Strength and Toning Workout

A Full Body Workout

This workout is a High Intensity Workout and should never be done till failure unless you have an assistant spotting you.

This workout should be supplemented with a 15 min cardio workout on 2-3 off days (for best results)

This Workout should be done for at least 2 weeks to assist in clearing out lactic acid from your muscles as well as build tone and stamina.

Workout #1
EXERCISE	Set #1	Set #2
Flat Bench Dmb Flys - 10 Reps
Seated Cable Rows - 10 Reps
Dmb Lateral Raises - 10 Reps
Barbell Curls - 10 Reps
Cable Pushdowns - 10 Reps
Leg Press - 10 Reps
Lying Leg Curls - 10 Reps
Stand or Machine Calf Raises - 15 Reps
2 Abdominal exercise -3x 20 Reps

Workout #2
EXERCISE	Set #1	Set #2
Flat Bench Dmb Flys - 10 Reps
Seated Cable Rows - 10 Reps
Dmb Lateral Raises - 10 Reps
Barbell Curls - 10 Reps
Cable Pushdowns - 10 Reps
Leg Press - 10 Reps
Lying Leg Curls - 10 Reps
Stand or Machine Calf Raises - 15 Reps
2 Abdominal exercise -3x 20 Reps

Workout #3
EXERCISE	Set #1	Set #2
Flat Bench Dmb Flys - 10 Reps
Seated Cable Rows - 10 Reps
Dmb Lateral Raises - 10 Reps
Barbell Curls - 10 Reps
Cable Pushdowns - 10 Reps
Leg Press - 10 Reps
Lying Leg Curls - 10 Reps
Stand or Machine Calf Raises - 15 Reps
2 Abdominal exercise -3x 20 Reps

5 Top Tips For Building Muscle At Home

I have always believed that you have a much better chance of reaching your fitness goals if you join a gym and get advice from a professional trainer or coach. However, many readers do not have the time, money or desire to join a gym and prefer to workout at home. I believe that working out home has a its disadvantages, but the one huge advantage it does have is…you don’t have to leave the house!

If you are one of these people that plans to workout at home then this article is for you! Like I just mentioned, you will have a far better chance of achieving your goals when you join a gym but it is possible to get into shape and build muscle without leaving your home with limited equipment.

So here at my top 5 tips for building muscle at home:

1) Don’t waste your money on “miracle” gym equipment
Getting in shape takes time, motivation and hard work. If you are not willing to put in those three things then you may as well not start. Avoid gym equipment that says “get in shape in 5 minutes a day”, or “flatter abs in 14 days”. These types of equipment are a total waste of money! You can literally do hundreds of exercises just using a set of dumbbells and a barbell, and these happen to be some of the cheapest pieces of gym equipment. If you are unsure of what equipment best suits your needs you should consult a fitness professional (see tip 5).

2) Wherever possible, use your bodyweight
If you have limited equipment, bodyweight exercises are your friend. You can potentially pack on a huge amount of muscle without ever lifting a dumbbell or barbell. Good bodyweight exercises to do at home include chin ups, wide grip pull ups, dips, bench dips, push ups and bodyweight rows.

3) Plan your diet around your workouts
If you have the flexibility of working out at home then you also have the ability to plan your meals around your workouts. Diet makes up 70% of the building muscle process so you can see how important it is. Make sure you eat a good serve of complex carbohydrates about one hour before your workout and a nutritious meal containing protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals within 1 hour of finishing your workout. You should spread your meals out evenly throughout the day. Eat six small meals throughout the day instead of three large ones. This promotes a fast metabolism and limits fat storage.

4) Avoid distractions
One of the problems with working out at home is getting easily distracted. If possible, set up your gym equipment in an empty room with a stereo so you can focus on working out and not what’s happening around the house. A friend of mine who has a home gym told me he often used to put his favorite bodybuilding DVDs on while he was training to keep him motivated. This is an awesome tip to stay motivated at home. Another tip would be to try and workout when no one else is home.

5) Consult a fitness professional
I recommend this for people who are new to weight training and home workouts. Even if you have trained in a gym before, working out at home is much different and a fitness professional with working out at home experience should be able to help you out. In addition to helping you with your home gym setup, he/she will be able to plan a good routine and give you some tips to maximize the equipment you’ve got. You should be able to get all the help you need in one or two sessions so it shouldn’t break the bank!

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The 5 Golden Rules Of Staying Injury-Free In The Gym

Listen, if you want to get big, you have to train big. Entering to the gym and simply going through the motions without a sweat just isn’t going to get the job done. You have to overload those muscles with heavy weight and high intensity if you want to see real results. This is without a doubt the most effective means of stimulating muscular growth. Muscles grow due to a natural adaptive survival response, and if you don’t give them a damn good reason to grow, well, they won’t.
While training hard and heavy may be awesome for your muscles, it can be trouble for the health of your joints and connective tissue. This is simply the reality of intense weight training, and while there are no guarantees that you will be able to completely avoid getting injured, you can certainly take specific steps to lessen the chance. An injury is the absolute last thing you could ever hope for, as it will stop you dead in your muscle-building tracks. Most serious weightlifters will experience some form of injury at one time or another throughout their training careers.
Down below I’m going to outline my “5 golden rules” when it comes to minimizing the risk of injury. If you can honestly say that you implement all 5 of these into your training program, then your risk of getting hurt will be much lower than someone who does not.
1) Always perform a thorough warmup.

