Pushing New Muscle Building Progress With 3 Easy Rules

By Russ Howe

After three to four months of a workout program you will usually hit a plateau. Today we are going to explain how to build muscle effectively and continuously, bursting through that plateau and pushing yourself to a new personal best.

After a few months of training you'll already know that in order to grow you need to be consistent at the gym and you need to be focusing on your big compound lifts in order to get the most from your body. So today we're going to look at a few tips which fitness enthusiasts tend to forget about.

The reason so many folks get nowhere is that they are constantly getting conflicting information. Most people have encountered this situation, so if you have people trying to alter your training routine with various tips you are certainly not alone. What this situation can do if you're not careful, however, is hold you back severely. Sometimes you need to go back to the old classics to get consistent progress.

Every day we are asked by gym members for tips on this subject and there are 3 questions which people appear to have more confusion with. We have answered them below for you...

* How many reps is best for a strength and size goal?

* What foods are best for this type of program?

* Do you need to train every day or not?

You should be hitting the hypertrophy zone with your rep range. Each set should be carefully aimed at a maximum of twelve reps, this ensures you land in the perfect zone for growth. So stop with the endless sets of twenty five with light weights. If you are trying to build you don't necessarily have to work harder, just smarter.

Should you already be successfully hitting the hypertrophy zone the next step is slotting in proven techniques to increase the difficulty further. Drop sets and pyramids are just two solid examples of this.

Believe it or not, more people get lost with their diet than with their training. So the next section is devoted to showing you how to create a simple but effective diet plan.

Eating the right type of food will determine what type of size you add. You can't expect to get big and stay lean if you are feasting on junk foods. Remember it's not just about how many calories you consume, it's also about where those calories come from.

While you could spend your time counting every single calorie in all of the food you eat, you will more than likely just drive yourself insane and remove any fun from your daily diet making it impossible to stick to. Instead, the 3-5-2 concept is simple and loose, allowing you to make allowances where you feel necessary. With 30% of your calories arriving from sources of protein, 50% carbohydrate and 20% from fat you will have a rock solid and trustworthy foundation to build from.

Rest is the final part we want to go over today. Once you begin enjoying your training and seeing results you will find it hard to resist the urge to train whenever and wherever possible. The main problem with this is you can hold yourself back slightly by not allowing your muscles the time to recuperate. Days off are not just useful, they are recommended.

If you are stuck in a rut and don't know how to build muscle today's article will have you moving along in leaps and bounds. Try to abide by the rules in today's post, all of which are backed up by years of scientific studies and research, you will be able to break through any plateau.

About the Author:

About the author: Russ Howe PTI is the UK's most subscribed Personal Trainer. Learn how to build muscle with our free video guide showing the five rules to a more muscular body.

Benefits Of Aerobic Exercise & How To Exercise Aerobically

By Jasmine Greene

"Aerobics" was coined by Dr. Cooper, an exercise physiologist at the San Antonio Air Force Hospital. He was the first to develop a formula for a target heart rate. Although there have been more recent improvements on this original formula, Dr. Cooper's heart rate formula involved subtracting your age from 220 and exercising at a heart rate of 60-80% of that number. Although "aerobics" were originally designed to help astronauts, Dr. Cooper soon realized that this would be a beneficial type of exercise for everyone.

Since that time, the original formula has been improved, and studies have shown several benefits of regular aerobic exercise, such as:

*Weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight (Aerobic exercise burns fat!)

*More long-term, consistent energy & stamina

*Improved mood

*Pain relief (by natural endorphin production)

*Stronger heart & better circulation (keeps arteries clear and helps prevent heart disease)

*Better blood sugar control and adrenal health

*Lower blood pressure

*Stronger bones (weight bearing aerobic exercise helps prevent osteoporosis)

*Stronger immune system

*Longer life expectancy

If you've been struggling with poor energy, low endurance, aches and pains, too much body fat, too much stress, or sugar or carbohydrate cravings, chances are that you are not enough aerobic exercise!

There are two basic criteria that set aerobic exercise apart from anaerobic: intensity and time. To exercise aerobically, your body must be at a very specific level of intensity, and you must maintain that level of intensity for at least thirty minutes at a time. If your heart rate is too low or too high (or variable), your exercise will become anaerobic instead.

During true aerobic exercise, the body burns fat for energy. Converting fat into energy requires oxygen, hence the name "aerobic." Aerobic exercise is useful for providing muscle endurance (energy for hours or days at a time without fatigue). This is particularly important for muscles that support posture, joints, and arches of the feet. If there is not enough aerobic exercise for these types of muscles, the chances of joint problems, injuries, and low stamina go up.

