Basic Bodybuilding Nutrition

Many bodybuilders believe the right nutrition is ultimately responsible for as much as 80% of a bodybuilder's success. It is true that what you eat is a large contributor to body composition and how quickly you are able to achieve your bodybuilding goals. Below are five basic guidelines for bodybuilders to use when planning your diet.

1. Get Enough High Quality Protein

All of the muscles in your body are formed from protein, and so it is important that you get enough extra protein in your diet to accommodate the muscle growth you are trying to achieve. Animal protein, is significantly more usable that the protein you can get from plant or vegetable sources. The protein present in egg white is one of the best sources of protein, as around 90% of it is absorbed easily by the body. The protein in milk is also readily absorbed, followed by white meats such as chicken and fish, and then by red meats.

2. Avoid REFINED Carbohydrates

I want to make it clear that carbohydrates are a vital part of any diet and should not be omitted unless you have some medical reason for doing so. However you should be trying to get your carbohydrates from unrefined and fresh sources like fruit and vegetables, and whole grains. The beauty of these types of carbohydrates is that they are Low GI foods, which provide lower peak but more long-lived sources of energy. Refined carbohydrates such as white flour and white sugar are High GI foods and provide large yet brief bursts of energy in the form of glucose. Because you can't use all of this energy at once, you have a short-term surplus which often gets stored as fat. It also leaves you flat and hungry once the short-term effects have worn off.

3. Minimize Animal Fats

All types of fats contain substantially more calories than either protein or carbohydrate. Animal fats however can be more harmful to the circulatory system, in particular the heart, than vegetable fats. This is relatively easy to do by avoiding egg yolks (which are quite fatty), eating fish and skinned poultry and avoiding high fat meats like pork.

4. Drink Lots Of Water

I don't think I need to go into this much, but dehydration has been shown to reduce performance levels. While you might want to reduce your fluid consumption immediately before consumption to make yourself looked more ripped, it is important that you keep you fluid levels up in your training to ensure that you are operating at your peak. Keep in mind that you will sweat quite a lot in the gym so you need to add extra water on top of the average 8 glasses a day that is a general recommendation.

5. Eat Four To Five Smaller Meals A Day

We are usually taught to eat three big meals a day, however if you are serious into your bodybuilding you might want to consider eating 4 or 5 smaller meals each day. By eating smaller meals more frequently you provide more consistent nutrient and energy levels for your body throughout the day, instead of large peaks and troughs. This also makes digesting meals a bit easier for your body as it doesn't have large volumes to content with.

These are just five of the many dietary recommendations for bodybuilders. They are some of the more fundamental recommendations however, and if you follow these guidelines you are well on the way to correct nutrition for bodybuilding. The next think you might want to consider is how much protein and energy you need to consume each day I order to meet your energy needs.

Alexi has studied and worked in the health and fitness industry for over 10 years and specializes in health, lifestyle and fitness topics. Alexi has a number of websites that provide valuable information on equipment that helps you get the most out of your training sessions. You can read all about weight lifting gloves for women at his website on Harbinger Gloves.

Healthy Tips For Building Muscle

Building muscle in a healthy, efficient manner poses a formidable challenge to the busy people of today's world. Unhealthy diet crazes, overpriced workout machines, and damaging diet pills have all skyrocketed in production because of this; sleazy businessmen everywhere aim to profit off of whatever is in high demand. Fitness, or at least the appearance of fitness, is in high demand. However, there are healthy, realistic ways to accomplish this: proper nutrition, ample exercise, and adequate sleep.

Protein is key to building muscle, and there are five high quality sources at affordable prices. Canned tuna is very inexpensive and essentially pure protein. But always purchase the variety stored in water, not oil, as fats should be kept to a minimum. Tuna salad, made with mustard and light mayonnaise with some romaine is a tasty way to utilize this protein. Vegan mayonnaise is particularly good to use, as this is virtually fat-free, low in cholesterol and surprisingly tastes great, but it is on the expensive side

Making it into a sandwich with high fiber, high protein multi-grain bread (it does exist) will add some healthy complex carbohydrates if necessary. Eggs are a fantastic source, however, the yolks are very high in fat, so discretion is advised on how frequently the yolks are used. They should not be entirely avoided, as they are also a source of vitamins and minerals.

