Essential Steps to building muscle and the body you've always wanted!There are many avenues to building muscle. Of course, when most think of building muscle,
they tend to think of huge freaky physiques that you see in some of the muscle magazines. Building muscle doesn't necessarily mean getting ultra huge, although some of the weight lifters out there may want to become future mass monsters.
Building big muscles takes hard work. The guys and gals you see in the muscle mags have spent years and have put in hours of hard work in the gym. They have perfected their weight lifting routines that is best suited for their particular physiques.
Is it impossible to build large muscles? Definetly not! Of course, you don't necessarily have to build huge muscles but maybe you want a nice, attractive physique that's not quite as huge but toned and muscular.
You can definetly build both! You see, there are different stages of building muscle which I will explain.
Building Muscle for a toned and muscular body
Looking for a toned and muscular body? In order to attain a well toned and muscular body, you need to use light weights and more repetitions. Yes, you can certainly achieve a toned and muscular appearance without bulking up.
If you are building muscle for body shaping, sculpting and toning, your weights will need to be slightly heavier for some body parts yet lighter for others.
It will depend on the type of weight lifting routine you choose. By using the correct weight lifting routine to achieve your goals, you will be one step ahead of 90% of the exercisers out there.
Weight training is an exciting and rewarding process. Seeing the desired results day after day is a truly fantastic feeling.
Getting huge
Want to get huge? Want to add slabs of beef to your frame? Than you will have to lift heavy and lift hard! You will have to use high intensity techniques built into your weight lifting routine.
In order to create large amounts of muscle growth you need to damage the muscle to a certain extreme for your muscles to respond, repair and grow into strong, healthy muscles.
You certainly won't build large muscles using light weight and high repetitions. I hate to break this to you but the only way to get huge is to lift huge.
Lift hard and heavy. Unless you are a genetic freak, the only way to pack on the muscle is to lift heavy and lift strict.
Using heavy weights damages the muscle sufficiently to create this type of muscle damage.
Muscle building training
This varies on your goals of what you want your body to look like. If you want to get huge, you will need to structure your weight lifting routine around lifting heavy weight and low repetitions.
If you want to build a well toned and muscular body, you will need to combine both heavy and light weight lifting movements. If you want to build a defined body, you will need to lift light weights with a high repetition rate.
It's vital that you use a program that is best suited to your body type and goals, otherwise you will be wasting your time.
Using a program that is suited to your body type and goals is one of the most important aspects to building muscle.
You can't expect to build muscle by just showing up at a gym and messing around with a few weights and hoping for the best. If you want maximum results from your training program then you should get yourself a training program that will get you long-term effective results.
How do you get yourself an effective training program? Use good advice from reputable people/companies such as ahem...Building Muscle 101 or other professionals that may be willing to help you.
There are some really great online trainers on the internet today that can provide you with some really fantastic, personalized training programs.
Whether your goal is to build huge muscles or build a sleak, lean physique, you'll find great personalized programmes for you at the following websites:
Virtual Fitness Trainer offers some very interesting and innovative workout routines. VirtualfitnessTrainer.com is a well established and professional company that will work one on one with you to provide customized training routines that includes, training, diet and motivation.
Virtual Fitness Trainer is basically an online personal training,health and Fitness site. The Memberhip Packages offers an exciting range of quality programs specifically designed to suit your training goals.
The programs are fully custmized or you can choose from 106 "ready made" workout routines. From building muscle to fat burning, you'll find a program designed for you at Virtual Fitness Trainer.
Some of the workout programs include;
Virtual Fitness Trainer memberships include workouts, fat loss programs, eating plans, fitness, flexiblity and more! You can train online or print out your workouts and programs and take them with you.
Complete with full exercise and workout instructions, low fat recipes, menus, motivational help and more to help you get into fantastic shape.
Upon joining Virtual Fitness Trainer, you will have access to the following informtaion;
Overall, a pretty comprehensive website that is dedicated to helping you put together a training program that mazimizes your training goals. Click here to check out virtualfitnesstrainer.com in more detail.
Are you an athlete looking to get one step ahead of the competition? Or are you a coach trying to put together a team winning training routine?
SportSpecific.com offers personalized training routines specifically desgined by professionals for athletes. This website has over 4,100 pages of information targeted for different areas of sport. You'll find ready made workouts in such sports as:
And a whole lot more...
Overall, this is a very unique website that offers something no other website in this class can. That's ready made and customized training routines designed specifically by sport professionals for athletes and coaches.
For many athletes out there who want to get a step ahead of the competition, this can be a very worthwhile website to visit. Here are just some of the benefits to joining:
What I really like about SportSpecific is the unlimited email consultations. This alone is worth the price of memebership ($69.00). If you're looking for that perfect training program to put you one step ahead of the competition, take a look at SportSpecific.com. Click here to check out SportSpecific.com
Muscle building nutrition
Nutrition is a very important element in building muscle. Of course, this depends on what your goals are. If you want to build huge muscles you will need to consume quality calories. You will need to ensure that you take in sufficient protein, carbohydrates, and fat to help you get through your training and for healthy repair of your muscles.
If you are looking to build lean muscle and keep fat to a minimum, then you may want to reduce your calories and structure your diet that is relative to your weight lifting program.
You will need to closely watch your calorie and fat intake, while still ensuring that your body gets sufficient nutrition and quality calories from protein, carbohydrates, and fat. No matter what your training goals are never starve yourself. Regular meals through out the day are very important.
Will Brink of Muscle Building Nutrition offers this advice: "Gaining quality weight is a process of obtaining proper knowledge about the foods needed, following the right ratios of those foods, deciding on the calories required and being methodical with your plan. Consistency, as much as anything, is why some people get the results they want while others fail. Of course, being consistent with a poor plan and a lack of knowledge regarding calories needed, macro nutrient ratios, etc. is a sure route to failure." (Will Brink, Muscle Building Nutrition) For a free sample of Mr. Brink's book, Muscle Building Nutrition, click here
Effective steps to a muscle building program 1. Ensure that you have to right weight lifting routine that suits your needs. You will want to make sure that it gives you sufficient instructions on how to perform your exercises.
2. Always ensure that you perform the exercises correctly. Using good form while exercising will produce the best results and keep injuries to a minimum.
3. Don't get into the habit of swining your weights. If you can't perform the exercise correctly using proper form and mechanics, then you should lower the weights until you are ready to advance.
3. When performing your exercises keep your knees slightly bent, your back straight and your tummy firm, even when you are performing seated exercises you need to make sure you have good posture.
4. Always warm up properly. Never attempt to lift heavy weights when you are cold because this is one sure way to injure yourself. Start by doing 10 to 20 minutes of cardio before each weight lifting session and start each exercise with a light warm up weight and do 15 to 25 repetitions.
6. Remember to include a cool down after an intense weight lifting session. Try riding the exercise bike for 10 minutes. Remember, this is a cool down so don't go crazy!
5. Always keep hydrated. Keep a water bottle near by so have easy access to fluids while training.
6. Get enough rest. This is where your body grows. You want to train hard and have enough rest time to build and repair your body.
9. Plan your meals. This way you know exactly what your putting into your body and it will keep you on track with your weight lifting program.
10. Ensure that you are getting enough protein. Protein builds muscle so make sure you get the optimal amount to build muscle.
11. Ensure that you are getting enough carbohydrates to power your workouts. If you are building muscle mass, you will need an optimal amount of carbohydrates to fuel hard and intense workouts.
Remember that you need the right weight lifting routine to match your goals. Just showing up at a gym and randomly lifting weights is not good enough. You need to organize and plan your routine for optimal results.
All the best,
Blake Bissaillion
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