Archive for October, 2008

Bodybuilding Myths Exposed!

Auto Date Friday, October 31st, 2008

To most outsiders, the world of bodybuilding must seem freakish. Images of huge, deeply muscled physiques strutting and posing in the tiniest of speedo type posing trunks leaves most people looking on with their mouths hanging open.

The problem is that the professional bodybuilders that everyone associates with the sport are not the majority. They are the elite of the elite. Here are the Top 10 Bodybuilding Myths Exposed:

  1. If I Start Lifting Weights I’ll Look Like A Bodybuilder
  2. Let’s put this one to rest right off the top. In all my years of training people, the first thing I hear from clients, especially women, is that they do not want to get “huge” and musclebound. My answer is always the same, “Trust me, you will never, ever look like that. Even if you wanted to, you wouldn’t”. Here’s a reality check: The professional bodybuilders that we see are the elite of the elite. They live and breath bodybuilding. They spend hour upon hour in the gym lifting poundages that would astound most people. They eat huge amounts of food that would gag most people. They have incredible genetics that allow for perfect musculature. And most importantly, they all use huge amounts of anabolic steroids, growth hormone, insulin and other drugs to get where they are at. The bottom line is that 99% of anyone who starts lifting would come nowhere near that type of body.

  3. If I Start Bodybuilding And Then Stop, All My Muscle Will Turn To Fat

  4. Another falsehood and this one borders ludicrous. Any high school biology student can tell you this. Our bodies are comprised of bone, muscle, fat and water. We all have X% lean tissue (muscle) and X% adipose tissue (fat). Muscle cannot “turn into” fat anymore than your bones can turn into fat. Conversely, if you are overweight and then start training, your fat is not going to “turn into” muscle. You are simply building muscle while losing fat. It’s very simple. This myth probably stems from the fact that many people see former athletes who used to be lean and are now heavier. Their muscle did not turn into fat. What happens is that during years of training, they burn huge amounts of calories. When they stop training, the muscles atrophy (shrink) due to decreased stimulus and the metabolism slows down which usually leads to weight increase in the form of larger fat stores.


  5. If I Take Steroids I Will Get As Big As the Pro Bodybuilders

  6. The only way this would happen is if you train as hard as they do, eat as much as they do and have the genetics they do. Steroids alone will not make anyone as big and muscular as professionals. You’ll get bigger sure but the pros have the total package. The amount of discipline needed to get to that level is beyond the scope of most people.


  7. If I Do Enough Sit-Ups Or Crunches, I’ll Burn This Fat Off My Waistline and Stomach

  8. This has been repeated enough to where you think the world would know it by now:
    There is no such thing as spot reducing! You cannot “burn” the fat off your stomach by doing situps. Bodyfat is reduced over your entire body. This is done by burning more calories than you ingest on a daily basis. If you want to get a 6-pack, you are going to have to adjust your caloric intake and increase you metabolism so that you burn fat over your entire body. Unfortunately, the waistline is one of the last places the fat will leave. Doing stomach crunches or sit-ups will make your stomach firmer and harder but if your bodyfat level is not low enough, your “6-pack” will be hidden under a layer of bodyfat.

  9. With Correct Exercises, I Can Reshape My Muscles
  10. Muscle shape is primarily a factor of genetics. A perfect example would be the calf muscles. If you have long muscle belly’s in your calfs it is going to be impossible to turn them into shorter, “bull” calfs. Muscles are going to look different
    from one person to the next. Someone who is 6′4″ and weighs in at a lean, muscular 225 lb is probably going to have a totally different look in specific muscle groups than a guy who is lean and muscular but is 5′8″ tall. You can build muscles to your greatest potential but you cannot literally “reshape” a muscle.

