Monday Muscle - Muscle Memory - Can Muscles Actually Remember?

Ask any bodybuilder what muscle memory means and they will readily answer that it is the ability to regain muscle mass more quickly after a period of inactivity than it took to gain the same mass originally. However, if you type the term "muscle memory" into a search engine on the internet, you will find there are many different interpretations of this term. And depending on which authority you consult, the meanings are diverse.

Some believe that muscle memory is simply the application of learned processes much like a baby learns to walk or feed itself.

Repetition can bring success

After many repetitions of the same action, parts of the body are able to react without the person thinking about what they are doing, and the action involved seems to come naturally. If this is true, then muscle memory is actually a neurological function that is built into all humans. According to Andersen, et al. (2005), some studies have shown that neurological and physiological changes occur during skill training, but not during strength training alone.

Others believe that there is an actual physiological change that occurs in the muscles during strength training, altering the function of certain muscle fibers, causing them to bring about muscle growth more readily than before training. In both cases, the muscle's ability to regain both strength and size may be enhanced if training is stopped for a period of time and then started again.

Resistance training and weight training require a combination of strength and motor skill. As a person learns how to perform certain exercises, it is important to learn the right patterns of movement that will achieve the desired muscle growth (Jensen, Marstrand & Nielsen, 2005). Many people define muscle memory as muscular hypertrophy, kinesthesia, proprioception or a result of neuromuscular facilitation. To some extent, all of these definitions play a part in muscle memory. Let's start by defining these terms and showing their interaction with one another to facilitate "muscle memory" during strength training and bodybuilding (as well as other types of exercise).

Muscular Hypertrophy Hypertrophy is the increase of the size of an organ or select area of tissue that occurs due to an increase in the size of cells. Muscular hypertrophy occurs through increased contractile proteins. Myosin heavy chain isoforms, or MHCs, refer to the types of protein seen in a given muscle fiber.

MHCs determine how the muscle fiber functions.

Some moves give more muscle

There are two types of MHCs - IIX, which are neutral until they are put to use by the muscle, and IIA, which have a specific purpose of causing muscle growth. Certain MHCs undergo a change in response to resistance exercise and serve as a reservoir of sorts for muscle hypertrophy because they can transform themselves into the types of fibers which grow easily in response to training (Haycock, 2004). Many scientists believe that once these types of muscle fibers are generated by regular resistance or weight training, they remain in the muscle, waiting to be reactivated. If a person does not exercise, or detrains, for a long period of time, and then begins an exercise regimen again, the fact that there are an abundance of muscle-growing fibers already present from previous workouts helps to regain muscle more quickly the second time around. In fact, certain types of strength training advocate detraining for a period of time in order to facilitate this type of response in the muscle, therefore eliminating the possibility of hitting a plateau that is difficult to overcome (Haycock, 2002). Without that plateau, a bodybuilder is better able to continue growing in muscle size and strength.

Kinesthesia Kinesthesia is the body's ability to sense the position and movement of all parts of itself, such as limbs and muscular tension. For example, if a person closes their eyes and holds their arms straight out in front of them, they are able to tell without looking if their palms are facing up or facing down. For a bodybuilder this translates into the body's ability to know the precise location and position to stop during a repetitive exercise in order to achieve the right amount of flex and tension to maximize the results. If you've taken part in a good program of resistance training, you will retain the ability to repeat the correct movements even if you stop training for a while.

It is important to note, however, that learning the correct way to perform an exercise is the key to achieving the best results. If a person learns the wrong movements, they will not achieve the same results. It is best to use a personal trainer or receive some sort of instruction when learning to exercise the different muscle groups, because learning the wrong form can cause damage or result in a workout that does not meet the exerciser's goals. And the time and effort involved in unlearning bad technique can be substantial and can totally demoralize the individual.

Proprioception/Neuromuscular Facilitation Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation is the term used to describe stretching exercises that increase range of motion in a muscle, thereby increasing strength and flexibility. It is often used as therapy after an injury or long periods of inactivity such as bed rest. By stretching and contracting and rotating a muscle, sufficient use can be regained even though the muscle has not been used as much as it would be normally, thus allowing a person to regain normal function. Stretching is an important part of physical fitness because it prepares the muscles for the physical activity involved in performing certain movements. It can reduce muscle strain and the danger of injury during a workout session. In order to be in top physical condition, a person must have good flexibility. Of course, there are different types of stretching for different routines.

