Are you ready for a Fun Set? You may be asking yourself what set could fun? Let me describe the situation by using typical bicep routine.

Let's suppose when I go the gym today to blast my biceps, I start off with standing barbell curls. I work four sets with 8 to 10 reps. My partner is no way letting me off easy, so he loads the bar to make every set heavy. On the last set, I know 4 reps is going to be tough, the 5th will be almost impossible and 6 through 8 will be done only with his help. My "bi's" are beginning to fry and I have just gotten started.

Next we move to seated alternating dumbbell curls. The movement is more concentrated because you only have to focus on one arm at time. Again, my partner sees an opportunity to torture me a bit more. He forces me through the last reps of every set. Remember I said fried before; well now we are really pumping in the blood. The head of the bicep is getting down right full from this workout. I feel the growth coming on!

Now I move to another bi blasting exercise, the seated curl machine. This machine isolates the bicep movement and eliminates any possibility of cheating. Again, I do 4 sets of 8-10 reps.

So what the heck is FUN SET? None of the above sounded like fun...right? Hold on I'm getting there. I just had to set the stage for defining the Fun Set.

The Fun Set is a set that you do in addition to your normal routine. However, with the Fun Set you choose any weight and number of reps you want to do. In my mind, if you have just pounded out the hard and heavy sets, the Fun Set should be light weight and done with higher reps. Often I will stay with the last exercise in my arm routine and just lighten up and rep out. In this case the curl machine does the trick for my Fun Set.

My biceps will flush with blood for the best feeling pump on the planet. Try it; you'll know what I mean. Heck I might even do 2 Fun sets if the feeling is there. You'll know when to stop. Do too many and the Fun Sets will become counter productive.

You can do a Fun Set with any muscle group! Some suggested funs for other body part are:

* Triceps- do bent over tricep kick backs with a light weight dumbbells

* Pecs- do light weight cable flies or flat bench dumbbell flies

* Back- do wide grip cable pull downs

* Legs- do high rep squeezing leg extensions

* Calves- do calf extensions on box or other elevated surface with just your body weight

The key to a Fun Set is to add it periodically to your regular routine. Keep it spontaneous. Also, keep it light and increase the reps. You will have a blast.

This technique was introduced to me by a very good friend (Tom Hahn) in Louisville, KY. My thanks to him. There is nothing like a FUN SET!

In my previous article, I talked about training each body part twice per week. Well let me say this is only half the recipe. You can come to the gym and work your body parts but if you lack intensity, you might as well go home. The gym floor should be a place of strictly business.

Let me explain. Normally when I go to the gym today, I will see guys working out but also laughing, talking and standing around. Honestly, they will take 5 minutes between sets. I often wonder if this workout or a Social Event. Let me tell you what is not happening during this kind of workout:

* There is no focus to psyche up to the next set. They'd rather talk about the weekend then get motivated to do their best..

* The body is cooling down and thinking No Pain here which means No Gain.

* Don't expect the muscle to get pumped or flushed with blood.

In short this approach to a routine is just going through the motion. Oh sure it is better than doing nothing, but it worth the time.

To me the time on the gym floor is time to focus, push every rep to the limit and drive the muscle to greater size and definition. To do anything less is mediocrity...and this defines the men from boys.

So how do you achieve this level of intense training?

1. Don't socialize on the gym floor. The first time someone wants to do small talk or maybe ask you a bodybuilding question, simply say "I'd enjoy explaining this but I currently in the middle of my routine, could we do it later?" They will get the point and not bother you in future. Use the locker room, juice bar, check in desk or any NON gym floor place to be areas of friendly conversation but also take time to define the gym floor as a place of strict business for your workouts.

2. Concentrate on thinking about your next set during your rest period. Your eyes will naturally focus on fixed objects in the gym rather looking around and catching someone's eye for conversation.

3. Talk to yourself internally. Encourage yourself with thoughts "I can do this weight" or "I will push to limits on this one".

4. Get a training partner that is every bit as serious as you. Motivate each other. Limit conversation to aspects that have to do with the routine at hand.

5. Avoid long rests. This is not power lifting! The muscle recovers to 80% to its original strength less than 1 minute.

6. Take every set to failure. Unless you are doing a warm up set, why stop at 10 reps if you could have done 12 reps.

7. Get a spotter to push beyond the number of reps you can do on your own and help take you to failure.

If you don't walk off the floor drained from your workout (at least in trained muscle group), you likely did not do the intensity required to grow you body.

Perhaps Arnold said it best when he said NO PAIN, NO GAIN. Our mindset in today's bodybuilding is that we want results and we want it now but many are unwilling to dedicate the necessary intense time required to achieve the results. Many would rather research the next quick fix drug than spend the time in the gym. As I say at the end of all my articles, "Sweat Eventually Hardens to Muscle". I observe that 99% of the guys or gals that I see in the gym loaf through their workouts and for crying out loud don't even work up a sweat. I can't say it strong enough or often enough that your workouts need to be more intense, longer and more frequent. Don't whine to me about overtraining... that is a modern day excuse for not doing you duty in the gym. Working out is serious business. I did these levels of routines and you can too. If you have made this far in this article, it appears to me that you are a cut above the rest and are serious about getting the most from your gym time.

Okay so what does it mean to work longer? Does it mean to spend 2 hours on chest and 3 on legs during a workout? Well not exactly but I think the idea of working each body part longer will add value. The focus of this article is to dispel the myth that working each body part one day a week is acceptable to achieving the results for competitive bodybuilder. Frankly it is not! If you really want to gain muscle size you have to force the muscle to grow.

Ever see the mammoth size of the thighs on an Olympic sprinter? I'd kill to have thighs that size. Do you think that sprinter only trained his legs once a week? Give me a break. He was on the track multiple days per week blasting the 50 Meter dash. And on the days he wasn't running, he was training with weights.

It is not expecting too much for you to work you body parts twice a week!

If you want to be successful in bodybuilding, if you want to grow out of your shirt and pants, start working your body parts twice a week. The routines in this section will help you gear yourself to train muscle groups twice a week, attain adequate recovery time to achieve a rapid muscle growth. If you take this challenge:

* You will get twice a many workouts compared to regular guy in the gym

*Expect more dramatic and rapid muscle gains.

*Expect the routine to create better muscular definition and vasularity

*Expect the mind to feed on the physical success and further motivate you. You will look forward to your gym time.

Bodybuilding enthusiasts, as well as strength training participants, all want quick, visible muscle defining results. Their main goal is to add different degrees of lean tissue or fat burning muscle to their bodies all according to personal objectives. Bodybuilders want to add as much muscle mass as possible, while fitness enthusiast want to either maintain muscle mass, or slightly increase strength and size. It all depends upon the specific goals and objectives of each participant.

Bodybuilding magic occurs not during the first rep, but the last. Do you know the last, most difficult, repetition triggers 90% of muscle building results?

The main principle in increasing muscle strength and size is overload.If you place a greater stress on your muscles than you had during the previous workout, that specific muscle will be stimulated, and overloaded enough causing an adaptive responsive. This event results in greater strength and muscle tissue development. The adaptive response is dependent upon the intensity of that last magic, muscle producing rep.

Bodybuilding and strength training participants should really focus on conquering that last, near impossible muscle building repetition.A valiant effort of trying to move that last rep will trigger the muscle group to adapt, and grow stronger.

Don't give up too easily when you feel the weight is challenging. Battle that rep for at least 4 seconds. Even if you are unable to complete the full rep, you have succeeded, and the muscle building growth process will follow. That is, only if you have had sufficient rest between workouts. It is not during the bodybuilding workout when muscle building results occur, but rather after consecutive rest days to allow for muscle building compensation followed by overcompensation.

The last rep is the stimulus that triggers this whole process which bodybuilding and strength gains are based upon. Please note, this whole process can be short circuited by not allowing enough rest time between workouts for overcompensation to occur. If you allow your body sufficient rest, your muscle strength will continue to increase with each subsequent bodybuilding workout. If not, you need more days off to recover from the previous workout. You only have a limited number of resource recovery abilities available, so don't short circuit your results by not allowing the recovery process to finish.

