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The Three Essentials to Gaining Muscle

Gaining muscle is not going to happen if there is no determination.

For one thing, it takes work to gain muscles; there is no doubt about it. You have to invest a lot of time and patience. You must have full commitment to meet your goals. But aside from just going under a rigorous training program, there are certain aspects one must consider. All of these together can help make a program effective and let you achieve your goal in the fastest time possible.

Here are three essential steps which can greatly improve your muscle building success rate.

• Proper Diet – A lot of people misconstrue the word “diet.” Many think that diet equates to starving one’s self. All a diet means that a person, depending on his goal, has the proper and correct food intake. If you are thinking of gaining muscle and weight, then eating more calories than you burn when you have an extensive workout would be necessary to fuel the growth of muscles.  You need to have a balanced intake of protein, carbs and fats. Information on bodybuilding and other eating programs are all over the ‘Net. Just do a Google search to find one that’s right for you.

• Develop a strength training program – Muscles are built when they are regularly pushed to the limit. Perpetual couch potatoes don’t build muscles, they grow guts. You must develop a strength training program that incorporates progressive resistance and advocates the basic compound, multi-joint movements.  Your muscle will react to heavy lifting and will grow to compensate for the needed strength to lift the heavy weights. As you move on to heavier weights, the muscle will continually grow for strength compensation.

• Get sufficient rest – Contrary to popular belief, your muscles don’t grow while your lifting weights, they grow when your out of the gym. As you work out, your muscles are damaged and in need of repair. When you go to sleep, the damage done to the muscles will be repaired and this is when they grow. Try to get at least seven hours of sleep a night.

In addition, certain supplements – like creatine and fish oil – are good to have in your muscle-building arsenal. A good multi-vitamin is a must considering most individuals don’t eat right.

Commit to the basics and you’ll see  your efforts will not go to waste.

Now get off that couch and start pumping iron.

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Basic Bulk & Power Routine Part 4

This weeks video continues our Lessons of the 50s Series.

Today we spotlight a very popular bulking and power routine from the 50s and 60s. This one involving a three-day power routine that focuses on building bulk on the upper body and power in the lower body.

There are gems in this routine and if more people would follow this workout than the ones in the muscle rags, there wouldn’t be so much confusion on building muscle and raw power.

Enjoy the video.

Alcohol and Muscle Gain

Alcohol, in moderation, can be good for you. Just ask all those glass-a-day wine drinkers out there.

On the other hand, overindulgence of alcohol is one of the major reasons for ruining not only your physique, but your health as well.  It’s a dangerous game to play, yet many bodybuilders and weight trainers go overboard on alcohol.

If you really want to maintain your six packs (abs not beer) and your mass, you have to be conscious about drinking alcohol because it can cause deterioration of muscle fiber.

What are the effects of alcohol in your body?

1. Increases estrogen and decreases testosterone levels.
If you wanted to increase your muscles, then you have to maintain or increase the levels of testosterone inside your body.. It will be a loss on your part, as men, if you allowed estrogen to overcome your testosterone levels because that can also cause secondary female characteristics.

2. Affects protein synthesis

You know that protein is one of the most important nutrients that your body needs in order to gain those additional mass. When you hinder protein synthesis because of too much alcoholism, you tend to hinder for protein to be distributed all throughout your body. Protein synthesis will be slowed down about 20%.

3. Strips the body of minerals and vitamins.

Alcohol has a diuretic effect on the body which promotes increase excretion of minerals and vitamins inside the body. When too much alcohol is consumed, it tends to strip off some of the important elements that our body needs, namely Vitamin A, B complex, C, calcium, phosphorus and zinc. These elements are drained in rapid manner which can cause comprises to our body’s chemical balance. In order to function properly, one must maintain a sufficient amount of minerals and vitamins inside the body to support muscle growth.

4. Dehydration can and will occur.

Around 70 percent of muscle is water. Since alcohol is a diuretic and irritant, your body can quickly dehydrate when drinking heavily. Too much drinking leads to massive dehydration and muscle loss.

4. Increases storage of fats
Many drrinkers are known to possess large bellies, hence the term beer belly. That’s because alcohol can trigger deposition of fats inside our bodies. Alcohol contains about 7 calories every gram which is the main reason why alcohol can make people fat in an unnatural way.

You have to take care of how you manage drinking especially if you want to maintain, as well a grow, muscle. A few drinks occasionally aren’t bad as long as you can handle the effects. Otherwise your muscle gaining goals can be totally affected in a very negative way.

In other words, if you can’t drink  in moderation, don’t drink at all.

Your muscles will thank you for it.

Sports Drinks and Water

Sports drinks and energy drinks have become a popular substitute for water.  They are sold in almost every grocery store, department store and pharmacy.  Sports drinks are advertised in most sports magazines and all sports television.

But what about the controversy of sports drinks vs water?  Which is better?

Gatorade is one of the most universally known sports drinks and is available in different colors and flavors that will satisfy most taste buds.  There are other sports drinks that are on the market that have differing amounts of electrolytes and additives.  All reportedly improve athletic performance.

In 1965 a group of specialists from the University of Florida began pioneering sports drinks to encourage their athletes to fight tired muscles without performance-enhancing drugs.  What they found is that athletes who used the sports drinks became dependent upon them.  Research found that after having used energy drinks 90% of athletes then preferred them to water after a tiring activity.

The original intent of sports drinks was to be used during an activity to help the athlete continue and not to refuel after an activity.  Post athletic activity refueling is important and can be accomplished successfully without the addition of the empty calories found in sports drinks.  In fact drinking them without exercising intensely will lead to quick weight gain, often the opposite effect that a client is trying to achieve.

But sports drinks vs water?  Sports drinks are not an alternative to water, which is the major component of the body.  They are stimulants, which help the athlete to continue to work, but they will never replace re-hydration with water.  In fact, using a sports drink after an activity without also using water will lead to dehydration.

Most sports drinks contain carbohydrates to fuel muscles and supplements to replenish fluids and nutrients.  There are three types of drinks.  Isotonic that sustains energy for middle and long distance events; hypotonic that are best for jockeys and gymnasts; and hypertonic for ultra distance events and used with isotonic drinks.

The difference in each of these sports drinks is the amount of carbohydrates and electrolytes.  The higher the level of these additives the slower they empty from your stomach and the longer you feel full.

So which is better: sports drinks vs water?

The answer lies in the amount of time you’ll be exercising, your drink preferences, and your pre-exercise hydration level.

Water hydrates best for people who are exercising between 25 and 45 minutes.  Only the true endurance athletes really need sports drinks to replace their sodium loss from sweat.  If you are exercising for 30 minutes you won’t need to hydrate during the workout.  If you are going for 45 minutes water will hydrate you and maintain your performance.

Only you can answer this question best for your situation.  You know your program.  Use the drink that will help you perform the best.