Is Muscle Memory a Myth or Fact? Many articles and studies exist that discuss whether muscle memory in relation to bodybuilding and weight training is a myth. Some experts believe that muscle memory is simply a normal function of the body, that it is more related to the way the brain sends signals when performing any movement.

Correct movements mean optimum benefit

However, we'll use the term to define the memory of a learned pattern of behavior, such as how to make the correct movements while performing resistance training exercises to obtain optimum benefit.

Based on my interpretation of the literature, as well as my own experience, muscle memory is real and does have an impact on a person's ability to regain muscle mass quickly after a period of no exercise when they previously practiced a regular exercise regimen. A good analogy is learning to ride a bicycle or learning how to swim - once a person learns how to do these things, even if they don't do them for a long period of time, they are able to operate the pedals and retain their balance on a bicycle, or kick their feet and rotate their arms to stay afloat when swimming.

Sources:
Andersen, L. L., Andersen, J. L., Magnusson, S. P., Suetta, C., Madsen, J. L., Christensen, L. R., & Aagaard, P. (2005). Changes in the human muscle force-velocity relationship in response to resistance training and subsequent detraining. Journal of Applied Physiology, 99, 87-94.
Staron, R. S., Leonardi, M. J., Karapondo, D. L., Malicky, E. S., Falkel, J. E., Hagerman, F. C. & Hikida, R. S. (1991). Strength and muscle adaptations in heavy-resistance-trained women after detraining and retraining. Journal of Applied Physiology, 70, 631-640.
Trappe, S., Williamson, D., & Godard, M. (2002). Maintenance of Whole Muscle Strength and Size Following Resistance Training in Older Men. Journal of Gerontology: BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, 57A (4), B138-B143.

Darrin Clement runs http://worldfitnessnetwork.com, a blog covering the Art and Science of Building Lean Muscle Mass and An Awesome Physique. Sign up and get our free e-book on bodybuilding.

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Monday Muscle - Muscle Memory, Going Back to Muscle Building

Some people can't do something without motivation. Most first time gym goers quit because of fatigue, laziness, time constraints, injury, or some other silly excuse. Stop dreaming of a super soldier serum.

Use motivational images

Captain America is a just a comic book super hero. It's not impossible but we're far from that kind of technology.

Don't worry. I quit several times since I was teenager. The important thing is the willingness to keep coming back.

Some, people can't take the challenge of lifting weights for self-improvement. They grow big for a few months and then stop. Most never go back to the gym but there are a brave few who decide to go back.

And that, is the purpose of this topic. One should never fear going back to the gym to get bigger and do the same thing in the same amount of time over and over again. This, my friend, is something you don't need to experience because of muscle memory.

So what exactly is muscle memory? Muscle memory is man's retention in the memory of movement stored trough repetitive motor tasks. Muscles become accustomed to certain type of movement. It's when you try something like riding a bike for the first time and then learn from a series of trial and error. And then, after a few years of not riding a bike, you try using one, and then you don't fall. It's because your mind still knows exactly how to balance your body in a bike.

So when exactly muscle memory helpful for us bodybuilders?

Remember the rule that progress is needed to gain bigger muscles? Muscle memory is very helpful for people who quit bodybuilding but decided to bulk-up again. Muscle memory allows bodybuilders to immediately return to their old physique faster than when they first tried.

Muscle memory let's you lift weights easier too. When the body does the same thing over and over, like doing squats, dead-lifts and other exercises, the body automatically adjusts to the act. Doing it feels like you don't need to think about proper form anymore. The act becomes second nature to your body. This means you can lift more weight. More weight means bigger muscles!

I've had my share of quitting too.

The important thing is not quitting

I already gave all kinds of excuses. I've already quit several times since my teenage years. But I kept coming back. And every time I came back I became better and better. This should be the same to most people who have already quit. It's never too late to start building muscles again. You never know what would happen next. You might be the next Mr. Olympia. You might become a fitness coach. You might even be the next boyfriend of your dream girl. Or you can just be a better person and feel good about yourself.

Just take one step further. All it takes is that courage to try something again. This time, things are easier than your first.

It's because of muscle memory.

Remember that!




Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Elnel_Andrew_Nagoy_Roque/1119156

Monday Muscle - Do You Really Need to Spend Hours at the Gym to Build Muscle?