Instead of focusing on which bodybuilding supplement brings good bodybuilding fortune, focus on what really matters - the last, muscle building rep. Then allow your body to do the rest.

Your primary goal should be to reach that repetition you can't complete after struggling four or more seconds. If you follow this last rep, maximum stress, followed by sufficient rest principle, then you will see magic in your bodybuilding results.

Have you ever heard a bodybuilder say, “You need to work your legs to build your arms”? While there is in fact quite a lot of truth to this advice, it also hints at a solution to break through training plateaus and pack on muscle when you’re a hard gainer. This article explains how to use exercise to anabolically “prime” your body to boost workout gains and offer a natural alternative to the use of dangerous and illegal steroids.

Exercise and adaptation responses

Most serious bodybuilders and exercisers will have experienced the frustration of training plateaus - that is the more they work out, the harder it is to make gains in muscle size and strength. Why is this? To put it very simply, the reason is that the once wide window of adaptation when beginning a workout routine for the first time has now shrunk several fold.

Weights and exercise intensities that used to stimulate muscle size and strength no longer have the same effect. Under natural (non-steroid/drug enhanced) development conditions, the human body places restrictions on adaptation to ensure survival and balance or homeostasis.

It would appear that the solution to this problem would be to increase the body's anabolic hormone response to allow for further adapation however, the “natural regulation” process frustrates many bodybuilders and causes many to look to steroids for a solution.

Exercise and the anabolic hormone response

In an earlier article on our website we discussed the interaction of bodybuilding-type exercises and the hormonal responses associated with them. Anabolic steroids we explained are responsible not only for “building up” and enlarging various types of tissue such as muscle and bone but also for directly increasing strength, which indirectly leads to further gains in muscle size. In the same article, we mentioned that anabolic hormone response can be manipulated with exercise.

According to the NSCA – the world’s leading authority on strength and conditioning, manipulating one or a combination of the following factors can naturally boost testosterone levels:

· Exercises that use large muscle groups

· Exercises that use heavy resistance (85-95% 1RM)

· Moderate to high exercise volume (multiple exercises/sets)

· Short rest periods between exercises (<>

Similarly, it is possible to increase Human Growth Hormone (HGH) and its associated growth factors such as Insulin-like Growth Factor I (IGF-I) by manipulating one or a combination of the following factors:

· Exercises that generate higher lactate levels

· Exercises that require a high total work (e.g. 3 x 10 RM)

· Short rest periods between exercises (<>

· Power output is a key factor in anabolic hormone responses

Power output is a measure of the ability to perform work in a set period of time or alternatively, the ability to generate force at a particular speed. High muscle power output would then be an indication of the ability to perform a high level of (muscle) work in a short period of time.

Now if we take this concept and apply it to the above-mentioned factors, it is clear that total muscle power output is one of the primary factors contributing to the testosterone and HGH/IGF-I response during resistance exercise.

So exercises such as heavy squats and deadlifts that target the very large, powerful muscles of the legs (quads, hamstrings and glutes) and back (erector spinea) are ideally suited for “anabolic priming.”

How does this type of exercise create a more anabolic environment in the body?

The following are some of the suspected mechanisms leading to the increased anabolic state:

· Since control of anabolic hormone release is directly dependent on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (the link between the hypothalamus and pituitary gland), it is possible that intense physical exercise/stress itself may stimulate increased concentrations either directly or indirectly

· Fluid shifts from the blood into the cells during intense exercise may concentrate hormone levels with no actual increase in secretion levels

· Venous pooling of blood (muscle “pump”) in the exercised muscle may increase hormone concentrations by reducing clearance and degradation in organs like the liver. It is also suspected that retention of blood in the veins of the exercised muscle may increase the time of exposure and the likelihood of the hormone binding with its specific receptor in muscle tissue

· Sarcolemmas (membranes surrounding muscles) of involved muscles are mechanically sensitized (stretched) from force generation stress and made more permeable to available anabolic hormones and growth factors

What is the suggested protocol for using exercise as an anabolic primer?

A good way for a bodybuilder to take advantage of the body’s natural anabolic priming system is to perform a combined upper and lower body routine. In other words, upper and lower body exercises are performed in the same workout session.

This type of routine can, for example be performed 2 – 3 times per week to separate any upper/lower body split programs. On the split days, you can still choose to perform just the “priming exercises” before exercising the arms and back for example.

The hormone “spike “ induced from the exercising of the large muscles of the legs early in the routine creates a greatly boosted anabolic environment for exercising the smaller, less powerful muscles of the upper body like the chest and arms. Increases in testosterone will also boost strength levels via increased motor nerve activity which will in turn, allow for more exercise-induced muscle damage and muscle growth (ideal for “hard arm size gainers”).

So to anabolically prime your body, try performing the following:

Begin your weightlifting session with 3 - 4 sets of deadlifts or squats at 85 – 95% of your 1 RM (if you don’t know your 1 RM, aim for 2 – 6 repetitions)

· Rest no longer than 60 seconds between sets

· Perform your traditional combined upper body/lower body routine or split routine as normal

· Drink a carbohydrate and protein mix drink during and after your routine as this has shown to boost IGF-I levels

In closing, this article has briefly explained the concept of “anabolic priming” using exercise. It is suggested that you experiment with other exercises that will have the same effect as squats and deadlifts to avoid boredom and ensure a varied training stimulus and sufficient anabolic response.

Bodybuilding is the sport of developing muscle fibers through the combination of weight training, increased caloric intake, and rest. Competitive bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points.

The sport is not to be confused with strongman competition or powerlifting, where emphasis is on actual physical strength, or with Olympic weightlifting, where emphasis is equally split between strength and technique.

Though superficially similar to the casual observer, the fields entail a different regimen of training, diet, and basic motivation. Bodybuilders aspire to develop and maintain an aesthetically pleasing (by bodybuilding standards) body and balanced physique. A bodybuilder's size and shape are far more important than how much he or she can lift.

The growth and repair, however, cannot occur without the necessary building blocks. These are supplied by high quality nutrition. Bodybuilders require a very specialised diet. Generally speaking, bodybuilders require anything between 500-1000 calories (2000 to 4000 kilojoules) above their maintenance level of food energy while attempting to increase lean body mass.

A sub-maintenance level of food energy is combined with cardiovascular exercise to lose body fat in preparation for a contest. The ratios of food energy from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats vary depending on the goals of the bodybuilder.

Supplements can help muscle gain, although some are unproven and many are ineffective. Two supplements which have been proven to help bodybuilders gain and maintain size (without unhealthy side effects) are Creatine and L-Glutamine. Like all supplements, these only help if used in conjunction with a solid nutritional base and weight training program.

Some bodybuilders may use drugs to gain an advantage over results due to natural hypertrophy, especially in professional competitions. Although many of these substances are illegal in many countries, in professional bodybuilding the use of anabolic steroids and precursor substances such as prohormones are sometimes essential to competing in world-class competitions.

Most steroids allows the human body to be in a more anabolic state. Significant negative side-effects accompany steroid abuse, such as liver damage and negative feedback leading to a decline in the body's own testosterone production, which can cause testicular atrophy and possible infertility.

This is part 2 of the 2-part "7 Simple Steps To Beginning Bodybuilding" series.

4. You Must Track What You Eat

That's right! Needless to say... not a lot of people do this. They just bulk so they eat anything in sight. Or they want to burn fat so they just quit eating. If you don't track what you are eating, you are just guessing.

And guessing is no way to meet a goal. Once you know how much you need to eat, you can easily track that and meet your daily goals. Once you get into a routine (certain foods and portions) you'll have a very good idea of what you eating.

Tracking what you eat is a must. At this point, in only 4 steps, you've just outlined the foundation for nutrition!

5. Choosing An Exercise Routine

Here's a clue... it involves every major muscle group. A good basic workout should include:

• Legs (squats, lunges, leg extensions, leg curls, leg press) • Shoulders (military press, dumbbell raises, side laterals) • Chest (bench press, flyes, dips) • Back (pull-ups, rows, deadlifts, lat pull-downs) • Arms (ez-bar curls, barbell curls, dumbbell curls) • Abs (hanging leg raises, incline crunches) • Cardio (for the heart)

I could go on and on with this question and post 500 routines and reps and sets and you’d still be confused. So let me ease the confusion by saying this.