A proper warmup is the single best thing you can do to minimize your risk of injury. This simple 15-20 minute process will prepare your mind and body for the hard work to come by increasing blood flow into the surrounding connective tissue and by lubricating your joints. I would recommend that you perform 5 minutes of light cardiovascular exercise before each workout followed by 4-5 warmup sets for your first major exercise of the routine.

2) Always train with proper form.

This should go without saying. Every exercise that you perform in the gym should be done with proper form and technique in order to keep the stress off of your joints. If you start squatting or deadlifting with a rounded back, jerking the weights around in a ballistic manner or performing dangerous exercises you are almost guaranteed to hurt yourself at some point.

3) Always train within your own personal limits.

Weightlifting is a personal battle, and letting your ego take over is almost always a recipe for disaster. It doesn’t matter what the guy next to you is benching and it is completely irrelevant to your training program. You must always use weights that you can handle and control with proper form, and if you start piling on the plates to impress the people around you, you’ll be stretching your limits and putting yourself in a very vulnerable position.

4) Always know when to quit.

If you cannot complete another rep of an exercise using proper form, the set is over, plain and simple. Put the weight down and rest up for your next set. If you start using huge amounts of momentum and jerky body motions to crank out a couple of extra reps, you’ll be on the sidelines before you know it.

5) Never ignore your aches and pains.

This is a hugely important point and I think we can all admit that we’ve all been guilty of it at some point. I know I have. When you’re motoring along through a training program and are making progress from week to week, the idea of quitting just seems impossible. This can sometimes lead us to ignore those obvious injuries and pretend as if they aren’t really there as we often “work through” the pain and hope that it magically disappears. More often than not, it will only get worse. If you feel that something definitely isn’t right and can sense that you probably shouldn’t be training, listen to your gut and take some time off. Get the problem checked out by a professional and then take the proper measures to heal. While it may hurt your progress in the short term, the overall long-term effect will be a positive one.

So there you have it, 5 basic rules to follow in the gym to keep those joints healthy and to keep you training for years on end. Follow them closely, because I guarantee that if you end up with an injury due to your own bad judgment, you’ll be very, very sorry..

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How to Develop Six Pack Abs

If you've ever wanted to have a set of six pack abs, then this will be the most important article you'll ever read.

Developing your abdominal muscles takes work and determination but the funny thing is, once you've got them, they're pretty much there to stay.

The trick to getting started is to be committed for 90 days. Once you've gone past the first three months the rest is a breeze!

Plus, once you have developed and toned those muscles once, you hardly have to do any work at all to maintain them.

As far as what exercises you need to do, you'll want to pick 7 highly effective exercises (like the ab bicycle and the reverse crunch.) Perform between 10 and 25 repetitions for each set or exercises. Repeat those 7 exercises three times for a total of 21 sets in all.

Once you've done that workout, wait at least a full day before doing it again. You need to give your abdmoinal muscles some time to rest and repair themselves to develop and grow.

Now surprisingly enough, you can fully work your abs in about 15 minutes a day. So developing a great set of abs doesn't really have to be all that time consuming.

The real secret to developing a stunning set of six pack abs is not only about abdominal exercises, it has much more to do with what you do outside of yoru abdominal exercise routine.

This may not be surprising to you, but you need to reduce your body fat percentage if you want to see those ripples. But don't worry, burning fat can be extremely simple if you take the right steps.

The other part of the formula is to take up cardiovascular exercises (like riding a bike, swimming, jogging or even skipping rope) for about half an hour at a time to increase your metabolism and to process food faster in your body. Once you can digest your food quicker, it's easier for your body to begin using stored fat as energy.

The other thing that's als extremely important is what you put into your body to fuel it. Having healthy eating habits that fuel your body with the right type of nutrients will make a huge difference in your fat burning efforts.

I highly recommend seeing a nutritionist or a dietician for their recomendations.

Once you've got the fat out of the way and have effectively learned how to keep it off, your abs will show through and you'll have that washboard look in no time.

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Flex and Stretch Your Way to Physical Fitness

Flexibility is one of the core exercises that make up a total body workout. Unfortunately, it is often overshadowed by exercises dedicated to muscular strength and weight loss because of the latter's more visible benefits. Nevertheless, focus should still be given to flexibility exercises as they yields a number of advantages to people who perform them regularly.

Benefits of Flexibility Exercises

Better Posture – Like muscle training, flexibility exercises can also help your body maintain good posture since stretching your muscles will ensure that they are properly aligned.

Move Faster and Better – Flexibility exercises can also readily improve your body's performance and compliment whatever benefits your body has gained from aerobics and muscle training.