  11. The More You Workout The Faster And Bigger You’ll Grow
  12. Anybody who has any experience and knowledege under their belt will tell you that the number one reason people do not get stronger or bigger is because of overtraining. When you are working out you are breaking down muscle tissue. It is when you are resting that muscle on your off days that it is repairing itself. If you do not give it enough time between sessions, or if you train too hard on one day and then come back too soon, the muscle will not grow because it cannot repair itself.

If you are just beginning a weight training program, keep these myths in mind. There are others as well! Don’t believe something just because you heard it and don’t believe that what works for one person will necessarily work for you!

Mike Berg - EzineArticles Expert Author

Mike Berg has been involved in bodybuilding and fitness as an enthusiast and trainer for over 20 years.

Visit his website for bodybuilding and fitness articles and Bodybuilding Supplements at http://www.milleniumfitness.com

See How to Buy Designer Dresses That Provides Back Your Money’s Worth

Auto Date Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

Obtaining and carrying off designer tops is not vey easy. In spite of this, thanks to terrific prt-a-porter and increased disposable incomes, the best part of us shopaholics might afford to purchase a gorgeous piece of stunning high fashion clothing every now and then. Nonetheless, there are likewise certain issues associated with designer tops that are not there with your everyday high fashion clothing, with the very most prominent ones being the clothing design and the cost of such garments.

Designer tops charges noticeably more than even the leading brands for sale in the market; and the reason why designer tops cost so much is because designer clothing not only offer you fine quality and good styles, but because they are exclusive. Even budget ranges in designer skirts carry only limited editions, so there are really small chances that you might well find your neighbor wearing the same unbelievable skirt that women recently bought.

To select the very best kind of designer dresses for yourself, pay attention to a number of things. If you are not a regular trendy designer clothes buyer, then chances are that low cost is a selling point with you. In such a case, it is even more foremost that you select sensational high fashion shirts that might well actually give you back your money’s worth. Buy the latest Christian Louboutin then Click Here.

To do this, the first rule to do is to find terrific high fashion clothing that looks nice with your body shape and weight, If fashion junkies do not do this, then even the greatest designs can end up making you look a complete mess. Follow the basic fashion rules of not buying baggy fitting clothes that will make you look wide or stumpy and not buying vertical patterns and very dark colours if you are awfully thin etcetera to buy shirts that match your body shape, colouring and features.

The other fundamental thing to consider is if you want your outstanding high fashion clothing to last you are to acquire pieces or designs that are timeless in nature like black jeans.

Your Intercontinental Land Market Place - Facilitated by The Property Index Online Company

Auto Date Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

Property Index can help with overseas property investment, view the properties available for investment.

Regardless the fact that the Property Index service is seen as a new kid on the block business, (they were set up in March 2007), they have attained to expert status very quickly. In actuality they are a fairly simple business entirely concentrated on looking after everyone designing to rent, buy, sell or let real estate across the globe. What they promise is to offer you assistance to unearth squarely what’s looked for very quickly and, too, unproblematically. Realty is at your fingertips everwhere nowadays, one of the most exclusive areas being estate available in Spain. It should be no big challenge to list a slew of the glorious real estate on the market in Spain, the reason for investigating estate here is the houses and apartments for sale and the phenomenal opportunity of living surrounded by such a dynamical and optimistic people.

It’s one of the most fashionable regions of the world nowadays, and with the scenic beauty and agreeable sunshine surrounding you here, how could you say no…. Realty in Spain is very rich in history, culture and art, this area of the world has been and is still home to a number of indigenous civilizations. About 30 years back you’d find very few of Britons looking for real estate in Spain. Just ask about anyone who has emigrated to Spain and they’ll tell you the same thing. There’s many people who would are wont to call it a basically irrelevant fashion and others are wont to call it a close to a fixation. People that are willing to migrate to this area will typically range from young urban professionals keen on a new life perspective to retirees looking to settle down and enjoy themselves.

