7 Tips to Build Your Body

Being lean and fit is okay but if you are lanky, it tends to downgrade your personality. Body building is a great idea. However, this idea is not about pumping your body with medicinal supplements. In fact, body building is all about developing a routine that includes the perfect blend of diet and exercise to give you a great looking body. Yes! If you follow the routine consistently and passionately, you will also develop muscles and increase stamina. But, the ulterior motive should be to remain healthy.
Here is a look at some quick tips to help in body building:

1. Include lifting weights in your exercise routine. While cardio helps you increase stamina, if you want to add muscle to your body, you need to start lifting weights. Also, remember to increase the capacity gradually.

2. Don't exhaust yourself on day one. Body building will happen gradually. You must not overstress yourself by trying to exceed limits on the first day itself else it could permanently damage your body.

3. Multiple muscle exercises are good when you are planning body building workouts. For example, lifting weights on the legs that strengthen your thigh muscles as well as your calf muscles.

4. Hydrate the body. Drinking proper amount of fluids before and after workout is important. The fluids you consume before the workout ensure that the muscles are not dehydrated which automatically enhances your stamina.

5. Change is the only constant. It's great that you have worked out an exercise routine to keep your body fit. However, if body building is your aim, you have to remember to alter this routine every once in a while. Ideally, two weeks is a good time to change. After all, this change is what will help you enhance the muscle power of your body.

6. Take rest. Here again, we would want to stress the importance of not exerting your body. Between two workout days, ensure that you have given the body ample rest. This resting period is what helps in restoring the muscle stamina after you have exhausted yourself in the arena.

7. Eat well. Exercise is just one part of the body building routine. You also need to eat well. For eating healthy, we would recommend you to consult a dietician. According to the requirements of your body, they will work out a diet plan. Ensure that you stick to this plan in addition to the workout sessions.

                                                           Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9047161

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8 Tips To Building Your Dream Body

Just like routines, this document is not intended to be a  "one size fits all." Take from it what you will, but 

please remember that what is most important is your health and well being. In that light, consider the following list:

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

2. Set your goals. Define what you expect to achieve with  your new bodybuilding campaign within a realistic time 

frame. If you create goals that are unattainable you are setting yourself up for failure. You can become bored, 

disappointed and disillusioned to the point where you may give up. This is a very sad outcome to what might have 

been the best decision of your life. Don't sell yourself short. Set your long term goals, of course, but also set 

short term goals that are achievable. And, don't forget to reward yourself when you do achieve them.

3. Consider the costs. If you don't already have a budget, create one. Then, determine what amount of 

discretionary funds you have available for your bodybuilding program. This will determine whether you can afford to have a home gym or if your needs would better be served by joining a club. Joining a club is still a good short term introduction before spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on equipment that might not be appropriate for your needs.

4. Don't forget some of the low cost alternatives to purchasing your bodybuilding equipment. If used equipment 

is still functional why spend the extra dollars just for a little glitz! Good, brand name used equipment is every 

bit as functional as something right off a showroom floor.

5. Consider combining a home gym along with a membership in a public facility. Purchase less expensive free weight 

equipment for use at home and join a gym to have access to the more expensive equipment. You can design your entire workout routines around a combination such as this.

6. Eat healthy! This can't be stressed enough. The only true bodybuilding aids are good nutrition. Consult a 

licensed dietician. Watch your local community calendar for free seminars on diet and nutrition. Learn all you 

can about what nature freely provides that can help you to develop a healthy diet. 

7. If you choose to use dietary supplements, make certain that you know what you are putting in your body. Follow 

the packaging guidelines we outlined above. Ask your physician for his/her recommendations based on the regimen 

you have selected. No friend, coach or acquaintance can take the place of your physician. In fact, you may even 

investigate finding a physician who specializes in sports wellness.

8. Be kind to yourself. Yes, it's important to push to achieve your goals, but it's very easy to tip the scales in the other direction and create a nightmare for yourself. Obsessive, compulsive behaviors are not conducive to a 

healthy bodybuilding lifestyle.

I wish you a healthy and happy journey on your road to weightlifting and bodybuilding. Put the suggestions and 

recommendations to work and you are well on the way to building the body you can be proud of!

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5 Workout Mistakes Beginners Should Avoid

As a beginner, it's perfectly normal to be excited about your workout. However, you can't let your excitement get the better of you. You still have to watch out for slipups which can negatively affect your workout. Here are some of the workout mistakes beginners should avoid.

Not having a plan

In war, soldiers have a battle plan. In sports, teams follow a play. You need the same system when you're going to work out. It's the same principle. A plan includes a system to help you make the most out of your workout. There's also some foresight involved. Training plans have a prescribed time where you will need to reach a reasonable target. When you enroll in a gym, ask if they provide a training plan in their membership. Although you can easily get a training plan online, a personalized plan works best.

Having too much faith in supplements

Supplements help you to maximize your workout by providing nutrients and help you perform better. But don't put too much weight in supplements. You will still go as far as your effort takes you, as well as good eating habits. And when choosing supplements check the quality of the ingredients. You can even go as far as checking the quality of the product with a trainer or physician to make sure it suits you.

