Muscle Men – Do You Want To Become One?
by Michael Ward
When starting from scratch and you have no idea about gaining muscle let alone training we
realise its hard to get a general point of view on how to achieve that great muscle body. This
article provides a general overview on what you need to consider achieving such a goal.
Training -
Obviously to increase muscle mass you’re going to need to work out with weights. The question
is what is your purpose? If you are looking at creating more bulk within your body then you
need to focus on lower repetitions and more strength building exercises such as bench
presses, deadlifts, and squats. These 3 exercises give you the ability to build good quality
thickness throughout your body. If you are looking at getting more toned and ripped then focus
on a higher set of repetitions such as 15 reps and above.
If you walk into a gymnasium today you will notice that they are filled with so many machines. If
you are looking at gaining some serious size you need to understand that the machines are
assisted by cables and in a way can prevent you from gaining that thickness. Free weights
ensure that you must balance the actual weight and there is no assistance what so ever. In
most exercises free weights ensure that you can really go deep into the exercise and all strands
of your muscles are targeted.
A training partner is another important feature in getting the best results possible. If you want to
get serious you need to push out those extra couple of repetitions on the exercise and with a
training partner not only can they spot you but also motivate you. Try finding a partner who is
experienced so you can learn from them and have somebody to look up to. Nothing can
substitute experience!
How often should I be training? This is a very common question and the main question you
should ask yourself is am I over training. Your body’s muscles need rest after a workout in order
to grow and recover. Also the answer will depend on how good your nutrition is and whether
you are consuming enough of the good foods to actually be able to train as often. If you are just
starting out in weights then your body is not going to be used to the pain and therefore it’s
recommended that you take your time and rest more regularly.
Nutrition -
The actual weight training is only a small part of getting the dream body you want. The fuel you
are taking into your body is so important, as if it’s not what is supposed to be going into your
system then you are not going to see the right results.
Protein -
Is used to develop and maintain muscle. Protein is broken down into amino acids and then
turned back into protein to produce and repair our muscles after your training session. During
exercise your amino acids can be burnt and it’s very important that your muscles are
supplemented to help them repair faster so you can begin your next workout quicker.
A question asked by many is how much protein should I be consuming? As a general guideline
if you are exercising heavily it is recommended that you consume between 0.8 to 1.8 grams of
protein for every kilogram of your body weight. For example if you weighed 80kg then your daily
protein intake should be around 64 grams to 144 grams of protein. Obviously you will be
looking at 144 grams of protein if you are training extremely hard and up to around 5-6 times a
week. When consuming your protein you must understand that excessive protein intake can
actually be harmful where strain is put on your kidneys to process all that protein.
There are many great sources of protein such as lean red meat, lean white meat: fish, chicken
or turkey (no skin), eggs (preferably egg whites), beans and legumes (which are high in
carbohydrates). In a realistic world consuming a good amount of protein each day can be very
difficult as we all have busy lifestyles. So besides the actual food sources there are protein
powders/supplements which can actually help you when you are unable to receive the protein
intake required. There are so many protein powders on the market and a few things you should
look for in each one are: a low fat content, low carbohydrate content, and low sugars and salts.
Just check the label on the back of each package and ensure they fall into this category. A little
bit of research also will help you find protein powders that actually taste good. Most protein
supplements can be mixed in either water or milk; if you are looking to stay lean I suggest water
as you won’t be getting the extra calories from the milk.
When should you be taking the protein to become one of the muscle men? It is recommended
that the most important time to take protein is after you finish performing your physical activity.
After working out this is the time when your body is most vulnerable since your amino acids
have been burnt, and the faster you replace them the faster your body will be recovering.
Carbohydrates -
If you are looking at putting on some serious mass then you need good quality carbohydrates.
When we say good quality, we are talking about foods that are low in sugar as if you look on the
back on the nutritional label sugars are part of the carbohydrate section. Example of foods that
are high in carbohydrates and low in sugars are pastas, rice and breads. If you are looking at
putting on serious mass then these foods are very important. Another important fact is that you
should target these high carbohydrate foods that are low in GI which is a scale that ranks
carbohydrate rich foods by how much they raise blood glucose levels compared to glucose
(sugar) or white bread. All of the foods mentioned come with low GI alternatives. For example
when eating breads go for wholegrains rather than white bread, basmati rice is low in GI and
wholemeal pastas are a whole lot better for you. If you are serious about getting that muscle
body then it will take a bit of planning and extra research from you to get those results.
What happens if I eat too many carbohydrates? The actual value of too many will depend on
how hard you are training. The harder you are training the more carbohydrates your body
requires as fuel. People involved in not just weight training but heavy cardiovascular training will
require an extra amount of carbohydrates. If you are taking in more carbohydrates than you are
actually burning you will find that these carbohydrates will actually become stored as fat. This is
what you want to avoid ensuring that you maintain that lean and hard look and become one of
the muscle men.
Rest -
Resting is just as important as training and nutrition as it helps your body recover faster. You
need to be receiving an adequate amount of sleep each night and try to avoid having
continuous late nights where you are waking up tired the next day. How can your body recover
if you are continuously tired? You definitely won’t be training at your best that’s for sure!
Michael Ward is the business owner of Australias leading fitness equipment store called
Unbeatablefitness.com.au. If you visit http://www.unbeatablefitness.com.au you will find one of
Australias largest fitness product range and all at the best prices money can buy. http://www.
unbeatablefitness.com.au aims to provide fitness equipment for everybody no matter on their
budget at hand.