Lessened Physical Injury – Just like other exercises, flexibility can also significantly reduce the chances and the seriousness of suffering from physical injuries.

Effective Preparation for Strength Training – Before you can get down to exercising your muscles and making them look bigger and feel stronger, you need to perform the necessary flexibility exercises. Flexibility exercises will prepare your muscles for the workout you intend to accomplish and lessen the chances of having strained or sore muscles.

Warming Up and Cooling Down

These two exercises should always be part of any exercise workout you are following.

Warm Up – This form of exercises effectively relaxes muscles and consequently makes your workout easier to accomplish and obtain quicker results. It also prepares your body by making sure that all of the important functions – circulation of blood, breathing, and nerve transmission – will adjust effortlessly to whatever workout you have in mind.

Cool Down – At the end of your workout, you will once again have to relax your muscles and cooling down is the best way to achieve this. Cooling down exercises can also make you feel less dizzy or nauseous after a demanding workout. It also allows all important body functions to resume a normal state in a gradual process.

Tips to Have Efficient Results from Flexibility Exercises

Take It Seriously – Flexibility is just as good as any other exercise so prepare your body the way you would before doing aerobics, weights, or even belly dancing. Allocate the required time and effort for flexibility exercises.

Choose a Flexibility Exercise that Matches Your Capabilities and Preferences – Flexibility exercises doesn't have to be relegated to warm-ups and cooling down exercises alone. If you can't work up any interest for those two then look for other avenues to explore. You can integrate flexibility exercises, for instance, with your favorite sports or use props to make it more interesting.

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Benefits of Boxing Training for Fitness

Many people see positive results from boxing trainings. You may build stronger and more defined arms and legs. These programs and classes also help you to gain a sense of inner strength and emotional balance.

Boxing training classes got across to the mainstream of physical fitness training a few years back. They have seen the benefits on the cardiovascular and toning of the muscles by these boxing training workouts. Tae bo work out videos also popularized these boxing and kickboxing exercises.

Cardio boxing training classes and the innovative variations of the sparring jabs, power punches, defense, and fitness has all blends of aerobics exercises. You will learn the proper execution of the punch and kick combinations for a more intensive workout that can help you become stronger and more confident.

The combinations you perform on the blocks, jabs, and kicks are executed to an imagined opponent. You may see classes where participants throw punches and kicks on the air. You will also find training camps that have quality equipment such as punching bags and you may also have the option of getting a partner that has padded hands.

You may also enjoy more benefits aside from the physical aspects of boxing trainings. Cardio kick boxing workouts allow you to burn out 350 to 500 calories in just an hour. It also helps maintaining the heart rate at 75 percent to 85 percent regular beat. This has been proven to be good and is the recommended range if you are exercising or into training.

Moreover, these boxing training classes improve your speed, resistance, and strength. Flexibility and the reflexes of the muscles are also enhanced. Repetitive motion on arms by sparring and jogging while you punch helps your arms and legs gain strength and power.

These workouts also enable your joint movements to build very efficient fitness results.
These movements require you to develop balance and coordination that enables your body to be stable and maintain a good form.

These physical benefits you gain from boxing and kickboxing are just few of the many benefits that they can provide. You will be able to learn more about defense mechanism skills, which you may use in case of unwanted instances. You will also feel the satisfaction when you punch or kick. Relaxation and self-motivation is also developed.

You will feel a sigh of relief and feel that you are released from stressed. It also helps you to get rid of that anger that is inside of you. Once these things are releases, you may feel lightness into your body and peace of mind as well.

Many aerobic and fitness experts recommend boxing training lessons for beginners. It allows you to workout on your desired pace and body condition. Boxing classes let you to push yourself to the limit as long as you are safe and well conditioned.

Positive results await you with boxing training. You will enjoy a physically fit body and will keep you in better shape. You have the option working out and exercising at your preferred level and skill. Enjoy the fun of these boxing training programs.

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Bodybuilding Workouts for Maximum Muscle Gain

Exercise machines are a lot like the training side wheels on your first bike. While you're learning, they serve an invaluable purpose. They provide support, and prevent injury. But once you've learnt the right posture and balance, the same wheels can be a drag.

Unlike training wheels, however, it's tough to know when you've outgrown an exercise machine. And that can really hamper your progress down the line!

Weight training involves the use of equipment that enables variable resistance. This resistance can come in the form of 'free weights' like barbells and dumbbells, machines that use cables or pulleys to help you lift the weight and bodyweight exercises like pull-ups or dips.

For maximum muscle gain, the focus of your workouts should consist of free weight exercises. Not machines or bodyweight exercises.

To get an effective, muscle-blasting workout, you must stimulate the most muscle fibers as possible, and machines do not do this. The main reason for this is a lack of stabilizer and synergist muscle development. Stabilizer and synergist muscles are supporting muscles that assist the main muscle in performing a complex lift.

The more stabilizers and synergists worked, the more muscle fibers stimulated. Multi-jointed free weight exercises like the bench press, require many stabilizer and synergistic muscle assistance to complete the lift.