To build muscle you do not need to spend too much time at the gym. You actually have to spend less time lifting weights and more time recovering, that is, sleeping and doing nothing physically demanding.

Most people think they have to train for hours because bodybuilding magazines and professional bodybuilders promote some ridiculous training routines that will not give optimal results to a normal person.

Pills are not the answer

The truth is that professional bodybuilders do work out that much, but they can only do it because of two things, which are privileged genetics and using steroids.

Natural bodybuilders can't recover as fast as these professional bodybuilders, simply because steroids help these people have unbelievable progress.

On the other side, since we are not considering using steroids to enhance our performance, it is important to know that you can have important gains in muscle by doing one or two whole body workouts every week.

These workouts shouldn't even last too long, because your body can only function optimally in these sessions for about 45 minutes.

What you can do is follow a routine that uses compound movements. You should train to failure in order to promote muscle growth, since your body will have absolutely no reason to increase muscle mass if there is not enough stress.

Now, the frequency of your workout depends on your rate of recovery.

Recovery equals muscle

You're going to be pretty tired after working out the way it was mentioned above. You should have your next workout until fully recovered.

To measure this, do the next workout after three days. If you can beat your previous session, that is to carry more total weight during the same time period, then you were fully recovered. If not then try to decrease your training frequency until you find what's optimal for you.

If on the other side you actually were fully recovered, then try increasing your training frequency. Some people need as much as seven days to be fully recovered, but you might be an exception, so test it out.

By doing these kinds of workouts you will gain considerable muscle mass, while only doing one or two workouts per week. You don't need to spend hours at the gym in order to gain muscle. You just have to train smart, eat well, and sleep enough.




Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dan_F._Johnson/754138

Monday Muscle - Fail To Plan, Plan To Fail: Top 10 Reasons Why Bodybuilders Fail To Grow

Are you frustrated with the lack of growth you’re experiencing? Then read on…

FACT ONE 

What state are you currently in?

The reason bodybuilders don’t grow is because they don’t know what state their body is in to start with. Without accurately assessing your current state you cannot determine which system of training will help you reach your goals.

FACT TWO 

Bodybuilders don’t know how to change the state they are in to induce growth. . Guess what? If you do not train properly you will never stimulate you muscles to grow. Improper training is one of the biggest reasons why most people never get the desired results form training.

FACT THREE 

Bodybuilders do not know what route to take to get there (build muscles). Most bodybuilders have no real system that changes as their body gets used to the training stress they are currently handling. They walk in the gym, pick random exercises and rep ranges, put their time in and come home. Where is the science in that?

FACT FOUR 

(which occurs primarily with steroid users who artificially build their muscles) is athletes can’t keep the muscles they built with drugs because they don’t know how to train or eat in the first place. Once they stop taking drugs their muscles disappear, leaving them skinny, fat and in a worse state than if they had never used drugs.

FACT FIVE 

Most bodybuilders do not regularly monitor biofeedback to determine when to change their training to continue growing.

Record keeping is vital to track growth

If you are not keeping records of your training there is no way you are maximizing your gains. Journal keeping allows you to track your process over years enabling you to fine tune your training and keep the gains coming continuously.

FACT SIX 

Most people select exercises that work only work their strengths. Seldom or rarely do they work on their weaknesses and create a truly outstanding balanced physique.

FACT SEVEN 

Bodybuilders get sucked into bogus well marketed supplements and glitzy magazine ads to look for quick fixes instead of implementing a systemized, training and nutrition program.

FACT EIGHT 

Most people do not generate enough intensity in the gym to force the body to grow. Intensity is a very misunderstood term in bodybuilding and most individuals are kidding themselves into believing they are training intensely enough to really grow.

FACT NINE 

Very few bodybuilders actually invest in professional specific coaching to help them achieve their best results. Consider this, what athlete in the world got to the top of his game without coaching? I will tell you, absolutely none! Many bodybuilders erroneously think that they can maximize muscle growth without coaching. Guess what? They are dead wrong!

FACT TEN 

Don't let your ego get in the way

Most people let their EGO get in the way of learning the correct and most efficient way of training. They do not listen to or follow sound science or consider what other people have to say. They spend their time shooting down authorities in the sport or spouting off about their own hare brained training routine. Great athletes are life long learners. They check their ego at the door and are always looking for ways to improve, integrate and apply new training information.

