In choosing an exerciser for home-based use, there are plenty of things to look out for. Mostly, it is important that you single out something that is not just reasonably priced but strong and convenient to use. The Total Gym XLS has been about for quite some time already and is pretty trendy especially as it is being endorsed by famous personalities like Chuck Norris & Christie Brinkley.
Implement 80+ exercises
The versatility of this machine is enough to convince anybody of how well-organized it is. Instead of switching from one exerciser to another to acquire diverse workouts, this unit allows a user to target alternative muscle groups as it was uniquely designed to supply a contraption of numerous uses. The eighty different exercise workouts the manufacturer boasts about come with full color 5 1/4″ by 8 1/2″ guide cards to help out any users on how to complete each one of them. Along with it are many exercise workout programs for both Men and Women which are fairly crucial especially for folks who are just not yet accustomed with the equipment. Beginners will not be intimidated by it and pros would enjoy the flexibility that it delivers.
Durable even for heavy weights
This exercise equipment was built using heavy duty resources that even those weighing up to four hundred lbs or those approximately 181 kg’s can employ this equipment without worry of breaking it. You can do your standard work out routine knowing that this is a high-rate exerciser. Not every fitness creation can sustain people on the heavy side. This is a vast advantage even if you are just weighing averagely; the thought that it was built to sustain up to 400 lbs provides you an assurance that it has the capability to last a very extensive time.
Convenience – Home or Office Use
It is not just ideal for home use but it could definitely fit in your private workplace as well. The chrome package gives it a proficient gymnasium-quality look that can blend well aesthetically in a corner of your private place of work. No need to go to your leisure center as a result saving up gym fees & money.
Trouble-free Assembly & Instructional DVDs
The set up was done with straightforwardness. Conversely, you may wish to observe the instructional DVD that comes with it so you would be able to go through it step-by-step. It makes the assembly even easier than just reading the printed material.
What Do You Acquire Upon Buying
Along with the Total Gym XLS fitness equipment, you will get wing attachment, leg pull accessory, 3 instructional Exercise workout DVD’s, exercise wall graph, training deck and a Pilates Kit.
For alot more info on the Total Gym XLS, read this Total Gym XLS review
Pectoral Training Tips – Chest Training
For most people I see in the gym, the bench press has become more about building an ego than building a quality set of pecs. Rather than worry about how much you can lift, you need to focus your attention on how fully you can train and fatigue the pecs themselves (rather than the arms, shoulders, back, quads, etc).
Here’s an oldie but a goodie to help get you to isolate your pecs on the flat bench press. It’s a simple technique that can really make a difference in how fully and intensely you’re able to hit the pecs. Sit upright with perfect posture on the end of a flat bench. Roll your shoulders back and down slightly—almost as if you’re pushing your shoulder blades towards each other. Hold this position as you lay back on the flat bench.
With a shoulder’s width grip and your elbows in, maintain this position throughout the bench press. It may feel awkward at first and you won’t be able to lift as much weight as you’re used to, but you’ll hit your pecs hard and you’ll feel the pump.
Add some variation to your chest training and blast your upper chest (the key to that ripped look) with this killer Giant Set:
- warm-up your pecs thoroughly first.
- Dumbbell Flyes on the Incline Bench. Set the bench at a slight angle of around 30 degrees or so. Be sure to get a full stretch on each rep, and push yourself to failure. I like to use moderately heavy weights here (60 lbs. or so).
have in your hands from the Flyes. Go deep on each rep, throwing your chest out and upward at the stretch point. Then squeeze hard at the point of full contraction. Go to failure.
- Barbell Incline Press. Now jump right into Barbell Incline Presses with a moderate weight. Your pecs will be substantially fatigued at this point, so you’ll want to have a spotter to help you push out some solid reps. Again go to failure.
- Dumbbell Flyes on the Incline Bench. Drop your original dumbbell weight in half (30 lbs. in my example). Maintain great form and go to failure.
- Dumbbell Incline Presses. Finally, go right into Dumbbell Presses again with the same weight you already have in your hands. No rest. Pump out as many as you can. This final leg of the Giant Set really separates the men from the boys, or the women from the girls as the case may be.
