Weight lifting tips that
build muscle...No hype
just the facts

I'll be the first to tell you that building muscle requires the right information. That includes muscle tips and weight lifting tips that are proven to work.

Using the wrong information can be very detrimental to your progress.

Finding the right weight lifting tips and information can be a very confusing subject. Just walk into a bookstore and try finding a simple yet effective book on weight lifting and building muscle.

You'll be so overwhelmed by the amount of information on weight lifting, weight lifting tips, and building muscle that chances are, you'll just call it quits. Don't feel like your alone because your not. I've been there and I know just how confusing the subject of building muscle can be.

NEW! How To Build Biceps - A Biceps Tip

Here’s a slight twist on the barbell curl that you can use to improve the effectiveness of the biceps exercise.

Weight Training Tip For The Chest

Here's a cool weight training tip for your chest that may help those of you who can't seem to get your chest to grow.

Body Building Muscle Diet Tip

Are you serious about packing on the pounds? If you are, you might want to try this tip out.

When To Take Whey Protein For The Best Results

What Are The Best Times To Take Whey Protein To Really Pack On The Muscle?

When it comes to taking whey protein, it makes sense to try and consume the whey protein supplement for the best results. Well, I’m going to tell you when the absolute best times are to take whey protein for the best results in this "must read" article.

Turning Fat Into Muscle

The other day I got an email from a subscriber to building muscle 101 asking how he could turn his fat into muscle.

I thought to myself, hmm..."This phrase has been around for as long as I can remember", in fact, I remember hearing this phrase as a little kid when my Aunt described how her son “turned his fat into muscle”. Is is really possible to turn fat into muscle? Find out in this article

Tendonitis Of The Rotator Cuff

Yep, I’ve been seeing a physiotherapist now for the last 4 weeks for my right shoulder. It seems I have a pulled rotator cuff with some pretty bad tendonitis of the rotator cuff and it really, really sucks.

It all started a while back from all the crazy weight lifting I was doing but it really got bad after this last move. I had the responsibility of moving our household across the county and this really aggravated an already upset shoulder.

Find out how you can learn from my experience in this article.

How Often Should I Change My Exercise Routine?

How do you know when it's time to change your exercise routine up? Find out in this article.

Staying Focussed For Weight Training

One to the hardest things to do when you are training is keeping focussed. We all at one point or another become un-focussed in our training and it can be very frustrating. We all know what we need to do but somehow, it just happens, and we lose sight of the very thing we want from our bodies.

I’m going to outline some of the things you can do in order to stay focussed on your training.

Biceps Training Tip

Try this tip the next time you do your dumbbell curls. This weight training tip will add just a little more range of motion to your biceps movement.

You see, I've tried just about every muscle building gimmick and scheme out there and you know what? There is really only one way to build muscle. I've come to the conclusion that the only way to build muscle is by following 3 synergistic principles. This is no secret, smart weight lifters and athletes have know this for ages.

These 3 principles are:

1. Hard, heavy and smart weight lifting
2. Quality nutrition
3. Quality rest

All three must be in place if your going to succeed in building muscle. If just one of these elements is missing your not going to come any where near your potential and chances are you'll fizzle out and quit your muscle building program. You need all three, not one, not two, but all three. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Remember this weight lifting tip because it is the most imporatant element in the muscle building process.

(125 pounds) To (200 pounds) Find out Here

If you really want to build quality muscle, your going to have to train smart. By using smart weight lifting techniques, you can expect to double your strength and add significant size to your body.

Make no mistake about it, it's not only balls-to-the-wall weight lifting that's needed, it's smart, intelligent weight lifting that will make the difference. The difference is night and day between people who use smart weight lifting techniques and people who train with no direction or technique. Remember this weight lifting tip.

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If I knew then what I know now, well, I would have probably written this web site a long time ago. Weight lifting and building muscle is like any thing else you need to excel at, you need to learn as you go and learn from your mistakes. Quality weight lifting tips and advice is something we can all use.

Remember to use the right information and quality weight lifting tips and learn from your mistakes.

Why do people fail at their weight lifting programs?

Here are just some of the reasons why people fail in their weight lifting program:

1. No consistency .

You have to be consistent with your weight lifting program. I'm not going to lie to you, building muscle is hard work and it will take consistency to build quality muscle.

Remember that building muscle is a slow process and takes months to see any quality results. This is an important weight lifting tip, be consistent and your efforts will eventually pay off.

2. Poor nutritional habits .

You have to feed your body the right amount of calories, protein, carbohydrates and fat in order for it to grow. All of these nutrients must be in balance if you ever want to build muscle.