Wearing just about any gear

When you're playing basketball, you need basketball shoes and a jersey. When its soccer you need cleats which are based on the pitch you'll be playing in. In every sport and training regimen, you have to wear the right gear to reap the maximum benefits and prevent injuries. Wearing lifestyle shoes, which some people do, can cause strain on their feet and ankles. Obviously, you'll lift weights in the gym. Your feet bear the brunt of that, including your body weight. You'll also do cardio. So your feet will be taking quite a pounding. Choose shoes which have good support and cushioning but still allows you move freely and doesn't weigh you down. If you haven't decided on a shoe yet, check out Reebok shoes, which you can buy at online shops. The brand creates some of the best workout shoes in the market. It's lightweight, breathable, but durable and has great foot support. Its outsole also has superior traction, for ensured stability.

Also, avoid wearing cotton clothes in the gym. Cotton absorbs a lot of moisture and can chafe. You don't want to be soaked in sweat and uncomfortable. Instead, use technical wear. These are workout clothes, which you can also find in online shops, which wick away sweat from your skin and also has anti-bacterial properties.

Skipping leg day and forgetting core muscles

Most people want a big muscular chest, washboard abs and ripped arms. So they put so much emphasis on their upper body without realizing that their lower body needs to improve as well. An unbalanced physique will leave you prone to injuries. Also, you won't have the same strength and intensity when doing workouts if you have a weak lower body.

Another area you should not forget is your core. Sure, you exercise your abs. But what about your lower back and obliques? A strong core stabilizes your body.

Overtraining

For some beginners, workout results will take some time. Others on the other hand, can see the results early. In both instances, however, fight the urge to over train. Overtraining causes muscle fatigue and actually slows down your progress. Too much training increases your injury risk as well. Whether you've yet to see results or already reaping the benefits of your hard work, take a rest. Take 2-3 days of rest from your routine. Allow your body to heal itself. You'll also perform better after the rest.

                                                       Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9344397

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Are full body workouts good for skinny guys?

Are full body workouts good for skinny guys? This is a very smart question to ask. It means you are thinking about how you should be training, for the best muscle gains.

Studies and ‘real world’ research has shown that full body workouts are good for skinny guys. The reason being that skinny guys do not have as good as recovery ability as naturally larger people. Due to a fast metabolism and genetic make up.

Therefore it is better for you to do less volume on a muscle during one training session. Then spread the total volume of work on a muscle throughout the week, into two or three sessions. One person who is a massive fan of full body workouts, is someone who used to be called Skinny Vinny. Who is now a champion Canadian bodybuilder!  That is his photo on the right –>

Are full body workouts good for skinny guys? The Best Skinny Guy Weight Training Exercises

Can you imagine you are wasting all your time on the wrong weight training exercises? Can you imagine that every weight training exercise you are doing is dead wrong? Skinny guy’s must meet a different set of requirements when choosing the most effective weight training exercises for maximal muscle growth. You do what to transform your skinny body into a rock-hard muscular body, right?

Without further ado, here are the top two exercises for each muscle group I used to gain 41 pounds of muscle mass in under six months:

Chest: Bench Press and Flat DB Chest Press

Back: Bent Over Barbell Rows and Close Grip Chin Ups

Shoulders: Seated DB Shoulder Press and Standing Military Press

Triceps: Dips and Tricep Pressdowns

Biceps: Standing Barbell Curls and Incline Bicep Curls

Quads: Squats and Lunges

Hips: Deadlifts and Stiff Leg Deadlifts

Lower Back: Good Morning

Calves: Standing Calve Raises

Abdominals: Weighted Ball Situps and Weighted Cable Crunches

Yes, there are many more exercises I did not list but these are simply the best. Stick to these weight training exercises for the best possible muscular and strength gains and you will have a rock-hard muscular body in less time than before!

I hope this article helped to answer your question: Are full body workouts good for skinny guys?

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Includes Free Beginner Bodybuilding Workout Routines

A common question I get asked by untrained people is “What is a good beginner bodybuilding routine?”. This is actually a very smart question to ask, simply because bodybuilding workouts should be different for untrained and experienced lifters.

Generally bodybuilding workouts for experienced trainers will have to much volume and intensity for beginner bodybuilders. Therefore a beginner bodybuilding routine should be altered to suit.

That is not to say that beginners cannot do more advanced bodybuilding workouts, but you will not get the same (or any) muscle gains. A beginner bodybuilding routine will give you far better results, than with intermediate to advanced muscle building routines.

Beginner Bodybuilder Routine

Beginner bodybuilders have one great advantage of being untrained. Therefore, whenever you begin weight lifting you body will automatically add muscle, no matter the bodybuilding routine. This is because it is a new stimulus to your muscles, so your body “panics” by wondering what is happening to it, then adds muscle to compensate.

With that being said, you can get even better results with a proper beginner bodybuilding routine, designed for your experience level. Rather than mess about in the gym, not really focusing on anything. With that in mind, let’s have a look at beginner bodybuilding workouts.

Beginner Bodybuilding Workouts

Beginner bodybuilding workouts tend to have less volume on your muscles during a workout, compared to more advanced bodybuilding routines. Simply because your muscles do not need much stimulation to get them to grow. However to speed up the muscle building process, you will be using more frequency on your muscles with 3 full body workouts.