- Take a 90 second rest and repeat entire Giant Set once or twice more if you dare.
To bring out the full striations in the pectorals, you need the type of continuous tension you get from doing cable work. Here are a couple of my favorite cable movements for the chest. Try cable crossovers. These are standard exercise for almost every advanced trainer, and yet you watch ten different people perform the exercise and you’re likely to see ten different variations. Almost all variations of this movement have some redeeming value.
Personally, I like to do Crossovers standing almost straight-up. Pull your arms down and hands together at a point about 6 inches in front of your lower abs. Perform the negative slowly, allowing your arms to rise above your head before exploding downward again.
In addition to this technique, I also like to do Crossovers bent at the waist (about a 45 degree angle) leaning forward. When the arms go up, the shoulder blades pinch together. When the arms come down, you should flex as if striking a “most muscular” pose.
Cable Flyes on the Flat Bench are a personal favorite. I really enjoy the continuous tension Cable Flyes provide and the explosive pump you get in your pecs when the exercise is performed properly. Place the handles on the low-pulley on the cable machine, and position a flat bench in the middle. Use moderate weight, keeping your elbows only slightly bent throughout the entire movement. As with all cable work, emphasize the movement by flexing hard at peak contraction.
Cable Flyes on the incline bench are another favorite of mine. For best results you want to use an incline bench with about a 30 degree angle. This will really hit the mid and upper pecs. A great movement for carving that chiseled, plate of armor look into your chest.
To achieve larger gains, try cheap protein powder.
You heard it right. Alcohol is one in all the major reasons for wasting your most beloved physique and muscles that you’ve got taken care of for years. Alcohol is taken into account together of the foremost vital causes to lose your muscle’s nice features. Despite of what health experts are trying to imply about the negative effects of alcohol, others are still on the verge of tiring themselves with it. Drinking alcohol can undoubtedly ruin muscle gain.
Alcohol is taken into account united of the most influential drinks ever invented. Not that it tastes funny but additionally this drink will now be considered as a drug as a result of of its addictive effects that can have an effect on your life including your family, friends and work. If you actually wish to maintain your six packs (abs not beer) and your mass, you have to be conscious about drinking alcohol as a result of it can cause deterioration of your years of fruitful labor. What are the consequences of alcohol in your body?
1. Increases estrogen and decreases testosterone levels.
If you wished to extend your muscles, then you have got to maintain or increase the levels of testosterone inside your body because it is that hormone that can gear to building your muscles. It can be a loss on your half, as men, if you allowed estrogen to overcome your testosterone levels as a result of that can additionally cause secondary feminine characteristics.
2. Affects protein synthesis, huge time!
You know that protein is one of the most necessary nutrients that your body desires so as to gain those extra mass. After you hinder protein synthesis as a result of of an excessive amount of alcoholism, you tend to hinder for protein to be distributed all throughout your body. Protein synthesis can be bogged down for concerning 20% the normal status.
3. Strips the body of minerals and vitamins.
Alcohol includes a diuretic effect on the body that promotes increase excretion of minerals and vitamins within the body. When too much alcohol is consumed, it tends to strip off some of the necessary parts that our body needs namely Vitamin A, B complex, C, calcium, phosphorus and zinc. These parts are drained in rapid manner which will cause comprise to our body’s balance. So as to perform properly, one should maintain the sufficient amount of minerals and vitamins inside the body that definitely involves supporting muscle growth .
4. Dehydration can and can occur.
Haven’t you noticed that every time you drink alcohol, you tend to raise for cold water or soda just to induce rid of your thirst? This can be as a result of, as what’s already said, that alcohol is fast-acting diuretic that may increase your body’s ability to dispose water. No doubt regarding it, every time you visit the John, the essential vitamins and minerals in your body are lost in your urine. If this continues to happen, the water in your body can’t sustain the necessity because of the increase excretion and muscle demand. And muscles are composed of about sixty-70% water!
