hit will be trained properly.

Anything else I should know in order to build muscle now with supersets?

Bearing in mind supersets are very intense you may not really want to be doing more than a couple of supersets, although this will vary on your fitness and experience levels. use a different superset each workout between your regular sets to avoid wearing yourself out.

It should also go without saying that you will have to continue to eat a lot of quality build muscle food, we all know muscle comes from excess calories so keep eating quality foods and also make sure you keep your water intake high. Finally, make sure you do not over train, this is the number one reason for lack of muscle gain along with poor nutrition. Training each muscle group twice a week will be plenty for most people and for hard gainers even once a week maybe enough. Ok then now it is your turn, follow the above guidelines and there is no reason why you shouldn’t build muscle up fast with supersets too. I can near enough gaurantee you will not be disappointed!

Many bodybuilders especially amateur weight lifters and bodybuilders enjoy the odd alcohol beverage now and then whether it be a glass of wine, beer or spirits. Here we ask just what affect this has on our body and is it ok to drink if we want to build up muscles.

Unfortunately alcohol interferes with many chemical reactions in the body that are productive in order to build muscle up. The effects of alcohol are felt by the body for at least a couple of days as it is processed very gradually and can affect performance negatively for up to 48 hours after you drank your last glass. 

Just two normal drinks of alcohol can reduce reaction time, lower strength levels, interfere with balance and hand eye co-ordination and increase fatigue. As a weightlifter or anyone looking to perform physical activity effectively then all of these will only serve to limit your body’s ability to build muscle up.

The liver will metabolise alcohol at the expense of glycogen (carbohydrate) which is the fuel for the body therefore this is why fatigue is caused. This is what causes increased fatigue. The cellular functions of the body will decrease in efficiency when they are glycogen deficient when the body is not using glycogen efficiently.

Alcoholic drinks interfere with the fluid and electrolytes inside the kidneys thus causing dehydration. The kidneys function is to regulate the body’s cells with nutrients they can use for muscle growth and repair and also to take out of the body cellular waste.To process alcohol the kidneys have to filter water vast amounts of water from various parts of the body including the brain, this may dehydrate the body and scupper attempts at athletic performance and muscle building training sessions.

Tachycardia an abnormally fast heartbeat may be caused by alcohol consumption which also causes high blood pressure in some people. Furthermore it can significantly disrupt sleep which is a time for the  body to grow and repair. It also decreases how easily the body can absorb minerals and vitamins , these of course have crucial roles in chemical reactions for muscle growth.

The effect on the bodies thought processes can also be great. Slow disoriented thinking is the general result when not enough glycogen gets through to the brain. Unfortunately alcoholic drinks can cause a decrease in your motivation and drive which of course is crucial for success in any field!

So bearing all this in mind, clearly if you are seriously want to build up muscle then you are going to have to lay of the alcohol. Simply consuming the recommended daily amount of alcohol can negatively affect the body! There are a vast range of other effects on the body due to the presence of alcohol which are beyond the scope of this article.

When trying to build muscle up it is very easy to get carried away and sabotage your own progress and also to put yourself at risk of injury or illness without even realising it. Sure it is fantastic that you wish to train and build muscle up but at the same time just one single injury, one moment of carelessness can put you out of action for weeks or months and with consequences related to both health and financial matters. Such traumatic incidents can easily be avoided by adhering to the following guidelines. Here we go with our build muscle up safely guidelines:

1) Always check and double check you have put the barbell collars on before you start lifting. Just a slight looseness of a collar can cause one side to be heavier. The heavier side will drop down and the weight disc can slip further and drop off. When this occurs that side of the bar will be extremely light and leveraged upwards by the heavy side. The barbell will then swing through the air and could do some real damage to people or equipment!

2) Use a spotter if you sre doing one rep maximums. This is someone who can aid you should you not be able to push or lift the bar back up. The last thing you want to occur is to have yourself stuck weighted down by a heavy barbell, you may laugh but I’ve seen it happen.