These beginner bodybuilding workouts will hit your muscles three times a week, which means you will be forcing your muscles to grow three times a week. You can get these workouts below:

Beginner Bodybuilding Workouts

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Barbell Squat	3	6-10
Stiff Leg Deadlift	3	6-10
Standing Calf Raise	2	10-20
Cable Chin Ups	3	10-12
Barbell Bench Press	3	10-12
Dumbbell Overhead Press	3	10-12
E-Z Bar Curl	2	10-12
Close Grip Bench Press	2	10-12
Crunches	3	10-20

I would urge you not to be fooled by this beginner bodybuilding workout or to be lured by other advanced workouts promising massive muscle gains. This workout will provide you with the best gains for your level of experience. If you do not know what the exercises are, you can do an internet search for them to show you.

Take around a minute between sets, if you are fairly fresh then use shorter rest periods and use up to a minute if you have tired yourself out.
Do not use rest periods to chat to that sexy blond thing beside you! Use as little as rest as possible then move on.

Start by using the lower rep range number, then each week try to do more reps with the same weight. Then once you can do the upper range of reps, add more weight to the bar to drop your reps down to the lower end. Keep doing this, as this is the most important element of any bodybuilding workout routine, which is something called Progressive Overload.

Beginner Bodybuilding Routine: Progressive Overload

You must be following a progressive overload!

This means that every week you must be adding more weight to your lifts or doing more reps with that same weight. Whenever we lift weights for so many reps, our muscles adapt and grow to that training stress. If you then do the same weight, sets and reps in your next session you will only be maintaining your current level of strength and muscle mass. As your body has already adapted for that stress.

If you neglect the above information you will not get any bigger or stronger, but stay the same size as before.

Beginner Bodybuilding Routine: Nutrition

Nutrition is a massive part of muscle building and should form a integral part of any beginner bodybuilding routine. Simply put, of you do not eat enough, you will not grow and add muscle. Think of it this way; you could not building a wall without any bricks, so how can your body grow muscle without adequate nutrition. There are many numbers which you can work to for amounts of protein and other things which you can work to.
But for now I do not want to complicate things, so try to eat as much health food as possible and always eat protein with every meal. I’ll give you some good foods below.

Beginner Bodybuilding Routine: Muscle Building Foods

Protein foods: Lean beef, chicken, turkey, eggs, cottage cheese, tuna, fish and whey protein.

Carbohydrate foods: Oatmeal, sweet potatoes, beans, brown rice, lentils, whole grains, fruits and vegetables

Essential fatty foods: Olive oil, fish oil, almonds, flax seeds/oil, coconut oil and salmon

Beginner Bodybuilding Routine: Rest

You may or may not know but your muscles do not actually get bigger or stronger during a workout (apart from temporary swelling due to increased blood flow). They grow afterwards when your are resting and more so when you are sleeping. Therefore make sure you get plenty of rest after your beginner bodybuilding workouts and get plenty of sleep, at least 8 hours a night. Your body produces more testosterone and growth hormone while you sleep, so do your best to get plenty of it and do not be afraid to get some naps in during the day.

Beginner Bodybuilding Routine: Conclusion

Muscle building is a long hard process so do not be expecting over night results. Most of the time if something is not working it is not necessarily the bodybuilding workout, but the whole bodybuilding routine. This means to make sure you are getting enough food and rest to recovery and grow from your actual workouts.

Thankfully if you work hard, you will make some great muscle gains, so please make use of this beginner bodybuilding routine and let me know if I can help you with anything else.

                                          Click here to get your free bodybuilding workouts

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Bodybuilding for beginners. Guide

Bodybuilding for beginners… Thisguide for you...

What advice do I consider to be the main and the most important one for every novice.

Each of us has experienced this role of being new in something.

Each of us has experimented, chosen their life path, thought, tried different undertakings, but not everyone has managed to carry things out and become a real master or a professional in a chosen sphere.

There was something we did not like, something used to go wrong and not the way we had planned and we had to say goodbye to those things forever, because we were ready to try another way which seemed to be simpler and suitable. And the story repeated itself…

Until we finally found what really made us happy and brought the feeling of implicit moral satisfaction of doing it.

The same thing in bodybuilding for beginners…

My guide in bodybuilding for beginners for you:

You will definitely achieve success in bodybuilding if you not only like it, but have some passion towards it, if you really study it and not cheat with some other kind of sport.

The thing is that a great number of people do not achieve anything is this kind of sport.

The reason for that is:

that you should be in a hurry in bodybuilding by no means. Some people suppose the more often you go to gym the faster you can gain muscles. This is a huge delusion that I have experienced as well at the beginning of my trainings.

As a result I left the gym in a month without getting any result at all. I expected to gain huge muscles, but gained nothing.

Many people just burn out due to intensive trainings and since they cannot see any result they just stop trainings supposing that they can become successful only with the help of anabolic steroids.

I can assume you that natural bodybuilding still is and will be. It is very slowly but of high quality. Though it is another cup of tea. However natural muscles got by hard trainings are much better than muscles grown on hormonal medicine.

That is why I want to warn all beginners straight away – if you have decided for yourself that you want to be a part of bodybuilding world then you should arm yourself with patience and self-control.