Don't let anyone tell you that you only need protein to build muscle. Protein is only 1/3 of the equation to building muscle regardless of what supplement companies may tell you.

The real trick to building muscle is finding your personal nutritional combination that will unleash your muscle building fury. Once you find this nutritional key, I guarantee your body will explode! This is a very important weight lifting tip.

3. Poor weight lifting techniques .

If you don't work the muscle, your not going to grow. If you overtrain the muscle, your not going to grow. The trick is to find a happy medium that places enough stress on the muscle in order for it to grow. This is where smart weight lifting comes into play.

For more information on proper weight lifting techniques, please see Building-muscle101's weight lifting exercises.

4. Not enough rest .

No matter how hard you train or how much you eat, if you don't get the rest you need, your workouts are going to fizzle. It is during sleep that most growth and repair occurs. Without adequate sleep the body becomes weakened.

This is an important weight lifting tip. It is crucial to your muscle building program that you get the correct amount of sleep because muscle growth happens while you are resting, not while you are training.

If you were to lift weights on a steady basis and not get any quality rest,your body would slowly fall apart.

Weight lifting tears the muscle tissue down and the diet provides the necessary fuel and material for repair, but it is during sleep that the repair and growth process occurs. Therefore, sleep is as vital to building muscle as is your training program and diet.

To achieve your muscle building goals, your going to have to find the right balance between weight lifting, nutrition, and rest. Remember this weight lifting tip, get enough rest in order to build muscle. To find out how much rest you need to build optimal muscle, Click here .

Here are some very important muscle building and weight lifting tips that you will want to include in your muscle building program.

Weight lifting tip # 1. Evaluating your body .

By evaluating your current body composition, body weight and body measurements, you give yourself a starting point. This will be very important in deciding what your nutritional and weight lifting goals will be. I suggest you record your body statistics and periodically update them on a weekly or bi weekly basis.

This way you will know if you are on track with your goals. I suggest you find out your body fat percentage, lean body mass, body weight, and body measurements. You can find out your body fat percentage and lean mass composition using the Accu-Measure body fat calipers.

Remember to record these numbers and update them on a weekly basis. You will also want to record your body weight and remember to monitor this on a weekly basis.

Weight lifting tip # 2. Setting your goals

Looking at the big picture and breaking it down into small mini goals will help you achieve your muscle building goals. It's very important that you identify your goals and periodically monitor and adjust your goals on an ongoing basis.

I suggest breaking your goals down into long (3 to 6 months), short (1 to 2 weeks), and immediate term goals. Make sure your goals are realistic. Record your goals and keep them in a handy place where you have constant access to them.

I recommend you record your goals in a weight lifting log.

Weight lifting tip # 3. Keep a weight lifting log and diet log

It is very important that you write everything down. By keeping track of your progress you are keeping yourself honest and motivated. A weight lifting log and diet log can help you get better results. You can look back at the end of each week and figure out if you were on target with your goals.

A weight lifting log and diet log will show whether your goals are realistic and gives you insight into your exercise and eating patterns. If your building muscle and strength, you won't have to wonder what works, because you'll have a full description of everything you've done to reach your goals. This will be your blue print for muscle building success.

Weight lifting tip # 4. Setting up your weight lifting program

Setting up your weight lifting program is a lot easier once you know your body statistics and goals. You must decide whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced weight lifter.

Once you know your current weight lifting status, build your weight lifting routine according to that information. I suggest you incorporate free weight exercises into your muscle building programs as opposed to machines.

In order to build muscle you need to concentrate on the basic movements like the squat, shoulder press, bench press, dead lifts, barbell rows and chins.

Remember to keep your workout short, heavy and intense. If you need more information on weight lifting programs, click here to go to the weight lifting program portion of Building Muscle101.

Weight lifting tip # 5. Nutrition

Nutrition is one half of the key to building muscle. Without the proper nutrition, you might as well pack your bags and go home. No amount of super sets, negative sets, tri-sets or pre-exhausting will build any amount of muscle mass without the proper nutrition.

To be honest, nutrition will be that element of your muscle building program that will put you over the edge.

Nutrition will make the difference between an o.k. physique and one that commands power. You will go into the gym, and absolutely explode! When you are in a nutritionally optimal state, your strength will explode and it will feel like someone has attached a tire pump to your muscles!

The trick to unlocking your muscle building fury is to find your Optimal nutritional state . To build muscle you need to consume more total calories than your body uses each day.

Remember this very important weight lifting tip, nutrition is the key to building real muscle.

To find out more, click here to go the nutrition section of Building Muscle101.

Try eating 6 times per day and make sure each meal is balanced with the optimal amount of calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fat.