Protein powders are the cheapest, but soy is not recommended. Instead, try combining rice and pea powders; this ensures all amino acids are being consumed. Other non-animal sources, when combined, will aid the goal. Rice and beans work well, also providing fiber and complex carbohydrates. Black beans are highly recommended as they are rich in antioxidants.

But of course, exercise is crucial as well. A balanced program is recommended, however, the design is mostly dependent on the muscle group in question. Most programs consist solely of compound exercises, with perhaps a few isolation techniques. This is because unless there is a specific problem area, all muscles should be built up equally. However, it is important that cardiovascular exercises are incorporated not just because a strong heart is healthy, but because it will increase endurance. Still, this is a personal decision and so long as there is consistent exercise, there will be muscle.

Many fail to consider that sleep is important, too. Sleep-deprivation causes the metabolism to slow down, which means more calories are stored as fat. A slower metabolism than one is used to also means that if they are not paying attention, they will not notice when they get hungry. One might accidentally go for long periods of time without eating, and the body will begin to eat the muscle out of starvation. Also, when the body finally is given food, it will quickly be converted to fat to create a reserve in case it has to go too long without sustenance again. Sleep-deprivation also reduces the body's ability to convert fat to muscle.

Building muscle does not mean no carbohydrates; it does not require ridiculous workout machines, it does not need steroids or life-draining, fat-burning, muscle-building miracle pills. All it takes is consistency. A healthy diet, exercise, and sleep regimen will produce satisfactory results for the purpose it was originally intended: fitness.

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5 Actually Useful 6 Pack Tips

These 6 pack tips will help you develop chiseled abs. Now, it takes a little bit of time to get ripped, but these tips will minimize that time greatly.
So, try them out. I think you'll be surprised at how much they help!
1. Eat Less
OK, if you want to get 'ripped' abs then you need to lose body fat. Nobody will be able to see your abs, no matter how big they are, if you have fat covering them.
And the only way to lose body fat is to eat less. That's as simple as it gets. Nobody likes to diet, but there it is.
Once you get your body fat low enough, your muscles (especially your abs) will start shining through. You'll look more ripped and hotter, even though you've just lost weight.
2. Lose 1 To 1.5 Pounds A Week
Lose only a little bit of fat each week. Don't go on a crazy, crash diet and try to lose a ton of weight quickly - you'll just be hurting your progress.
Why? Well, if you lose weight any faster than 1 or 1.5 pounds a week, you'll be losing about half fat and half muscle after that. Which is not a good ratio; muscle is precious like gold, and you should protect it at all costs!

Of course, this does not mean that it'll take longer for you to reach your goal. You'll be taking the most efficient path to getting ripped.
3. Lift Weights
Lifting weight is vitally important for getting a ripped 6 pack. Weight lifting will not only build up your muscles, it'll help you retain muscle mass when you're dieting and burn calories.
Now, your weight training program doesn't need to be incredibly complicated. Just lifting once or twice a week, if you work hard, is fine.
Oh, and for your routine, keep it simple. Don't go overboard with tiny lifts, like bicep curls and calf extensions. Sweat and work hard with a few big lifts like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, standing presses, clean and presses, and weighted chin-ups.
Ab exercises are useful, but only after you're lost most of the body fat you need to lose. That's the time to start worrying about making your abdominal muscle bigger.