THERE IS NO GOLDEN ROUTINE THAT WILL WORK FOR EVERYONE!

I've tried several routines. Max-OT, Tom Venuto's supersetting, Optimum Anabolics and I'll tell you something. I've gotten gains out of all of them and they all have various philosophies. For less then $100, I have enough programs to try for a year.

Here's proof.

Do you see the same people in your gym, doing the same things, and a year later they look the same? It's really quite simple. If you keep doing what you've always done, you will keep getting what you've always gotten.

There's many variations on exercises and routines you can do. And you'll find out a ton of them while browsing around on forums and reading fitness sites. And while you might be tempted to stick with just one. Don't. Try it, evaluate it, and try another one. After about 6 months, you'll know your body very well and what it responds to. You will have tried many exercises and you'll know if you like something and if something else just doesn't work out.

6. Deciding On Supplementation

While 97% of your progress will come from nutrition and training there are still a few basics to consider. There's also a point when you might want to go beyond the basics if you want the optimal amount of gains.

But what are the basics of supplementation?

Daily multi-vitamin Omega 3 and 6 EFA complex (fish oil, flax seed) Whey protein (specifically for after workouts)

Just that small amount of supplementation is all you should need to bring your nutrition levels to 100%. Those are the basics. It's pretty simple.

As you progress down the line, you might want to consider going beyond the basics.

7. Monitoring Your Progress

I cannot tell you how many people do not follow this rule. If you don't take measurements, track your progress or inspect yourself in a mirror, it's pretty difficult to impossible to know where you've been to know where you are going.

Making small daily goes is a wonderful method of keeping the momentum moving forward and keeping yourself motivated to reach your goals. This is difficult when you don't keep track of what you just did in order to beat a personal best.

It’s also the #1 reason why people get so frustrated with nutrition and training and progress in general. They just look at themselves at that very moment and decide immediately if the last 4 months of effort was worth it. They don't take into account they did better then the last workout and they don't quite realize they lost a pant or dress size. They just make judgments on what they perceive to be reality at that moment.

Methods of tracking your progress include:

Tracking what you eat Tracking your workouts in a notebook or other method Taking periodic measurements of standard body areas using a variety of methods Taking periodic photographs

When you measure your progress on a frequent but not daily basis, you will soon see that your efforts are paying off. And if there is a course adjustment necessary you can quickly correct it before it's too late. This critical stage is often overlooked because most people barely can figure out what to eat let alone be bothered to track their progress.

You will start to notice people around you year after year complaining of the same things they complained about the year before.

Would you build a house without tracking its progress? Would you drive your car without monitoring its performance and getting regular tune-ups? For those of you with children, you look at report cards and homework quizzes as a method of tracking your child’s scholastic performance. You know where there might be a problem and can correct it before it becomes a major issue. Many of you track the performance of your portfolio holdings.

So why not track the progress of your workouts?

With just a few simple fundamental steps, you can ensure that all of your workouts and waking moments are spent on the right path to fitness. No matter what your goals may be, male or female, if you follow these steps, you will ensure your success.

When I was 16, I asked myself this very same question that I received from a frustrated 16 year old. It went something like this...

"A Little Help Please! I am 16 and I am VERY skinny! I don't have much fat on me so... you could almost see my bones if I am not wearing anything baggy. I only weight 105 lbs and I know I am tooth pick mainly because I don't eat too much." - Frustrated and Skinny

You have NO IDEA of how close that cry for help sounds like me. When I was 16, I took a picture of myself in front of the family Christmas tree. Somehow I convinced my sister to take the picture and I flexed with all my might.

Anyway, your question was the same thing I wondered myself. I was 16 and tired of being skinny. I thought I did everything I could to gain weight but I was wrong. And I'm going to give you 7 simple steps you can do today to get on the right track to healthy weight gain and make that cry for help, a shout for joy!

If I could get into a time machine I would go back and hand myself a small brochure called:

7 Simple Steps To Beginning Bodybuilding

This would be written by me for me. But I'm positive the next few steps will apply to you as well and any other 16 year olds out there who are frustrated but are in a position to waste a lot of time if they start down the wrong path.

Please don't be confused... these simple steps are for anybody, no matter what age, male or female, who might be looking to start off on the right foot and not waste a lot of time.

Okay, so what can you do? Let's go step by step and figure this out.

Pre-Requisite - Body building isn't just about getting massive. It's not just for men. The word should actually be two words all the time so there's no confusion. You are building your body. That can mean anything to anybody. So the first step is...

1. Pick A Goal

No matter what, if you don't have a short term and long term goal in mind, you'll just wander around, like a zombie with your arms out, going to anything in sight. And 5 years later, you'll wonder what the heck happened!

Having a clear goal is the ONLY way to start. If you want to gain, maintain or lose, that is a goal. Know what you want before you start.

You'd be floored to find out just how many people are frustrated with their results but when asked exactly what they are trying to do, they have no idea.

2. Figure Out How Many Calories A Day You Need

In your case, you say you are skinny and tooth-pick like. But in the next sentence you state you know you don't eat.

[Snap Rubber Band On Wrist Here For Behavior Modification]

When I was 16, I didn't eat either, I skipped many meals (especially on weekends) and I tried all kinds of protein powders and supplements when I was clearly failing at nutrition.

My mom would cook big meals and I'd barely finish my plate before running off to do something. All the while wishing I was bigger and not so skinny.

There's so many simple ways to calculate your calories. That should be your very next step. Once you know what you want to do, you need to know your nutritional intakes in order to obtain that goal. It's not going to be hard at all but if you don't know, you cannot possibly get anywhere.

In other words, if you don't know how many calories a day you need for a certain goal, then don't expect anything different.

3. Figure Out How Much Protein You Need A Day

It's the building blocks of muscle and it's also the only way you are going to build more muscle or keep the muscle you already have today.

Even for burning fat, it's proven that getting enough protein will actually make you leaner.

Again, there's very simple formulas for this that do not require a degree from MIT to perform. And once you know how much protein you need every day, it's really easy in Step 4 to find out if you are getting what you need.

These steps will be continued in part 2

For those who are curious to see what I really did look like, the picture is at:

http://www.beginning-bodybuilding.com

Scroll down. You'll see it. It's 100% un-edited. I didn't even remove the glow in the dark plastic eagle necklace I found somewhere.

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.

Resistance training requires a lot of physical and mental exertion. The feeling of knowing that you will be grabbing cold iron and then lifting it until you’re exhausted can be invigorating for some, yet very stressful for others. Stress and lack of knowledge can lead to loss rather than gain unless you brace yourself with some of the basic foundational principles which lead to muscle growth.

First, it’s important to understand that weight training can be very serious business. I strongly encourage my clients to check with a doctor before beginning any exercise program. In fact, depending on the client’s health risk identification factors, I may absolutely require it. Helping a prospective client to identify possible health risk factors can be the most valuable service one can offer and it should be a priority for a personal trainer and the client. It’s also important for a trainer to be aware of any medications that the client may be taking, and if so, to then direct them back to the appropriate health care individual who can then discern if the fitness program is right for them.

Now, let’s move on to some of the finer points of the do’s and don’ts to maximum muscle growth. This is not extensive and only reflects what I consider to be some of the necessary basics.

1. Do a Brief Warm-up with Mild Stretching

Don’t make the mistake that many bodybuilders do by grabbing the barbells and dumbbells without proper warm-up. Stretching is an extremely important component in any and all fitness programs—no matter your goals, sport or level of experience. The more flexible someone is the more they can lift and the less they will get injured at any given intensity. It is important to first warm-up with a low intensity aerobic exercise (walking, stairclimber, bike) for 5-10 minutes. After a brief warm-up you’re ready for the stretching. Five minutes on the muscles to be worked is sufficient. I do not recommend intensive stretching to take place before resistance training. A host of recent studies has shown that it can actually make you weaker, not stronger. Intensive stretching such as “Fascia” stretching is excellent and beneficial, but never before the workout. Here are some considerations regarding stretching:

--All stretches should be held at least 15-20 seconds in a static position.