You will have to wait for some months or even years. There cannot be a fast progress in this sphere.

To sum up – do not spend nights and days at gym, give your body some time for rest because relaxation is one of the main muscle growth components. That is why remember – there is no need to be in a hurry. Slowly and steady, as they say.

This guide is for beginners in bodybuilding and I hope you will strictly comply with it.

I wish you to stand your ground in this hard way of building you muscular body!

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3 most effective ways how to increase weight fast

How to increase weight fast is one of the main problems that pari passu with losing it disturbs many people because everybody wants to be attractive and have a nice shape. That is why I am offering you to acquaint yourself with the main ways of putting on weight. But of course which way to chose is only up to you.

First of all you should decide what kind of weight you want to increase.

It might be mostly fat mass or still muscle one. But I think that there is hardly a person who would like to increase weight with the help of fat, but of course things happen.

So let us acquaint ourselves with all of the ways How to increase weight fast one by one…

1. The first way of increasing weight —

is eating high-calorific food and “bad” carbohydrates with high glycemic index.

It could be all carbohydrates that cause a jump of glucose level in your blood which leads to hyperglycemia. These carbohydrates usually have glycemic index which is above 50.

First of all it is white sugar whether it is pure or combined with other food. For example, sweets, candies. Here we also can apply all industrially processed food, especially bread made with white flour, white rice; drinks, especially alcohol drinks; potato and maize.

When using these foods you will put on weight, but you will have to pay for it with your health, because overweight affects your body in a negative way.

2. The second way of increasing weight fast –

is not that easy and fast as the first way, but it is more healthy – it is gaining muscle mass with the help of weight training or with the help of bodybuilding.

But is this case you will not just put on some weight, you will also make your body nice and strong, and it will not be a shame to show such a body to others.

But, to use this way you have to be very patient, because there is no way to gain muscles without special training programs, proper diet and rest.

That is why forget that utopian thought that you will go to gym, take small dumbbells or sit on a stimulator and everything will go off without a hitch. That will never happen that way.

Hire yourself a personal trainer and read more books about bodybuilding and only after that you will understand whether you really need it all and whether you would be able to bear such a rhythm. Or maybe it would be better to use the first way – to lie on the sofa and eat candies and cakes.

3. but there is another one way to increase weight fast –

It is very fast, but it can destroy your organism – it is bodybuilding using anabolic steroids.

In this way of increasing weight you will definitely grow, but just like Vladimir Turchinski once said, ‘The amount of harm that anabolic steroids will cause to your organism cannot be compared with the results that they will give you’.

Anyway, it is up to you which way to chose. Each way has its own advantages and disadvantages. Everything depends on what you really need. Maybe you need to work out your muscles, then you should chose the way number 3, but if you want to be healthy and be in a good shape, then you should chose the way number 2.

And which way of increasing weight of your body suits you?

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4 Muscle Building Tips for a Skinny Body

There are many muscle building tips for a skinny body that are available out there that can easily confuse you. There are all correct to some extent when it comes to gaining mass. However, most of them are not tailored to a specific body, which in this case is… A SKINNY BODY. Here are 4 muscle building tips that skinny guys absolutely must apply to gain mass even that much faster.

Counting calories will actually make things easier

Have you heard of skinny people complaining about how much of food they eat in a day, and yet they fail to gain any reasonable pounds? Well, that’s because it’s NOT ENOUGH. They might think of it as a lot. But it’s not about what they think. It’s about facing the numbers called “calories”. Never assume the amount of calories you put into your body. Know your number. If you don’t see the results you want, adjust it either by adding or subtracting from it.

Go hard, or GO HOME

If you want to grow big, gain mass, and sculpt a rock hard physique, you’re going to have to push yourself to overcome boundaries. It’s time to get aggressive with your body, especially in the GYM. You don’t want to visit the gym and work your body out like most people do to keep fit. Have the mentality that you’re going for a muscle mass training thaat’s going to give enormous growth to your body. Use terms like “pumping IRON”, “HIT the gym”, and “blast my GUNS” in your vocabulary to give you that extra PUMP before HIITING the gym.

Transformation targets you set for your own body

Always know where you’re heading before starting on your body transformation journey. Most of us neglect setting an end goal for muscle building, which is probably due to the fact that we know we’re not going to achieve it. We train for a week or two, and if we don’t see ourselves shaping like The Rock, we THROW IN THE TOWEL. Is the end goal not realistic enough? Of course not. You just need to break down your weight goals for every 2 weeks, which sounds simplistic, but it’s true. Start hitting your minor weight goals every 2 weeks, and you’ll be your own ROCK by the time you know it.

It’s all about the beach, it’s all about the GIRLS

Remember to celebrate when you’re done! Some guys spend so much time worrying about getting that muscle man physique that they don’t realize, THEY’RE ALREADY THERE. It’s time to show your body off by going to the beach, and trust me… heads will turn! Every once in a while, you’ll get some beautiful ladies coming up to feel that rock solid abs, or those huge guns. Either way, you need to be proud of what you’ve achieved. Don’t hide your physique under loose shirts. Don’t be afraid to show your size now. You’ve earn it!

