Health

Traditional strength training consists of performing one to three (or more) sets of exercises on a specific, isolated muscle group. One rep, or repetition, equals one complete movement of the exercise from start to finish. For example, for a bicep curl you might begin with your arm extended down by your side holding the weight, say a dumbbell, curl the weight upward to your shoulder by bending your elbow, and then lower the weight back to the starting position. That’s one rep. Do that 8-12 times and you’ve completed one set of bicep curls. Rest for 30 to 60 seconds to allow your muscle to recuperate and you’re ready for the next set.

Successive sets should be progressive, meaning that each one should be performed using "progressive" or increased resistance. In the case of the aforementioned bicep curl, you might do the first set using a 10-lb weight, rest for 30 seconds, then increase the resistance to 12 lbs for the second set, rest for 30 seconds, then finish up with a third set, again increasing the resistance by using a 15-lb weight. Congratulations! You’ve just worked out your biceps in the same way bodybuilders train their biceps in the gym.

Some supplement companies will go to any lengths to prove their products’ effectiveness. But sometimes the evidence isn’t quite what it’s cracked up to be. Before and after photos are the most compelling means by which to convince a person of steroid-like gains.

Often the before photos show the bodybuilder in off-season condition; fat, bloated, with pale skin. Hardly inspirational, but true to life. And photos are sometimes reversed. In one instance a supplement company presented a photo of a fitness model in top condition, declaring it the ‘after’ photo. Beside it, the apparent ‘before’ photo showed the model in her last trimester of pregnancy. Anyone who is familiar with the model’s history is aware that the before photo was, in fact, the after photo.

The same trick was used by an ex-professional bodybuilder from the 1960s. Interestingly, his jowls sagged more and his face looked older in the before photo. Apparently his supplement line not only increases muscle, it may be the proverbial fountain of youth!

Before and after photos from every day individuals sell a product best. They represent people like you and me… average weight trainees hoping to make dramatic changes in short order. But these photos are also highly dubious. In order to look as bad and as good as possible, the models employ several tricks.

For many thin guys around the world, gaining weight without using illegal steroids has been a challenge. For thousands of lean young men, the dream is to gain weight, but no matter how much they eat they remain thin. Some people are naturally thin; that means their genetic makeup is in such a way that the body burns more calories than others. The very basic method of weight gain is to eat more calories than your body burns off. By providing the body with more calories, this balance can be altered and body mass can be increased. Weight training is of great importance in this context, which enables the body to absorb more nutrients from the food by increasing the level of certain hormones and increasing the muscle mass.

There are many incorrect beliefs and theories bout building muscle. The type of food to be eaten is an important factor which decides the type of weight gained, whether it is muscle mass or mere accumulation of fat. Some types of calories are not equal to others for gaining muscle; because most processed junk food contains empty, totally nutritionless calories. These foods promote accelerated fat storage, and do not provide the body with the correct nutrients essential for gaining muscle. High quality protein, which the body breaks down into amino acids, should be the centerpiece of all your meals. Intense exercise increases demand for amino acids, which support muscle repair and growth.

I know what many of you are thinking reading the title of this article. I also thought the same once. It cannot be done! Attaining a stronger, visible, set of abdominal muscles has always been a common goal in people’s fitness training programmes and yet, paradoxically, many (most) of these people never actually achieve this goal.

Being involved in the fitness industry I see the same problem over and over again. The problem can be spelled out like this.

M-A-C-H-I-N-E-S!

Now, while there is nothing innately wrong with abdominal equipment, it does bring with it a whole host of potential problems. One of the most prominent is that people simply do not use the equipment correctly. Another is that they erroneously believe that somehow the machine will do half the job for them!

A third problem is that to some extent abdominal cradles, and the assortment of similar cradle designs, are essentially lifting your head for you thus eliminating the need for that much effort.

There is a way to work the abdominal region however that requires little movement, but that is highly effective, as the emphasis is purely on you to put in the effort without a machine in sight!

Chaos is the scientific study of orderly disorder. It offers a way of seeing order and pattern where formerly only the random, the erratic, and the unpredictable (viz., the chaotic) had been observed. If a rock cliff is inspected, with its many jagged and irregular patterns splitting off in all directions, it can be concluded that the rock’s pattern appears the same whether looking at 100 square feet or 1-square inch of area. Hence, although the overall structure appears different, i.e. the divergences and measure of rock cut, the fragments that constitute the composition maintain close resemblance. Consequently, although chaotic in appearance, its nature is predictable and purposeful. Similarly, exercise can be very chaotic yet predictable, ever changing from one workout to the next but with direction… extreme variety coupled with standardization for purposes of sufficient measurement and comparison.