--All stretches should isolate a given muscle (specifically the muscles to be worked)

--Stretches should be done between sets and immediately following workout. Stretching that follows the workout can actually help with recovery by helping circulation of the proper nutrients to the worked muscles. There are studies that try to disavow this truth, but they are weak at best. In any case, it can’t hurt only help.

2. Don’t choose Dumbbells over Barbells

If you’re a beginner or even an experienced bodybuilder and maximum muscle and strength increase is your goal, then you should choose barbells over dumbbells. The additional distraction of trying to balance and stabilize the weights can cause a significant decrease in the overall total poundage that the individual can lift. This will result in less muscle and strength increase. A good rule to follow is this: if you can lift more weight with the barbell overall than you can with dumbbells separately, choose the barbells. I’m not against dumbbells and I believe that they are an integral part of a resistance program. But I would not recommend them to the individual that wants fast gains in strength and size.

3. Don’t lock out on Heavy Pressing Movements

It is important to keep the joints bent through the entire range of motion, especially when performing low rep, heavy sets. This prevents the potential dangers of allowing for a relaxed muscle. Here is the problem with relaxing the muscle during a set: if the muscle is relaxed that means it is not supporting the weight, but rather the weight is being supported by non-contractile tissue such as ligaments and bones in the joints, which can lead to injury. It’s important to understand, as well, that you can cause just as substantial of a contraction without the lock out. Keep in mind that it is acceptable and good practice to do so in lighter weight sets as it can help with the removal of wastes and increase oxygen uptake. I always have clients perform both heavy and light movements to incorporate the benefits of both.

4. Do use Training Straps

If size and strength increase is what you want, then you must invest in a set of training straps. Since the forearms, wrists and hands can tend to weaken long before the intended muscles, straps are a great way to push out more weight and reps. The forearms can be what we call the “weak-link” in a heavy set, particularly when working a large muscle group. And so, straps can add some much needed support. I also find that they can help bring about a good mind/muscle connection since there will be less focus on trying to “hold” the weight. Straps are imperative. If you don’t have them, go buy a pair right now.

5. Don’t use Sloppy Form. Focus on Muscle Contraction

Using sloppy form in an effort to lift heavier weight is not smart. In fact, it is a formula for injury and can limit your long term growth. That is not to say that it is not beneficial to utilize what is called the “cheat” principle, which allows for some less than perfect form in pursuit of a heavier lift. However, you must have a good spotter alongside you, and you still must be in control of the weight even with the “Cheat” principle. Barring injury, here is what I see as the biggest problem with sloppy form: it cuts the ability to link mind with muscle with unyielding concentration. Sloppy form will always rob you of some degree of focus. Your mind must be focused on the muscle being worked and on the contraction achieved by that muscle. You can’t do that to the fullest if your heart and mind is more invested in heaving the weight up. The greatest tool at your disposal in your pursuit of muscle is your mind. Don’t compromise it. Lift with strict form and focus on the muscle being worked. As you workout, visualize the muscle growing.

6. Don’t wait too long to ingest Post workout Nutrients

If you’re waiting longer than 30-45 minutes following a workout to consume quality proteins and carbohydrates, you have wasted away an incredible opportunity to increase muscle size through Advanced Anabolic Recovery (A.A.C). Muscles are their hungriest and most receptive following a post resistance routine. The post workout food should be a beverage consisting of protein and carbohydrates (both simple and complex). Studies abound as to the positive anabolic impact related to muscle cell volumization and increased protein synthesis.

These are just a few basic principles to keep at the forefront of your mind in your quest for muscle.

You might disagree, but hear me out on this; the vast majority of myths about weight gain are mostly passed down from "gym talk" and so-called experts who know nothing about the body's workings.

Myths that lead to wasted time, frustration and if are taken blindly as truth, can really set back your progress in the gym. Don't believe everything you hear when it comes to exercise and weight gain, do the research yourself.

Lets take a look at some of the most common weight gain myths:

High repetitions burn fat while low repetitions build muscle.

Progressive overload is needed to make muscles bigger. Meaning that you need to perform more reps than you did for your last workout for that particular exercise.

"If you perform the same amount of reps at each workout nothing will change on you" also "if the weight doesn't changes on the bar nothing will change on you, you need to become stronger"

Definition has two characteristics, muscle size and a low incidence of body fat. To reduce body fat you will have to reduce your calories; the high repetition exercise will burn some calories, but wouldn't it be better to fast walk to burn these off?

Better still; use the low reps to build muscle, which will elevate your metabolism and burn more calories (less fat).

Vegetarians can't build muscle.

Yes they can! Strength training with supplementation of soy Protein Isolate has shown to increase solid bodyweight. Studies have shown that athletic performance is not impaired by following a meat free diet, and people strength training and consuming only soy protein isolate as a protein source were able to gain lean muscle mass.

Strength Training will make you look masculine.

If it is not you're intention to bulk up from strength training you won't. Putting on muscle is a long hard slow process. Your strength-training regime coupled with quality food will determine how much you will bulk up.

To bulk up you also require more food. Women don't produce enough testosterone to allow for muscular growth as large as men.

By working out you can eat what ever you want to.

Of course you can eat whatever you want, if you don't care how you want to look. Working out does not give you an open license to consume as many calories as you want.

Although you will burn more calories if you workout than someone who doesn't, you still need to balance your energy intake with you energy expenditure.

If you take a week off you will lose most of your gains.

Taking one or two weeks off occasionally will not harm your training. By taking this time off every eight to ten weeks in between strength training cycles it has the habit of refreshing you and to heal those small niggling injuries.

By having longer layoffs you do not actually lose muscle fibres, just volume through not training; any size loss will be quickly re-gained.

By eating more protein I can build bigger muscles.

Building muscle mass involves two things, progressive overload to stimulate muscles beyond their normal levels of resistance and eating more calories than you can burn off.

With all the hype about high protein diets lately and because muscle is made largely of protein, it's easy to believe that protein is the best fuel for building muscle. However muscles work on calories that should predominately be derived from carbohydrates.

If I'm not sore after a workout, I didn't work out hard enough.

Post workout soreness is not an indication of how good the exercise or strength-training session was for you. The fitter you are at a certain activity, the less soreness you will experience after.

As soon as you change an exercise, use a heavier weight or do a few more reps you place extra stress on that body part and this will cause soreness.

Resistance training doesn't burn fat.

Nothing could not be further from the truth. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue and has a role in increasing the metabolism. The faster metabolism we have the quicker we can burn fat. Cardio exercise enables us to burn calories whilst exercising but does little else for fat loss afterwards.

Weight training enables us to burn calories whilst exercising but also helps us to burn calories whilst at rest. Weight training encourages muscle growth and the more lean muscle mass we possess, the more fat we burn though an increased and elevated metabolism.

No pain no gain.

This is one myth that hangs on and on. Pain is your body signalling that something is wrong. If you feel real pain during a workout, stop your workout and rest. To develop muscle and increase endurance you may need to have a slight level of discomfort, but that's not actual pain.

Taking steroids will make me huge.

Not true, strength training and correct nutrition will grow muscle. Taking steroids without training will not make you muscular. Most steroids allow faster muscle growth through greater recovery, while others help increase strength which allows for greater stress to be put onto a muscle.

Without food to build the muscle or training to stimulate it nothing will happen. Most of the weight gain seen with the use of some steroids is due to water retention and is not actual muscle.

Strength training won't work your heart.

Wrong! Strength training with short rest periods will increase your heartbeat well over a hundred beats per minute.

For example, performing a set of breathing squats and you can be guaranteed that your heart will be working overtime and that your entire cardiovascular system will be given a great overall body workout.

Any intensive weightlifting routine that lasts for 20 minutes or more is a great workout for your heart and the muscles involved.

I can gain muscle and lose fat at the same time.

Wrong. Only a few gifted people with superb genetics and on steroids can increase muscle size while not putting on body fat. But for the average hard gainer, they have to increase their muscle mass to its maximum potential and then cut down their body fat percentage to achieve the desired shape.

In conclusion, simple basic principles that apply to all weight and muscle gain such as progressive overload, variable frequency of reps and high intensity workouts are the way to go.