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Muscle Building Advice That’s Easy To Do

What kinds of muscle-building results is your exercise program delivering? This is not always easily answered. Many people are trying tobuild muscle on their own, and while it is possible, sometimes it can be frustrating. Read the muscle-building tips below for some new and innovative techniques.

Imagine that you are larger than you really are. The way to do this is to specifically train your shoulders, upper back and torso. By doing this, you can cause your waist to appear smaller than it actually is, which can also make you appear to have greater size.

If your muscles start to hurt during a workout, take a break. Muscles and tendons are fragile, and you never want to push them to the limit and overdo it just to gain muscle. If your muscles ache, then that is a signal that they need more time to recover.

Short terms goals are important, but make sure they are realistic. While you may want to squat three hundred pounds in the first month, this is a pipe dream and going too fast is a major cause of injury. Once you learn what you can lift in the beginning, set reachable goals for the future. Sometimes you may actually surpass your short-term goals. This can help build motivation and lead you to never missing a workout.

Put all of the “big three” in each routine you perform. Squats, dead lifts and bench presses are the main bodybuilding exercises. Not only do these exercises add bulk, but they condition your body and improve your strength. Make sure you try to include a variation of these types of exercises during your workouts regularly.

Always be aware of your nutrition and what you are eating when trying to build muscle. You may have heard many times how important is to remain hydrated when you are working on your health. Muscles are made up of 70% water, so it is extra important to make sure you are getting enough. Also limit alcohol consumption, which has been shown to reduce muscle fibers when used excessively.

You can always cheat a bit as you lift weights. Getting in a few more reps by putting a certain portion of your body to work is a good way to ramp up your exercises. Remember, though, that this tactic should only be used when there is no alternative. Maintain a rep speed that is controlled. Don’t let your form become compromised.

Keep a training diary. It is very important that you monitor your progress as you attempt to increase your muscle mass. A great way to accomplish that is to have a fitness log. When you are working out, make sure you write down what exercises you did and how many reps you completed. Doing so allows you to see your progress, as well as stay motivated.

It is important to eat a lot of protein while building your muscles. Protein is what builds strong muscles and what they are made from. It will be especially difficult for your body to produce additional muscle mass if you don’t give it the protein it needs. A majority of your meals and snacks should be protein-rich.

Keep your goals accessible to ensure your motivation stays high. It takes time to achieve the muscle growth you want. You may have to work out for months or years to achieve your goals. Trying to use stimulants and steroids can harm the body, and lead to very bad health problems.

Keep in mind that any muscle-building routine you undertake is only effective if it makes you stronger. This will result in your ability to lift weights that are heavier. When you first embrace weight training, you should expect your lifting capacity to increase by roughly five percent after two workout sessions. If you consistently fall short of this goal, figure out what you might be doing wrong. If you felt stronger in your previous session than you do now, maybe you need more time to recover.

Try a different type of bicep curl. When some people do a bicep curl, they do not get all the benefits they can. They are unable to move the dumbbells past parallel, not getting the most out of the last half of the curl. This upper portion is the most powerful and effective part of bicep curls. You can remedy this by performing seated barbell curls.

Short term goals are a good motivator, especially if you give yourself rewards for achieving them. You will need motivation in order to be able to keep going with this because it takes time. Including rewards which actually benefit your bodybuilding routine is an even greater motivation! If you were to treat yourself to an occasional massage, it would help your recovery by increasing blood flow to your muscles, helping you relax, and alleviating soreness, allowing you to return to your workouts well-rested.

Building muscle isn’t just something you can do by “winging it.” You need to know 

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Bodybuilding Mass Training Tactics Part #2

In part #1 of mass training tactics, we talked about how to properly cycle your training in order to assure continuous gains in muscle size and strength. We discussed the importance of having Active Recovery Phases coupled with Loading and Growth Phases. This month our focus will be on how to properly implement a Growth Phase.

Like we previously mentioned, during the Growth Phase the body is not stressed by volume. This time the stimuli for growth is heavy weights.

During this phase the following three things will happen:

The testosterone levels go through the roof in response to the longer rest in between sets and the heavier weights.

Hypertrophy (muscle growth) occurs by the body increasing the actual diameter of the myofiber (the muscle fiber size) through increased protein synthesis.

Since your body’s recuperation abilities were built up to the maximum by the previous phase and the volume has gone down dramatically, these extra recuperation capabilities are used to increase strength and build more muscle mass. The reason the body does this is in order to be prepared for another stressful period like the one it just went through. This adaptation mechanism is the one that ensures the survival of the species.

Modified Compound Supersets
Before we present the routine, we first need to discuss what a modified compound superset is as this is the main technique that is crucial to the success of this program.

In a modified compound set, you pair exercises usually for opposing muscle groups or for opposing muscle movements (e.g. Push vs. Pull). First you perform one exercise, rest the recommended amount of seconds and then perform the second exercise (i.e.: For instance, first do Biceps, then do Triceps).