There could be setbacks when acquiring real estate overseas — expectably there will be a hundred differentiated steps be it when organising, sightseeing or purchasing. If you miss out on but a single minor procedure it may create wide-ranging setbacks not to forget, more importantly, loss in financial terms. Obviously and expectably with this trendy destination, real estate might be costly in this location which is naturally caused by the wide spread market pressure. Notwithstanding the homebuyer is spoilt for choice in such a location so wonderful in terms of sun soaked landscape. Doubtlessly it’s able to offer all, stock and barrel, property buyers might yearn for and more.

Catapult Your Muscle Gains With Partial Reps and Isometric Contraction

Auto Date Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

Lets face it Partial range repetitions can be far more effective than full-range reps for building strength and muscle in as short a time as possible. They are basically reps done in a specific range of motion and usually involve doing only the top half or top six inches of the movement this is in your strongest range of motion. By working only in this range of motion you can use far more weight and therefore, work your muscles harder because they can handle more resistance.

Partial range rep exercises have advantages of being safer also because the weight is prevented from entering the weakest range of motion where most injuries occur. These can be applied to almost any exercise but are more appropriate for some exercises than others. These include the bigger compound exercises such as the Bench press, Leg press and Reverse grip lat pulldown.

Lets take the bench press for example, after performing a Full range rep warm-up, move to a smith machine or power rack (or a good spotting partner) and place the supports so the bar rests at the top half range (or six inches) from your reach so when you lie on the bench and reach up to grab the bar your arms should be about six inches from full extension. Push the bar to the top of the movement and then back to the supports. Notice how the safety bars prevent the weight from entering the weak range of motion. Continue on to total failure.

When you lift weight in your strongest range of motion you will notice how easy it is! You will be able to use twice the amount of weight that you would use with the Full Range Reps.

Isometric Contraction is another step upwards in the intensity stakes. It is performed by holding a weight in a fixed position with the muscle fully contracted for an extended period of time. It is performed using the one set only for holds of between five and fifteen seconds.

During these holds nearly all of the muscle fibers of the target muscle are recruited, something that doesn’t happen with full range repetitions. The more muscle fibers you can recruit the more growth that can occur. I have found that by using this technique on trainees strength gains of 50% in ten weeks have often occurred.

Only one all out maximum intensity set per exercise is necessary for this type of training. If you give the first set 100% effort then there will be no more requirement for further muscle stimulation on that specific exercise. Fortunately isometric contraction will probably be the easiest and safest way to perform strength training exercises as there are no reps and no motion of the weight, the entire set consists of holding the weight motionless for 5-15 seconds depending on what cycle you are in.

By cycling the seconds per hold, as you move into your training program from week to week the absolute intensity of the exercise increases (the weight used for the exercises increases) thus promoting more functional muscle growth. It is very important you limit the range of motion of the weight you are using. If you do not have a strong training partner who can spot you during these lifts then you must use a power rack or a smith machine. Now lets look at a exercise and how isometric contraction works with it.

Bench Press: This exercise is best performed on a smith machine or inside a Power Rack, Position the bar within two or three inches of your extended reach. Place 50-100% more weight on the bar than you have been using for your partial reps. Push the bar up two to three inchs (do not lock-out) and hold for approriate count.

With all exercises push yourself to the limits of your capability. Most trainee’s using this method make the mistake of underestimating the weight they can lift. You can expect very significant increases in the weight used for all exercises.

So there you have it, by incorporating these two training techniques into your every day strength training programs you will be well on the way to increasing your size and strength in no time at all.

Gary Matthews - EzineArticles Expert Author

Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooks Maximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visit http://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your ‘free’ muscle building e-course.

Bodybuilding the Perfect Body!

Auto Date Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

Everyone wants to look and feel better; and although it is a takes tone of very hard work and commitment, the benefits of a bodybuilding workout truly make it a worthwhile endeavor. Here are some of the numerous benefits of a bodybuilding workout:

  • fat reduction

  • reduced blood pressure
  • increased muscle size
  • reduced cholesterol levels
  • added energy
  • reduced stress
  • more confidence
  • stronger bones
  • increased power in other sports
  • increased sex drive

Bodybuilding also has many positive effects on your hormone system. Bodybuilding will boost levels of the anabolic hormone testosterone. Testosterone is a naturally occurring anabolic steroid compound that builds bigger and stronger muscles.