Despite all of the busy airplane lines, cramped hotel rooms, and uneasy feelings of meeting new people, staying fit while traveling is easier than most people realize. If you are motivated enough to stay fit then there is no doubt that you will achieve whatever you want. Okay so now I`m motivated, but what will help me maintain a decent physique while i`m 500 miles from home? You are going to learn the basics of bodybuilding while traveling and be able to use this information to your advantage.

The equipment you choose is going to be one of the toughest choices you make because access to gym equipment may not become available. You are going to have be creative and develop a split based on your goals. Pushups will work your front delts and chest and is a good way to for getting your heart rate elevated. Squats and lunges will work your quads, glutes and hamstrings. Dips from a chair with feet on the floor will work your triceps. Jumping rope for 2 - 3 minutes will get your sweat flowing so don`t forget to pack a jump rope in your suitcase before leaving.

The other part of the bodybuilding equation is eating right. Before you leave and are hitting up the local grocery store, you should be shopping for protein bars, canned tuna, chicken breasts, eggs. Just make sure you remember to refridgerate the eggs and freeze the chicken breasts. When packing your meals, you need to choose foods that are slow digesting and have an adequate amount of protein. Vegetables contain a numerous supply of vitamins and minerals and they also keep you energized throughout the day. Sandwiches may be frozen overnight and will be ready to eat by lunch time the next day. For the bread, you should be eating whole grain breads but it also must freeze well. Be sure to also drink just enough water to satisfy and do not go overboard. You don`t want be having to urinate every ten minutes or you`re vacation will start to become a nightmare.

If you have ankle weights, use them to add resistance to your exercises or stick them to your wrists if your dumbbell is not heavy enough. Make sure that you watch your diet, if you eat more than you should, add more jumping jack sessions to burn the extra calories. How well you sleep will depend on many factors and will vary from person to person. You may want to pack some tylenol PM just in case.

As I stated previously, being motivated is the only way you are going to be able to maintain a decent body while you`re on the road. I see way to many people, who are into fitness, go on vacation, gain five pounds, and come back wondering what had happened. You do not want to be one of these people. Doing this can also make you quit bodybuilding altogether just from the week vacation you took . On the road, do whatever you can do, it doesnt matter if it`s very little exercise, that`s still better than doing none since you keep your mind trained that it needs

If you think that you win bodybuilding contests by taking supplements and eating special diets, you've been reading too many magazines for bodybuilders. Champion body builders are born, not made; and exercising against resistance, not eating, enlarges muscles. Many bodybuilders also use steroids or other banned substances, even though they will deny that in public.

The best body builders have the largest muscles. How large your muscles can grow depends on the size of your bones and the ratio of the length of muscle to tendon. Large muscles attach on large bones. Muscles that are too strong for bones can break them when they contract forcibly. Most people have a calf muscle that ends half way down the back of the lower leg to become a tendon that extends to the bottom of the heel. That's why most people can never be champion bodybuilders. If your calf muscle extends from the back of your knee to your ankle, you may have the potential to be a champion body builder.

Muscles enlarge only when you exercise them against progressively greater resistance. Many bodybuilders think that the more time that they spend in the gym, the larger their muscles will be. You do not have to spend many hours lifting weights. The greater the resistance, the larger your muscles become.

Bodybuilding is hard work. As far as athletics and sports go, it may very well be one of the hardest. I have spent time in competitive boxing, martial arts, powerlifting and yet I think I can say with confidence that bodybuilding caused me to face some of my greatest challenges. All sports present different challenges that are unique only to that specific sport. My boxing taught me that I needed to take a punch, shake a punch and more importantly do my best to avoid getting punched. Boxing also taught me how to achieve incredible endurance. My martial arts training caused me pain in parts of my body I never knew existed. I learned the importance of stretching, flexibility and mental discipline.

Bodybuilding is completely different. Some of the same factors are there. Bodybuilding requires steadfast discipline, both mentally and physically. However, true bodybuilding is much more than a sport—it’s a lifestyle. From the diet, to the supplements, to the workouts that impact your daily schedule, bodybuilding requires dedication unlike anything else. Then, on top of all of that, you must look in the mirror every single day and see progress in the form of new muscle with greater degrees of definition. It can be very disheartening when the mirror doesn’t represent gains that you believe you have earned and worked hard for.

That’s why it grieves me to see novice bodybuilders and even worse, experienced ones, making mistakes and succumbing to obstacles that are avoidable and inhibit their progress. As we consider the following obstacles, let’s remember that they can make or break a bodybuilder.

1. Stick to the basics

Here comes Johnny Newcomer. He skips squats. He skips heavy bent over rows. If you asked him to do a deadlift he would look perplexed and wonder why you asked him such a ridiculous question. He would rather use the machines, swing the light dumbbells, and toy around with the cables. Oh yes, I forgot, he loves to bench press too. None of these things are bad and they all are important, but they must not replace basic, heavy compound movements (barbell). Compound movements involve more than one muscle group (squats, deadlifts, etc) and tax the body in such a way so as to cause the most favorable metabolic and hormonal environment—provided that you do not overtrain. If you incorporate heavy movements like squats, heavy bent over rows, deadlifts, and standing military presses into your regimen, you will see and feel the difference. Give it shot and let me know. I’m sure you will come back smiling even though they will take their toll physically.

2. Go home—enough already: Stop overtraining

You see them every day in the gym. They move from machine to machine and never seem to want to go home. Sometimes I sit in awe and I wonder, “Does he have a home to go to?” They work 20-30 sets for biceps and then still have the nerve to do some back training after all that. If you’re training for more than an hour, you are overtraining. As far as I’m concerned you have reached what I call the point of no return. After forty-five minutes of intense resistance training your body’s defense mechanisms engage and that in turn causes a sharp increase in cortisol (stress induced hormone). You will also have significant decreases in testosterone and human growth hormone levels. If you cut your workout time and increase your recovery time and your post workout nutrients, you will grow.

3. Exchange light & fluffy for heavy & intense

Put down the light weights and stop looking at yourself in the mirror with such lust in your eyes. If you have the wherewithal to take smoldering glances at yourself in the mirror as you smirk and blow kisses, you may not be lifting a weight that is heavy enough. Muscles will grow only if they are forced to the adaptation necessary to lift something heavier than they are use to and normally recognize. In other words, lift heavy and lift with intensity. Working out hard and working out with intensity are two different things. Intensity is what you should strive for if muscle mass is your goal. How can you lift with more intensity? Lift heavier weight. I say that because I know the word “intensity” gives some people the wrong idea. You can yell and scream in the gym, but that doesn’t mean you’re lifting with intensity.

In order to understand the true meaning of intensity I like to equivocate intensity with overload. I know that there can be a problem with this as well. Some can lift heavy, but lack the mental intensity. But keep in mind that when I use the word intensity I’m not only referring to the mental aspects, but also force, strength and velocity. Keep your rep range in the 4-6 area and do 9-12 sets per body part maximum. Heavy weight would be considered a weight that you can not get more than 6 reps with on your own while using strict form. When you get to this point and you can do 7 reps, add more weight until you continue to fall in this rep scheme. Drop the light & fluffy. Heavy & intense is where the muscle lives.

4. There’s no happy hour here: Focus, focus, focus.

I think that some people see gyms as bars, nightclubs or social societies. I’m amazed when I see people stop in the middle of a set to engage in conversation for 15-30 minutes or more. It’s unbelievable. It’s one thing if you’re done with your workout and you’re cooling down. But that is not the case most of the time. I once witnessed a girl walk up to a friend and begin conversation. Just by the duration I assumed she must have been done with her workout. Well, you know what they say about assuming—never do it. She turned around 35 minutes later as I was leaving and she picked up on the same machine she left off at. Focus and concentration is directly related to your degree of success and muscle growth. Save the conversation for after the workout. Think about and focus on nothing else but the muscle you are training. The only thing you should do between sets is mildly stretch the muscle you’re working on. And I’m not talking about the one in your mouth.