4. Increases storage of fats
Drinkers are known to possess giant bellies. That’s as a result of alcohol will trigger deposition of fats inside our bodies. Alcohol contains regarding seven calories each gram that is the main reason why alcohol can create people fat in an unnatural way.
You have got to take care of how you manage drinking most especially if you are maintaining an ideal body weight and size. A few drinks occasionally aren’t bad as long as you’ll handle the effects. Otherwise your muscle gaining goals will be totally affected in an exceedingly very negative way.
Freaky Nutrition Body Building FAQ – Expert Body Building
There is a good way to use creatine on a regular basis without losing its effectiveness – it’s called cycling. Here’s what I do with creatine: week 1: load (20 g / day) week 2-4 : maintenance (10 g / day) week 5: load (20 g / day) week 6-8: OFF Repeat Cycle. I’m basically on for 5 weeks (higher than average doses), then off completely for 3 weeks. This seems to work well for me and gives me continual progress with my creatine supplementation.
Another important factor here is what type of creatine you’re using. I never made great gains with creatine until I switched to a creatine formula as opposed to just mixing the powder up myself. In particular, AST’s Creatine HSC has really worked well for me. Other people see good results with EAS’s Phosphagen HP and MET-Rx’s Micronized Creatine. And MuscleTech’s Cell Tech is becoming increasingly popular. I’ve found that it’s best to avoid generic creatine monohydrate (the cheap stuff) as the purity is often in question and it doesn’t seem to work nearly as well as the quality formulas on the market.
If your benching pretty large amount of weight, but your pecs are still flat, there is hope. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: unless you’re a freak of nature or using a lot of juice, you’ll NEVER build a first-rate chest by featuring barbell flat bench presses. Powerlifting is one thing; bodybuilding is something else altogether. To fully work your pecs, you need to isolate them. While the bench press is a good way for beginners and intermediates to start building some mass, it’s not a very good exercise for developing the pectoral depth and separation that are the hallmark of a top physique. If you’re not quite ready to give up those barbell flat bench presses for inclines and dumbbells, here’s a simple change you can make in your program to pre-exhaust your pecs and spark new development.
After a thorough warm-up, start your chest training with dumbbell flyes. Yes, FLYES. But that’s a finishing exercise you say. Oh ye of little faith. It’s an isolation movement, and isolation is what we want. Be sure to take your triceps entirely out of the movement. Move your arms in a very wide arc, and squeeze your pecs hard at the top. In the top position, you should almost feel like you’re hugging a big tree (just humor me). Use the heaviest weight you can while still maintaining good form for 8-12 reps. After 2-3 sets of flyes, then go to the bench press. You’ll have to forget about poundage and focus on pump. Your pecs will be fatigued, so you won’t be able to lift the usual amount, but you’ll get a terrific pump and you’ll feel the difference. Try this for 2-3 weeks and you’ll notice some significant improvement in your chest development.
Developing and toning your shoulders is a fairly easy process, even without doing old fashioned “behind the neck” barbell presses. I tend to stay away from any movements that require you to push or pull from behind the neck (Lat Pulldowns, Barbell Presses, etc.) as I feel this puts the neck and the shoulder in very unnatural positions that invite injury. One of the best and safest exercises I’ve found for all-around shoulder development is the Seated Dumbbell Press.
When doing seated presses for shoulder development, you want to maintain the stress on your delts by not locking out your elbows in the top position. Locking your elbows out actually serves to take the weight off your delts and thus gives them a momentary break from the set. This break is clearly counter-productive to growth and development. By maintaining continuous tension on the delts, you’ll dramatically increase the effectiveness of this movement. You may have to drop your poundage down slightly, but I’ve found that with most people shoulders respond well to highly controlled, continuous tension sets.
Getting muscular is something that anyone can accomplish, but, doing it in a short amount of time is what we all truly want. While generalizations are often misleading, for adding mass to the major body parts the following ranges seem to work best for most people: Chest & Back = 5-8 Reps / Set Arms & Shoulders = 6-10 Reps / Set Quads & Hamstrings = 8-15 Reps / Set Calves = 12-20 Reps / Set Again, as always it’s important to work variation into your training program. In particular, I like to periodically throw in some high rep training.
