Monday Muscle - 9 Reasons You Are NOT Building Muscle - Bodybuilding Errors

Building muscle is not easy. If it was, everyone would be walking around muscle-bound. The task of adding muscle to your frame requires work, and many times factoring in meticulous details.

If you've been pounding the iron every day, doing set after set and repetition after repetition and are showing absolutely zero results, you are probably making some costly mistakes just like many other bodybuilders.

This article is to identify and tackle each bodybuilding error to ensure you are building muscle. When you eliminate the obstacles, you start making progress.

If you are ready to start making muscle gains, then read on...

Bodybuilding Error #1: No Starting Point 

Many bodybuilders fail to show any progress when embarking on a new weight-training program because they have absolutely no idea of where to start. Before beginning a training program you need to first assess your physique. What are your strengths and what are your weaknesses? Which body parts need to be brought up to speed or balanced out?

Bodybuilding Error #2: Tackle Plateaus Immediately 

Often time's, bodybuilders have a small growth spurt and then it stalls dead in its tracks. When this occurs they have no idea how to continue to produce gains. Hitting a plateau is not a detriment; it's a red flag to tell you to change something in your program. This could mean more calories, more rest, or a simple change in training. Heed the warning and make changes when necessary.

Bodybuilding Error #3: Failure to Track 

Track your progress

Most bodybuilders don't know how to track their progress, or they neglect to track their progress. Often times, bodybuilders fail to have a structured system to follow to evaluate and gauge their progress. Without a roadmap, you are headed down a dead end road.

Bodybuilding Error #4: Neglecting the Weakest Link 

It's common among bodybuilders to train their strongest body part more because it feeds their ego. Those who don't train or those who fail to put 100% into their weak body parts are doing themselves a great injustice, which can create imbalances.

Bodybuilding Error #5: Supplement Reliance 

Many bodybuilders get a condition called supplement-overload. This is simply taking too many supplements in hopes to build a superhuman body overnight. There are a few key supplements that help to build muscle. Knowing what supplement to take and when to take it can make all the difference in muscle gains. Overloading on the latest supplement trend will only deflate your wallet.

Bodybuilding Error #6: No Intensity 

I see a lot of bodybuilders lacking intensity. Anaerobic intensity is not high-volume training. Training intensity is the poundage and force used. When you fail to challenge your muscles, your body will fail to grow.

Bodybuilding Error #7: Information Overload 

It's common for bodybuilders to be in a whirlwind of excess information. Information overload is having too much information and not having the slightest idea of how to implement any of it. Building muscle is not complicated. Go back to the basics, train, eat, rest = growth.

Bodybuilding Error #8: Poor Form 

Bad form is another major mistake made among bodybuilders. Many bodybuilders are ego lifters. The weight they try to push is so much that proper form is missing, which can cause injury.

Bodybuilding Error #9: Fear of Carbs 

Carbs can be your best friend

Shunning the carbs is a major muscle-building error. Carbs are stored in the muscles as muscle glycogen. This is the fuel for weight training. Without the proper muscle fuel you will be in a muscle wastage state. You can eat protein until it comes out of your ears, but if you don't have glycogen stores, you won't increase your strength or muscle gains.

Conclusion 

This is just skimming the surface of bodybuilding errors. However, if you can avoid the above you can maximize muscle gains and strength levels far beyond you ever imagined.

To be a success you have to keep yourself and your ego in check. Keep in mind your goal is progression, not perfection. If it means taking a few days off of training, so be it. Sometimes, taking a step back can put you two steps ahead.

Article Tags: Building Muscle, Bodybuilding Errors, Muscle Gains, Many Bodybuilders

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Monday Muscle - Muscle Building Diet Advice For Men Who Want To Gain Mass

If you are planning to add muscle mass to your body then you certainly need a better muscle building diet plan along with a proper exercise routine. Most men who want to increase their muscles always look for shortcuts such as use of steroids and supplements. Instead of using such harmful shortcuts, you can follow a healthy muscle building diet that can help you to quickly gain muscle mass naturally in few weeks.

This type of diet plan should consist of proper amount of proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals along with natural and healthy supplements. Combine this healthy diet plan with proper muscle building exercises to get a perfect sculpted body in few months.

Tips to follow for the right muscle building diet:

1) Start eating foods containing healthy calories If you are too skinny and do not have enough muscle strength then you definitely need to increase the intake of daily calories through your diet.

Look for food with healthy calories

This does not mean that you should eat any type of junk food and highly processed food items to increase the calorie intake. This only indicates that you should start eating the foods that provides high dose of natural and healthy calories to your body. You should at least consume 500 to 1,000 calories per day if you really want to gain muscle mass naturally.