5. Now is the time: The importance of pre/post workout fuel

Last week a guy in the gym approached me and asked me if he should take a protein drink after his workout. I told him that if he didn’t plan on having a protein/carbohydrate drink following his workout, it would have better off for him to stay home. How can anyone think that it is okay to put the body through serious stressful resistance training and then not know how crucial it is to give the body the nourishment it needs to grow and repair? You have a window of opportunity immediately following a workout which could lead to the foundation of an incredibly anabolic (building) environment or one that is catabolic (tearing down). You should always ingest a good protein source at least an hour before your workout and then a protein/carbohydrate drink immediately following your workout. Make sure the pre workout source is pre-digested. It’s never a good idea to workout with anything undigested in your system. I would recommend 5 grams of glutamine before and after every workout. Never miss taking your glutamine.

6. The giver of life: Drink your water.

Your body can last months without food, but only days without water. Your muscles are made up of almost 70% water. Water is responsible for almost every single physiological function in your body. Lack of proper hydration can cause muscle weakness, stunt your muscular growth, cause joint pain, bring a lack of focus and concentration and inhibit your body’s ability to burn fat. That is just to name a few. Drinking your water is the most important thing that you can do—period. Drink a minimum of one gallon a day.

7. Put down the pills: Eat your food

He walks into the local health food store and the salesman smiles as he sees the eager young bodybuilder with his wide-eyed hunger for muscle. The young bodybuilder then walks out with a box of supplements that he can now get home only with a truck. The biggest mistake that most bodybuilders make is wasting tons of money on pills and potions when they are not eating the proper amounts of solid foods to begin with. Supplements have their place. But supplements must never take precedence over healthy eating habits. Eating 5-6 solid muscle-building meals each day will build more muscle than any pill or powder. Make sure to have a balance of Protein/carbohydrates and fats. For muscle gains I would recommend a ratio of 25% Protein, 50% Carbs, 25% fats or depending on your metabolism another good ratio I put my clients on is 35/45/20. If maximum weight gain is your goal then add 500 calories above your maintenance & total expenditure levels.

Avoiding the common pitfalls can bring about rapid gains in muscle. Try to implement these basics if you’re not currently doing so.

When you first begin weight training, your view and understanding of the bodybuilding process is entirely different from those that have been around for a while.

I frequently get asked for training advice and what should be done when starting out. Well, the first thing I do is turn the question around. Instead, I inquire about what they already know about building muscle. The first thing to come up is obviously weight training and secondly they mention eating chicken and pasta or something.

While weight training is a fundamental aspect of bodybuilding, it by no means completes the equation. The unfortunate thing is, if they had a better understanding of the importance of nutrition, results would come sooner and the success rate would be higher.

Most of us, myself included, only learn this after months or even years of training.

You know that statistic that says nutrition counts for approximately 70 to 80 percent of bodybuilding success. Well, this is so true. In fact it is as true as two and two are four.

Nutrition absolutely governs the type of results you'll experience. What you put in you get out.

Now back to the issue as to why so many young people who start out with the intention of building muscle do not succeed. It basically comes down to the fact that they do not have a firm grasp of what it takes to succeed. Unfortunately this learning process takes time and requires consistency.

If you are new to the muscle building process, keeping the above two things in mind can assist you tremendously.

My advice is, train hard and eat right. If that does not work, come back and do it better next time.

You have probably noticed that muscle doesn't miraculously appear overnight. Building muscle takes time, patience, and accuracy in training and nutrition. Let's fact it, bodybuilding is a science, and with all the information available to us, it's that much easier to make costly mistakes that can hamper muscle gains.

We have all made the same bodybuilding mistakes, but many fail to acknowledge, or even realize they are even making them. Bodybuilding errors can slow muscle gains and decrease fat loss. It can also be the leading cause of plateaus. To prevent you from being a statistic, let's go over a few bodybuilding errors.

Mistake #1 - Being Impatient
The most common mistake bodybuilders make is dieting impatiently. Far too many constantly jump from one diet to the next without giving any of them a chance to work. Come on now, I know you are guilty of it too. It takes at least twenty-one days for your body to adapt to any dietary change, and changes do not happen overnight. Give your current diet a chance to prove itself. Then, if you need to make adjustments, include small tweaking.

Mistake #2 - Eating Haphazardly
The second mistake bodybuilders make is eating haphazardly. Are you still suggesting you are guilt free? Did you know that random eating works against you because it does not keep a steady flow of nutrients moving through your system? In order to build quality muscle, your body must continually have a positive nitrogen balance. The secret to building muscle and losing body fat is consistency! Yes, it is that simple! In order to be consistent, it is best to plan your meals. Pre-cooking helps to take the guess work out your next meal. So this means you will have to invest in some Tupperware and perhaps an ice chest so you can have meals handy.

Mistake #3 - Overeating
The third mistake bodybuilders make is overeating. Come on now, we have all done that. It is true that many calories are needed to provide energy for training and building muscle, but excess calories that are not absorbed will be stored as fat. Keep macro nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) in balance, and shock the body every once in a while with a high calorie meal. Eating is good, eating to grow is great, but overeating is unacceptable.

Mistake #4 - Not Logging Calories
The fourth mistake bodybuilders make when dieting is not logging calories, which can lead to either overeating and/or under-eating. I am not saying a thing because we all dislike tracking every blessed calorie. Not only should calories be logged, but also each macro nutrient, the time eaten, and the amount. To properly add muscle and lose body fat you must keep accurate records of food consumption. Estimating caloric intake leads to miscalculating, hence, failure.

Mistake #5 - Using the Scale
The fifth mistake bodybuilders make is using the scale solely to gauge progress. A hand raise please for all who have used this method only. Yes, it is true that a scale is a measuring tool, but it is unable to distinguish between water, fat, and muscle. The best method is to track your progress through body composition. Scales are beneficial if used in conjunction with body fat instruments.

Remember, bodybuilding is a visual sport so photos are an excellent source to gauge progress, as well as taking precise measurements. Also, having an unbiased eye to provide you with constructive criticism will keep you on the right track. A body fat composition is a starting point, and if you don't know where to begin you will just keep running around in circles.

Mistake #6 - Copying Pro Bodybuilders
The sixth mistake, which is made by many beginners, is relying on professional bodybuilders for advice. This is like spitting in the wind, as it will only come back to smack you in the face. We have all admired the physique goddesses that take over the stage, thinking they have all the answers. This is true, but professional bodybuilders have accomplished a great deal. They are on a professional level, and there is a big difference between professionals and amateurs. Professional bodybuilders have been training for years, diet for months, and supplement heavily. Learn to read between the lines about what is displayed in the latest muscle magazine and what reality is.

Symmetry is how the body parts fit together to form your structure and how your upper and lower body are balanced, as well as your left and right side.

Flex Wheeler and Lenda Murray have to have some of the best symmetry I have ever witnessed in the sport of bodybuilding. They both possess cannon ball deltoids, wide lats, extremely small waists, large quads with flaring sweeps, well-developed calves, and full muscle bellies. Every body part is in balance with the other.

Symmetry is genetic, but there is a lot you can do with what you are given. If you want great symmetry like the pros, then you have to start thinking like a pro and not train harder per se, but train smarter.

Obviously, wide shoulders and back with a small waist looks exceptional. Therefore, structure your upper body training to meet that standard.

The Upper Body
Heavy shoulder presses will build the foundation and lateral raises will further enhance the symmetry. Chins and lat pull downs will build a wide back to give you that well-known "V" taper, and the rows will thicken your back.

The Waist
Your waistline can have a dramatic effect on your symmetry. Small hips are a plus, but if this category is working against you, then you have to put more emphasis on your back and shoulder width to make the waist appear smaller. Also, steer clear from twisting movements and weighted side bends, as these can thicken the mid-section.

The Lower Body
Legs are the final aspect to extraordinary symmetry. You can't just train legs; you have to BUILD them. Pack on the mass with heavy squats and bring out the outer sweep with hack squats.

On the flip side, if you are holding extra non-muscle weight in the lower body, you will be better off using light to moderate weight with the squats and leg press. This basically comes down to your body type and genetics.

These are just the basics to great symmetry. While they are effective for making a symmetrical difference, don't forget the chest, all angles of the shoulders, arms, and calves.

"How can you have a great workout without having to feel so tired the rest of the day." The answer might surprise you.

You probably know women and men that are so busy, that the only time they can workout is at 5:00 in the morning. Maybe you have to do that too. I worked out with several of these people and found out what they do for a living and why they're working out so early.