If you want to get that lowered ridge on your pecs (the chiseled look), you can do so by following my regimen. I use a combination of Decline Presses with a wide-variety of cable exercises to fully develop the lower ridge of the pectorals and to burn the cut, striated look into the muscle. While not generally a big fan of Bench Pressing for chest development, I’ve had some success with Barbell Presses on the decline bench. Make sure the decline angle is not too severe in order to prevent the bulk of the stress from shifting over to your arms and, in particular, your delts. I like to use about a 35% angle on the bench here. For best results use a shoulder-width grip and keep your arms in close to your sides.
Form is key. I’ll occasionally mix things up by doing Decline Dumbbell Presses in order to really stretch the pecs. I like to use various Cable Crossover and Cable Fly movements as finishing exercises for chest. The continuous tension that cables provide is instrumental in developing a full rounded chest. Be sure not to work against this continuous tension by jerking through the exercise or by swinging body momentum into the movements. Strict, smooth form will really pay off here.
Get some of the best Body Building Supplements
Find helpful knowledge about the topic of Learn How to Use RSS Effectively – please study this web site. The times have come when concise information is truly at your fingertips, use this possibility.
Bodybuilding involves more than just lifting weights. It pays to have an understanding of human kinetics. How do muscles work?
Muscles develop by making them work. Muscles can only work when the body is in motion. They work extra when we are in full motion. Thus, to develop the muscles to the maximum, we must make them work to the best of our abilities. Hence, the bodybuilding principle of “No Pain, No Gain.”
You can’t grow your muscles by doing nothing. You have to move around a lot. The only thing that will grow in points of inertia, if you remain stationary, is your weight. If you want muscle growth and power, you must work your body methodically. Muscle training is called a workout.
Muscles can be toned (or conditioned) by regular activities like brisk walking, jogging, and doing other slightly heavy works. But toning muscles will not grow them in size and beauty. You have to do more —lots more — to have stunning muscles. You have to workout. By the very term “workout,” you can have a good idea of what it takes to grow muscles.
Bodybuilding procedures using weights and other heavy-duty activities are the best-known muscle growers so far. You have to devote your life into this if you want extra visible muscles on you. You also have to do away with vices like smoking, drinking liquor, eating junk foods, etc.
Muscles grow in size only when they are moving. Try to be still in front of a mirror and you’d see no sign of any bulking muscle taking shape. Now, clench your fist hard, and muscle evidence will show at least on your forearm. This simple principle illustrates the potential of muscles being developed through repeated and graduated motions. As muscles are subjected to repeated exertions that gradually increase intensity, they grow and toughen.
The more intense the muscle activity, the better and faster the muscle is developed. Hence, a systematic muscle development program incorporating increased muscle stimulation builds more muscles effectively. If your exercise features no such system of increasing efforts and challenges to your muscle strength, your muscles can only grow so much. Some exercises do form muscles, but only to a certain extent. The muscles built only become regulating muscles that enable you to perform normal tasks effectively. But they cannot exceed in performing beyond such tasks.
On the contrary, a fully developed muscle does not only allow you to do normal tasks; it is calibrated to reach its full potentials — far beyond what regulating muscles can do. Bodybuilding helps you develop your muscles to the extreme.muscle building products
There are many factors to consider when you want to know how long will it take for you to gain and build muscle mass. Questions like are you eating enough and the right nutrients to accelerate muscle growth, are you exercising correctly and regularly and do you have the genes for quick muscle growth need to be addressed.
In this article, we shall discuss whether you have the genetic make up to gain and build muscles quickly. Don’t despair if you don’t because this is only one of the several factors that determine how long will it take for you to build muscle mass.
It is certainly helpful to know your body type when you want to build muscles. By knowing your own body type, you can then plan your nutritional and exercise program to suit your specific body type to encourage muscle growth.
We shall discuss the 3 common body types and their characteristics here.
• Endomorph: You have naturally big frame body and usually have a round face, wide hips, big bones and slow metabolism. You are the type that gain weight and body fat easily. However, you also have potential for gaining muscle mass quickly. Only problem is that your muscles may be hiding under your body fat making you look big bulky and clumsy. Your six pack abs is hidden under your tummy fat is not going to show.