Weight lifting tip # 6. Build a menu plan that supports your nutritional goals

Once you find out what your nutritional goals are, you need to build a menu that will support your goals. Try and find menus that are easy to cook and taste great. The trick is to adjust the menus and recipes to match your nutritional goals.

What you want to do is adjust the amount of ingredients in the original recipe to match that of your own. I suggest you try Stella's Kitchen for great muscle building recipes that are a snap to create and taste absolutely great.

Weight lifting tip # 7. Use weight lifting supplements to enhance your muscle building program

Weight lifting supplements are meant to enhance an already great muscle building program. If you have the right combination of nutrients and the right weight lifting program, a sport supplement schedule may serve to enhance your performance.

In order for weight lifting supplements to function properly, they must be taken at the proper times and in the proper amounts. I suggest you do your homework when it comes to using weight lifting supplements and make an informed decision before consuming any powder, pill, or brew.

Read as much literature as possible on your chosen sport supplement. If there is any doubt, save you money. I strongly suggest you read Will Brink's book, Muscle Building Nutrition.

Mr. Brink is an world renowned expert in the field of sport's nutrition and definitely knows his stuff when it comes to weight lifting supplements. This book will help you plan your optimal nutritional and supplementation plan, step by step.

You will also want to ensure that the weight lifting supplement manufacturer is well established in the industry and not a fly by night company.

Please click here to review some weight lifting supplements that are helpful in building muscle.

Weight lifting tip # 8. Monitoring your muscle building program

It is very important that you monitor and evaluate your program on an ongoing basis. By evaluating and monitoring your muscle building program, you can update or make any adjustments that may be needed to fine tune your program.

I suggest you evaluate your progress on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. By evaluating your program on a weekly or bi weekly basis, you can decide whether your training program needs to be adjusted or whether you need to add or cut down on calories.

I suggest you take a day out of your week and evaluate your body composition, body weight and body measurements. Decide whether or not you need to adjust your weight lifting routine and nutrition program based on your evaluation.

Weight lifting tip # 9. Rest

Blasting your body at full throttle all the time will slowly run you down. You need to take some time to rest and relax. Have fun, kick back and relax and enjoy the fruits of you labour. Let your body get into a good rhythm of work and rest.

By getting quality rest you will ensure that you get the most out of your muscle building program. Sleep is vital to building muscle. Make sure that you get enough rest to properly repair your body.

It is during sleep that most growth and repair occurs. Without adequate sleep the body becomes weakened. It is very important that you get the correct amount of sleep because muscle growth happens while you are resting, not while you are training. If you were to lift weights on a steady basis and not get any quality rest, your body would slowly fall apart. Weight training tears the muscle tissue down and the diet provides the necessary fuel and material for repair, but it is during sleep that the repair and growth process occurs. Therefore, sleep is as vital to building muscle as is your training program and diet. You simply cannot have any of these three muscle building components alone, or any two. All three components must be in place if you are to build a quality physique. It is crucial that you give adequate time and priority to all three, including rest and recuperation.

I suggest you aim for 7 to 9 hours of rest each night. Don't be afraid to take a nap in the afternoon or after work to add a little energy to your workouts. Remember this very important weight lifting tip!

Weight lifting tip # 10. Keep motivated

Motivation is the juice that keeps the machine moving. Throughout your muscle building program, it is very important that you stay focused and motivated. Although this may seem a little harder than you may expect.

Just remember that not all of your workouts are going to be 100%. It's important to know that there will be times when you just don't feel like working out or your workouts don't feel quite right. Feeling like this for one or two workouts is normal, but if it persists, your body is telling you to try somthing new or to take some time off.

There will also come a time when your muscle gains and progress will come to a halt. Yes, it will happen but don't get discouraged, it has happened to us all, even the best.

The important thing to remember is to keep going, don't quit. If you find yourself in a rut, think of it as a challenge. Try and find new ways to gain. If your bench press is sticking, stop doing it and use dumbbells instead, or try Building-muscle101's bench press program.

Listen to your body. Don't try and be stubborn when it comes to listening to your body. If it's telling your that it's tired, listen and take some time off. Your body has ways of telling you when it's tired and broken. This is a very important weight lifting tip, listen carefully to your body and you'll make great gains and avoid injuries.

Try and keep yourself motivated. Stick posters of your ideal body on the fridge, in your locker, in your room or anywhere else you might need motivation. I used to stick a poster of Bertil Fox in my locker at school. Every time I opened my locker, there was Bertil driving me on.

Try listening to music that motivates you in the gym. The repetitive sound of plates banging against one another can test even the most dedicated weight lifter. Listen to music that gives you some edge and drive.

Try taking pictures of yourself every couple of weeks. This way you'll see yourself improving from the "old you".