2) Add lean proteins to your daily diet We all know that proteins are the basic building blocks of human muscles. So more you eat the foods with high proteins, better it is for your body to gain natural muscle mass. Proteins also expedite the process of natural muscle growth, maintain the growth of the muscles and repair any damaged tissues faster. The best natural sources of lean proteins are fish, eggs, chicken, tofu, legumes and low fat dairy products such as milk and butter.

3) Eat complex carbohydrates through your diet It is important that you avoid eating foods containing simple carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta, etc. These simple carbohydrates are harmful for the natural growth of our muscles and they only help to increase the body fat. Instead, you can eat the foods such as whole grains, oatmeal, cereals, brown rice, wheat bread, etc. to increase the intake of complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates usually enhance our metabolic processes and increase the energy needed to fuel the process of natural muscle building.

4) Take natural healthy supplements For some people, it gets very difficult to increase their muscles mass even after consistently following a right muscle building diet plan and exercise routine.

The right supplements can help

Such people can safely take natural health supplements such as creatine and whey proteins. These natural health supplements are usually very safe to take after your regular workouts. They enhance your muscle power and increase the overall performance of your muscles. But just like all other supplements, it is important that you consult with your doctor before trying out these natural health supplements.

Follow this natural muscle building diet plan along with regular bodybuilding workouts to increase your muscle mass in few months.



Read more: Muscle Building Diet Advice For Men Who Want To Gain Mass http://www.sooperarticles.com/health-fitness-articles/general-health-articles/muscle-building-diet-advice-men-who-want-gain-mass-897010.html#ixzz45Sepuso5

Fat Loss Friday - Weight Loss Lunch - 10 Ideas For A Weight Loss Lunch

Can you get results with a weight loss lunch? Yes, if you are consistent and continue to have healthy lunches everyday.

You know that feeling when you feel like you are weighed down with worry? It's not very pleasant.

Don't let lunch worry you

It is a feeling that comes on easy, especially when you are trying to lose extra pounds. It can be worry to do everything right to eat healthy.

Luckily, choosing to eat lunches that will help with weight loss is a great way to relieve some worry and to see results. When you are focused on eating a healthy lunch, you will be able to acquire healthy habits to last even after you've made your weight loss goal. Maintaining your weight loss will be easier as you use healthy lunches to keep you going.

I finally saw weight loss results when I became completely focused on what I ate. I even surpassed my weight loss goal and have been able to maintain because my focus turned into healthy habits. Those habits are now a part of my routine and crave healthy food and eat it everyday.

10 Ideas For A Weight Loss Lunch

1. Brothy soup. Soup is excellent for lunch. It's low in calorie and usually has veggies in it. Just choose a broth based soup instead of creamy.

2. Salad. Salads are so versatile. There are thousands of food combos to make a salad. Just go light on the dressing.

3. Smoothie. Make an extra smoothie and save it for lunch. Add a tablespoon of chia seeds to eat for protein and to help you feel full longer.

4. Lettuce wraps. Chicken salad or fish is excellent wrapped in lettuce. It is so healthy and will give you energy.

5. Leftovers. Bring containers from last night's healthy meal for lunch.

Leftovers - lose weight & save money

6. Finger foods. Have a buffet of grape tomatoes, cucumber, cheese, olives, apple, orange, celery, carrots, and hummus. Sometimes it's fun to eat healthy snack foods for lunch.

7. Bento box. With the finger foods above, make a bento box of your favorite veggies and fruits.

8. Breakfast. Eat a yogurt with a little granola and chia seeds. Boiled eggs are great for lunch as well. Have a small bowl of oatmeal with berries. Eat fruit along with the eggs and yogurt too.

9. Color. The more color you eat, the less calories you'll eat.

10. Whole grain. If you must eat carbs, choose one hundred percent whole grains.



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Wednesday Video - What is a carbohydrate?

You know about Carbohydrates right? It's the "bad stuff" that makes you fat and to lose weight you need to avoid it.

Well - not really. Carbohydrates are actually a lot more and this short video shows what it is and why you need it.

Welcome to the sweet and sugary macro nutrient Carbohydrate!

Fat Loss Friday - Seven Tips to Lose Belly Fat Fast

Fat stored around the waist can be a risk of developing diseases like stroke, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. The easiest way to determine if you're at risk of developing any of the above mentioned diseases, simple measure your waist. A measurement greater than 100 cm for men and 85 cm for women is considered to be 'high risk'. But don't despair, even if you are at risk there are some simple steps you can take in order to lose belly fat fast.

#1. REDUCE YOUR FOOD INTAKE. The best way to reduce your food intake is to simply decrease your portion seizes slightly so your appetite isn’t affected.

Overweight?

You may also want to substitute certain foods that you’re currently consuming regularly with healthier alternatives. By reducing your overall food intake you make it easier for your body to create a mild calorie deficit that will assist your weight-loss efforts.

