Bodybuilding is simply the process of increasing the muscle mass of the body and decreasing the amount of fatty tissue in the body. This is accomplished through the use of Progressive Resistance Training. Progressive resistance means increasing resistance (weight) over time in a particular movement (exercise).

Increasing resistance is possible due to the body’s ability to adapt to stress by becoming stronger in response to the stimulus of exercise. Simply put, when you work a muscle hard, the fibers are actually damaged or broken down and the body responds by repairing the muscle and making it slightly bigger and stronger to prepare for the work to be repeated. If the work (exercise) is repeated frequently (with enough rest in between for the repair process to take place) with increased resistance each time, theoretically, the muscle will get progressively larger and stronger. That is the basis of bodybuilding weight training.

It is a simple process, but there are many variables that can affect how fast and how much the muscle will grow. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following:

Nutrition
Rest
Intensity of workouts
Frequency of workouts

Nutrition is a huge part of successful bodybuilding. I would highly recommend reading everything you can get your hands on dealing with bodybuilding nutrition and supplementation. One way to keep informed in this area is to subscribe to a good Bodybuilding magazine such as Flex or Muscle & Fitness. Both of these fine bodybuilding magazines have many great articles each month dealing with diet, nutrition and supplements.

Rest is another important area to consider. In this day and age, it is not unusual to get less than 6 hours of sleep a night for a lot of people. I recommend trying to get at least 8 hours if at all possible, even if you need to take a nap! Your body does most of it’s growing as you sleep, so get all you can!

Workout intensity is something that entire books have been written on. I recommend reading up on this topic as well. Flex and Muscle & Fitness deal with this topic in depth. Basically you need to find the right amount of intensity to trigger muscle growth. When a bodybuilder is just starting out, it does not take much to trigger new muscle growth. However, the body will quickly adapt to repeated stress and this can cause muscle growth to slow or stop all together. When this occurs, bodybuilders refer to it as a “plateau”. This is when changes to workout intensity must occur. The muscle must be subjected to a new kind of stress that it is not used to in order to stimulate new growth. Fortunately, there are many methods of changing the workout intensity, but that is beyond the scope of this article.

Frequency of workouts is something that will vary from bodybuilder to bodybuilder. Some bodybuilders workout every day and some only 3 days per week. You will have to experiment with this to determine what works best for you. You must give your muscles enough of a break between workouts to repair themselves, but you don’t want to wait too long between workouts or you will not get maximum results.

Beginner Level

First and foremost, check with your physician to make sure you are in good physical condition to start a weight lifting or bodybuilding program! I recommend that beginners to bodybuilding start with a simple workout plan. This plan should consist of one exercise per bodypart, working the entire body 3 times per week.

Bodyparts are divided as follows:

Chest (pecs)
Back (lats)
Shoulders (delts)
Triceps (back of upper arm)
Biceps (front of upper arm)
Forearms
Abdominals (abs)
Quadriceps (front of thigh)
Hamstrings (back of thigh)
Calves (back of lower leg)

Here is an example of a workout:

Bench press
Lat pulldowns
Military Press
Tricep pushdowns
Barbell curls
Crunches
Leg extensions
Leg curls
Standing Calf raises

You should start out each exercise with a warm up set. For this set, choose a relatively light weight that will allow you to do 25 reps without killing yourself. This will get your muscles ready for heavier weights. Then do 3 sets of each exercise of 8-10 repetitions.

For your first set, choose a weight that will allow you to 10 reps without struggling too much. Rest for 30-60 seconds, then increase the weight for your second set that makes 10 reps considerably harder. For your third set, choose a weight that is heavy enough that you cannot do any more than 8-10 reps no matter how hard you try. This is called muscular failure. You must take your muscles to the point of failure or they will not grow. The last few reps of the last set are the ones that will trigger your body to respond by making the muscle bigger and stronger.

Write the weights down for each exercise so you know where you are for the next workout.

It will take a bit of trial and error until you find the correct weight in each exercise. Be sure to take care when you first start out not to load the bar up with some ridiculous weight that may cause injury to your muscles, tendons, or your foot when you drop it!

As time goes on and you are diligently following your training program, you will notice that when you get to rep number 10 on your last set, you feel like you can do one or two more. This is good! Go ahead and do one or two more for a total of 11 or 12. When you are able to do this for 2 or 3 workouts in a row, it is time to increase the weight in that particular exercise.

If you are training a relatively large muscle group, such as chest or quads, you may try increasing the weight by 10 or 15 pounds. If you are doing biceps or delts, then maybe increase only 5 pounds or even 2.5 pounds. The new weight should limit you to 7 or 8 reps on the last set. Soon you will be back up to 12 with the new weight, and then you will bump the weight up even more. These increases are what you are working so hard for. Increased weight means increased strength, which means increased muscle mass!