Weight lifting tip # 11. Use quality weight lifting apparel and clothing in the gym

Quality weight lifting apparel and weight lifting clothing is a must if you want to maximize your range of motion. Use weight lifting apparel and clothing that allows your body to move comfortably and freely without constriction.

Train in weight lifting apparel and clothing that is conducive to building muscle.

Weight lifting tip #12. Drink a lot of water

Building muscle requires a lot of fluid. You should be drinking at least 8 to 12 cups of water per day. Water is essential for good health and building muscle.

Remember this weight lifting tip, in order to move muscle, you need water. Muscle is considered an active tissue and water is found in the highest concentrations in active tissue. If your body is dehydrated, chances are you're not going to have a very productive weight lifting session.

Without enough water, your muscles are not getting enough electrolytes. Muscle strength and control are weakened. If you want to build muscle, than you must keep your body well hydrated.

Drinking alot of water is an important weight lifting tip and shouldn't be neglected.

Weight lifting tip #13. Give your self a free day

Try giving yourself a free day every couple of weeks in which you can eat anything you want. This way your not going crazy with your weight lifting diet and it allows you to enjoy some of the food you've always liked. I love this weight lifting tip because I think everyone (including me) has a favorite meal that's not the healthiest.

Weight lifting tip #14. Have some fun

Here is one weight lifting tip you will want to remember. Building muscle should be a fun and rewarding experience. Make sure to enjoy what your doing and have some fun. What fun is weight lifting and building muscle if you can't stand being at the gym?

Weight lifting tip #15. Believe in yourself

Always believe in yourself. If you start doubting your abilities, your workouts are not going to be effective and your efforts are not going to be 100%.

Attitude is everything. Once your attitude changes, everything changes. When you know you can do it, you can and will do it.

Remember this important weight lifing tip.

Always believe in yourself!!

Weight lifting tip #16. 10 simple nutritional tips to help you build mass

Looking to build mass and power? Try these weight lifting tips to add a kick to your gains.

1- Consume at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight each day. For example, if you weight 150 pounds, you should be eating at least 150 grams of protein each and every day.

2- Consume at least 3 to 4 grams of carbohydrates per pound of bodyweight each day. Make sure that most of these carbohydrates come from comples sources such as pasta, rice, oatmeal, potatoes and yams and fibrous veggies such as broccoli and asparagus. The only time you should be feeding your body fast acting carbs is immediately after your workouts.

3-Ingest health fats from sources such as nuts and seeds, olives, flax seed and canola oils. Reduce your intake of saturated and trans fatty acids.

4-No need to starve yourself. If you want to add muscle, you need to consume calorie dense foods such as comples carbs.

5- Your diet ratio should be 50 to 55% carbohydrates, 25 to 30% protein and 15 to 20% fat. See Will Brink's Muscle Building Nutrition. for a complete break down of optimal nutritional ratios.

6- Spread your eating over a minumum of five meals per day, taking in at least 30 grams of protein per meal. By spreading out your meals in this fashion will ensure that the nutrients for the muscle building process are constantly being supplied.

7- Drink alot of water! Try drinking at least one gallon of water per day. Water is essential for building muscle.

8-Consume more calories. Eat slightly beyond the point of satiety. Remember to eat a big, healthy breakfast.

9-When boosting your caloric intake, gradually increase the amount of calories over a period of 7 to 10 days. This way, you are using the extra calories as fuel as opposed to storing it as fat. If you find yourself stuck, gradually increase the amount of calories per day.

10-Eat at least 6 times per day, counting significant snacks such as protein shakes as meals.

Use these 10 weight lifting tips to increase your size and strength.

Use the above noted weight lifting tips in your muscle building program and you should be off to a flying start.

As you progress in your program, make sure to challenge yourself and change your weight lifting routine around. This will add a new angle to your training and improve the weight lifting experience.

I know a lot of you are looking for reliable information about weight training programs and exercises. There are some pretty good sites that offer paid books with regards to weight training. For specialized and advanced programs, designed for the intermediate and advanced trainer, try the Optimum Anabolics program from Jeff Anderson here.

For dumbbell routines and exercises, try going to this site here.

For those of you who are starting out and want to get into shape and build muscle, try going to Muscle Gain Truth. This is a detailed program that will get you on the right track, right from the start.

If your looking to build your abs and tone up, you have to go to The Truth About Six Pack Abs

If you have no clue about nutrition and supplements, you have to see Mr. Will Brink's site, Muscle Building Nutrition. This is a no nonsense guide and will show you exactly how to calculate your nutritional requirements in order to get into your best shape.

For more great weight lifting tips, see Supplecity.com

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