In anaerobic exercise, sugar (glucose) is burned for energy. This process does not require oxygen. Burning sugar helps provide muscles with short-term speed and power. However, muscles cannot burn sugar for long, so they tire quickly. Most people have no shortage of anaerobic exercise. Even while seated, the body runs many tasks anaerobically, and virtually all sports are anaerobic due to their alternating bursts of high intensity activity and rest.

Internationally recognized researcher and author Dr. Phil Maffetone has greatly changed our understanding of aerobic exercise and endurance training. Dr. Maffetone studied many athletes pre- and post-workout for many indicators, including heart rate, gait, and muscle imbalance. He found that the athletes who used Dr. Cooper's original formula often over-trained and suffered from injuries, distortions in body mechanics and posture, pain, and joint problems. After much work, Dr. Maffetone developed a new and improved formula for calculating each individual's target heart rate for true aerobic exercise.

Follow these four simple steps to ensure you're training aerobically and enjoying all the benefits of aerobic exercise:

1. Invest in a heart rate monitor with a chest strap as well as a wrist watch/display. It's not a good idea to exercise without one because you'll have no way of knowing if you're at the right pace. There are many brands and models available. Polar is an industry leader and is usually a safe bet. If you work out in a gym, invest in a model that is coded so that there is no signal interference from other electrical devices nearby.

2. Calculate your maximum aerobic heart rate using Dr. Maffetone's formula. Just subtract your age from 180 to calculate your maximum aerobic heart rate. For example, a 33 year old who wants to exercise aerobically would have a maximum heart rate of 147 beats per minute. Modifiers and exceptions to this formula are as follows:

*Subtract another 10 from the maximum aerobic heart rate if: recovering from major illness or surgery, or if on any regular medications.

*Subtract another 5 from the maximum heart rate if you're injured, have regressed in training or competition, suffer from more than two bouts of cold/flu per year, have asthma or allergies, just starting to train, or if you've been training inconsistently (Dr. Maffetone defined consistency as at least 4 times weekly for 2 years).

*Add 5 to the max heart rate if: training consistently for more than 2 years without injuries or problems and have made progress in competition.

*Add 10 to the max heart rate if you're over the age of 65.

*This formula does not apply to athletes 16 years old or younger. The best bet for these athletes is 165 as the max heart rate.

*If in doubt, choose the lower maximum heart rate.

3. Calculate your minimum aerobic heart rate by subtracting 10 from the maximum aerobic heart rate. So a healthy 33 year old would have a max heart rate of 147 and a minimum of 137.

4. Jog, walk, swim, or bike while using the heart rate monitor. Be sure to stay within your aerobic heart rate zone for at least 30 minutes at a time, and at least 3 times per week. Do not exceed 90 minutes at a time without a doctor's supervision.

You'll find it's surprisingly easy to exercise aerobically. It doesn't take much to get your heart rate up to the target zone. That's good news for couch potatoes (talk about exercising smarter, not harder!), but sometimes frustrating for athletes who don't want to slow down their training. Athletes need to do this, however, to protect their bodies. The good news for athletes here is that, as your heart becomes more aerobically fit, you'll soon be able to quicken the pace without surpassing your maximum aerobic heart rate. Once you start wearing a heart rate monitor, you'll likely also discover that any activity other than running, walking, cycling, or swimming at a steady pace is anaerobic.

As a chiropractor and acupuncturist, I've noticed substantial benefits for both myself and my patients who invest a little bit of time each week to exercise aerobically. The immediate and long-term benefits are well worth the effort!

About the Author:

Jasmine Greene is an educator on health, wellness, and holistic medicine. Are you looking for a Glen Ellyn Acupuncturist? Consider a visit to Kinesis Healthcare.

Is HIIT Good For Muscle Growth?

By Russ Howe

Most gym users who want to know how to build muscle can't seem to get any further forward due to the amount of conflicting information out there. One such area of confusion is HIIT.

This is a form of cardiovascular activity with a major twist. Today we're going to look at this in more depth and answer the question everybody is asking. Is this a good form of exercise for muscular growth?

When it comes to cardio exercise, the fact is most guys don't do enough of it. They're happy to throw around the weights three times per week but if you offer them the opportunity to jump onto a treadmill or exercise bike they'll not be anywhere near as keen.

Naturally, this behavior stems from a largely untrue stereotype that cardio is for women and weights are for men. This age old belief is something which has held countless gym members back for years and it's built upon lies.

However, if your primary goal is hypertrophy you are the exact type of person who should be performing regular cardiovascular workouts and one of the best forms of this is high intensity interval training. Not only is it great for fat loss, it'll also help you to build more lean tissue.

There are several key differences between high intensity cardio sessions and steady state workouts. If you've ever used an exercise bike for an hour at a steady pace you've probably felt a little bit bored at certain stages. That's one of the main drawbacks to this style of training and something which high intensity sessions will eliminate.

High intensity interval training is based around constantly switching between moderate and high intensities, causing your body to tap into both it's aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. There are striking similarities between an interval training session and a resistance workout.