Be sure to write everything down as you train. This is very important for several reasons. First, you may not remember what weight you used in a particular exercise the next time you workout, and you will waste time and effort having to figure it out again! Second, you need be able to gauge your progress as time goes on. When you see that you are using 10 or 15 more pounds than you did a month ago, you know your strength is increasing and this is great feedback! I recommend getting a good training journal, but you can use any pad of paper. Create a space for the following data for each workout:

Date
Muscle Group worked
Exercise name
Number of sets
Number of reps in each set
Weight used each set
Personal Notes

Write things down that may have a positive or negative affect on your workout, such as energy level, whether you were tired or still sore from your last workout, or maybe your left shoulder has been bothering you, etc. If you are detailed here, you may be able to learn some important clues as to what makes you have a good workout verses an “ok” workout. Maybe you’ll find that when you workout right after work you have more energy than when you wait until 8 o’clock. Or maybe certain foods you eat before a workout help you with your energy and focus. Write down if you have a cold, or if you are recovering from an injury, or if any particular exercise hurts you when you do it. These notes will come in handy sooner or later in the course of your bodybuilding program.

Use this program for 4-6 months and you should see some real progress. At that time, you may want to start to include some advanced techniques to increase your workout intensity in order to continue making good gains.

You can find subscription information for Muscle & Fitness and Flex magazines at:

rocksolidbodybuilding.com/magazines rocksolidbodybuilding.com/magazines

David Monyer has been involved in bodybuilding for the last 20 years, making most of his muscle gains in his basement gym, as well as different clubs and gyms over the years. For more information and well researched sites to purchase equipment and supplements, visit: RockSolidBodybuilding.com www.RockSolidBodybuilding.com

Tags: diet, muscle mass, sleep

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If you spend an hour examining the packed shelves of a supplement store, you are more likely to walk away with a headache and empty pockets than a useful supplement. It is impossible to distinguish between supplements that build mass and those that build only debt without reliable nutrition and supplement information. Some supplements are useful but must be taken in appropriate quantities at the proper times.

Research supports the notion that meal timing around exercise increases the amount of lean mass gained. In one study, researchers supplemented two groups of men with the same supplement, except one group got the supplement immediately before and after resistance training; the other group received the supplement several hours before and after working out(1). The group that received the supplement immediately before and after the workout gained significantly more lean mass than the group that did not practice good nutrient timing.

The most important part of building lean mass is eating extra calories. The extra calories should come from high quality protein, carbohydrates and fat, primarily before and after workouts.

Before a Workout-

Protein:

Generally, protein supplementation enhances lean mass gain during periods of resistance training– thousands of studies support this conclusion. A study conducted at Baylor University in young men showed a significant increase in muscle mass with about 40 grams of protein supplementation per day (2). Before a work-out, whey protein, casein protein or mixed protein sources (like whey and casein/egg and whey).

Supplement with 0.5 grams/kg of protein before your workout.

BCAA:

The branched chain amino acids include leucine, isoleucine, and valine. All of these amino acids (the smallest units of protein), and leucine especially, increase the rate of muscle building and decrease the rate of muscle break down (3,4). Hence, BCAA supplementation before and after weight-lifting allows for an anabolic effect on protein metabolism.

Experts recommend 3-6 grams of BCAAs before and after workouts; take about 3 grams for each 50 kg of body mass. A pure BCAA powder is the most ecomical way to take this supplement; one rounded teaspoon is about 5 grams. A container containing 500g should cost you about $22-30 and should last about 2 months, depending on your weight.

Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates are an important fuel source; lower glycemic or “slower” carbohydrates should be consumed before a workout. Good examples are oats and berries.

Consume about 0.5 grams/kg of carbohydrates before your workout.

Creatine:

Numerous studies have been published showing the benefits of creatine supplementation for increased lean mass and strength. One study showed about twice as much lean mass gain for men taking creatine over the placebo group when completing the same resistance training program (5). In this study the men supplemented with 20 grams/day during a one week loading phase and 5 grams/day for the rest of the twelve week study for maintainance. If you choose to do a loading phase, be sure to split the creatine up into 4 or 5 doses throughout the day to minimize stomach upset.

Creatine monohydrate is the form of creatine that has been studied the most and has been proven effective in research; 500g should not cost more than $15. Furthermore, there is evidence that creatine is absorbed better with high-glycemic carbohydrates; bananas and juice are good natural sources of sugar.

