Bodybuilding Tips - What are the Best Ways to Build Muscle?

Muscle growth, otherwise known as hypertrophy, is a highly discussed topic. Many of us work out to change the way our bodies look, but many people struggle with finding the right formula to build muscle fast. Building muscle fast takes the right weight lifting program coupled with the right cardio program, the right diet, and ample rest to achieve top notch results. Without the right combination, it can take much longer to see the changes you want. Before we get into the best exercises for muscle growth, let's talk a little bit about what actually happens as your muscle are growing.

What is Hypertrophy?

"Muscle hypertrophy is an increase in muscle fiber size, observed as a muscle achieves a larger diameter or cross-sectional area" (Kravitz). In other words, new muscle fibers are not created, rather the contractile proteins in muscle grow in size. Muscle growth can also occur with an increase in fluid interspersed in the muscle. This is known as sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. There is a lot more to bodybuilding and the science of muscle growth than this, but this is a simple explanation of what's happening to the muscles on a cellular level. Now that you have a basic understanding of hypertrophy, let's move on the top 3 bodybuilding tips!

My Top 3 Bodybuilding Tips:

1. Muscle growth, or hypertrophy, relies on three factors - mechanical tension, muscle damage, and metabolic stress. Mechanical tension is the intensity of the exercise. Muscle damage leads to soreness of the muscles, which leads to repair by satellite cells, which leads to hypertrophy (Kravitz). Metabolic stress (that nasty burn in the muscle) triggers hormonal influences which lead to muscle growth. To tie this in to bodybuilding tips, your workout should consist of exercises that yield these three factors. While each person's body is different, to optimize muscle growth, you need to find exercises that trigger all three of these events.

2. Maximal growth occurs between 80%-95% of 1RM. If you want to build muscle quickly, get rid of the 5 pound dumbbells and start lifting heavy. While drop sets or burnouts can be an effective part of your overall routine, you have to incorporate heavy lifts to stimulate muscle growth (mechanical tension).

3. Get enough rest and fuel. This is technically two tips, but I'll give you a bonus bodybuilding tip! Rest is seriously underestimated in the fitness world. By rest, I don't mean time between sets (although that is an important aspect of weight lifting). Muscle growth occurs outside the gym. Every time we exercise all we're doing is tearing our body down. If you don't get adequate (7-8 hours) sleep, you will stop seeing results. Hypertrophy can't happen if your body doesn't have time to repair. The same goes for days in between lifts. You should never work the same muscle groups two days in a row. If you want to exercise every day, set up a split program. For example, work the chest, triceps and abs on day 1, back, biceps and legs on day 2 and rest on day 3. Nutrient timing is also crucial to maximizing muscle growth. If you get in a badass workout and then wait 4 hours to replenish your body, you're missing out on critical growth times. It is absolutely imperative that you consume carbs and protein within the 45 minutes after your workout to see the best results. Muscle growth is a common goal for many people who exercise, however, few actually achieve the results they really want. As a trainer, I hear every day about how peoples' bodies have always been a certain way, or they just don't have the right metabolism to get good muscle definition, or a plethora of other excuses. While some of these may factor in to how easy or difficult it is to change their bodies, it's usually a lack of effort or know-how that leads them to failure. With the right workout routine in place, a proper diet, and ample rest, just about everyone can achieve the body they want with a little hard work and dedication.

So What is the Best Bodybuilding Workout?

The best bodybuilding tips I can give are great bodybuilding exercises. The best bodybuilding workouts utilize multi-joint exercises. Multi-joint exercises stimulate hormonal changes that increase muscle growth more than single joint exercises. For some examples, check out my article about the best full body exercises. Another good bodybuilding tip for your exercise program is to incorporate a lot of your larger muscle groups. If you really want to put on a lot of muscle quickly, target some of the biggest muscles like the chest, triceps, and lats. For example, the bicep is a much smaller muscle compared to the tricep, so if you want your arms to look bigger, be sure to hit your triceps!

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Weight loss is usually accompanied by muscle loss which often makes you look slightly saggy which can make you insecure about your looks. The best way of regaining your confidence is by building muscles. The good side is that you can easily do this using the following tips.

Raising your calorie intake

The best time to build your muscles mass is immediately after you stop eating your weight loss diet. Here you need to increase your carb intake by 150 grams per day.

To ensure that you are safe, you should get the carbs from healthy sources such as high-carb fruits. Some of the best fruits that you should take are: bananas and pineapples. Other great sources of healthy carbs are: beans, peas, whole grain breads, brown rice and sweet potatoes.