Chaos Training(TM) is the randomization of exercise stimuli that includes a limited measure of standardization in order to maintain a benchmark in which to compare exercise performance. In other words, this method provides from workout to workout an accurate method of measurement, to establish and test training progress, yet it allows for dramatic alteration of the stimulus, making exercise (at the very least) more enjoyable and interesting. Chaos TrainingTM is an ideal method for maintaining motivation while instilling structure ? two indispensable considerations for trainees as well as exercise instructors needing to collect feedback data from their clients.

Lets discuss what I term as Muscle and Fitness — The First Key.

In a previous article, I went through the ‘Three Keys To Success’ in any muscle and fitness regime that you use.

Remember — ‘BE - DO - HAVE’?

If you missed this article, you can get it here… Fitness Goal

If you’ve read it, here’s just a very quick overview of what it was about:

1. Decide what you want to HAVE. What are your goals?

2. Decide what the necessary steps are, that you must DO to reach those goals.

3. Choose what you need to BE. What do you need to become in order to DO what is necessary to HAVE what you want?

If you are at all confused about this article, please re-read it, and again if necessary. You’ve really got to get this right so that you can succeed in anything you choose to do, including achieving any sort of success with your fitness goals.

Assuming you understand the concept I’ve just discussed, here are the ten most important steps of the ‘HAVE’ key:

Just like routines, this document is not intended to be a “one size fits all.” Take from it what you will, but please remember that what is most important is your health and well being. In that light, consider the following list:

1. Before beginning any serious weight lifting or body building regimen, consult your physician.

2. Set your goals. Define what you expect to achieve with your new bodybuilding campaign within a realistic time frame. If you create goals that are unattainable you are setting yourself up for failure. You can become bored, disappointed and disillusioned to the point where you may give up. This is a very sad outcome to what might have been the best decision of your life. Don’t sell yourself short. Set your long term goals, of course, but also set short term goals that are achievable. And, don’t forget to reward yourself when you do achieve them.

3. Consider the costs. If you don’t already have a budget, create one. Then, determine what amount of discretionary funds you have available for your bodybuilding program. This will determine whether you can afford to have a home gym or if your needs would better be served by joining a club. Joining a club is still a good short term introduction before spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on equipment that might not be appropriate for your needs.

Body building or even just showing up at a gym can be intimidating for a beginner. Provided below are some tips that can help you get into body building, and into your first fitness club:

One of the most time consuming and frustrating parts of bodybuilding is not building muscles, it’s removing unwanted hair.

For any competing bodybuilder, hair removal is a must but it’s also growing in popularity among casual bodybuilders.

Before looking at recommendations for specific body areas it should be stated that laser hair removal or electrolysis are regarded as the only permanent hair removal methods.

Although the most effective, they are also the most expensive! For full information on laser hair removal and electrolysis, visit this Laser Research Library: http://www.about-hair-removal.com/Laser-Library

Here is checklist of body areas and recommended hair removal methods for each:

Upper Lip, Chin, Mustache and Beard -

Men: Shaving.

Women: Waxing or sugaring.

Back of Neck -

Men: Shaving, clipping.

Women: Waxing or sugaring

Chest -

Waxing, shaving, depilatories.

CAUTION: Some find the shaving option unacceptable due to the irritation it causes when stubble reappears shortly afterwards. There can also be an acute problem with ingrown hairs in some cases. Once the shaving option is taken for chest hair removal it will need to be done regularly.

Nipples -

Welcome to article number 2 in our series "Bodybuilding Sins That Cause Back Pain and Missed Workouts". In this article we are going to talk about how bodybuilders tend to create massive muscle imbalances and what you can do to not be one of them.

If you missed the first article, you can read it by clicking on the link below.

Here’s a breakdown of the articles to look for:

1. Article:1 - Choosing The WRONG Exercises
2. Article:2 - Training Variations for Pain Relief and Maximum Results
3. Article:3 - Targeted Stretching
4. Article:4 - Targeted Exercises
5. Article:5 - Rest, Recovery, and Injury Prevention

Article:3 - Targeted Stretching

Stretching can be great, but it can also make existing injuries worse or even bring about new ones!

The key to making stretching work for you is knowing which stretches you need to be working on? and just because a muscle feels tight, that doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to be stretched.

For example, many people stretch the hamstrings because they feel tight and they think the hamstrings are limiting their flexibility?