I could go on about these failure reasons for a whole book but you get the idea. Analyze your own thoughts and training and see if there is anything holding you back. Then eliminate your weaknesses and move forward on the path to greatness. By constant and honest self analysis you can be sure to achieve greatness in any field.

True bodybuilding is about right training, nutritious eating, a positive mental outlook, and a deep respect for yourself and others.

.

Article Source: By Wade McNutt http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Wade_McNutt/40585

Wednesday Video - How Much Rest Between Sets? (NEW STUDY)

So you've in the middle of your set in the gym. You've got to rest between them and while you're resting before the next set you start thinking. "How much should I rest between my sets?". "Is it 1 minute or 3 minutes or somewhere in between?" Hmm. What time is best for your muscles?

A new study (as of 2016) says something that goes against the norm. This short video explains it all

Monday Muscle - Muscle Building Work Outs For A Button-Popping Chest

If you're skinny then you might want to build some muscles fast, and so muscle building work outs might be of interest to you.

Firstly you must consider your diet, and then you can start to look at muscle building work outs. If your body is not getting the necessary fuel to build muscles, then no amount of muscle building work outs will build any extra muscle mass.

To find an ideal muscle building diet for your muscle building work outs, you need to work out your current daily calorie intake, note down what you eat each day and also write down the calories. Then you know how much you are eating in order to maintain your current weight -- if you want to build muscles then you need to intake more. By eating more you will be able to build muscles through muscle building work outs.

Take your existing weight in pounds and multiply it by 20,

Keep track of your calories

then you will find out how many calories you will need to consume every day in order to gain weight. This is because you are therefore eating more than your body needs to maintain the current weight. You'll have to use trial and error to decide on the correct number of calories that you should eat, if you are gaining too much fat then you should reduce the number of calories. The amount you need to eat depends on the muscle building work outs that you are using.

The best foods to eat to gain muscle are foods that are high in protein, make sure that you eat a lot of chicken, fish, and red meat. You should also keep your carbohydrate intake high, so eat plenty of veg, pastas, and bread. Then start to look at muscle building work outs.

Now we're onto the muscle building work outs section, bodybuilders are faced with the fact that the fibers in their muscles are completely exhausted during a workout session. However, this process is the only way to achieve the maximum muscle gains through muscle building work outs. You have to work harder and harder with muscle building work outs to get bigger muscles. The muscle building work outs have to become more and more intense. The muscle building work outs always have to be challenging otherwise your muscle mass may decline.

You should increase the amount of resistance by increasing the weight that you lift during your muscle building work outs. Make sure you do several repetitions so that the muscles are pushed beyond what you think they can handle. Try to increase the reps in increments of six or eight. The best way to ensure every muscle gets a good work out is to incorporate a variety of exercises into your muscle building work outs.

Some bodybuilders find that reducing the resting interval between muscle building work outs is advantageous and it helps them to gain more muscle mass.

Use these techniques to supersize your chest

Introduce supersets into your workouts. This process involves doing two exercises that work the same group of muscles.

Partial repetitions are a great way to build more muscle mass, so you could add them to your muscle building work outs. If you complete only part of the lift you will still gain muscle without wearing your body down. This is a technique advanced bodybuilder's use in their muscle building work outs. Isometric contractions involve holding the weight for a count and then contracting the muscle group.

Adding these various techniques to your muscle building work outs session will help you to get the most out of your workout. With any luck you will be very happy with the outcome. Good luck with your muscle building work outs! Remember to stop if you feel any pain during your muscle building work outs..

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Richard_Gwent/87543

Monday Muscle - 6 Benefits of Weight Training for Women

Fitness is an important part of my life. I make it in the gym at least 4 days a week in the afternoons when it is the busiest. I do not mind the crowd of people who have the same goals I have to get and stay in shape. Whether you are working out at home or at the gym like I do, it is a must. Sometimes it is a workout in itself just trying to find an open machine or bench before some meat head hops on it. One afternoon of pumping iron it seemed like every piece of equipment I wanted to use was occupied...by a woman. Don't get me wrong I didn't mind one bit but it gave me the idea of writing this article.