Are you a bodybuilding teen?

Do you want to be the skinny kid in class?

Bodybuilding can be practiced by just about anyone; from the beginner to the advanced level. If you are a teen, you can use bodybuilding to make you more attractive to the opposite sex. Why be the skinny, weak kid in class with no confidence? Girls love male bodies with muscles. The information on this site will help you build the muscles and attract the girls!

It takes more than just barbells and dumbells to build your body; you need the best information on routines, nutrition, and workout supplements. Understanding all this plus having ambition and determination will help you develop the body you want!

The problem with developing a great bodybuilding workout is misinformation. The Internet is flooded with mediocre advice. There are tall tails and lies being going around as legitimate information. If you are looking to make the best gains possible and avoid all this biased propaganda, then you need to have the facts.

bodybuilding
Bob Howard 02/01 2006

The Things Us Bodybuilders Do

Auto Date Monday, October 27th, 2008

Us bodybuilders live a crazy lifestyle. Some call us crazy, narcistic, and even hermits, but I call it dedication. We even do things that we don`t realize we`re doing but when someone mentions it, we get a little humor out of it. I dedicate this article to the bodybuilding.com forum members for making a thread that gave me a little extra comic relief.

When thinking of food, we think of it in terms of functionality, practicality, and finally taste, not the other way around. We have to leave a party or social even because we have to go eat meal #7. Hell, most of us don`t even remember the fizz of soda, let alone what McDonald`s food tastes like. I`m even starting to appreciate the taste of water, no wonder my parents don`t understand why I won`t sit down and have a family dinner instead of making my own food. When looking at foods, we look at the protein content before anything else. We even know the difference between oatmeal, rolled oats, and steel oats.

Your family is at the gym and you know everyone by name. When you hear the word cutting, you think of cardio, not scissors. Do we miss a workout? Yeah right! We`ll skip that important business meeting or hot date so that we can go and train legs. Then there are the guys at the gym who train biceps and chest everyday and then you about kill them after they tell you that creatine is a sterioid. We don`t workout with friends because chances are good that we trained that muscle group the day before. Whenever we see two parallel tables, we start doing dips, just for the fun of it. Pain is our best friend, every morning we wake up hoping to be sore and if not, then we know that we need to train that muscle group harder next week.

In school, people give us strange looks because we get up three different times to take a leak. Sorry Mr. Biology Teacher, I`ve learned more about the human body from lifting than anything you`ve ever taught me. We have a whole cabinet or shelf just to hold our supplements because we take more pills than our grandma who has arthritis and high blood pressure. Our pecks are bigger than most of the freshman girls` and when we travel, we have to buy two plane tickets just to be able to fit into the seats.

This article may sound funny to some of you but it is what us bodybuilders face on a daily basis. Bodybuilding is a rough lifestyle and is not something everyone can do. My fellow bodybuilders understand where I`m speaking from. We are a breed apart from the rest of the bunch and live in our own little sub-culture where the outsiders can`t hurt us. We will rise!

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=
281000&highlight=you+know+you%60re+a+bodybuilder

Zach Bashore - EzineArticles Expert Author

My site: http://www.geocities.com/bashore69/bodybuildingarticles.html

The Brilliant World of LCD TV’s

Auto Date Monday, October 27th, 2008

With the amount of growth arising in TV equipment recently it is useful to know numerous of the vital improvements. This information to liquid crystal display tellies (LCD) examines the particular benefits of the technology. This insight provides you all the important facts on how to obtain the excellent image and explains some of the main features to remember when it comes to Liquid Crystal Display televisions.