On the other hand doing a bench press using a machine will need almost no stabilizer assistance. Since machines are locked into a specific range of motion and help to support the weight along that path, they fail to stimulate the muscles that surround the area you are working (stabilizers). This is a mistake. If your stabilizer muscles are weak, then the major muscle group will never grow!

Free weight exercises like the dumbbell press or squat, for example, put a very large amount of stress on supporting muscle groups. That's why you will get fatigued faster and not be able to lift as much weight as you did on the machine. But you will gain more muscle, become stronger very quickly and have a true gauge of your strength.

If you use machines in your program, they should be used to work isolated areas and only after all multi-jointed exercises have been completed. Beginners should begin with a limited combination of machine exercises, bodyweight exercises and mult-jointed free weight exercises. Before increasing the weight levels, they should work on becoming familiar with the proper form and execution of each. Soon, bodyweight exercises will become insufficient to stimulate growth and they will need to focus on more free weight exercises.

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Bodybuilding and health

Nutrition and bodybuilding go hand in hand in achieving a perfect health life. Physical exercise and a well thought out balanced nutrition will perk up your life style.

It is crucial that these two key elements are combined because deficiencies on one plane will attract drawbacks on the other and diminish the effects. For example, an athlete exercising hard more times a day but lacking vital nutrients and minerals from their diet will be less efficient in their workouts and in achieving a goal of increased muscular mass.

Bodybuilding is a very demanding sport whether you just practice it to ripfast some extra pounds or training for a professional competition. It takes a proper nutrition to provide bodybuilders with the energy that their body demands to function and to ripfast through the challenging exercise programs.

Nowadays, it is a well known fact that bodybuilding and physical exercise, in general, help keep a healthy life. Some of the proven effects that bodybuilding has over the organism are not only an increased muscular mass and stamina, but also a reduction of hazard for cardio-vascular illnesses. This is accomplished by helping the body ripfast the excessive fat. In addition to this, bodybuilding practitioners experience a slowing down of the aging process and it increased level of self confidence.

This is so much more than a sport, a real lifestyle that can be practiced by just about anyone starting from a teen age to people that are way past their youth. The effects of the bodybuilding routine can be felt without having to be a certificate professional.

Consistent practitioners experience increases in bone strength, muscular mass and also energy levels. A good nutrition is mandatory if you want to ripfast through the challenges of an exercise program.

There are many advantages to this sport, some of them never showing directly but the most important is that you gain a healthy life. This happens from reducing cholesterol and ripfast the fat levels, regulating the blood pressure and a very important stress release. The internal organs get cleansed and by performing better, they will reduce the chances for major illnesses.

There are not only physical advantages to be gained from practicing the bodybuilding discipline. The long workouts at the gym help you get more out of the moments of relaxation, boost self esteem, reduce the stress caused by other problems and very importantly you will learn how to channel your energies and recognize your own limitations.

The hard work and determination that you will have to invest in this sport will also benefit you on a social plan. Ripfast any unnecessary fat from the organism, develop a strong muscular mass and you will feel better and also look better. In no time, you will attract the attention of other people around you.

Better looks means more appeal for the opposite sex. Having a great sculpted body that you will not have to be ashamed with is bound to attract the looks of the ladies. In the end, you can say that bodybuilding is a complete sport that can improve your life from every point of view.

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Recovering from Exercise: Here are the strategies

The human body operates most efficiently when it is in balance, or has achieved a state known as homeostasis. As such, optimal recovery means that all body systems have returned to the state they were in before exercise (homeostasis). However, for most avid exercisers, recovery is a limiting factor. The better you can recover, the sooner and better you can train. The process of recovery (regeneration) gets less attention than it should. Every person should have a systematic plan that includes recovery activities on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. The following are simple tools that you can implement to help your body recover better between exercise bouts.

Cool-down
After exhaustive exercise, don't stop and rest immediately. You can speed up the removal of lactic acid from your muscles by continuing to exercise at a low intensity for 10-20 minutes. Cooling down can help reduce the feeling of stiffness that often occurs after a workout and is especially important if your next training session or event is scheduled a few hours later.

Stretch
Static stretching before exercise puts you at risk for damaging the very tissues you are trying to protect and as such should be avoided. Research has shown that stretching causes lengthening of the tendinous fibers within the muscle-tendon unit. Such lengthening causes the tendon (or passive) component to lose much of its shock absorbency, thus, placing the muscle fibers at greater risk of trauma. However, stretching after exercise may help minimize muscle soreness and may even help prevent future soft tissue injuries. Thus, before activity, more active-type stretching routines that promote range of motion and increased blood flow are recommended. Conversely, after exercise, the emphasis should be on passive or static stretching to allow the muscles to relax and return to their resting lengths.