4. Tea and Espresso
Green tea and coffee (especially espresso) will help you lose weight. And not for the reasons you might think.
First off, neither of theses have any calories. OK, maybe if you have five shots of espresso it'll be two or three, but it's essentially zero. Which makes them much better to drink than orange juice, milk, or triple-mocha-frapa-latte-whatever-with-three-shots-of-vanilla.
Both tea and coffee also have caffeine, which help to mobilize fatty acids (so you can burn fat for fuel easier) and keep you active. Again, this won't make up for a crappy diet, but it will help when paired with good eating habits.
5. Get Cold
Getting cold will help you drop fat. Not a ton, but some.
See, your body burns a lot of energy each day to keep you at a constant body temperature. If you get cold, either by turning down there thermostat, taking cold showers, wearing less layers, or drinking tons of cold water, you'll lose weight faster.

If you want learn more about how to get 6 pack abs, check out these 6 best ab exercises. And this 6 pack abs diet will really help, too! I'm Aaron McCloud and I run the website Complete Strength Training.com. I'm also an American College of Sports Medicine certified Personal Trainer. I've been lifting heavy things, trying different diets, and practicing Japanese martial arts for quite a while.

Muscle Strength Training

Nowadays, it is widely accepted that muscle strength training is the most important factor for building solid muscle, lose fat, increase endurance and in general promote good health.
Before we start, let us define strength training. It is the exercise method in which we increase or maximize our physical strength. It is divided in two subcategories:
a) Strength Training and Muscle Build
b) Strength Training without Body-weight Increase
Lets us start from the second category. Strength training without body-weight increase is referred to athletes who use strength to accomplish their goals. They increase their strength through their sport activity without adding a remarkable amount of weight to their bodies. For example, bikers, swimmers hikers, footballers etch are exercising to increase their strength, but only as a mean to achieve their goals.
On the other hand, strength in weight lifting and bodybuilding is obtained through mass adding and muscle-building. Strength training in bodybuilding is most of the time a part of an annual periodic schedule.
Another question would be why is strength so important? Here are a few reasons:
1) Increased Endurance
It has been scientifically proven that strength training increases endurance. Better endurance means longer quality workouts, which is what we all aim for.
2) More Muscle
Being stronger means lifting more and lifting more simply means more muscle. Those two factors are closely related. Developing strength inevitably leads to adding more lean muscle.
3) Strength Builds Self-Confidence
When you are physically strong you will also feel mentally strong. Stronger people are much more self-confident and self-discipline and this helps achieving their goals much easier.
4) Losing Fat
I left the best for last. What many people aren't aware of is that working on your strength is the best way to lose fat! It helps increase your metabolism and therefore lose weight easier.
After pinpointing some of the benefits of muscle strength training, let us see how we can build up our strength:
a) Try Reaching your Limits
Give your strength an extra boost by performing one or two reps more than you normally do.
b) More Reps Less Weight
This is the best training method to increase your strength. Keep your rep range at 10 to 12 and the weight load at 70% of your maximum lift.
c) More Speed
Perform the exercises quicker in order to involve more muscle fibers for the movement. More muscle fibers involvement ultimately leads to strength increase.
Muscle strength training is obligatory for any athlete regardless of the sport activity he is into. It is the basic element for any muscle or physique development.
Keep those muscles pumping!

Chris G Pap
Since 1993 involved in bodybuilding and fitness area.Visit the following link for more info about bodybuilding, supplementation, workout routines and nutrition.