Then rest the prescribed amount of time again and go back to the first exercise.
A modified superset for Dumbbell Curls and Triceps Pushdowns in which you perform 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 6 repetitions for each exercise will look like the following:

 Dumbbell Curls 1 set of 10 reps
 Rest 90 seconds
 Triceps Pushdowns 1 set of 10 reps
 Rest 90 seconds
 Dumbbell Curls 1 set of 8 reps
 Rest 90 seconds
 Triceps Pushdowns 1 set of 8 reps
 Rest 90 seconds
 Dumbbell Curls 1 set of 6 reps
 Rest 90 seconds
 Triceps Pushdowns 1 set of 6 reps
 Rest 90 seconds
 Dumbbell Curls 1 set of 6 reps
 Rest 90 seconds
 Triceps Pushdowns 1 set of 6 reps
 End of modified superset

If you look at it, you will be resting 3 minutes plus the amount of time that it takes you to perform the other exercise (so you actually are resting a given muscle between 3.5 and 4 minutes). Using this technique of pairing exercises in a modified superset fashion not only saves time and keeps the body warm, but it also allows for faster recovery of the nervous system between sets.
This allows you to lift heavier weights than if you just stay idle for 3 minutes waiting to recover. An additional benefit of this technique is that it saves time plus it follows the “limit rest to a maximum of 90-seconds in between sets” rule.

Putting It All Together
Here is the recommended Growth Phase routine. For this routine, the following applies:

• If unable to train 6 days a week, then perform Day 1 on Monday, Day 2 on Wednesday and Day 3 on Friday.
• When 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 6 reps is prescribed, choose a weight where you can perform 10 repetitions. Then on the second set for that exercise increase the weight and perform 8. Finally increase the weight once again for the third exercise and perform 6 repetitions. On the 4th set use the same weight used for the third exercise.

Weeks 1, 2, & 3 - Growth Phase

Day 1 - Shoulders & Arms (Monday/Thursday)

Modified Compound Superset:
Military Press 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest)
Rear Delt Rows (Performed on T-Bar Row Machine, elbows and upper arms away from torso in order to primarily stimulate the Rear Delts and not the Lats) 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest)

Modified Compound Superset:
E-Z Curls 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest)
Lying E-Z Triceps Extensions 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest)

Modified Compound Superset:
E-Z Preacher Curls 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest)
Triceps Dips 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest)

Superset:
Wrist Curls 2 sets x 15-30 reps (No rest)
Reverse Wrist Curls 2 sets x 15-30 reps (No rest)

Day 2 - Legs (Tuesday/Friday)

Modified Compound Superset:
Squats 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest)
Lying Leg Curls 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest)

Modified Compound Superset:
Wide Stance Squats 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest)
Standing Leg Curls 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest)

Superset:
Adductor Machine 2 sets x 12-15 reps (No rest)
Abductor Machine 2 sets x 12-15 reps (No rest)

Superset:
Calf Press 4 sets x 8-10 reps (No rest)
Seated Calf Raises 4 sets x 15-20 reps (30 second rest)

Day 3 - Chest & Back (Wednesday/Saturday)

Modified Compound Superset:
Incline Barbell Bench Press 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest)
Wide Grip Pull-up to Front (Palms facing away from you) 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest)

Modified Compound Superset:
Chest Dips 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest)
Close Grip Pull-up (Palms facing you) 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest)

Superset:
Dumbbell Shrugs 2 sets x 10-12 reps (No Rest)
External Rotations (for strengthening of the rotator cuff) 2 sets x 15-20 reps (No Rest)

Superset:
Hanging Leg Raises 4 sets x 25 reps (No Rest)
Crunches (performed on Decline Bench) 4 sets x 25 reps (30 second rest)

Week 4 - Active Rest
Monday/Thursday

Modified Compound Superset:
(Rest 1 minute after the 1st set of exercise 1 and then do the first set of exercise 2. Then rest a minute and go back to exercise 1. Continue this pattern until both exercises are done for the prescribed amount of sets).

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 2 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)
One Arm Dumbbell Rows 2 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)

Modified Compound Superset:
Dumbbell Bench Press 2 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)
Pulldown to Front 2 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)

Modified Compound Superset:
Bent Over Lateral Raises 2 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 2 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)

Modified Compound Superset:
Incline Dumbbell Curls 3 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)
Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extensions 3 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)

Modified Compound Superset:
Dumbbell Lunges 3 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)
Leg Curls 3 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)
Squats 2 sets x 10 reps (2 minute rest)
Calf Raise 3 sets x 10 reps (2 minute rest)

Training Routine Notes
Notice on the routine above that some exercises for body parts like forearms, traps, rotator cuff, and inner/outer thighs are still performed for high repetitions in superset fashion (one after the other with no rest in between). The reason for this is because these are auxiliary muscle groups that get enough indirect stimulation from the rest of the basic exercises.

Therefore they do not need to adhere to the same cycling principles that the other muscle groups require. In addition, notice that while we do vary the volume of exercise for Abs and Calves, we still adhere to using supersets and pretty high repetitions. This is because these type of muscles are endurance type muscles and therefore respond better to heavy weights performed for a relatively high number of repetitions.

This is true of the abdominals as well. As soon as you start being able to do more repetitions for the abdominal muscles than what is recommended in the routine, feel free to start adding resistance to the movement. This will bring a quality to the muscle that is not seen on bodybuilders that do not train their abs with weights. Just be cautious with how much weight you initially add as adding too much weight too soon could trigger either a lower back injury or a hernia.

