Bodybuilding Workout

Posts Tagged ‘build muscle up’

Holding down two jobs, meetings to get too, kids to pick up from school and so on there are so many distractions, pressures and time constraints that if we are not careful can only lead to one thing… {not sufficient time to plan and arrange your meals}. As far as muscle building nutrition goes that is the ultimate crime. The main reason is because it leads to eating fast food.

Fast food is exactly what you don’t want to eat to build muscle up. Too much fat and very little nutrient value combined with little in the way of decent energy providing nutrition. So, how is it possible to not go to fast food joints when you have all of these limiting time constraints and how cane we eat properly if we do go there?

Here are a few golden rules for eating at fast food restaurants in order to build muscle up:

Avoid the apparently good value for money drink and fries. A portion of medium fries can get up to as much as 400 calories with around 20 grams of fat and the drink we are looking at around 200 calories with bags of sugary content!

Always choose the grilled version. You can save around 80 calories coming mostly from fat by eating a McDonald’s grilled chicken sandwich as opposed to a premium crispy chicken. A simple choice but often overlooked.

Give the dessert a miss. Go for the kiddies size if you really have to have one of the many sugary snacks available.

Make sure that you don’t go over the top with the sauces. Many of these have very little muscle building nutrition that are high in fat content. You know what I mean, those small little packages containing mayo, tartar sauce and so on. Look over these if at all possible.

If it is not possible to avoid a fast food restaurant then what can I eat?

If you want to build muscle food that you could eat at McDonalds would be:

For the main part of your meal a Premium Grilled Chicken Sandwich will give you 420 calories, 10 grams of fat, 51grams of carbohydrates and 32 grams of protein. A Grilled Honey Mustard Snack Wrap would give you around 260 calories, 9g fat, 27g carbs and 18g of protein. The Asian Salad Grilled Chicken would give you 390 calories, 12.5g fat, 38g carbs, 33g protein with the low fat Sesame Ginger Dressing. Probably the best option is the Caesar Salad Grilled Chicken that provides 220 calories, 6g fat, 12g carbs and 30g of protein.

If however you reside in Australia the choices might look slightly different as follows:
A Lean Beef Burger: 250 calories, 8g fat, 25g carbs, 18g protein or a Herb Fusion Chicken Salad: 100 calories, 2g fat, 3g carbs 20g protein.

Great breakfast choices include a Egg McMuffin which yields you with 300 calories, 12 grams of fat, 30g carbs and 18 grams of protein. Possibly a Sausage Burrito including 300 calories, 16g fat, 26g carbs, 12grams of protein or If you are looking for just a snack then how about the Fruit ‘n Yogurt Parfait which beaks down into 160 calories, 2g fat, 31g carbs, 4g protein.

I hope that gives you some idea of exactly how you can eat relatively healthily even at a fast food joint if you make the correct choices. Of course it would be better to allocate some time for planning decent meals throughout the week but if you can’t do this then the above selections should be a good guide and on some level help you burn the fat feed the muscle.

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The aim of a large portion of people new to weight training is to try and both build muscle mass and lose fat. Frequently a newbie will state that their goal is to build muscle and burn fat. here we shall discuss whether or not this is doable or not.

So, can people actually build muscle mass and lose body fat?

Well, yes is the answer to that one. However there is a but and that is so as it is a very awkward thing to do. If you desire to build muscle whilst burning fat you are going to have to figure out precisely how many calories you need to eat and then eat exactly that amount.

Why do we have to do that? The reasons behine why we ought to do that is because if you want to build muscle mass and not put on fat you have to take on board just enough calories to support muscle growth but not so many that you will have a surplus of excess calories that will become stored as fat tissue.

Can I work out how many calories are required to do this?

yes you may although bear in mind that these calculations are based on assumptions from data based on the general population. This makes them inaccurate as most people are different to the norm in someway, usually this is in terms of how fast their bodies metabolism is which makes a big difference to the amount of calories that you should actually take on board. You ought to google: ‘ Katch-McArdle muscle building nutrition formula’ if you want to do this calculation.

Is this way the best?

Yes, a better or at least much easier way to build muscle and burn fat is to make it a two step process. this means you would train for 3-6 months bulking up and concentrating solely on increasing muscle mass and not concerning yourself to much about putting on excess fat. This is then followed by a ripping and losing body fay period of around another 3-6 months.

This way is a lot easier because losing weight and gaining muscle are actually opposites so by attempting to do just one of these at a time you stand a much better chance of succeeding. This is one of the best weight gain tips around.

Whilst you may still wish to work out how many calories you should be eating as a minimum you requirement to build muscle up you do not have to worry about going over this amount thus making it easier to achieve. If you take on board not enough calories then sure you may lose bodyfat but you will never increase your muscle mass, this means that the two step process is more reliable and will probably get you better results.

At the end of the day you can use either approach and achieve the same results however most experienced bodybuilders will tell you that the two step approach is the simplest and easiest to get fast results with. One excellent program entitled burn the fat feed the muscle can be found here which guides you through the entire above process.