3) If you are ill stay away from the gym. sounds really obvious yet I often see people spluttering and coughing there way through a workout whilst running a fever also. More often than not the trainer beats none of their best scores and only lands themselves in bed for a few days. Exercise lowers the immune system for a while and if you are already feeling sick this is when the virus will capitalize on your weakness and take a hold of you more.

4) Maintain correct technique. Performing squats with a bent over back, swinging barbell curls and so on will not only produce little muscle growth, because they do not target the muscle properly but they will also put you at risk of serious injury. Use strict form all the time.

5) Don’t do too much. It is very common when motivation is high especially for newbie’s that you want to lift weights as often as possible. This motivation is good but training everyday or even every other day will probably be too much for most people unless it is a split routine. You will actually weaken your muscles if you workout again when they are not yet fully recovered.

6) Failure to follow a decent diet. Emphasis will have to be placed on muscle building nutrition if you want your muscles to grow. You will be wasting your time in the gym if you are not taking on board enough calories to support muscle growth. Throughout the day consume high quality meals.

7) Boasting to you gym partner. Attempting to more than your mates can end with disastrous results. It is much more productive to try to beat your own personal best scores. Keep track of your progress every session with a training diary so you know what score to beat. This is much more beneficial and safer for you.

Warm up adequately. If you don’t your muscles are much more likely to strain and snap. This could possibly restrict your participation for months. It is very simple to do, 5-10 minutes cardio, stretching exercises followed by a few warm up reps will do fine.

With those above guidelines in mind and with correct muscle building nutrition there is no reason why you should not build muscle up happily and safely where ever you train.

Many people don’t realize that you don’t need a full home gym to build muscle — in fact, simple bodyweight exercises like pushups can be effectively used to build muscle up.

Frankly, it’s easy to underestimate just how effective pushups can be at building your chest and arms. Pushups might appear plain and boring at a glance: down up, down up, down up — that’s it. And that’s true to a certain extent. But most people outside of the fitness circles are only familiar with the standard pushups that they were taught in their high school gym classes.

There are many kinds of pushups that you can use to isolate different muscle groups, but we’re going to concentrate on five styles in this article. These will not be the best five for all people, but they should open your eyes to the variety available with simple functional exercises.

Military pushups: military pushups are similar to standard pushups, except that you move your hands underneath your shoulders and tuck your elbows tightly to your side. This variation works the triceps more than the chest.

Diamond pushups: Diamond pushups, also referred to as “heart to heart” pushups, require you to place your index fingers and thumbs together in the shape of a diamond during your push up workout. While diamond push ups tend to work your triceps more than your chest muscles, the benefits of modifying your hand placement during pushups, even if only a tiny bit, are undeniable.

Fly pushups: adding another layer to wide pushups, fly pushups require you to begin the pushup with your hands a normal width apart at the top position. When lowering your body to the ground, you should slide your right hand out roughly 12 inches, and then slide it back to normal width on the up rep. On the next repetition, you would perform this motion with your left hand. Hint: place your hand on a towel, piece of cardboard, or similar item to assist with the slide, or “hop” your hands in and out.

Decline pushups: Instead of placing your feet on the floor, or using your knees, place your feet on a platform so that your head is lower than your feet.  You can use a chair, a stepstool, or a bench — pretty much anything that will allow you to raise your feet up so that they are higher than your head. These types of pushups work your upper chest muscles.

Stacked pushups: with stacked pushups, one arm is spread wide to the side as in wide pushups, and the other is tucked in tight like military pushups. After 5 repetitions, the hand positions are switched.

Here is a more detailed listing of styles you can consider to build muscle up: wide, fly, military, diamond, yogi, fist, decline, incline, stacked, deep, prison cell, and inchworm pushups.

To get the most out of your pushup workouts, remember to add some weight once the pushups begin to get easy. You don’t want to push out 50 easy reps. Rather, struggle with 20 or 30. Also be sure to add variety by varying your hand position for each of the above types of pushups.

Push ups are a great way to strengthen your upper body and build mass, so they are a worthy addition to your muscle workouts. If you keep it interesting by mixing up your hand positions and trying a few different styles of pushups you can increase the effectiveness of your at-home exercising and relieve the boredom!