#2. CHOOSE A LOW GLYCEMIC DIET The Glycemic Index is a way to rank foods according to the effect they have on our blood glucose levels. This is especially true in regards to carbohydrates. Specifically, the glycemic index measures how much a 50-gram portion of carbohydrates raises your blood sugar levels compared with a control. The control is either white bread or pure glucose. All carbohydrates cause some temporary rise in your blood glucose level. This is called the glycemic response. And this response is affected by a variety of factors, including the amount of food eaten, the type of carbohydrates, the method used to prepare the food, as well as the degree of processing, to name just a few. The slower your body processes the food, the slower the insulin is released, and the healthier the overall effect is on your body. And it's the foods that raise your blood sugar level slowly, that you, as a person desiring to loose weight, want to eat. And there are several reasons for this. First, these foods - many of which you'll discover are high in fiber - will just keep you feeling fuller for a longer period of time. And any of you who have been on a diet can be thankful for this.

#3. REDUCE YOUR INTAKE OF CARBOHYDRATES There is no doubt that low-carb diets are effective for weight loss. They have also been shown to significantly reduce abdominal fat stores. The easiest way to reduce your overall intake of carbohydrates is to eat mainly fibrous vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, capsicum, tomatoes, etc., eat a moderate amount of fruits and starchy vegetables, and consume a small amount of high-density carbohydrates, like bread, pasta, rice, cereals, etc. Carbohydrate is stored in your body as glycogen and for every gram of glycogen stored, 2-3 grams of water is stored with it. Therefore, reducing your glycogen stores will result in immediately weight loss.

#4. INCREASE YOUR PROTEIN CONSUMPTION Out of the three macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein and fat ), protein is the most effective at helping you lose belly fat. There are several reasons for this.

Fish is a good protein

Protein is the most satiating food component, which means it helps you feel satisfied for longer following a meal. It also requires the most energy to be burned through the processes of digestion, absorption, and utilization compared to either fat or carbohydrate. Research has shown that a higher protein intake is related to having less belly fat!

#5. CONSUME MORE FIBER Fiber is the indigestible component of food matter. It is primarily found in vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, and cereals. There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble, both of which are beneficial from a health perspective. Soluble fiber in particular is useful for reducing belly fat. In fact, in one study it was demonstrated that consuming 10 grams per day significantly reduced belly fat. Since soluble fiber slows the passage of food through the intestinal tract it can prolong the feeling of fullness and therefore, reduce appetite.

#6. LIFT WEIGHTS Weight training, also known as resistance training, is well known to be beneficial from a health and weight-loss perspective. In fact it is probably the most underestimated way to lose belly fat fast! Since weight training forces your body to build, or at least maintain your muscle mass; you can keep your metabolism elevated for longer simply because muscle is a metabolically- active tissue, especially when it is recovering from an exercise session. It is best to perform at least 3 weight training sessions per week and if you are non experienced, always employ the service of a personal trainer.

#7. PERFORM AEROBIC EXERCISE Aerobic exercise is very effective at helping you lose belly fat. Aerobic ( with oxygen ) exercise includes walking, running, bicycling, swimming, boxing, aerobic classes etc.

Exercise can be fun

It simply means exercise that involves movement for an extended period of time, i.e. greater than a few minutes, and results in you puffing, panting and sweating. Gardening, housework or lawn bowls are not considered to be aerobic exercise. While they may help to burn up a few extra calories, they certainly don’t increase your heart rate and/or breathing rate. It is best to perform at least 15 minutes of aerobic exercise every day in order to achieve the best results.




Article source: Adrian Joele

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9 Secrets From The World's Healthiest Countries

Many of us think of health as something that’s controlled individually from person to person. And while this is certainly true to some extent, the places we live in have more of an influence on us than we may realise. 

Health is just as much a community concern as a personal one, and this is reflected nowhere better than on the national level. Some countries are healthier than others, with lower rates of disease, longer average lifespans, and better qualities of life. In his book “The Blue Zones: Nine Lessons for Living Longer,” Dan Buettner reveals some powerful health habits that these countries have in common.

1. Exercise regularly

People in Blue Zones tend to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives, but rather than setting aside an hour for running on the treadmill, they simply make better choices, like swapping their car commute for a bicycle ride. They also enjoy hobbies that keep them moving, like hiking, gardening and kayaking. It doesn’t have to be strenuous, as long as it’s regular.

2. Find ways to relieve stress

Everyone copes with stress differently, so be intentional about finding the things that work for you. Maybe it’s a yoga class, reading a book, or getting coffee with a friend. Whatever it is, set time aside for it throughout your week.

3. Eat healthy, plant-based diets

Most people in Blue Zones don’t skimp on servings of vegetables. Most of their diets revolve around veggies, whole grains, and beans, rather than animal products.