Carbohydrates
The muscles are primed for quick restoration of their carbohydrate fuel reserves (glycogen) immediately after exercise, so don't wait too long to start eating foods and drinking beverages rich in carbohydrate. Fruits, energy bars, and sports drinks all contain large amounts of carbohydrate. From a nutrition standpoint, post-exercise is one of the only times where you want to be consuming high-glycemic index foods for they will stimulate a quicker release of insulin and, thus, carbohydrate storage in the muscles. Ideally, these fuels should be consumed as quickly as possible upon finishing your exercise session. ProteinMost forms of exercise lead to the breakdown of proteins within the muscles. This breakdown-repair process stimulates the muscles to rebuild and become stronger. Moreover, some of our muscle proteins continue to be broken down during the recovery phase after exercise. For a faster buildup of muscle proteins during recovery, include a small amount of protein in the foods you eat. Milk, cheese, eggs, whey protein shakes, sandwiches, nuts (almonds, walnuts) and energy bars provide carbohydrate and protein. Look for easily digestible protein sources (such as the ones listed above) following strenuous exercise. Avoid saturated fats.

Fluids
Replacing lost fluid is crucial to the recovery process. Having adequate fluids within your body promotes the removal of toxins and waste from your muscles. Top off your supply of fluids by drinking before exercise, continue to hydrate every 15 or 20 minutes during a workout, and replace any body weight lost during exercise by drinking while you recover. Remember, 1 L of water is equivalent to 1 kg of body weight. Therefore, if the difference between your pre- and post-exercise weight is 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) you would want to rehydrate with 1.5 L of water to bring your body fluid back to homeostasis. Before, during, and after exercise, the rule of thumb is that if you’re thirsty, it’s too late! Therefore, be sure to have a water bottle throughout the day to sip on. On a daily basis (at rest), the number of ounces of water you should be consuming should equal half of your body weight (in lbs). Thus, if you weigh 200 lbs, then you want to be drinking 100 ounces of water (almost 3 L).

Salt
Your body loses water and minerals - mostly sodium chloride, some potassium - when you sweat. Drinking water alone during exercise and recovery will make it difficult to replace body fluids rapidly because much of it will pass through the kidneys to become urine. Replace the salt along with the water to counteract dehydration. If you have to compete again within a few hours, consider sports drinks that contain water, sodium chloride, or fruits such as bananas which are high in potassium. Add extra salt to foods at mealtime if you are susceptible to cramps. Consider using condiments, sports drinks, and fitness waters instead of salt tablets.

Damage Control
Inflammation, swelling, and muscle soreness are possibilities following strenuous exercise. To minimize the effects, consider cold packs around joint areas, alternating cold and hot whirlpool baths, and the use of specially designed magnets to speed the recovery process. Light massage is also a good option for promoting toxin removal from the tissues and reducing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). A study by Hilbert et al. showed that a 20 minute massage 2 hours following exercise helped to reduce the intensity of soreness 48 hours post-exercise in subjects who underwent 6 sets of maximal eccentric hamstring contractions. Minimize foot contact with the ground. Engage in light activities that increase blood flow while not taxing the nervous system. Swimming, cycling, walking, and light jogs are alternatives, but minimize foot contact with the ground.

Sleep
There is plenty of evidence to show that lack of sleep can have an adverse affect on training and competition. You might get by for a day or two with inadequate sleep, but it will catch up with up sooner or later. If you haven't monitored your sleep habits already, determine how much sleep you need each night to ensure full recovery. It's not eight hours for everyone - could be less, could be more. Then try to establish a routine that will allow you get what you need to perform well.
Sleep is divided into 1.5-hour time cycles. If you can time sleep cycles in increments of an hour and a half (1.5 hours, 3.0 hours, 4.5 hours, 6.0 hours, 7.5 hours, 9.0 hours), you have a better chance of waking up refreshed. The idea is to awake at the top of the cycle instead of at the bottom. And don't dismiss the power of a 20-30 minute nap during the day. The journal Sleep highlighted a meta-analysis done on studies looking at the effects of sleep deprivation on performance. The researchers found that overall sleep deprivation strongly impairs human functioning. Moreover, they found that mood is more affected by sleep deprivation than either cognitive or motor performance and that partial sleep deprivation has a more profound effect on functioning than either long-term or short-term sleep deprivation.

Also be aware that overtraining can impair your body’s ability to fully rest and regenerate. A study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise revealed that female swimmers who trained excessively showed a higher incidence of sleep disruptions.

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In sum, there are several measure that you can take to better your recovery between exercise sessions. Remember that a combination of the several of the aforementioned tools should be implemented for best results.

Muscle Building Secrets For Beginners

Is it really possible to gain muscle mass and to lose fat at the same time?

I bet you have tried to do this, but may have found it a bit hard to achieve?

Well, believe it or not, it is possible to get ripped and muscly as well as shed off excess fat. You just need to know what to do!

That's right, you can get ripped, and do so pretty quickly, if you apply the tips we're going to cover in this article.

Many guys (and girls) are doing it right now as we speak. And it's great, especially for summer when we wear less clothes and the girls can see that we've got an attractive body underneath.

Understand that it takes both a good workout, and a precise diet plan to achieve this goal of getting a ripped body real fast.

And you have to do it in a specific way.

Here's the scoop.