5 Bodybuilding Tips and Tricks That Work

Here's 5 bodybuilding tips and tricks that will help you build your body faster. True, you can put on muscle without using these idea. But why make it hard on yourself?
1. Go Big To Little
Start your workout with big lifts. Squats, bench presses, standing presses, and deadlifts - the good stuff!
Then, if you need to and have the time, use smaller lifts to specialize your body. Maybe use bicep curls (even though I hate them myself) if you want your biceps bigger. Or other smaller lifts to focus on body parts that you want improved.
My main point is that you should do the lifts that give you the most bang for your buck, time wise and energy wise, first. Then move on the exercises that will take more energy for less returns. Make your time count.
2. Want More Muscle? Eat Before You Workout!
OK, you've probably heard that eating right after your workout is important. And there's more than a grain of truth to that. But eating before you workout is even better!
Here's one of the important things that happens when you eat. You're giving your body the fuel and materials it needs to build your body up bigger and stronger. That means that as soon as you damage your muscles by lifting weights, you've got protein and food already digesting - giving your body the ability to start immediately building new muscle.
3. Count Your Calories
Want to put on weight, as muscle? Eat more.
Lose weight, as fat? Eat less.
These are the basics. Now if you want to be certain about your weight loss, or stay good while just gaining muscle, count your calories to make sure you're eating exactly the right amount.
It is a pain in the ass, but... It works. End of story.
4. Don't Whine About Your Setbacks or Your Genetics
These days, everybody seems to be focused on why they can't reach their goals. "I have bad genetics," or, "I don't have the time," or whatever.
If you really want it badly enough, you'll find the time. You'll find the time to work hard, really find out everything you need to know, and work around the setbacks in your life.
Everybody has stuff that doesn't go as planned. Everybody has family obligation and work and 10,000 reasons to not get their workout done.
But some people get to the gym and make progress. And others just don't. Which will you be?
5. Find A Routine That Works, And Stick With It
Lastly, when you find a routine that works for you and that's giving your results, stick with it! Do not change anything!
I meet so many people who say, "Well, my routine is working, but I want to get results faster so I...". If you're getting consistent results, don't do anything different. Really.
In the beginning virtually anything works, but as you lift longer and longer it becomes harder and harder to put on more muscle. If you're making progress, don't risk shooting yourself in the foot by changing things up. Keep on keeping on, and you'll reach your goals.

If you want more bodybuilding info, check out these bodybuilding routines that work, and this info about your own personal bodybuilding genetics. I'm Aaron McCloud and I run the website Complete Strength Training.com, and I'm an American College of Sports Medicine certified Personal Trainer. I've been lifting heavy things, trying different diets, and practicing Japanese martial arts for quite a while. There's a lot of info about all different kinds of strength and weight training, and how to get ripped. Check it out!
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Bodybuilding Supplements

The physical training of ones body is not a walk in the park. Intense workout sessions, the tear of a muscle here, the twitching of a nerve there, and other related quibbles are the scars that your average body builder has to essentially bear. Thankfully, there is some form of aide along the road to that ideal body. This help comes fashioned as body building supplements.

A bodybuilding supplement is a dietary alternative used by those who are in the field of athletics and bodybuilding. The operative word here is alternative - not meal replacement. These proxies are classified into different groups; the grouping of the supplement comes down to the particular biological chemical processes affected by the proxy. Some of these proxies are as follows: protein, amino acids, fatty acids, creatine (an organic acid), just to name but a few of this products. These are disposed of either in powdered form or as a capsule.

As a body builder, the assumption is that your choice of a particular supplement is dictated by the subjective goal being pursued. For instance an individual who wants to build up muscle and ensure that torn muscle recovers properly will go the way of consuming a protein diet or amino acids; an individual who would want to shorten recovery time during periods of intense work out might elect to go the road of Cretin; and so on and so forth. A word of caution though, the body builder has to have more than a rudimentary understanding on the proxies that they are consuming. The points to ponder are as follows:

• Foremost ensure that you know the ingredients of whatever you are consuming and their effect on your system. This is important because of the fact that some of these could have side effects on your system.


• Secondly ensure that your steer away from supplements that might not be legal in the strictest sense of the word. In mind are products such as hormones -whose legal definition is dicey - the main reason for this is that the side effects from their consumption can be devastating (androgyny and other such related effects).


• Lastly ensure that you get the guidance of a nutritionist, your fitness instructor, or a medical professional. This folk are best equipped to give you a run down on what likely impact on your kidneys, hormone system, and muscular system, a particular drug is bound to have on you. They are also best placed to elect on whether you are suited to even partake in any of these regimens (body building supplements).