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Developing good habits is crucial to build muscle up on a long term basis. It is very important to be doing the right things regularly in order to build muscle continuously. Unfortunately there are bad habits that many people pick up on the way that are limiting their muscle building progress. Here we have outlined the top 7 worst muscle building habits and included a few build muscles tips too:

1) The worst of all! Taking steroids, this is harmful for a great number of reasons take your pick from any of these:different coloured spots on the body, acne, swelling of the legs and feet, bad smelling breath and yellowing of the skin, dizziness, trembling, nausea, vomiting, mood swings, premature balding, aching joints, liver damage, palpitations, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and reduction of your final adult height.Before using steroids ask yourself if you really want any of these side effects: pain on urination, testicular shrinkage, impotence, breast development and even sterility. I’m sure that is all that needs to be said.

2) Attempting to lift too much. Ok, attempting to better your training partner is fun but be very careful. Lifting too much weight can cause you to lose form and increase the chances of injury and won’t help you build muscles quickly. If you have o use momentum to lift the weight or you are unable t control it 100% whilst lifting or lowering you really ought to be reducing the amount of weight you are using.

3) Taking on board too much protein. The average individual ought to be consuming 0.8-1 gram of protein/kilo of bodyweight/day and a hard training bodybuilder should not take on board more than 1.7 grams for every kilo of bodyweight. Consuming more protein than this increases your chances of getting osteoporosis and also it could lead to irreversible damage of your kidneys. Also your risk of heart disease is increased because a by product of protein metabolism homo-cysteine can cause damage to your heart over time!

4) Taking stimulants such as ephedrine has dangerous side effects including heart palpitations, heart attack and stroke. Whilst these are not prohibited you wold be wise to exercise extreme caution and in fact would be much better off not using them. you may give caffeine pills a go as they are much less dangerous. If in any doubt always consult a trained health care professional.

5) Some people believe that working out on an empty stomach will help them burn fat. However energy comes from carbohydrate so if you haven’t eaten you will probably have little energy and your workout will not be very effective. You will not be able to lift more than your previous personal best and you will most likely be left jittery, shaking and even dizzy after your training session possibly due to low blood sugar levels. Instead have a pre-workout meal including thing like rice, vegetables and fruit.

6) Neglecting to stretch or warm up adequately. Preparing your body for exercise is crucial in preventing injuries such as muscle tears and ligament strains, it also increases your performance, range of motion and posture. Only 10 minutes needs to be allocated for the warm up and this is a very wise useage of your time. 

7) Not keeping a training diary. Without one what chance do you have of knowing if you are progressing or not? How can you keep a track on your personal best lifts. A training diary is motivational and easy to do. Why aren’t you keeping one.

OK, bear in mind the above points and make changes if you have to but mainly use your common sense and think about the long term.

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What exactly is a superset?

A superset is when two weitght training are done with no rest interval seperating them. The chosen exercises need to be hitting opposite muscle groups. For example a set of tricep press downs followed by barbell curls.

Why do Supersets?

First off they are probably a nice change from what you have been previously doing. They place a new type of stress on your muscles which provides additional stimulus to grow. What is more when you remove the rest intervals you prevent yourself from being distracted and losing your focus and intensity. Also after doing a superset you will more than likely feel a powerful muscle pump whereby the muscles are literally being pumped full of oxygenated blood to help cope with the demands which is a real good feeling. Overall they are a great way to build muscle up fast. 

Doing supersets prevents you from cooling down to quickly and keeps your heart rate higher creating an almost aerobic workout too. Another fantastic thing about supersets is that they provide your training session with great variety, excitment and challenge.

What supersets can I try?

The following combinations are some of my favourite and provide a tough but satisfying workout: Bent bar curl/lying tricep extension, Dumbbell incline press/dumbbell pullover/seated lat row, Leg extension/leg curl/calf raise, Dumbbell alternate curl/overhead tricep extension, Bench press/wide grip pulldown, Chins/dips/rope tuck, Steep dumbbell shoulder press/sidearm lateral raise,

What tips can you give me when doing them?

Well, make sure that you keep strict form through the exercises. It is very easy to get carried away and start losing your form. This is particularly true because you are going to be out of breathe more than you usually would be lifting weights and because you will be switching from one exercise to another very quickly. Maintaining good form will both minimise the risk of injury but also ensure you hit the correct muscle group.

Anything else I should know in order to build muscle now with supersets?

Bearing in mind supersets are very intense you may not really want to be doing more than a couple of supersets, although this will vary on your fitness and experience levels. use a different superset every workout between your normal sets to prevent yourself from becoming worn out.

It should also go without saying that you will have to continue to eat a lot of quality build muscle food, we all know muscle comes from excess calories so keep eating quality foods and also make sure you keep your water intake high. Finally, be aware that overtraining will slow your progress down and not speed it up. Working out twice a week will be plenty for the majority of people and that is probably more than enough for hard gainers. Ok, whilst bearing those point in mind why not hit the gym and give supersets a try and let them help you build muscle up fast. I guarantee you will not be disappointed!