The first step is a great workout. If you're not doing this, the rest of the plan won't work.

You'd want to workout a muscle group, with good intensity every 5 to 7 days.

Some do supersets, or some list to failure over 6-15 reps, the optimal partly depends on your body type. This will stimulate your muscles to grow, yet allowing enough time for the muscle to grow between gym sessions, so you actually gain muscle bulk..

There's more that we can go on about to get bigger quicker, but we won't delve into the details here.

Now, what about the diet? Listen up as this is where you can make it or break it.

1. Eat lean sources of protein. Think about foods such as egg, fish, lean chicken, and whey protein. Have a good portion of this straight after your workout.

2. Thinks about the monounsaturated fats. Why? These stimulate testosterone production. They're found in avocado, and extra virgin olive oil. Don't go overboard as they contain dense calories. Just try 2 teaspoons a day of olive oil for example.

3. Straight after your workout, have a high GI carbohydrate, such foods as honey or jam. This will satisfy your sugar fix, yes. But also it will help you absorb the protein and creatine (if you're taking this).

4. Have no high GI carbs in the evenings before bed. If you're doing this, this may be the only thing you have to do to get your body going in the right direction. Your metabolism is slowing, so no high GI carbs at this time please! It's the worse time to have it, and some guys get fat just with this one action.

5. Eat 6 meals a day, as it increases your metabolism. Many Hollywood celebrities do this, as it works. But keep the meals reasonable. Eat til you're 80% full, not excessively, and you'll feel more even during the day - no hunger pangs and no binging.

So there you go. You now have the top key secrets to getting a ripped body fast.

And as a bonus, you'll actually become healthier, and feel even more energized at the same time. So go for it!

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Bodybuilding Pre-contest Diet

The dietary and pharmaceutical practices of pre-competition bodybuilding athletes have been documented in several studies (Elliot, Goldberg, Kuehl, & Catlin, 1987; Hickson, Johnson, Lee, & Sidor, 1990; de Boer, De Jong, van Rossum, & Maes, 1991; Kleiner, Bazzarre, & Litchford, 1990; Balon, Horowitz, & Fitzsimmons, 1992; Bazzarre, Kleiner, & Litchford, 1990; Hildebrand, Saldanha, & Endres, 1989).

Sandoval (1989) studied the body composition, exercise, and nutritional profiles of 5 male and 6 female bodybuilders before competition. The average male competitor had 3.6 years of experience (range 1 to 10 yr) and was 7.2 ±1.6% body fat measured by hydrostatic weighing 24 to 48 hours prior to competition. Sixty percent of male competitors included some form of aerobic activity in addition to weight training. The most popular form of aerobic exercise was station cycling. Days before the competition, the mean energy intake for men was 2347 ±220 kcalories; 199 ±65 gm of protein (34% of kcal), 305 ±91 gm of carbohydrates (52% of kcal), 41 ±19 gm of fat (16% kcal). This was calculated to be and average of 28 kcal/kg of body weight. The most popular source of protein was white chicken meat, lean fish, egg whites, and canned tuna packed in water. Calcium was the only nutrient low in the diet supplying 54% of the RDA. Only one man reported using a vitamin/mineral supplement and 3 men reported using protein or amino acid supplements. All men reported using anabolic steroids during training (Sandoval, Heyward, & Lyons, 1989).

Hickson (1990) looked at the dietary and precontest preparations of a male bodybuilder preceding competition. The subject weight trained 6 days per week and included bicycling and running activities most of these days. Anabolic steroids, HCG, and diuretic drugs were self administered weeks 1 through 3 of the study. Anabolic steroids included nandrolone decanoate 100 mg/wk (weeks 1-3), boldenone undecylenate 50 mg/wk (weeks 1,2) 75 mg/wk (week 3), methenolone-enantato 20 mg/wk (weeks 1-3), stanozolol 10mg/day (week 1), oxandrolone 12.5 mg/day (week 1) 15 mg/day (weeks 2-3), ethylestrenol 10mg/day (weeks 1,2), 12 mg/day (weeks 3). A strict regimented diet was followed supplying 2094 ±295 kcalories on days 1 through 21. This consisted of 26 ±4% protein, 56 ±8% carbohydrates, and 18 ±7% fat. On days 24 through 26, the subject employed a low carbohydrate (11% of kcalories) diet supplying 1769 to 1781 kcal. On days 24 through 26, he returned his carbohydrates to 57% of the total calories and consumed 2437 to 3285 kcal. All basic nutrients exceeded 80% of the RDA except calcium (57 ±9%) and zinc (53 ±8%). A loss of approximately 5 lbs of lean body weight and 10.5 lbs of fat was measured throughout the study to the day before the competition. One day before competition, body fat was estimated at 4.9% fat. Finally, on day 27, the subject place third in his weight class division (Hickson, Johnson, Lee, & Sidor, 1990).