So you will have to build muscles and then burn off the fats to reveal your muscle definition. That means you will take slightly longer time than the next body type to show off your muscle gain and mass because you need time to cut away body fats as well.
• Mesomorph: You are blessed with a naturally muscular body and have wide shoulders, small waist, athletic body frame structure, low body fat with a somewhat high metabolism. With your natural predisposition, you can pack on muscles real fast and are the type that can take up bodybuilding as a career if you want to. You excel naturally in sports and will always have that sexy and handsome body that is to everyone’s envy.
You are the type that will not take a long time to see your muscle gaining size, mass and definition. In fact, if you train, eat and rest correctly, you will visibly see your muscles growing week after week right before your eyes until you hit a body building plateau.
• Ectomorph: You are the skinny type with small muscles, very very high metabolism, narrow shoulders, hips and waist. You find it hard to put on weight and muscles no matter how much you eat. You will need much more greater effort than others to build muscle mass on your skinny frame. People call you the hard gainer.
You will take a longer time and need extra effort to gain muscle mass. Although it can be done, it is a constant battle for you because you are fighting what nature has given you.
Most people fall in between the three types. For example, a person can be a mixture of Mesomorph and Endomorph or Mesomorph and Ectomorphs.
Now that you have identified your body type, you can then write down your goals, objectives and the methodology you wish to take to gain muscle mass. By having a specific body building program to follow, it allows you to take concrete actions each day to achieve your muscle gain goals. How long will it take to build muscles and gain muscle mass certainly depends on the body type you have but it will also depend on numerous other factors..body building techniques
1. Building muscle has a lot to do with genetics.
If your parents are naturally thin or have a small body frame then most likely you will have the same traits. This doesn’t mean you have no chance of building a strong muscular body. It just means you are going to have to work hard.
2. Your metabolism has an effect on your size.
If you have difficulty gaining weight whether it’s fat or muscle, then you most likely have a fast metabolism. Your body is burning calories faster than you can consume them.
3. There is no universal weight training program that is going to get massive results for every individual person.
The best way to find a program that works for you is to find someone who had the same type of body as you before and start walking their walk. There are certainly standard exercises that will build muscle but there is more to building muscle than weight lifting.
4. More training doesn’t mean more muscle.
This is one of the most difficult concepts for many to grasp. The purpose of weight training is to stimulate muscle growth… that’s all. Once that has been done, your muscles need to repair and new muscle needs to be built which only happens when you are resting.
5. Isolation exercises aren’t going to get you big fast.
The best exercises to put on the most amount of overall size are multi-muscle exercises. These are exercises that require more than one muscle or muscle group to get the job done. These lifts put the most amount of stress on your body. This is the stress that will shock your nervous system into releasing the greatest amount of muscle building hormones.
6. Free weights build muscle quicker.
Free weights are preferred over machines because they make your body work harder. They require greater concentration and allow the stimulation of supporting muscles. Machines are good for beginners to help with form and basic control, but limit the effectiveness of the exercise.
7. No Pain, No Gain.
Lifting the same weights over and over isn’t going to get you big. In fact it will do the exact opposite.
To build muscle you need to go heavy. This stimulates Type IIB muscle fibers which cause the most amount of muscle gain. Lifting heavy is when your body fails after 4-8 reps.
8. Long training sessions are a NO-GO
The idea is to stimulate muscle, not hit it from every angle possible. This is only a concern for developed body builders looking to tone muscle. Long training sessions cause catabolic hormone levels to rise dramatically. Catabolic hormones are responsible for breaking down muscle tissue resulting in MUSCLE LOSS. Your weight training sessions should go for no longer than 60-75 minutes maximum.
9. You don’t need aerobic activity to lose fat.
The time spent running or swimming is muscle building and recovery time lost. Building muscle is the fastest way to lose fat. Aerobic activities will help you lose fat but not so if you are on a high calorie mass diet for building muscle.
10. 3 square meals a day isn’t going to help you build muscle.