Nutrition
Just as we mentioned on the previous article, nutrition is a critical component to a successful mass building campaign. Since our training volume has gone down, we won’t be burning as many calories as we were burning before. For this reason, most endomorphs would benefit from lowering their carbohydrate calories just a bit in order to avoid gaining fat weight.

So for endomorphs (people with a slow metabolism) I would recommend a total of 1 gram of protein (tuna, salmon, turkey, lean red meats, chicken, whey protein, or egg protein) per pound of bodyweight divided equally over 5-7 meals spaced out 2-3 hours apart with 0.8 grams of complex carbs per pound of bodyweight.

Also reduce the amount of Flaxseed Oil from two Tablespoons to just 1 early in the morning (if using Fish Oils, then reduce the recommended amount from last month to two capsules taken three times a day with Meals #1, #3, and #5).

If you have a high metabolism, still adhere to 2 grams of carbs and 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight with the 2 Tablespoons of Flaxseed Oil (or ten capsules of Fish Oils). Again, remember that complex carbs such as potatoes, brown rice, oatmeal, veggies are to be consumed throughout the day and a combination of complex and simple carbs (fruits) are consumed for your post workout meal. Protein is consumed in all meals.

Cardio
Still continue to do cardio for twenty to thirty minutes right after the workout (or first thing in the morning on an empty stomach if you wish to train twice a day) for four times a week.
Remember that when used properly, cardiovascular exercise actually aids in the recovery process as well as helping produce fat burning enzymes; something that helps us keep the fat off while we gain muscle mass.
                                          Bodybuilding Mass Training Tactics Part #1

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Bodybuilding Mass Training Tactics Part #1

In this article, I will start presenting a series of routines that when performed in the sequence in which I present them are guaranteed to bring you the results that you are looking for.
Our workout parameters are going to be determined by the phase we are in. There are going to be three phases that we will be repeating over and over again. The first week is an Active Recovery Phase. This phase will only be a 1 week long phase in which we will only train with weights twice a week on a full body routine.

After this week, the next three weeks are going to be a high volume phase with short rest periods in between sets. We’ll call this phase the Loading Phase. After this phase we will do 4 weeks of higher intensity work (heavier weights) with longer periods of rest in between sets. We will refer to this phase as the Growth Phase. The logic is the following:

Active Recovery Phases
First, according to leading strength expert Tudor Bompa, Ph.D., “you are trying to adapt the anatomy of the body to the upcoming training so that you can create, or produce an injury free environment”. Essentially, your tendons and ligaments should be strong enough to support the stressful periods that will follow.

Second, this phase is a great time to address any strength imbalance that your body might have. This is the reason why mostly dumbbell work will be used during this phase.

Finally, this phase will act as a great time in which the body will re-charge its energy stores and allow for complete physical and mental recuperation.

During the loading phase the body is stressed with an increasing high volume of work that if kept for too long will eventually result in overtraining and injury.

During this phase, three things will happen:

1. The growth hormone output goes through the roof due to the short rest interval between sets and the high volume.
2. Hypertrophy (muscle growth) occurs by the body increasing the levels of creatine, water and carbohydrates inside the muscle cell. This henomenon is called muscle voluminization.
3. The body’s recuperation capabilities are upgraded in response to the stress imposed by the increasing volume of work coupled with short rest intervals.

During the Growth Phase the body is not stressed by volume. This time the stimuli for growth is heavy weights. If this phase would be kept for too long eventually the body would cease to stop making strength gains and you would plateau. This is the reason why we always need to go back to a Loading Phase.
During this phase the following three things will happen:

The testosterone levels go through the roof in response to the longer rest in between sets and the heavier weights.

Hypertrophy (muscle growth) occurs by the body increasing the actual diameter of the myofiber (the muscle fiber size) through increased protein synthesis.

Since your body’s recuperation abilities were built up to the maximum by the previous phase and the volume has gone down dramatically, these extra recuperation capabilities are   used to increase strength and build more muscle mass. The reason the body does this is in order to be prepared for another stressful period like the one it just went through. This adaptation mechanism is the one that ensures the survival of the species.

Putting It All Together

Taking all of the information presented above, below are the first four weeks of your periodized program. Notice how the first week is an Active Recovery Phase week and how the volume after week 1 in increased dramatically.

Week 1 - Active Rest

Monday/Thursday:

Modified Compound Superset:
(Rest 1 minute after the 1st set of exercise 1 and then do the first set of exercise 2. Then rest a minute and go back to exercise 1. Continue this pattern until both exercises are done for the prescribed amount of sets).

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 2 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)
One Arm Dumbbell Rows 2 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)
Modified Compound Superset:

Dumbbell Bench Press 2 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)
Pulldown to Front 2 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)
Modified Compound Superset:

Bent Over Lateral Raises 2 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 2 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)
Modified Compound Superset:

Incline Dumbbell Curls 3 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)
Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extensions 3 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)
Modified Compound Superset:

Dumbbell Lunges 3 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)
Leg Curls 3 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)
Squats 2 sets x 10 reps (2 minute rest)
Calf Raise 3 sets x 10 reps (2 minute rest)

Weeks 2, 3, & 4 - Loading Phase

Notes: If unable to train 6 days a week, then perform Day 1 on Monday, Day 2 on Wednesday and Day 3 on Friday.