Incorporating resistance training in your exercise routine

Resistance training has been found to be very effective in increasing the body muscles. For ideal results you should include exercises that target the large muscle groups.

Some of the great exercises that you should engage in are: pushups, pull-ups, lunges and squats. If you have access to dumbbells and barbells you should engage in exercises such as: chest presses, dumbbell squats, and upright rows.

To avoid burn out, you should do the exercises in sets and repetitions. Here you should perform exercises in two or three sets of 12-15 repetitions.

You should also avoid resting for long periods of time between the sets. For ideal results you should limit the recovery periods between sets to one minute or less.

Allowing rest days

For proper physiological response you need to rest after exercising. Experts recommend that you should engage in strenuous resistance training for two or three days and then rest for one day.

Eating supplemental protein

Proteins are very important in muscle building; therefore, you should eat plenty of them. It has been found that proteins contain a number of amino acids that combine to promote muscle growth.

For you to gain muscle mass you should consume 1-1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. If you are unable to eat this number of proteins through balanced diet, you should seek assistance from supplemental protein powders.

These are tips on how to build muscle after weight loss. To ensure that you gain muscle the healthy way, it's recommended that you join a gym where you will work out under the supervision of a professional.

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If you want to gain weight and build lean muscles at the same time, there are two very important things you have to do; you have to eat right regularly and exercise effectively. This means that you should eat plenty of calories, food rich in proteins as well as other essential nutrients and weight train for at least four times a week. Additionally, having realistic goals and expectations is also important when it comes to gaining weight and building lean muscles. Taking good care of your body is very important in ensuring that you get the best results as far as bodybuilding is concerned. The following are tips on how to gain weight and build muscle at the same time;

Exercise Right

In order for you to build muscles you need to exercise effectively and efficiently. It is important for you to pay attention on exercises that engage lots of muscles at the same time rather than concentrating on exercises that target a specific muscle group. It is advisable to target working out the entire body each session. During your workout sessions, you can alternate exercises that focus on the upper body as well as the lower body. For better results, it is advisable to workout at least six times a week.

Reduce Your Cardio Workout

Cardiovascular exercises are a great way of increasing stamina and also burning fat. However, your aim here is not to lose weight or burn fat but to gain weight and build muscles. Therefore instead of engaging in highly intensive training which involves too much cardio, go for less intensive cardio activities like walking, or bicycle riding for not more than one hour per week. Additionally, you can engage in interval training which will help in increasing muscle mass for instance sprinting for 2 minutes and slowing down to a comfortable slow pace for a couple of minutes. Doing these, three times a week will ensure that you build lean muscles while at the same time increase weight.

Train Hard And Go Heavy

It is true to say that no pain no gain. In order for you to gain weight and build more muscles you need to train hard. Focus on lifting heavier weights. Among the best exercises to concentrate on, are compound exercises for example dead lifts, bench press, squats, pull-ups and rows. These exercises increase testosterone hormones in the body which is responsible in boosting power and building muscles. Ensure that you stay between 10 - 20 reps per muscle group and your sets should last between 40 - 70 seconds.

Eat Right

For you to increase weight, you need to eat right. It is recommended that you eat five to six meals a day. These meals should be high in proteins, carbohydrates as well as other essential nutrients. This will give your body the required raw material to build muscles and your metabolism something to burn fat and produce more energy. Protein is the key ingredient in building muscles while carbohydrate is needed for weight gain. Therefore ensure that you eat foods rich in carbohydrates as well as foods rich in proteins.

Rest

Ensure that you get adequate rest each and every day. Additionally you should have a resting period between sets and exercises as you work out. Getting adequate sleep at night is essential in ensuring that the muscles recover and grow as expected. You should rest for at least eight hours every night.

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You have several muscles in the body and keeping them flexible and in good shape is important for your good health. Here are a few ways you can exercise these muscles without having to join a boxing gym or anything that is strenuous.

    Lat Row Pulls

There are large muscles located below your arms that look or act like a set of wings. These are known as lats. To do Lat row pulls, you need to bend 90 degrees forward at the waist, and then slightly bend your knees.

After that, pick some weight and pull it toward your chest. As you do this, you should let your elbow go as far back as possible, all this while, your neck and torso should be straight.

    Lower Back Flies

While lying on your stomach with your palms over your ears, lift your chest high using your lower back as a pivot. You can also try to lift the legs as well spreading your arms like a flying man.