Example of a Good Pre-Work Out Shake for a 170 lb Man (taken 30-45 minutes before the workout begins):
1- 1.5 oz (scoops) casein protein, 2 Tbsp oats, 1 medium banana (in chunks, frozen for a thicker shake), 5 grams BCAAs, 7 g Creatine Monohydrate, ice or water as desired

Immediately After a Workout-

Carbohydrates:

Quick-absorbing carbohydrates are important after a workout for a number of reasons. First of all, the enzymes responsible for glycogen synthesis are upregulated immediately after resistance training. Glycogen, which is made in the body from sugar, is a major carbohydrate fuel for weight-training. As such, it is important to get your post-work out shake into your body as quickly as possible after a workout. Additionally, the high-glycemic carbohydrates stimulate the release of the anabolic hormone insulin, which aids in muscle recovery and growth.

Comsume at least 0.5 grams/kg of high-glycemic carbohydrate after a workout when you are trying to gain lean mass. Bananas and honey are both good choices after a work-out.

Protein:

Whey protein is quickly absorbed and has an overall anabolic effect on muscle, as demonstrated in a study of young males (6). In this study the men who supplemented with whey protein and creatine increased their strength to the greatest degree; those who supplemented only with whey (1.2 g/kg/day) also improved significantly more than the placebo group.

Supplement with 0.5 grams/kg of whey protein after your workout.

BCAA:

The rationale is the same as the above; take 3-6 grams in a post-work out shake.

Example of a Good Pre-Work Out Shake for a 170 lb Man:
1.5 oz (scoops) whey protein, 1.5 medium bananas (in chunks, frozen for a thicker shake), 5 grams BCAAs, ice or water as desired

*Do not add a fat source to your post-workout shake. Fat delays the emptying of stomach contents into the small intestine; you want the nutrients to reach your small intestine as quickly as possible*

You gain improve your gains with smart and consistent use of sports supplements. Though the supplements above are by no means an exhaustive list of all useful supplements, the most important and useful and effective ergogenic aids were included. When you are training to add lean mass, be sure to fuel your workouts 1) Take your pre-workout supplements 30-45 minutes before you begin training; and 2) Take your post-workout supplements within 30 minutes of completing your resistance training.

1. Cribb PJ, Hayes A. Effects of supplement timing and resistance exercise on skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Nov;38(11):1918-25.

2. Kerksick CM, Rasmussen CJ, Lancaster SL, Magu B, Smith P, Melton C, Greenwood M, Almada AL, Earnest CP, Kreider RB. The effects of protein and amino acid supplementation on performance and training adaptations during ten weeks of resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2006 Aug;20(3):643-53.

3. Blomstrand E, Eliasson J, Karlsson HK, Kohnke R. Branched-chain amino acids activate key enzymes in protein synthesis after physical exercise. J Nutr. 2006 Jan;136(1 Suppl):269S-73S.

4. Escobar J, Frank JW, Suryawan A, Nguyen HV, Kimball SR, Jefferson LS, Davis TA. Regulation of cardiac and skeletal muscle protein synthesis by individual branched-chain amino acids in neonatal pigs. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2006 Apr;290(4):E612-21.

5. Volek JS, Duncan ND, Mazzetti SA, Staron RS, Putukian M, Gomez AL, Pearson DR, Fink WJ, Kraemer WJ. Performance and muscle fiber adaptations to creatine supplementation and heavy resistance training. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1999 Aug;31(8):1147-56.

6. Burke DG, Chilibeck PD, Davidson KS, Candow DG, Farthing J, Smith-Palmer T. The effect of whey protein supplementation with and without creatine monohydrate combined with resistance training on lean tissue mass and muscle strength. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2001 Sep;11(3):349-64.

Jean Jitomir is a Registered Dietitian, light weight bodybuilder and Exercise Nutrition PhD student. her department specializes in sports ergogenic aid and muscle hypertrophy research. Read more about her at:

jeanjitomir.com jeanjitomir.com

Tags: diet, muscle mass

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In the last few years, the use of Botox injections to combat the visible effects of age on human skin has been on the increase, and with many high profile celebrities admitting to having Botox treatments - David Beckham and Hilary Clinton being two recent converts - it’s reputation is flying high.

With it’s startling ability to iron out wrinkles in the skin in a matter of a few hours, it’s little wonder so many people abide by it but it seems that the dangers of botox are being ignored in favour of it’s almost youth-giving properties.

To begin with, botox, or to give it it’s full name, botulinum toxin, is known to be one of the most poisonous substances in the world. While the amount of botox given in a single treatment is minimal, there are still worries about the long term damage the substance might do to the human body, especially for individuals who have had repeat treatments.

So what is the alternative? Well, one option is to use collagen supplements.

Collagen is one of the most abundant forms of natural protein in the human body and makes up 75% of skin tissue. It’s job as the “glue” that holds the body together is somewhat limited by the fact that at the age of 25, it’s rate of production in the body decreases at a rate of approximately 1.5% per year.