Turns out that they are doctors, lawyers, sports therapists, construction workers, security guards, parents, one was even a US Congressman. They all enjoy working out, but several mentioned about feeling fatigued the entire day (after having a good workout).

So I set out to find an answer to this problem.

Many of these people were taking protein supplementation. It's great for helping you to be relaxed, but can contribute to the feeling of being tired. Kind of like the "sleepy" feeling after having a large meal. But with a good workout, you really have to be taking protein to fully realize the benefits of these "intense" workouts.

I also found that many of these people weren't getting enough sleep. They were lucky to get 7-8 hours of sleep, although some claimed only 5-6 hours at most, as the rest of their lives were very busy (hence the reason for early morning workouts). So even just adding an hour of sleep each night, if possible, can really help.

Some of these people were drinking workout drinks with caffeine. While this is great to get "going" in the morning, the residual effect can be a "tired" feeling the rest of the day, unless they drink some more caffeine (which can then keep one from being able to go to bed that night to get enough sleep).

But... the most surprising answer came from someone that had been working out for 25 years. He told me he found a new supplement that was college documented to improve strength in the gym, and yet prevents fatigue while working out. He said he did not get nearly as much fatigue during his workouts anymore, and he did not feel fatigue during the day either.

The supplement he was referring to is called GAKIC from Muscletech (GAKIC is their trademark). I'm not putting any type of self-serving affiliate link in this article, as you'll have to find this supplement on your own. I got some at GNC. This guy said he'd just started taking it and has felt great during the day, after an intense workout.

GAKIC stands for Glycine-l-Arginine-alpha-Ketoisocaproic Acid Calcium. It doesn't have creatine or any stimulants (as far as I can tell). You may recognize that it has l-arginine which is the main ingredient in many of the nitrous oxide type of supplements... but I can't tell if this product enhances the NO pathways or if it's the calcium that seems to delay fatigue. Either way, I heard it's good stuff. The manufacturer claims that it works the first time you take it and that it's powerful enough that you are supposed to only take GAKIC on workout days, so one container lasts about a month.

I tried it and did not get a tired feeling when working out, and did indeed feel good all day long. If you find yourself just getting exhausted during or after a workout, GAKIC could be worth checking out.

It would be safe to say that most competitors who gain a lot of weight and let themselves go during their off season have a shorter bodybuilding career than others. Why is this? Who won the race the Tortoise or the Hare? Why?

All or nothing, fat in the off-season- lean in the on-season behaviors never finishes the race.

Becoming a champion is like training for a marathon for twelve months. There is no taking off a month of running expecting to be right were you left off, neither is there a off-season to gain too much weight or for some not even train. I never understood that. Sure some weight gain is necessary an unavoidable, but to let yourself go in quest of size and strength, give me a break.

One big goal of your off-season training program is to bring weaker developed body-parts up proportionally. This can be accomplished without gaining a lot of weight in the off season. The most weight over my contest weight that I reached was twenty pounds and that was after I won my first contest. From then on I maintained fifteen pounds over my weigh-in weight during the off-seasons.

Another mindset is, allow the off-season to be a time of trying new training techniques and foods. The Art of Bodybuilding lies in the process of learning not the trophies. Do not be afraid to change things up every so often. Off-season training times are good days to learn.

This accomplished numerous things like:

1. Cuts down on the muscle tissue that you potentially lose during the dieting phase.

2. You don’t tend to go into depression because you feel you are losing size before a show.

3. You have a better understanding of the sport and the meaning for doing it.

4. You continue to see the true muscularity and development of the weaker muscles that you need to work on.

The Art of off-season training is the consistency, variety and the efficiency of training both your mind and body for the long haul. Your biggest competitor most likely will be your ego!

How could bodybuilding cause depression? Afterall, bodybuilding is supposed to get the endorphins going and as you see positive progress, you feel good about yourself. With all those endorphins running around, there shouldn't be even the slightest case for depression.

For the most part, lifting weights, doing aerobic exercises and overall physical activity can be very effective to keep depression away and help with a cheerful outlook. Although sometimes things don't always come out the way we expect them to and our mood can swing up and down, even with proper exercise.

Ask anyone that exercises and they'll time you the time spent is worth it. But if depression hits while doing these things already, the depression can be really hard to shake.

Let me show you some of the symptoms. Anyone that's lifted weights for a period of time has hit that proverbial "wall" where it just feels like you can't make any progress. Or sometimes there can be a period of time where one feels "burnt out" or just tired of lifting weights. If these feelings last longer than three weeks, these could be signs of depression.

Fortunately, I've talked to lots of bodybuilders and found something that may offer a quick "real" solution. If you're feeling tired, unexplained sadness, or you don't want to work out or you just feel like you're not making any progress in the gym, this may be the answer you're looking for.

In my research on how to overcome bodybuilding induced depression, I uncovered a supplement called Vinpocetine. It is known for helping mental concentration and is a derivative of an extract taken from the lesser periwinkle plant (Vinca minor), an evergreen undershrub. The shrub is native to Europe, where it has been been studied since the 1950s and has been found to boost stroke- and age-related declines in brain function.

Vinpocetine also enhances the brain's use of oxygen by increasing the amount of available ATP (adenosine triphosphate, those in bodybuilding are familiar with this as being the body's cellular fuel). So far, there hasn't been any serious side effects found with this supplement, however if you feel a dry mouth, continued weakness or accelerated heart rate, then discontinue the use as you may have a more serious condition requiring expert medical care.

What I found in my research is that vinpocetine works well in conjunction with vincamine and vinburnine (both are also extracts). It has been noted that these help with cognitive function to enhance memory and concentration.

As a result of this, it appears that these help the brain to feel "peppy" and thereby reduce the effects of depression. That's what it did for me.

My purpose in writing this is not to endorse any single product but to let you know that there is a supplement that costs less than a single visit to the doctor, yet has the right amount of vinpocetine (and vincamine and vinburnine) and it helps with other functions of bodybuilding and muscle development. It is called NO-Xplode from BSN. I'm sure there's other supplements out there that have the vinpocetine, you'd have to do some checking around.

I really like NO type products, and my first choice is NO2 by MRI and then the Trac-Extreme NO by MHP (both can be found at General Nutrition Center).

But if I start getting that "burned out" or sad feeling, I'll buy some NO-Xplode (one container will last me over a month) and I'll have a scoop once a day in the early afternoon. That seems to help me feel more cheerful.

So... if you're doing good workouts and yet start to feel burned out, tired, sad or depressed, try some vinpocetine and see what happens. This article is not meant to replace medical advice. If you feel any prolonged symptoms for a lengthy period of time, see your medical professional. Copyright 2005, all rights reserved.

Time Is a major factor in your bodybuilding routine. It can cause you to focus your thought elsewhere, instead of your training. Your mind wanders onto something else while you perform a set of curls. Your thinking --

"Yep, I need to get this done later. Oh! What about that other thing I've got goin' on? Right, I'll finish up here quickly and get it done".

Get the idea?

Do you ever find yourself having a conversation in your head, all while you're performing your training routine?

Time waits for no man It can interfere, especially when you don't have enough of it. It's often difficult to get the time to train, or do other things in your life. You can explain it anyway you like. But there's no getting away from the fact --

Everybody, Everywhere, Only Has 24 Hours A Day.

"So, how come others manage and I can't?" I hear you say. "Obviously they don't have as much to do as I have."

Like I said, we all have the same amount of time. Here's another comparison for you:

Look at rich people. They only have 24 hours in a day too. Yet they're still rich and others are working and are living on the bread line. That's a little extreme, I know.

But, do you get what I'm saying here?

Here’s what it boils down to --

Time Management: In this scenario 'Time Management' is the key to your bodybuilding routine, and your life too. If you don't manage your time properly, you're setting yourself up for a fall.

If You Fail To Plan - You Plan To Fail.

So, just how do you manage your time properly?

By allotting a certain amount of time per activity in your life. For each task, job or item you have to do in your life everyday, you must allot a certain amount of time to each one.

Don't just do this for your bodybuilding routine. Look at your life right now. Determine how much you actually do with each day. Write it down, including your bodybuilding routine.

Then count the number of activities you do on a daily basis. Once you've done this, determine how much time you can afford to all of these activities in a day.