While performing a resistance exercise your body is tapping into it's anaerobic exercise. This is the same system you'll use while performing any high intensity cardio workouts, too.

Secondly, one of the best things about resistance training is that the calories continue to be burnt by your body for up to sixteen hours after your session ends. This phenomenon is known as Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption and the exact same phenomenon occurs after a high intensity cardio workout. While you stop burning off calories the moment your regular cardiovascular workout finishes, interval training helps you to carry on even after you have left the gym.

As you can see, learning how to build muscle isn't necessarily all about hitting the weights. HIIT is a great way to increase lean tissue, with the added benefit of stripping away unwanted body fat at an increased rate.

About the Author:

About the author: Russ Howe PTI is an established fitness instructor who shows people how to build muscle at his gym. The new guide to hiit will help you to increase fat loss quickly.

This Article Will Help You Make Better Consuming Choices

By Scharlotte McHandsen

Among the smartest selections you can make, is to improve your eating plan. In the starting it will take some time and effort, although. Have you decided to improve your nutrition? One of several initial things you might be wondering is what measures you may need to begin with.

Pick out a diet regime that is definitely rich in healthful whole grains. Complete grains are a healthier selection every time, and can serve the body nicely when consumed rather of refined white breads. Look for labels that do not include things like the word "refined", and instead say that the item contains 100% complete wheat. Make this a staple in your each day diet program. Whole grains have drastically additional fiber than a lot more refined or "white" grains.

People today tend to prefer processed to complete grains simply because it tastes improved. In some baked goods, white flour does create preferable results. Nonetheless, whole grains usually taste far better than grains that happen to be over-milled. They also have digestive-aiding fibers.

Trying to consume significantly less red meat? Then turn it into a condiment. A single technique to make use of it is to enhance the texture and taste of foods from other meals groups, such as vegetables and grains. The Mediterraneans and Chinese have been generating use of this trick for ages, and they do not suffer heart disease as significantly as a result.

Attempt not to make any comments concerning the meals you're wanting them to attempt, just let them taste it for themselves, devoid of any preconceived notions. When the texture sounds intriguing, they may desire to attempt it.

A terrific nutrition tip is usually to try out new healthier recipes. There are lots of uncomplicated recipes available. You can even make protein bars with some healthier components you could possibly already have about the property. You could also make oatmeal pancakes.

Diabetics have lots of challenging nutrition requirements. Eat on a regular basis, due to the fact this can preserve your blood sugar at a manageable level. An abundance of fresh produce, whole grains and low-fat dairy goods are excellent for this purpose. Consuming at a distinct hour every day is vital for them.

A superb piece of tips regarding nutrition is usually to go a specific time frame without having consuming any grains. The staple of people's diets via history has consisted of fruit, nuts, beans, vegetables and meat. Grains weren't introduced into peoples diets till later, because they haven't been about as long as other foods we commonly consume. Consuming much less grains may possibly make you really feel better.

Try all kinds of healthy-food recipes. Protein bars may be merely produced with peanut butter, milk and protein powder. Oatmeal pancakes is another healthful recipe which is simple to make.

Baking, grilling, broiling, and roasting would be the healthiest strategies to prepare meat for consumption. Should you be used to employing butter, replace it with cooking spray and see how you like it. If you are browning beef, strain the meat just after cooking, and adhere to that having a rinse in hot water. This assists get rid of the additional fat on your beef.

It appears counterintuitive, but seaweed basically has healthful properties. A lot of seaweeds, like nori, kombu and dulse, have really higher nutritional content material with numerous vitamins and minerals. These plants are typical, and have been consumed for any really long time.

Use whole wheat flour instead of white flour. White flour is heavily processed and is lacking in nutrients and fiber. Entire wheat is complete grain and is a lot more nutritious.

1 method to enhance nutrition will be to alter the techniques one particular makes use of in food preparation. You are able to stay away from a great deal of fats just by steaming or baking, as opposed to deep frying your food. If flavor is your principal reason for cooking with fats, attempt as an alternative to add fresh herbs or spices to what ever meal you're cooking as this is a far more nutritional method to get some flavor into your dish.

Try and steer clear of drinking sodas. There is practically nothing in soda that the body truly requires, and its sugar content is unhealthily high. Sodas also have an ingredient known as citric acid, which can erode and deteriorate your teeth. Sugar within your sodas also causes bacteria to develop in your teeth, which in turn, releases acidic substances that add to what the citric acid is currently undertaking.

As you may see from this article, successfully managing your diet is often a course of action that demands each investigation and effort. It also requires persistence and an capability to bounce back in the event you encounter setbacks. Hold each of the assistance that you just discovered from this short article, and you is going to be ready to get a thriving fat reduction journey!

About the Author:

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