There are currently two key advantages with LCD televisions over Plasma tellies. The first is that they might possibly be a great deal easier to see when compared against a traditional cathode ray tube (CRT) television. This is normally because TV screens are a great deal brighter with a higher contrast level and flicker free image. LCD televisions by and large work good in more or less any manner of environment lighting from bright to ambient. Next, LCDs normally have a greater native resolution than plasma TVs of the same size thus making them ideal for HD output. Whilst plasma televisions are currently superior for pure display size, as more & more television channels come in high-def TV (HDTV), LCD manufactured goods will come to the forefront.

How Do LCD TVs Work? Catch Sound and Vision’s reductions on Cheap 37″ LCD TV!

LCD equipment is somewhat tricky & are improving day after day. This technology is based upon the fact that liquid crystals are, in their traditional shape, warped. The capacity of the crystals to allow light through can be amended by submitting electric voltage. Very simply put, a light source is sent through a liquid containing crystals held amid two polarised displays. By permitting the correct measure of light to pass through, the required display is produced.

Bargain 7500 dollar at a honorable rate of interest of 4.3 percent

Auto Date Friday, October 24th, 2008

It makes no difference if you live in Independence Montana or in Carrollton Texas a fine online investigation will redeem you often a lot of inconvenience. At this moment you can check out rates of interest quickly online and learn if there are other sneaky conditions you should know about. Inspect to see if the bank who is willing to give you a money loan is fine. 9.7 percent loan rate may appear so fair but will that be the same after you have to give back your loan. That’s the reason why now you need to check into and come across if you can have a credit loan at a solid percent interest rate.

Translated it says: Woon je in Ouderkerk of Buren en hebt u BKR. Lenen met een BKR notering is nergens zo eenvoudig. Koop een nieuwe woning met negatieve bkr notering, 342690 euro is gewoon mogelijk om te lenen. Van Boskoop tot Gaasterln-Sleat, geld lenen met BKR gaat hier altijd.

A lot of the moneylenders wil show you a rate that is looking respectable but feels badly or so after a period of time. You should be undimmed today to check out if you have a nice offer or if you don’t with the merchant bank that offers you a loan. A moneylender in Camden New Jersey or so may have a total completely different actual interest rate for a 25000 dollar credit loan then a merchant bank in Manteca California and that makes a huge clear difference in your monthly pay backs.

Shredded Quads Part II

Auto Date Friday, October 24th, 2008

If you are taking part in my previous newsletter, Killer Quads, this is the second part I promised you, Shredded Quads. Killer Quads was a 6 week building program, so you have a couple more weeks to go before you can put this program to use, but it is here and ready when you are.

As discussed in Killer Quads, far too many people are either over training or under training their legs. An ultimate pair of legs is first formed in the mind, then through training and nutrition. Focus and intensity are two important factors when engaging in quality leg training.

You learned that stimulation, not exaggeration, builds a nice set of legs. Heavy weight, minimal sets, and low repetitions build mass, thickness, and density. Now that you have some quality legs built, let’s shape them up with some quality training.

Nutrition
First and foremost, you cannot get “cut”, “shredded”, or “ripped” without a proper diet. Nutrition, added cardio, along with proper training, will lean your legs up nicely and create more definition.

What exactly is a quality diet? It is simply eating real food. Begin by eliminating the obvious junk and processed food. It is best if you can avoid bread and dairy as well. Carbohydrate Rotation is very effective in introducing your body to dieting, without negative drawbacks or any rebound effects.

Water is an important nutrient. Begin by drinking at least sixteen ounces of water between meals, and increase daily. A gallon a day is optimal. A lack of water causes water retention, however more water in equals more water out.

Now that you have your nutrition squared away, let’s discuss the training factor. Killer Quads was a sample mass building program to build what you are about to sculpt.

While diet is the number one key to defined and shapely legs, training and cardio are also important. Excessive sets and repetitions will not make your legs more defined, but they do serve a purpose if applied correctly.