Eating is an important part of muscle building. You need to eat more often and eat more protein. You should be eating roughly every 2.5 hours which is about 6 meals per day. Spreading your meals throughout the day will improve muscle assimilation, and make sure that your body always has the calories it needs for muscle building and repairmuscle building guide
Can muscle turn into fat or fat turn into muscle? How many time have you heard this hilarious fats and muscles myth?
Yes, this is one fats and muscles myth that will never go away. Get this straight. Fat will never turn into muscle and muscle will never turn into fat.
The reason is simple. Your body fats and muscles are made up of completely different cell structure and they are so different that they cannot be converted to each other. Your muscle is very much alive and work very hard whereas fat just sits there doing nothing and just plain looking ugly. How can they be the same or can be converted to each other?
How did this fitness myth come about then? Well, let me offer some suggestions.
When a fat person train with weights, he will build muscles and then for his muscle definition to show, he will have to lose fat. He will do cardio exercises and eat healthily to achieve a healthy fat loss. When that is accomplished, he will revealed a lean muscular body because he has already
packed on some muscle mass and have lost a substantial amount of body fat from his lose fats and build muscles program.
So when people see his new found lean muscular body and noticed that his body fat is now gone, some will comment that his fats has turned into muscles. Isn’t that a nonsensical comment? Not just nonsensical, it is downright
hilarious.
Now, just say that this same guy has lost his motivation to train for whatever reasons and because he no longer wants to maintain his lean muscular body, he naturally will lay off exercises and start to eat unhealthily. Gradually, he will put on body fat because of his unhealthy diet and the fact that he no longer exercise to burn calories. Then as he put on more fat, the fat begins to cover up his muscles and his muscles are no longer noticeable.
Ahhhh….these same people who do not know the biology of muscle and fat will proclaim that his muscles has turned into body fat. Well, these chaps must be magicians or how else can muscle turn into fat or fat turn into muscle?
Why am I exposing this fat and muscle myth? Because it is funny? Well perhaps that too. But the main reason is that this fat and muscle myth has put alot of people away from exercising to build muscles and continue to indulge in unhealthy eating habits by proclaiming that there is no point building muscles because once they stop, they will get fat. Again, this is rubbish because most of them are fat to begin with anyway. It is just a lazy excuse not to exercise and eat healthily.
So if you have friends who tout this fat and muscle myth to you, send them this article. You may be doing them a great favor when they realised the truth and head for the gym to build some muscles and lose some body fat.
Then what about you? Are now convinced that muscle will never turn into fat and fat into muscle? If not, write to me and tell me why.weight loss muscle gain
.Muscle relaxants are a popular product nowadays, particularly among the fitness-conscious “weekend warrior” crowd. These particular medications are usually doctor-prescribed. Based on research and user feedback, reports about the side effects of muscle relaxant medications have been received and documented. Some of these side effects occur when muscle relaxants are used together with other drugs, without the approval of the doctor. Other causes of these side effects are associated with the body chemistry of the patient. Incompatibilities or even allergies to certain chemicals or ingredients in the drug may cause discomfort to the patient.
One of the main side effects of muscle relaxant medication is the great potential of drug addiction. These drugs are habit-forming. Among the number of potential or actual side effects of muscle relaxant drugs, substance abuse is, by far, the most dangerous and the hardest one to detect. Since muscle relaxants are used only “as needed”, it can be difficult for someone to judge whether a person has developed a dependence on the muscle relaxants.
Another in the list of side effects of muscle relaxant medications is the potential of having poor interaction with other drugs. There are several drugs, particularly the ones used as an aid in psychotherapy, that generate unwanted effects in the body. The central nervous system is a highly sensitive structure, with complicated neural pathways and chemical transmitters. Both psychoactive drugs and some muscle relaxants target certain areas of this system by cutting off certain neurotransmitters or temporarily “shutting down” some receptors in the brain. Either way, the use of different drugs that have counter-indications may produce unpleasant to potentially lethal side effects. Other possible dangerous side effects of muscle relaxant use, especially if taken while drinking alcohol, include the loss of body coordination and blurred vision. There are several relaxants in the market that have components that have been proven to react poorly with alcohol. Numbness and drowsiness may be harmful to patients who need to drive or operate machinery.