4. Live with purpose

Few things are better for your mental health than waking up each day feeling like it’s good to be alive. Set goals for yourself, even if they’re small goals, and make a decision to stay positive even in the face of negativity.

5. Practice moderation

Try to value the quality of something over the quantity. A delicious meal shouldn’t have to leave you stuffed, and you don’t need dessert every day. You’ll be healthier and happier if you can learn to be content with less.

6. Stay busy

Boredom can lead to a whole host of negative behaviours, whether it’s wasting an afternoon in front of the TV, turning to comfort food, or feeling depressed. Invest your time into jobs, hobbies, and relationships that leave you feeling fulfilled.

7. Get sufficient vitamin D

This certainly doesn’t mean spending hours baking in the sun, since that comes with health problems of its own, but vitamin D is necessary for boosting immunity and preventing disease. Eat foods that contain it, take supplements, or go in the sun for short periods of time.

8. Kick bad habits

Vices like smoking, excessive drinking, and staying up too late can all age you prematurely. The sooner you ditch them, the better off you’ll be.

9. Nap

A 30 minute nap a few times a week can relieve stress and reduce the risk of heart disease, so don’t feel guilty about lying down to rest your eyes now and then. Of course, this shouldn’t be treated as a substitute for adequate nightly sleep (aim for at least 7 hours).

Just remember, physical health goes hand in hand with mental health, so don’t neglect either one. Fill your life with good habits and positivity and you’ll be able to create your own mini Blue Zone, no matter where you live.

Are you already practicing these rituals? What else can you incorporate to live a healthier life?

Article source: Thomas Cho, Amazines.com, 08/19/2015

5 Easy-To-Follow Tips to Burn That Stubborn Fat And Keep It Off For Life

Sick and tired of trying weight loss programs with no success? Well the problem may lie in the way you view weight loss. Many people trying to lose weight view weight loss as a short term goal. The reality is that weight loss is in fact a lifetime goal. Don't be put off with what I said. Instead of viewing weight loss as a means to an end, view it as a lifestyle. Don't give up hope just yet! This article will reveal to you the foundation to weight loss success for life.

I'm sure that many of you have been on many weight loss programs with no success whatsoever. Below I'll reveal to you the foundation to successful weight loss for life.

1. Write up a weight loss plan

The first step you should undertake to develop a slimmer body is to write-up a weight loss plan. Writing up a weight loss plan will help you stay focused on your weight loss goals thereby eliminating distractions that may appear from time to time. It will also make your weight loss journey a lot smoother and stress free allowing you to enjoy your journey.

Things you should include in your plan include how much weight you would like to lose making sure you're realistic about it (i.e. 2 - 4 pounds of fat loss per week), writing shopping lists listing healthy foods, writing down specific exercises for you workout routine and planning your reward you would love to work towards, this reward maybe a be a pair of tight, well-fitting pants, shirts and maybe a holiday.

2. Eat frequently

Contrary to popular belief towards weight loss you should eat more instead of eating less by eating smaller meals frequently throughout the day (i.e. 4-6 small meals), you'll increase your metabolism thereby increasing your fat burning potential. However for many people preparing 4-6 small meals maybe too demanding on time therefore as an alternative I would suggest a 3 main meal, 3 snack approach.

3. Incorporate resistance training

As part of your weight loss plan you should incorporate resistance training such as body weight exercises and weightlifting into your weight loss routine. Resistance training builds muscle mass allowing you the ability to burn fat faster as a result of the increased caloric demand from your muscle tissue. Simply said the more muscle mass you build the quicker and easier your fat loss.

4. Try HIIT cardio

HIIT stand for Hight Intensity Interval Training and is considered to be far superior to regular cardio the reason being that HIIT cardio increases your EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption) after you workout allowing you to burn fat for a whole 24 hours after your exercise session. HIIT is structured in alternating sets of walking and sprinting, for example 60 seconds of walking followed by 30 seconds of sprinting for one set.

5. Consume complex carbohydrates

While many of you believe that carbohydrates are the main culprits to weight loss, one should learn that not all carbohydrates are created equally, In fact as part of your balanced diet around 45-50% of calories should be from complex carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body since they're converted directly into glucose which is your body's preferred choice of fuel. 

Carbohydrates you should avoid are simple carbohydrates such as white bread and white flour products. These carbohydrates spike your insulin levels leading to fat gain. So try your best to consume the bulk of your carbohydrates as complex carbohydrates.

6. Go to bed early

By going to bed early you'll allow your body plenty of recovery time after your exercise session. Hormones such as IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor 1), Melatonin and Testosterone are released during deep sleep thereby repairing muscle tissue as well as burning fat if you used HIIT cardio and removal of metabolic wastes.

If you incorporate these 5 tips into your lifestyle today, you'll eventually succeed in losing weight and keep that weight off for life.

Source: John Baines from ArticlesFactory.com