Kleiner (1990) studied diet, body composition, training, health, and drug usage in 19 men and 8 women competing at the 1988 NPC Junior USA Bodybuilding Championships. Data was collected using dietary record forms, questionnaires and interview surveys. Anthropometrics, blood pressure measurements, and blood samples were also taken. Most competitors progressively restricted their diets 2 to 4 months before competition. The week before the competition, the men's diet consisted of 2015 ±1060 kcalories; 169 ±94 gm of protein (33.5% of kcal), 243 ±121 gm of carbohydrates (48% of kcal), and 40 ±51 gm of fat (18% of kcal). The main source of protein was egg whites, but also included white chicken meat, flounder, and haddock. Practically all basic nutrients meet or exceeded the RDA except calcium (75%) and zinc (71%). In addition, nutrition supplements were used by nearly all athletes. Precontest body composition, estimated by seven-site skin fold measurements, showed men at 6 ±1.8% body fat and women at 9.8 ±1.5% body fat. Many athletes reported the use of various drugs including anabolic steroids, diuretics, and laxatives as part of their training regimens. A large portion of competitors left the questions pertaining to drug use unanswered. Two men practiced sodium loading preceded by sodium depletion prior to the competition. Beginning 2 to 3 days before the competition, fluid restriction and dehydration practices were reported by all competitors (Kleiner, Bazzarre, & Litchford, 1990).

Bazzarre et. al. (1990) studied the nutrition intake, body fat, and lipid profiles of 19 male and 8 female bodybuilders competing at the 1988 NPC USA Bodybuilding Championships. The average male subjects had trained 8.2±4 years, competed in bodybuilding events 5.6 ±3.1 years, competed in 8.5 ±6.0 competitions, and won 3.4 ±2.4 competitions. The average body fat was 6.0 ±1.8% estimated by seven skinfold sites. The week preceding competition, the men's diet consisted of 2015 ±1060 kcalories; 169 ±94 gm of protein (34 ±12% of kcal), 243 ±121 gm of carbohydrates (50 ±13% of kcal), 40 ±51 gm of fat (15 ±9% of kcal). Eggs, egg whites, poultry, and fish seemed to be the primary sources of protein. The basic nutrients were above the RDA except calcium (75 %) and zinc (80%) (Bazzarre, Kleiner, & Litchford, 1990).

Balon et. al (1992) studied the effectiveness of carbohydrate loading on muscle girth. Carbohydrate loading is often practiced by bodybuilders on the premise that it will increase muscle mass. This theory was based on calculations that 2.33 to 4 grams of water would bind to every gram of glycogen stored in the muscle. Balon et. al (1992) conclude that carbohydrate loading has no additional advantage to enhancing muscle girth in bodybuilders over weight-lifting alone. They mention one elite female bodybuilder (Corey Everson) who does not recommend carbohydrate loading despite the popular literature advocating this procedure for bodybuilders.(Balon, Horowitz and Fitzimmons, 1992).

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Athletes get the most from their diets

Rosemont, Ill.—A food label is an important resource to many seasoned athletes—especially Olympians. They often are highly educated about the foods they eat and how diet can promote health, improve performance, and reduce injury and fatigue. For example, a trained athlete not only may be aware of the health benefits of dairy products, but also may understand specifically how whey protein improves muscle.
“Athletes are savvy consumers of food products,” says Sharon Gerdes, food technologist and technical support consultant for Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI). “While most consumers recognize that dairy products and ingredients offer protein, vitamins and minerals—such as calcium, trained athletes can tell you that the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) in whey proteins can replenish the body and muscles after a workout.”

Protein has always been a key component of an athlete’s diet. Proteins are essential for rebuilding muscle and providing reserve energy. Insufficient protein intake means muscles may not readily repair following exercise-induced damage, and recovery can be incomplete.

Whey protein is the best source of BCAAs, which are the only amino acids that can be oxidized in the muscle, thereby providing immediate energy to athletes. The three amino acids, leucine, isoleucine and valine possess a structure that lends them to be easily used by athletes.

Whey protein BCAAs have been shown to have a protein-sparing effect in endurance exercise. This would be especially important in endurance sports that last an hour or longer, such as cycling, triathlons and cross-country skiing.

Today, news of the importance of protein as part of a daily diet is reaching beyond athletes. Consumers are increasingly aware of protein’s nutritional value as evidenced by the growing popularity of the sports beverages and bars category. As a result, more and more food companies are showing a heightened interest in developing protein-fortified foods.

“Companies looking for protein fortification can work with whey protein concentrates (WPCs), containing 34% to 80% protein, or whey protein isolates (WPIs) with greater than 90% protein,” says Carolyn Podgurski, dairy ingredients specialist, Dairy Products Technology Center, California Polytechnic State University. “Typical properties include good solubility over a wide pH range, particularly near pH 4.5, the ability to form and stabilize emulsions, water-binding capability, gel-formation properties, whipping and foaming, and viscosity control.”

In general, the more protein, the greater functionality. As a bonus, whey protein’s mild dairy flavor blends well with most products, eliminating the need to hide unwanted flavors.

