Monday, 16 November 2009

Part 1. Exercises

You may not be familiar with some of the terminology used in body building. Along the same line, you should know what certain exercises are and how to safely perform them. There are all sorts of exercises you can perform – so many, in fact, space prevents us from listing all of them. However, learning the basics can be a great help.

Dumbbell Bench Press

Sit on the edge of a flat bench with the dumbbells resting on your knees. In one smooth motion, roll onto your back and bring the dumbbells up to a position slightly outside and above your shoulders. Your palms should be facing forwards.

Bend your elbows at a ninety-degree angle with your upper arms parallel to the ground. Press the weights up over your chest in a triangular motion until they meet above the center line of your body. As you lift, concentrate on keeping the weights balanced and under control. Follow the same path downward.

Standing Military Press

For this exercise, you will use a barbell. Stand with your legs about shoulder width apart and lift the barbell to your chest. Lock your legs and hips and keep your elbows in slightly under the bar. Press the bar to arm’s length over your head.

Lower the bell to your upper chest or your chin depending on which is more comfortable for you. This exercise can also be performed with dumbbells or seated on a weight bench.

Lying Tricep Push

Sit on a flat bench holding a curl bar with an overhand grip. Lie back so that the top of your head is even with the end of the weight bench. As you are lying back, extend your arms over your head so that the bar is directly over your eyes. Keep your elbows tight and your upper arms stationary throughout the exercise.

The biggest key to this exercise is keeping your upper arms in a fixed position. Slowly lower the bar until it almost touches your forehead. Press the bar back up in a slow, sweeping arc-like motion. At the finish, lock your elbows completely.

Side Lateral Dumbbell Raise

Stand upright with your feet shoulder width apart and your arms at your side. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms turned toward your body. Keep your arms straight and lift the weights out and up to the sides until they are slightly higher than shoulder level. Then slowly lower them back down to your side again.

Keep your palms turned downward as you lift the dumbbells so that your shoulders rather than your biceps do the work. Make sure you are lifting the dumbbells up rather than swinging them up. Don’t lean forward while doing this either or you risk injury to your back.

Friday, 6 November 2009

5 ways to build muscle fast

#1 - Get rid of the junk that is in your pantry and in the refrigerator. In order to build lean muscle fast, you will have to changer you eating habits. Go to the grocery store and stock up on protein rich foods, muscle supplement shakes and keep on replacing it as you run low.

#2 - Make it a priority to never train for more than two days in a row. If you are not totally recovered from previous workouts, then you will not be able to perform your routine as effectively and will increase the chances of injury. Over-training is the number one reason for burnout and injury. You cannot expect to build new muscle when you cannot lift more weight than your previous workout.

#3 - Every three to four weeks, switch your workout routine around and basically perform your workout backwards. This will confuse your body and muscles which will increase the stimulation to each muscle group. It will prevent the dreaded plateaus that we all have encountered before.

#4 - By performing your weight training with just your body weight, you will be adding another dimension to your workout. This will allow for a greater range of motion and will work the muscles in each muscle group in a different way that they are accustomed to, thus increasing the resistance and building bigger and stronger muscle. Push ups, chin ups, leg squats, dips and pull ups should be incorporated into your workout routine.

#5 - If you find that when you start your workout you are feeling unmotivated or you are getting frustrated, then the best thing to do is to go home and plan on working out the next day. If you focus on getting bigger and stronger and not becoming frustrated then you will achieve your gaols to have the body that you want. You will not stay motivated if you become upset that you are not getting the results that you want, in turn making your workout less effective. Stay focused and motivated.

Rob Stouffer has been bodybuilding for the last 15 years and has had great success at maintaining his physique. To learn more about how to build lean muscle fast, then visit http://www.completehealthedge.com and work towards the body that you deserve.

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