Divide the time you have available between all the activities you need to do. Give a little more time to the things you place more importance on such as, your bodybuilding routine.

Then create a schedule around this. It's that simple. My suggestion is that you write those activities down and allot a certain amount of time to each one. The total time for all ativities combined shouldn't exceed the time you have available each day.

Professional bodybuilding is one of the less popular sports in the world. Almost everyone knows players like Lebron James and Barry Bonds, but if you asked someone who Ronnie Coleman is, chances are good that they are not going to have any idea. What has happened to the sport of bodybuilding since the days of Arnold, Columbo, and Haney? The media has pulled the plug on these great athletes, which makes you wonder why this horrific downfall has happened to our sport.

The present age of bodybuilding has a few kinks that need worked on. Some will argue that the voting system is rigged because there has been the same Mr. O the past eight years. There is also the issue of steroids in pro bodybuilding, and the media giving steroids a bad reputation doesn`t make things easier In 2005, the IFBB finally decided to raise the winner of the Olympia`s prize money to a staggering $661,000, but I don`t think this upgrade in prize money will put an end to the problems of bodybuilding.

In the past, you could turn to channels like ESPN and the Fox Sports Network to catch a glimpse of what professional bodybuilding was all about, but now you`ll be lucky to catch a live show on pay-per-view. Almost everyone in America knew who Arnold, Columbo, and Haney was. Everyone seemed to want to become the next Arnold and it looked as if bodybuilding would become the next big sport in the United States. In the year 1977, Arnold admitted the use of performance enhancing drugs to help him maintain muscle while preparing for a contest. This set the stage for the use of anabolic steroids in professional bodybuilding and before you knew it, ninety percent of bodybuilders were juicing.

Everyone knew Arnold and his popularity was as asset to the sport. The top bodybuilders of today`s industry are not well known athletes or celebrities which is one of the leading downfalls to the game. Look at how the World Wrestling Entertainment became so popular over the years. Hulk Hogan, The Rock, and Macho Man Randy Savage were all icons that everyone adored. Even outside of pro wrestling, these guys transformed the entertainment industry and brought more fans to the sport. Ben Weider needs to smarten up and use some of the marketing techniques Vince McMahon used to transform his company into what it is today.

Bodybuilding is slowly starting to get where it needs to be. The new bodybuilding web video and radio show being broadcasted on bodybuilding.com is a step in the right direction, but there is more work that needs to be done. They should consider getting a small television contract . They also need to somehow change the structure of the event to make it more entertaining. The fans should be able to vote at contests on who they beleive won. In bodybuilding, there is really no champion except for the Mr. Olympia contest held that determines the best bodybuilder in the world. There should be a point system like in Nascar or the BCS for college football to determine who the leaders are for the season and use the Mr. Olympia as a means of gaining more points to the bodybuilders`s yearly total. This will make smaller shows more interesting and make the bigger guys like Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler have to compete more. I really believe this would be a huge step in the right direction for the sport and should be considered by the promoters of the IFBB. I am currently working on a website for all of my articles and I will post the link as soon as possible. Thanks.

We all make mistakes and sometimes those mistakes lead us into jail. While you`re sitting in your cell complaining about how stupid you were to be there, why not do something positive for yourself like bodybuild? Why not turn your life around and actually be in control for once? "So now what?" you say. Well now is when knowledge will become your best friend. Training, nutrition, and rest are three important factors when it comes to building a great body in jail.

Creating a good workout routine will depend on what type of equipment you use. Books, drawers, shoes are all good alternatives to dumbells if you don`t have access to any. You can also do plenty of exercises with your own bodyweight such as push ups, crunches, leg raises, supermans, bridges, bench dips, air bike, freehand jump squat, and glute kickbacks. Choose from some the exercises above and create your own routine. My jail cell had an exercise bike which is a good form of cardio other good methods are jumping jacks, burpies, and if you`re desperate just walk or jog around in your cell. If you can, try to find a good training partner as well to help you stay motivated. It also will look better when you`re not the only person exercising.

Since your only fed three meals a day, getting good nutrients is going to be tough. Most meals consist of high GI carbs, foods high in saturated fat, and not much protein so you`ve got to be smart when choosing what you eat. A good trick is to eat all the healthy foods on your tray and afterwards go around looking for leftovers to help fill you up. Since most trays consist of at least one sort of junk food, you should trade that junk to somebody for something healthy. Just don`t let the security guard catch you. You`re also going to have to time your meals so you can perform your exercises and do your best to get your post workout nutrition afterwards. You also have to remember to drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated. A good rule is to look at your piss and if it`s yellow then you need to drink more water.

In my jail, getting enough sleep is very difficult. People are always complaining and yelling stupid stuff in the dorm so it`s very difficult to get enough. One way I found is asking for earplugs if they allow them which will help out alot. You`re not going to be very active and you will be sitting around alot so you shouldn`t have any reason to worry about overtraining. On your last meal of the day, try to eat fibrous or complex carbs because they will help you sleep better.

Those are some basic bodybuilding principles to use while you`re in jail. You should be able to keep your goals even while in jail if you want it enough. I wrote this article sitting in a jail cell with the hopes that other bodybuilders survive while being locked up. Until next time keep your head up and stay hungry. Peace.

If you think becoming a bodybuilding champion is all about weight lifting, sadly you will never become one. Some of the most gifted physiques have fallen short because of lack of preparation in their presentation.

One of arts of becoming a champion that is not talked about is how you present the finished product the day of the competition. You may have a winning physique, but if you fail to show it to your advantage you may lose. I have won many of contests not just because I was in the best shape, but I learned how to hide weakly developed body parts with more well defined ones within my presentation.

Bodybuilding is an art through and through. While there is a selective number of posing required to go through during the judging portion and personal presentation rounds, it is how you do them that can make or break you. Here are some very important things to remember that could directly or indirectly win you championships.

Proper Planning:

This should go with out saying; practice posing long before the contest. As important as any other time in the gym is practicing posing, over and over and over again, until it is second nature. Judges can tell immediately if you have practiced.

Transitions:

The only smooth thing you want during a bodybuilding contest is the transitions from one pose to another. You want posing to look effortless. Smooth transitions are only a small detail, but they speak volumes to the judges. Going from one pose to another should not be noticeable if done correctly.

Relax But Don’t Relax:

Judges will say to the group of competitors, “relax” after they call out a certain pose. DON”T! Well, relax but stay tense. If you are lean, every detail of muscle needs to show. If you relax between call outs, the muscularity will show that. In other words, your lines may temporarily disappear.

Music:

Pick music that fits your physique more so than your personality. You can turn off a judge if both are not connected. Too many make the mistake of fitting their personality. Judges don’t care about your personality; they care about your presentation of the finished product.

Oil:

Depending upon your physical shape and skin type it is very important to apply just the right amount of oil to enhance the muscle definition. You can make your body look “smooth” if you put to much oil on, or you can look thin if you apply to little.

Remember, you can have the best product, but if the fine details are not practiced and presented right, you will be put right back on the shelf.

See the ball, be the ball! Heard that before? See the muscle, feel the muscle. Bet you have not heard that one. Before a muscle can develop you have to feel it move. It is more about feeling the muscle work through the minds eye than the weight itself. The ultimate goal is to be able to do your entire workout in your head and with your eyes closed.

Winning competitions is also about timing. Four months prior to the 1988. Jr. Mr. Michigan bodybuilding championships I wrote on a piece of paper, “I am Mr. Michigan” This allowed my minds eye to visualize it and help it come to pass. The day of my competition was the best shape I had ever been in. The power of visualizing and writing became my minds eye’s reality. Never underestimate the power of seeing things first.

Here are some visualization techniques to help you get closer in becoming a champion:

Pre-Workout Exercise:

Each time you go to the gym exercise your mind before you enter the place. Go over your entire workout in your mind first.

Pre-Set Exercise:

Before every set take a few extra seconds to go through every rep of that set in your mind. You may be surprised what this can do for muscle growth.

Blind Sets:

Depending upon which exercise it is, try closing your eyes while you perform a set. This forces you to feel the weight more.

What ever technique you use is up to you just remember though, before you achieve something you have to see it in your head.