Much of protein’s recent popularity is due to widespread acceptance and use among seasoned athletes and fitness experts. Celebrity athletes have played a significant role in popularizing nutritional foods and ingredients among mainstream audiences. Athletes often influence food purchases by weekend warriors and everyday consumers. Many people are motivated in their own health and athletic endeavors by people they think of as role models. They set health and fitness goals by watching the diet and exercise habits of their favorite sports star.

Athlete worship is especially prevalent during the Olympic season. Many companies will be turning to current and past Olympians to tout a litany of products from protein-enriched sports bars to underwear. Consider the possibilities of a protein-fortified snack chip, featuring whey protein, endorsed by Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan.

For more information on protein-fortification through dairy ingredients, call the toll-free Technical Support Hotline at 1-800-248-8829.

About Dairy Management Inc.TM (DMI)
Dairy Management Inc.™ is the domestic and international planning and management organization that builds demand for U.S.-produced dairy products on behalf of America’s dairy farmers. DMI and international, state and regional organizations manage the American Dairy Association®, the National Dairy Council® and the U.S. Dairy Export Council®.

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Building the Perfect Recovery Drink

by Rob Wagner Ph.D., C.S.C.S.
Director of Strength & Conditioning
Oceanside Wellness & Sport
Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234

About a year ago I had the opportunity to sit with the folks from All The Whey to discuss additions to their product line. I was about six months into running my own gym and the last thing I wanted to do was get tied up in another project. However, I also saw an opportunity to develop a product that I thought was essential to all weight trainers. " How about a recovery drink," I suggested. The reply from ATW surprised me "Sure, how about you giving us some ideas?" Within a week I was meeting with Ciaran Quigley ATW's food scientist. As we discussed our options Ciaran schooled me on the balancing of certain proteins and other ingredients and how they affect taste, texture and mixing. We discussed some ideas and then he headed back to the lab to tinker with what we had talked about. The initial product he sent me was not far off from the final product ATW has put on the Internet with some minor changes in the Creatine delivery system and the protein levels. All in all he came up with a heck of a recovery drink in RejuvniX41.

I have to admit that this process allowed me to be a bit selfish. In the past finding a recovery drink with what I thought was important was becoming a quest for the Holy Grail. I would purchase a variety of products and have to add Glutamine or alpha lipoic acid amongst other ingredients to create what I felt was an effective recovery cocktail. Every other Sunday night I would sit down and mix these ingredients together to create a two-week supply.

Some of those ingredients that need to be included in a recovery drink include the standards Glutamine and Creatine, and the antioxidants Alpha Lipoic Acid and Vitamin E. I don't want to bore you with the role that Glutamine and Creatine play in recovery. In a nutshell they play roles in muscle protein synthesis and in cell volume. The inclusion of the antioxidants helps control the post training tissue damage that can occur due to free radical invasion in areas of muscle that may have been damaged during the initial resistance training session. Alpha lipoic acid also plays an insulin-mimicking role in the body as well and can aid in delivering creatine to the cells.

ATW also added 11 grams of BCAA's along with the amino acids Tyrosine and Taurine. They also provided a quality quick absorbing protein source by adding a whey protein isolate mix to RejuveniX41. These protein sources can be utilized immediately after an intense workout. BCAA's are the body protein fuel source during training. It is important that these nutrients are replaced quickly to help prevent further protein tissue breakdown. The BCAA's used by the body are typically from skeletal muscle tissue breakdown. If BCAA's are present in the blood stream then the level of skeletal muscle breakdown is lower. Taurine has also been found to play a role in muscle volumization and adipocyte regulation. Tyrosine is a precursor to norepinepherine and helps maintain your adrenal function especially when related to the role of norepinepherine.

So the real question, how does it taste? Surprisingly it's not bad. If you were expecting Hawaiian Punch like flavor, its not going to happen, I describe it as a watered down creamsicle flavor that goes down really well. The product also mixes very well in just a hand held shaker. I really feel that ATW has gotten it right with this product and I'll admit I am biased because I had a hand in it. They already have proven themselves in the whey product area and now with RejuvniX41 they are bridging into a whole new area. . The big question now is what will I do on my Sunday nights?

Prior to Oceanside Rob was the Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of Pennsylvania for 13 years.

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Proper Recovery Time

Proper Recovery Time for working out , should be categorize by rest periods by type of exercise and numbers of repetitions performed. For example, when lifting very heavy weights for three to six repetitions, a rest period of at least 3 to 6 minutes is adequate between each set. When training heavy , the number of sets should vary between 6 and 10 by body part. For example, if training the chest with heavy weights, a lifter should perform 6 to 10 sets of 3 to 6 repetitions, with a rest period of 3 to 6 minutes between sets.
When training for definition, usually with lower weights and a higher repetitions, rest periods can be anywhere between 1 to 4 minutes. For example, when training light for the chest, a trainer should perform 10 to 14 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions, with rest periods of 1 to 4 minutes.
Hopefully these basic resting periods will help improve everybody's training efficiency to grow muscle mass. Remember, each and every one of us has different muscle tissues and each body functions differently, therefore adjust weights and rest periods accordingly for appropriate recuperation.