Day 1 - Shoulders & Arms (Monday/Thursday):
Superset:
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 4 sets x 10-12 reps (30 second rest)
Bent Over Laterals 4 sets x 10-12 reps (30 second rest)
Superset:
Dumbbell Curls 4 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest)
Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extensions 4 sets x 10-12 reps (1 minute rest)
Superset:
Incline Curls 4 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest)
Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extensions 4 sets x 10-12 reps (1 minute rest)
Superset:
Wrist Curls 3 sets x 15-30 reps (No rest)
Reverse Wrist Curls 3 sets x 15-30 reps (No rest)

On Week 3, add:

Superset:
Bent Over Laterals 3 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest)
Concentration Curls 3 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest)
Triceps Pushdowns 3 sets x 10-12 reps (1 minute rest)

On Week 4, add:

Superset:
Lateral Raises 3 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest)
Hammer Curls 3 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest)
Triceps Dips 3 sets x 10-12 reps (1 minute rest)

Day 2 - Legs (Tuesday/Friday)
Superset:

Squats 4 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest)
Lying Leg Curls 4 sets x 10-12 reps (1 minute rest)
Superset:

Wide Stance Squats 4 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest)
Standing Leg Curls 4 sets x 10-12 reps (1 minute rest)
Superset:

Adductor Machine 3 sets x12-15 reps (No rest)
Abductor Machine 3 sets x12-15 reps (No rest)
Superset:

Standing Calf Raises 4 sets x 10-12 reps (30 second rest)
Seated Calf Raises 4 sets x 15-20 reps (30 second rest)
On Week 3, add:
Superset:

Leg Extensions 3 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest)
Seated Leg Curls 3 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest)
One Legged Calf Raises with Dumbbells 3 sets x 15-20 reps (1 minute rest)
On Week 4, add:

Superset:
Leg Press 3 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest)
Dumbbell Stiff Legged Dead lifts 3 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest)
Calf Press (on Leg Press Machine) 3 sets x 15-20 reps (1 minute rest)

Day 3 - Chest & Back (Wednesday/Saturday)

Superset:
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 4 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest)
Wide Grip Pull-up to Front (Palms facing away from you) 4 sets x 10-12 reps (1 minute rest)
Superset:

Chest Dips 4 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest)
Close Grip Pull-up (Palms facing you) 4 sets x 10-12 reps (1 minute rest)
Superset:

Dumbbell Shrugs 3 sets x 10-12 reps
External Rotations (for strengthening of the rotator cuff) 3 sets x 15-20 reps
Superset:

Leg Raises 4 sets x 25 reps (30 second rest)
Crunches 4 sets x 25 reps (30 second rest)

On Week 3, add:

Superset:
One Arm Rows 3 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest)
Dumbbell Bench Press 3 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest)
Knee-Ins 3 sets x 25 reps (1 minute rest)
On Week 4, add:

Superset:
Stiff Arm Pulldowns 3 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest)
Incline Flyes 3 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest)
Side Crunches 3 sets x 25 reps (1 minute rest)

To Fail Or Not To Fail
Regarding the issue of reaching muscle failure or not in all sets, the best advice that I can give you is to perform each set to the point where it would be impossible for you to perform an additional repetition on your own with good form. This philosophy has always kept me injury free and allowed me to train by myself for years without any accidents.

Nutrition
Critical to a successful mass building campaign is nutrition. While I could write a whole article (or even a book) solely dedicated to this subject, I’ll keep it simple. Eat 5-7 meals a day (It could be 3 meals and two protein shakes, or 4 meals and 3 protein shakes depending on your nutrient requirements).

In order to grow, eat a total of 1 gram of protein (tuna, salmon, turkey, lean red meats, chicken, whey protein, or egg protein) per pound of bodyweight divided equally over 5-7 meals spaced out 2-3 hours apart. If you have a high metabolism eat 2 grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight while if you have a slow metabolism just do 1 gram per pound of bodyweight.

Have complex carbs throughout the day such as potatoes, brown rice, oatmeal, veggies and a combination of complex and simple carbs (fruits) for your post workout meal. As far as fats, keep them as low as possible by choosing low fat protein sources.

However, supplement your diet with ten grams of fish oils (4 caps with meal #1, 3 with meal #3 and 3 with meal #5) and also 1 Tablespoon of Flaxseed Oil in two of your protein shakes.

Cardio
During the mass building phase it is still important to continue to do cardio. Twenty to thirty minutes right after the workout (or first thing in the morning on an empty stomach if you wish to train twice a day) four times a week will suffice.

The reasons for this are the following:
Improves cardiovascular endurance; critical when performing supersets.
Helps remove waste created by the weight training session and creates new capillaries that are used to provide more nutrients to the muscle, something that helps rebuild the muscles quicker as well as recover faster in between sets and workouts.

Finally, this type of exercise prompts the body to produce fat burning enzymes; something that helps us keep the fat off while we gain muscle mass.

Conclusion
Well, there you have it. Follow this routine for this month and by the time that you are done, I guarantee that you will have enhanced size and definition.
                                       Bodybuilding Mass Training Tactics Part #2

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