Other side effects of muscle relaxant use include drowsiness. Some patients have also reported minor headaches after taking a muscle relaxant. A sudden sensation of fatigue, occasionally accompanied by bouts of mild numbness, have also been recorded as possible negative reactions.
While all of the above side effects can be avoided, there are occasions when some of the minor side effects will be unavoidable. This is caused by the individual’s biochemistry reacting poorly with the compounds in the relaxant, resulting in some discomfort. In this case, the only real way to prevent the unwanted effects would be to switch to a different muscle relaxant, as the chemicals in the drug and in the body simply do not interact well and continued use may yield even worse effects.muscle building diet plan
There are all kinds of diet recommendations all over the bodybuilding magazines and websites that advise to divide your eating into different “ratios” and “percentages” for building muscle mass and gaining weight.
Some recommend high fat, low carb, others say moderate carbs, moderate fat, high carbs, low fat, etc. But the one thing that each and every one of these “weight gain” / “muscle building” diets say is it must be HIGH in protein.
Well, I’m here to tell you the TRUTH. It is NOT necessary at all to eat a diet high in protein to gain muscle weight.
Just about everything you read says to eat 1-2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight.
Some even go as high as suggesting you have to not only eat high, but massive amounts of protein to build muscle and gain weight.
This MYTH is due to 3 reasons:
1) Everyone thinks that muscle tissue is made up mostly of protein
2) Everyone thinks that either high amounts of fat or high amounts of carbohydrates will cause you to get fat
3) Everyone thinks that protein has a “thermogenic” (inner-body temperature raising) effect, which helps burn fat
All three of these beliefs are completely wrong! (In this article I am going to give you a very brief explanation, but in later articles I will go into more detail).
First, muscle tissue is NOT made up of mostly of protein. Muscle tissue is 70% WATER.
The other 30% is made of GLUCOSE, and AMINO ACIDS. Your muscles need just as much glucose (which is what carbohydrates are converted into), if not MORE than protein to gain muscle size.
Those that have medically studied the physiology of the human body know that amino acids are what make up protein.
However, the body uses whatever amount of amino acids it needs at that particular moment. The rest it stores for later use.
It is NOT true that you need to be eating a “steady stream” of protein to gain muscle weight………your body keeps a little “pool” of stored amino acids.
Protein is by far the most difficult macronutrient to break down and digest.
The higher the amount of protein you eat the more stress you are placing on your digestive system.
Oh, by the way, what do you think happens to any excess protein??? It turns it into FAT!
Have you ever noticed how you feel when you eat a huge burger or steak?
Even after several hours have passed, it still feels like you’ve got that entire piece of meat just sitting and rotting in your stomach.
How much benefit in gaining muscle weight do you think that’s going to give you?
Have you ever drank those disgusting protein shakes or eaten those chalk-tasting protein bars? You get gas, you feel bloated, and you might even get the “runs” (diarrhea).
That’s a major sign that your body is NOT properly digesting all of that protein!!!
There are several real-life examples of athletes that don’t consume massive amounts of protein to gain muscle weight, yet have tremendous physiques, are in excellent health, are powerful, fast, and agile.
To just name some of them:
Andreas Cahling – Swedish champion bodybuilder and Olympic gold medalist in the ski jump
Keith Holmes – World champion middleweight boxer
Bill Manetti – Powerlifting champion
Stan Price – World weight lifting record holder; bench press
Art Still – Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs MVP defensive ends, Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame
Chris Campbell – Olympic wrestling champion
Peter Hussing – European super heavyweight boxing champion
You can eat all the protein in the world and not gain one pound of muscle weight if you aren’t eating enough calories!!!!!
Remember, it doesn’t matter what we’ve been fed by the magazines and companies trying to sell us their latest protein concoction. It all comes down to the calories!
In my next article I’ll cover the 2nd and 3rd misconception everyone has about protein.muscle building diet plan
RSS FEED