For the longest time many women would not step foot in a weight room because many thought adding weights to their work out plans would give them an "unfeminine" look. Luckily, those days are long gone as many women of all ages have start to realize the many benefits of adding weight training to their work out routines. there are some women out there who still have negative feelings toward weight and strength training, read my top 6 reasons you should change your mind.

Top 6 Reasons Women Should Lift Weights

1.Burns More Fat/Calories

Weight training helps to shift those extra pounds

All women want to burn fat and get rid of those extra calories and weight training is perfect for both. According to IdeaFit.com,"the average woman who strength trains two to three times a week for eight weeks gains 1.75 pounds of lean weight or muscle and loses 3.5 pounds of fat." Sure cardio is great but at some point if that's all you do it becomes less effective as your body tends to become accustomed. And don't worry, since you have a lot less hormones that cause bulking up like us men, you do not have to lay off the weight training. If you want to burn more fat and calories add the weights.

2.Tones Muscles

A lean and sexy female physique is what women want and most achieve that physique by moving some serious iron in the weight room. While both weight training and cardio will help you burn fat, weight training will help defy and shape the muscles. Look at all the fitness models out there. I would bet the house that all work out with weights. You can tell when one only does cardio and one who does both. Guess who looks better? So for the look you want, grab those weights and tighten up.

3.Helps Fight Obesity

When you add muscle from weight training, you increase your metabolism even at rest. So even when you are not working out, your body is like a fat burning factory steady burning fat but at a higher rate than if you didn't lift weights. Let's say you gained three pounds of muscle and burn 40 extra calories per pound from your training program. That is 120 calories per day and 3600 per month. All those extra calories burn equals pounds melted away. Those pounds can average around 10 pounds in one year.

4.Prevent and Fights Osteoporosis

Weight training is great at any age

While muscle toning is an external benefit connected with weight training, improved bone density is an internal benefit. Studies have shown that weight training can increase spinal bone mineral density by 13 percent in six months. So strength training is a powerful tool against osteoporosis that all women should understand. After all, we only have one set of bones so with weight training women can most certainly strengthen them.

5.Makes You Physically Stronger

With all the day-to-day activities women take part in, they can make it a lot easier on themselves with gaining strength through lifting weights. Even something as simple as carrying box from the car to the house is a hassle but not with the extra strength you get from weight training. You never know when you may need that extra strength you gained by lifting weights. So lifting the children and those groceries won't be as difficult with all that new muscle you have. As much as I spend at the grocery store, it does wonders for me!

6.Weight Make You Mentally Stronger

With the increased muscle tone and the decrease in body fat from all the strength training, you women will love the way you look. It's a fact in both men and women that if you look good you feel good. Also, depression like symptoms exist higher in women than men and with weight training those characteristics will lessen greatly and in most cases disappear.

Bottom Line

Even though people say that men are from Mars and women are from Venus (or something like that), we can all train the same. In other words, weight training plan is just as important for women as men. It is time to stop listening to the media, misinformed people, and others who don't even know what a dumbbell is. Education is the key so get informed and get to lifting those weights.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Cedric_R./1071056

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Monday Muscle - Why You Need Weight Training For Weight Loss

Have you been trying to lose weight, but you've been unsuccessful? Do you spend hours at the gym and yet your body doesn't seem to change one bit? Then you need weight training for weight loss.When you go to the beach, you notice the people who are completely fit. Their muscles are toned, they look healthy and strong. This is the ideal body that we all want, and the one we are actually designed to have.

In order to get a body like that, you need to put stress on your muscles. (You also need a good nutrition plan, but that's a topic for another article!)

You see, cardio is absolutely important. It decreases your stress. It boosts your mood. It conditions your heart and makes it strong. And it just feels darn good to get up and move! Because weight loss is, in basic terms, burning more calories than you take in, you can certainly lose weight by doing cardio. But you want to look fit, right?

There are two problems with doing endless amounts of cardio:

Cardio

#1. You get burnt out from it, and then you start to lose the mood-boosting benefits. :(

#2. It doesn't stress your muscles enough and therefore doesn't change the shape of your body. :(

Weight training for weight loss gives you maximum benefits because:

#1. Stressing your muscles changes their shape, which in turn changes the shape of your body, making it look leaner and stronger. :)

#2. Muscle burns more calories than fat, even at rest. :)

How to lose weight by weight lifting.

If you're someone who's stressed for time and money, I have great news for you. You do not need to join a gym to get the benefits of weight lifting! While that's something you can certainly do if you enjoy going to the gym, it's not necessary.