Article Source: http://physicalfitnessarticles.net
by Michael Ward
When starting from scratch and you have no idea about gaining muscle let alone training we
realise its hard to get a general point of view on how to achieve that great muscle body. This
article provides a general overview on what you need to consider achieving such a goal.
Training -
Obviously to increase muscle mass you’re going to need to work out with weights. The question
is what is your purpose? If you are looking at creating more bulk within your body then you
need to focus on lower repetitions and more strength building exercises such as bench
presses, deadlifts, and squats. These 3 exercises give you the ability to build good quality
thickness throughout your body. If you are looking at getting more toned and ripped then focus
on a higher set of repetitions such as 15 reps and above.
If you walk into a gymnasium today you will notice that they are filled with so many machines. If
you are looking at gaining some serious size you need to understand that the machines are
assisted by cables and in a way can prevent you from gaining that thickness. Free weights
ensure that you must balance the actual weight and there is no assistance what so ever. In
most exercises free weights ensure that you can really go deep into the exercise and all strands
of your muscles are targeted.
A training partner is another important feature in getting the best results possible. If you want to
get serious you need to push out those extra couple of repetitions on the exercise and with a
training partner not only can they spot you but also motivate you. Try finding a partner who is
experienced so you can learn from them and have somebody to look up to. Nothing can
substitute experience!
How often should I be training? This is a very common question and the main question you
should ask yourself is am I over training. Your body’s muscles need rest after a workout in order
to grow and recover. Also the answer will depend on how good your nutrition is and whether
you are consuming enough of the good foods to actually be able to train as often. If you are just
starting out in weights then your body is not going to be used to the pain and therefore it’s
recommended that you take your time and rest more regularly.
Nutrition -
The actual weight training is only a small part of getting the dream body you want. The fuel you
are taking into your body is so important, as if it’s not what is supposed to be going into your
system then you are not going to see the right results.
Protein -
Is used to develop and maintain muscle. Protein is broken down into amino acids and then
turned back into protein to produce and repair our muscles after your training session. During
exercise your amino acids can be burnt and it’s very important that your muscles are
supplemented to help them repair faster so you can begin your next workout quicker.
A question asked by many is how much protein should I be consuming? As a general guideline
if you are exercising heavily it is recommended that you consume between 0.8 to 1.8 grams of
protein for every kilogram of your body weight. For example if you weighed 80kg then your daily
protein intake should be around 64 grams to 144 grams of protein. Obviously you will be
looking at 144 grams of protein if you are training extremely hard and up to around 5-6 times a
week. When consuming your protein you must understand that excessive protein intake can
actually be harmful where strain is put on your kidneys to process all that protein.
There are many great sources of protein such as lean red meat, lean white meat: fish, chicken
or turkey (no skin), eggs (preferably egg whites), beans and legumes (which are high in
carbohydrates). In a realistic world consuming a good amount of protein each day can be very
difficult as we all have busy lifestyles. So besides the actual food sources there are protein
powders/supplements which can actually help you when you are unable to receive the protein
intake required. There are so many protein powders on the market and a few things you should
look for in each one are: a low fat content, low carbohydrate content, and low sugars and salts.
Just check the label on the back of each package and ensure they fall into this category. A little
bit of research also will help you find protein powders that actually taste good. Most protein
supplements can be mixed in either water or milk; if you are looking to stay lean I suggest water
as you won’t be getting the extra calories from the milk.
When should you be taking the protein to become one of the muscle men? It is recommended
that the most important time to take protein is after you finish performing your physical activity.
After working out this is the time when your body is most vulnerable since your amino acids
have been burnt, and the faster you replace them the faster your body will be recovering.
Carbohydrates -
If you are looking at putting on some serious mass then you need good quality carbohydrates.
When we say good quality, we are talking about foods that are low in sugar as if you look on the
back on the nutritional label sugars are part of the carbohydrate section. Example of foods that
are high in carbohydrates and low in sugars are pastas, rice and breads. If you are looking at
putting on serious mass then these foods are very important. Another important fact is that you
should target these high carbohydrate foods that are low in GI which is a scale that ranks
carbohydrate rich foods by how much they raise blood glucose levels compared to glucose
(sugar) or white bread. All of the foods mentioned come with low GI alternatives. For example
when eating breads go for wholegrains rather than white bread, basmati rice is low in GI and
wholemeal pastas are a whole lot better for you. If you are serious about getting that muscle
body then it will take a bit of planning and extra research from you to get those results.
What happens if I eat too many carbohydrates? The actual value of too many will depend on
how hard you are training. The harder you are training the more carbohydrates your body
requires as fuel. People involved in not just weight training but heavy cardiovascular training will
require an extra amount of carbohydrates. If you are taking in more carbohydrates than you are
actually burning you will find that these carbohydrates will actually become stored as fat. This is
what you want to avoid ensuring that you maintain that lean and hard look and become one of
the muscle men.
Rest -
Resting is just as important as training and nutrition as it helps your body recover faster. You
need to be receiving an adequate amount of sleep each night and try to avoid having
continuous late nights where you are waking up tired the next day. How can your body recover
if you are continuously tired? You definitely won’t be training at your best that’s for sure!
Michael Ward is the business owner of Australias leading fitness equipment store called
Unbeatablefitness.com.au. If you visit http://www.unbeatablefitness.com.au you will find one of
Australias largest fitness product range and all at the best prices money can buy. http://www.
unbeatablefitness.com.au aims to provide fitness equipment for everybody no matter on their
budget at hand.
Article Source: http://physicalfitnessarticles.net
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