MsFit’s Shredded Quads Routine
Warm up before attempting any training program. Go through each exercise, move from one to the next with no rest between. Once you completed one entire round, your first set is done. Do a total of three sets.

Week #I
Squats - Choose a weight in which you can complete 25 repetitions
Hacks - Choose a weight in which you can complete 20 repetitions
Leg Extensions - Choose a weight in which you can complete 15 repetitions. Once you complete the 15th repetition, drop the poundage and do 10 more repetitions. Once you complete that set, drop the poundage and do 5 more repetitions, and hold the last repetition for a count of 5 or more.
Leg Curls - Choose a weight in which you can complete 20 repetitions. Once completed, drop the poundage and rep-out 10 more curls and hold the last repetition for a count of 5 or more at mid point.
Rest for 2 minutes
Repeat 2 more times

Week #II
Leg Press - Choose a weight in which you can complete 25 repetitions
Leg Extensions - Choose a weight in which you can complete 20 repetitions.
Leg Curls - Choose a weight in which you can complete 20 repetitions. Once completed, drop the poundage and rep-out 10 more curls and hold the last repetition for a count of 5 or more at mid point.
Lunges - Hold 20 pound dumbbells and do 10 lunges on each leg. Once completed take 15 pound dumbbells and do 8 lunges on each leg. Once completed take 10 pound dumbbells and do 6 lunges on each leg. Once completed, rest your hands on your hips and do walking lunges until failure. Rest for 2 minutes
Repeat 2 more times

Alternate Week I and Week II for a total of 6 weeks.

Karen Sessions has been in the fitness industry since 1988. She embarked on weight training to overcome an eating disorder, Anorexia Nervosa in its early stages. She overcame the eating disorder, received her personal training certificate, competed in many local bodybuilding contests, and qualified for Nationals. Since then she’s went on to write six e-books (weight loss, female bodybuilding, contest preparation, leg training, figure/fitness secrets, and cellulite removal). She writes articles for several fitness websites, as well as her own, www.theelitephysique.com, and also distributes a monthly e-newsletter. She has a very active and lively forum, filled with positive and supportive people with informative content. Karen’s sole goal is to educate others and help them apply that knowledge.

Exercise The Right Way - The Flat Dumbbell Fly

Auto Date Thursday, October 23rd, 2008

Other articles in this series looked at a number of exercises, mainly from the perspective of developing a comprehensive muscle building program. Sometimes we take things for granted, especially when it comes to performing the basic exercises that constitute the core of most bodybuilders’ training regimes.


It is useful, therefore, to describe in detail the processes involved in actually doing these exercises. This will help beginners to start out using the correct techniques before moving on to potentially more dangerous heavy weights. If it also helps more experienced lifters to redress some of the little faults that have almost imperceptibly crept in over the years, all the better.


In this article we’ll take a close look at the flat dumbbell fly.


MUSCLES TARGETED: pectoralis major


STARTING POSITION


Grasp two dumbbells using a closed grip.
Assume a supine position on a bench.
Press the dumbbells to an extended elbow, parallel arm position above the chest.
Rotate the dumbbells to a neutral grip.
Slightly flex the elbows and point them out to the sides.
This is the starting point for all repetitions.


DOWNWARD MOVEMENT


Allow the dumbbells to lower in a wide arc until they are level with the shoulders or chest.
Keep the dumbbell bars parallel to each other as the elbows move downward.
Keep the wrists rigid and the elbows held in a slightly flexed position.
Keep the dumbbells in line with the elbows and shoulders.


UPWARD MOVEMENT


Pull the dumbbells up toward each other in a wide arc back to the starting position.
Keep the wrists rigid and the elbows held in a slightly flexed position.
Keep the dumbbells in line with the elbows and shoulders.
Repeat or finish set.

Richard Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding Exercises to learn more about the issues covered in this article.