Exposure to the sun and the natural effects of aging cause the collagen fibres in the body to weaken and become less pliable. The result is dry, wrinkled skin that has lost it’s inherent elasticity.

Collagen Supplements help to replace missing Collagen and activate the body’s function of creating new collagen thus rejuvenating the skin and smoothing wrinkles.

In addition to benefits to the skin, collagen is also known to relieve aches and pain from disorders such as arthritis, preserve and replenish lean muscle mass, and help with the management of the body’s fat.

Here are some points to consider if you are looking to firm up those wrinkles and tighten up that skin.

Botox Injections
Pro: Injection provides immediate results
Pro: Quick procedure
Pro: Results last for 4 - 6 months

Con: Repeat treatments needed
Con: Expensive - treatments cost around £200
Con: Involves injected poison into the body

Collagen Supplements
Pro: Triggers the body’s own production of collagen
Pro: Aids other areas of the body - muscles, joints etc.
Pro: 6 months worth of supplements cost half as much as Botox

Con: May take a few months for effects to be noticed
Con: Needs to be taken regularly for results to show

Botox treatments are available from cosmetic surgeries across the country. Collagen supplements are available from a range of suppliers such as sanctumhealth.com Sanctum Health.

Rob Camp is a Freelance Writer living in Brighton, UK.

Tags: muscle mass

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The single most common mistake made by bodybuilders, from beginners to the most advanced bodybuilder is overtraining. Anyone that allows themselves to overtrain will make little or no progress and in some case even lose muscle mass. Training fewer sets, no more then 12-15 sets for each body part will help ensure that you will not fall in to the trap of overtraining while still stimulating your muscles to keep increasing at a very fast rate.

Overtraining occurs when too many long workouts are preformed and the body fails to adapt to the physical stress where your body can’t fully recover between training sessions. If you continue to push past its ability to recuperate between workouts, it will give you one or more signs that you are overtraining. Unfortunately, many bodybuilders do not correctly pick up these signs, inevitably pushing their bodies into a state where they are unable to make any gains in muscle mass no matter how hard they try.

The 10 most common signs that you are becoming overtrained

Lack of interest for workouts

Low energy levels

Irritability

Persistent sore muscles

Deterioration of motor coordination

Insomnia

Loss of appetite

Worsening of concentration

Raised morning pulse rate

Raised morning blood pressure

If you notice two or more of these signs, chances are that you are becoming overtrained. The best way to avoid overtraining is to listen to your body. If you develop your instinctive ability to listen to the body, you will know how to train, eat, and approach the mental aspect of your bodybuilding. When you overtrain your body will tell you to take some time off to rest and recuperate. Only then you can go back to your intense, heavy workout sessions and make to great gains that you deserve.

The biggest sign that you are overtraining is lack motivation to train. When it comes time to leave for the gym and you find yourself wanting to sit on the couch and watch bold and the beautiful rather than pump iron you should immediately think that you are becoming overtrained. If this happens three or four day in a row than you know that you are overtraining.

One of the most scientific and easiest methods of determining overtraining is to monitor your morning heart rate and blood pressure. Take your pulse rate daily whilst still lying in bed. Use a watch or clock with a seconds hand to take your pulse. If the reading increases by more than 3-5 beats per minute you know for sure that you are overtrained.

If you would like to take a blood pressure reading you will require blood pressure monitor which can be purchased online for as little as $35. Any spike in your morning blood pressure will indicate that you are overtrained. Combined with pulse rate reading this lets you know scientifically when you have overtrained.

Preventing overtraining

The most obvious solution to overtraining is to prevent it from happening in the first place. the following list helps plan training so that you do not get this undesirable result.

Increase the training weight in gradual steps so that your body is prepared for each increment in workload. A sudden increase of the intensity, duration or frequency of workload is likely to induce an overtraining response.

Allow 24-48 hour of recovery time between hard training sessions. It is important to cycle heavy, moderate, and light workouts to give yourself adequate opportunity to recover.

Eat a balanced diet containing all the basic nutrients, with a particular emphasis on carbohydrates to fuel your body and protein to help recover

Ensure adequate rest and sleep between training sessions

Be aware of life situations that my impact on the ability to cope with your high intensity train these includes social, emotional and work stress

Do few total set per muscle group at a higher intensity

Training with a six day split routine is great for high level bodybuilders who are in pre competition muscle refining cycle but is very difficult to gain any great muscle mass. Bodybuilders with less than 1-2 years training experience will certainly make their greatest gain when training on a four day split routine in which each muscle group is trained twice a week.

Gavin Grech
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