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Many bodybuilders especially amateur weight lifters and bodybuilders enjoy the odd alcohol beverage now and then whether it be a glass of wine, beer or spirits. Here we ask just what affect this has on our body and is it ok to drink if we want to build up muscles.

Unfortunately alcohol interferes with many chemical reactions in the body that are productive in order to build muscle up. The effects of alcohol are felt by the body for at least a couple of days as it is processed very gradually and can affect performance negatively for up to 48 hours after you drank your last glass. 

Just two normal drinks of alcohol can reduce reaction time, lower strength levels, interfere with balance and hand eye co-ordination and increase fatigue. As a bodybuilder or indeed anyone seeking a decent athletic performance all of these will limit your ability to build muscle up.

Increased fatigue is mainly due to the fact that the liver which is responsible for metabolising alcohol will do so at the expense of gycogen which is a form of carbohydrate. Increased fatigue is caused by this. The muscle growth of the body will inevitably suffer when the cellular functions of the body cannot operate efficiently.

Alcoholic drinks interfere with the fluid and electrolytes inside the kidneys thus causing dehydration. The kidneys are responsible for regulation of supplying cells with nutrients for growth and repair and also for cellular waste removal.Attempts to exercise vigorously and to your peak will likely be ruined because in order to process alcohol effectively, water must be drawn from other areas of the body this has a dehydrating effect which thus harms any athletic performance.

Tachycardia can be caused (which is an abnormally fast heart beat) when consuming alcohol as alcohol raises the individuals blood pressure. Whats more sleep is a time for the body to grow but this is disrupted by alcohol consumption. It also reduces the ease at which the body can absorb vitamins and minerals, these of course play crucial roles in metabolic functions for muscle growth.

The effect on the way the brain processes information will also be affected negatively. If not enough glycogen reaches the brain due to alcohol then slow disoriented thinking will be the result. Alcohol use also may cause a loss of drive and motivation to succeed which is so important in any sport!

So bearing all this in mind, clearly if you are seriously want to build up muscle then you are going to have to lay of the alcohol. Even the recommended daily amount effects the body adversely! There are a vast range of other effects on the body due to the presence of alcohol which are beyond the scope of this article.

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When trying to build muscle up it is very easy to get carried away and sabotage your own progress and also to put yourself at risk of injury or illness without even realising it. Sure it is fantastic that you wish to train and build muscle up but at the same time just one single injury, one moment of carelessness can put you out of action for weeks or months and with consequences related to both health and financial matters. With this in mind the following guidelines are provided so that you can say away from such traumatic incidents. Here we go with our build muscle up safely guidelines:

1) Always check and double check you have put the barbell collars on before you start lifting. If one is even slightly lose it can unbalance the bar making one side heavier. The heavier side will force it’s way down and the weight disc may slide even further until it drops off. If this happens the heavy side will force the light side to be thrown upwards. real damage could be caused to people or equipment as the barbell is flipped mercilessly through the air!

2) If you are doing one rep maximum lifts then do so with a spotter. This is someone who can aid you should you not be able to push or lift the bar back up. The last thing you want to happen is to get stuck underneath a barbell and have it pressing into your body, sounds stupid but I’ve seen it happen.

3) If you are sick keep away from the weights room. Seems too obvious but I regularly see people who are clearly suffering from a high fever and cough splutter, there way through a training session. Most commonly the session produces no personal bests and the next few days are spent in recovering in bed. Exercising actually for a while at least lowers your immune system so if you are already feeling ill then by exercising you give the illness the ideal opportunity to take a bigger hold of you.

4) Ensure correct technique is always used. If you perform exercises incorrectly like swinging barbells using your body’s momentum then you not only risk serious injury but you will also make little progress as you aren’t targeting the muscle group well enough. Use strict form all the time.

5) Don’t do too much. It is very common when motivation is high especially for those new to bodubuilding that you wish to weight train as much as you can. This motivation is fine but working out everyday or even every second day will likely be too much for the majority of people unless a split routine is used. You will more than likely weaken your muscles if you do another training session before they have full recuperated from the last session.

6) Not dieting properly. Emphasis will have to be placed on muscle building nutrition if you want your muscles to grow. If you do not consume enough calories then you are not going to be able to support muscle growth and will therefore be wasting your time in the gym. Consume throughout the day high quality foods.

7) Trying to impress your friends. Attempting to more than your mates can end with disastrous results. It is much more productive to try to beat your own personal best scores. Record your workouts in a training log so that you know what your personal best to beat is. This will be much more fruitful and reduce your risk of injury.

Adequately warm up. If you do not then your muscle are far more likely to tear and get damaged. This can put you out for weeks or months. It is very simple to do, 5-10 minutes cardio, stretching exercises followed by a few warm up reps will do fine.

With those above guidelines in mind and with correct muscle building nutrition there is no reason why you should not build muscle up happily and safely where ever you train.

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