Here are a few other ideas of how you can stress your muscles, tone your body and lose weight - quickly and easily.

#1. You can purchase a piece of equipment that you can use at home. Find something that allows you to work plenty of muscle groups and that's easy to set up.

#2. You can purchase a few sets of dumbbells and use them to do curls to work your biceps, kickbacks to work your triceps, chest presses to work your chest, lunges to work your legs and a variety of other challenging exercises to transform your body.

#3. You don't need to purchase anything! You can simply use your body weight to get a fantastic workout. Think push-ups, planks, crunches, lunges, jumping jacks and squats. Do a search on the internet to find tons of exercises and videos.

How much weight-lifting is necessary for weight loss?

More good news! You really don't need to do any crazy 3 hour weight-lifting sessions. Only professional body-builders really need that much weight lifting. (And even they might be overdoing it?)

You really only need about 15-45 minutes of intense weight training 2-5 days a week to get great results. A 15-minute workout that includes cardio (jumping jack squats, for example) can be a great 5 days a week workout. It's quick and effective.

If you'd like to just work on your muscles and not rush through the process, then a slower 40 or 45-minute workout might be better for you. In that case, you probably would only need to do this type of training 2-3 days a week, alternating cardio on the other days.

Weight training

You will most likely want to vary what you do. The more you change what you're doing, the more your muscles will get confused, and the more areas you'll work. Plus, you're less likely to get bored. :) So, continually change what you're doing.

How will you know when your weight training is paying off?

Look in the mirror! Yes, that's obvious, but you'll notice the most changes by looking in the mirror. When you're building up your muscles, you might not notice a huge change on the scale. That's because muscle weighs more than fat. So don't be concerned with the scale! Look in the mirror. Notice how your clothes fit. Notice how you feel. These are the factors that are most important when losing weight.

Article source: C Piccoli 

Why You Need Weight Training For Weight Loss http://www.sooperarticles.com/health-fitness-articles/weight-loss-articles/why-you-need-weight-training-weight-loss-583009.html#ixzz3recrfoCg

Monday Muscle - The Foundations Of Your Temple

Imagine for a moment a lean, muscular, toned body. This person is standing on a beach gazing out across the waves. As your eyes take in the the good looking body you start to track downwards to come a cross a pair of stick thin, almost toothpick like legs!! Whoa - what happened there? All of a sudden that body atop those legs doesn’t look so good anymore. In fact it looks faintly ridiculous.

You see that is the problem. Most people who train with weights, to achieve the body they dream of, pay ample attention to their upper halves but when it comes to the foundation they tend to be sorely lacking. It’s easy to understand why - working the legs is hard, extremely so, and most people reckon that most of the time the legs are covered anyway so it doesn’t seem to matter so much.

Unfortunately in order to achieve a complete physique strong legs are a necessity. Most sports also require strong legs (soccer, running, cycling, swimming and so forth) and since they take up almost half of a fully functional body it’s a shame to neglect them.

There is no other animal in the world that can run for as long or for as relatively long distances as humans. If you doubt the truth of that statement name 1 animal that can do so. People run marathons, tri-athletes demand even more. Horses, by comparison, only run for a relatively short time before slowing to a canter. Camels, zebras, wildebeest, bison and so forth all the same. Only humans have the capacity to keep running for great distances and for great lengths of time.

So what to do? Well since your legs are designed for arduous work they need to be worked intensely. I remember that the first time I ever picked up a set of weights (as a very young teenager - around the age of 13 in a dark corner of the school gymnasium with a group of other young boys) the first exercise I did was squats. Since then whenever I have trained with weights I have never neglected my legs.

Conventional wisdom has it that squats are the primary exercise for legs. However because they tax so much of your body they are a great overall exercise. So if you want strong shapely legs, a stronger chest, a better back, firmer arms, to be stronger generally - you should squat. See the video below for pointers on how to do this correctly.

However, this is a technically difficult exercise and some people genuinely cannot squat. It may be because of body mechanics, back problems or some other reason. If this is the case then try leg presses with your back supported. If even this is not possible then leg extensions and leg curls can be used. However, these are not really full substitutes for full proper squats.

Remember - if you want your body to be a strong temple you need to build the foundation first. So go ahead and build that strong foundation. Go ahead and squat.

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