    Tri - Trap Push

You will need a dumbbell that is a bit heavy for you. With your elbows bent, you should hold the dumbbell using two hands behind your head leaving the other end hanging. While opening your arms widely, you should push the dumbbell over your head. Get to your starting position and do it repeatedly. This exercise helps you with your triceps and upper back muscles.

    Pull Ups

This type of exercise has been generally accepted as the most successful and the most difficult upper back exercises. To do this, you need to get a bar that is chin high and grab it. Your palms can either face you or away. Then pull yourself up and let yourself slowly drop. It is good practice to cross your feet over each other during your upward motion to prevent swinging.

    Push Ups

Even though generally considered an exercise for the chest, Push Ups can still help with your back exercise. First, lock your knees and extend your legs. Your hands and shoulders should be spread apart. Care should be taken to make sure that your back is not arched.

Then go down until your chest and chin are as close to the floor as possible. You can make the exercise work better for you by placing weights on your back or having someone not so heavy sit or lie on your back to offer resistance as you come up.

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Foam rolling is a great way to speed recovery. Kneading your muscles after a hard workout can help ease soreness by breaking up adhesions (tight knots of connective tissue) and enhancing bloodflow. But a foam roller is just one of many tools you can use before, after, or between workouts to boost your mobility and fast-track your recovery. Here are three other options you've probably never considered.

Barbell
Use this to loosen up your calves and Achilles tendons, especially after a tough run or pickup hoops game. Place your lower legs on the bar (or even one leg at a time on the handle of a dumbbell or kettlebell) and move them from side to side to break up adhesions.

Resistance Band
Secure a thick, looped resistance band to an anchor point--a squat cage is perfect. Then step inside the free end so it sits above your ankle. Facing away from the anchor, walk forward a few steps to put tension in the band. Now drive your knee past your toes several times. Repeat with your other leg. Physical therapists call this "band distraction." The benefit is better ankle mobility.

Softball
Your targets: glutes and chest. The payoff: improved hip mobility and upper-body range of motion. Sit on a softball (or a lacrosse ball if you can handle it) and dig into your glute muscles, which can become knotted and tight from prolonged sitting. Repeat with the ball sandwiched between your chest and a wall.

source:http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/relieve-pain

Testosterone is the principle male sex hormone. It is hard to think of men without this hormone. It not only gives men their aggressive behavior but also controls muscle growth and development. It is not surprising that bodybuilders try to boost their testosterone levels in order to increase muscle size and strength.

Here are some natural testosterone boosters that actually work :

1. Whole Milk

While a lot of people avoid whole milk, it's one of the best testosterone boosters. It is rich in proteins and calcium. Not just this, it is also a great source of essential fats that your body requires to produce steroid hormones like testosterone.

Having a glass of whole milk before going to bed is great for boosting testosterone production in your body.

2. Brussels Sprouts

They might not be that good in taste but they are excellent for increasing testosterone in your body. This is because they inhibit enzyme aromatse from converting free testosterone in your body to the female hormone estrogen.

3. Raw Chocolate

Raw chocolate is a great source of zinc and magnesium. These are two minerals that your body requires to produce more testosterone. It is because of their zinc content that oysters have gained the reputation of being a perfect libido booster for men.

Red meat is also rich in zinc and can help stimulate testosterone secretion in your body.

4. Olive Oil

Olive oil is another natural testosterone booster. It is rich in essential fats like Omega 3. It helps leydig cells in your testicles absorb cholesterol which results in higher testosterone production in your body.

5. Coconut Oil

Recent studies have shown that coconut oil is even better than olive oil when it comes to enhancing testosterone production.

6. Honey

A little bit of honey before going to bed, can help you sleep better. It provides your brain with enough energy throughout night and prevents disturbed sleep. As you sleep better, your body produces testosterone more effectively.

7. Natural Testosterone Supplements

In addition to the above, you can also try natural testosterone supplements. Such supplements are a mix of herbs, amino acids, minerals and other natural ingredients that stimulate testosterone production in your body.

Some of the most powerful herbs that can increase your T-levels include long jack and tribulus terrestris. Good quality supplements contain these herbs as the key ingredients.

Some of the best testosterone supplements also help increase HGH production in your body to help increase muscle growth and hardness.

So, if you want to increase your testosterone levels, check out the Best Testosterone Supplement that has helped thousands of men over the past few years.

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