Weight Training Program for the Bodybuilder in You

April 15, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

In this day and age, having a lean and fit body is something that everyone strives for. Each person has his or her own way of working out and exercising to stay fit and healthy.

Be it as simple as walking or jogging around the neighborhood for twenty minutes a day, or as vigorous as a two-hour workout thrice a week, having an exercise routine is definitely a must.

Aside from boosting your confidence and morale, having a fit body also has a lot of health benefits.

Take a look at the following fringe benefits that you will get with having a healthy and ideal weight based on your age and body type:
– If you are on the lighter side of the weighing scale, your steps are lighter and you can move around so much easier
– You can breathe a lot more easily.
– You are not susceptible to heart problems and other diseases associated to being overweight.
– You would have a healthier and happier outlook about your body and your well-being, as well as life in general.

‘Weight Training Program’

Now that you know why it is good to be fit and healthy, you can start planning and undergoing a weight training program.

For this, you need to have the will, discipline and mindset to follow a set of steps to help improve your overall physique. Here is a quick guide to start you off on that weight training program:

1. Look at the mirror and check out your problem area.

You might be skinny, a tad overweight or somewhere in between. No matter which body type you have, you surely have an area that you would rather not look at because you consider it an eyesore. This is the first thing that you should work on.

Whether you have a bulging tummy, big buttocks or flabby thighs, once you exercise and see some improvements on part of your body that you hate the most, then you will feel invigorated enough to work on the rest of your body.

2. Burn the excess fat in your body.

After recognizing your problem area and working on it, you can perform exercises that will burn off all the excess fat in your body. Aerobics and an overall body workout can do this.

3. Build muscle to increase your strength.

A good weight training program will never be complete without a set of activities designed to strengthen your abdominal muscles, legs, shoulders or chest.

For this, you can go to the gym and try lifting weights to help improve the target area. Dumbbell exercises help improve your musculature, especially if you want to build your chest and shoulders.

As your muscle size increase, your strength also increases to give your future workouts a boost.

Remember that having a lean body that others can only dream about is a possibility. The secret is to not rush and to pace yourself. It is almost impossible to lose a lot of pounds and develop gorgeous muscles in just two weeks.

What you need to do is eat healthy, exercise regularly using a personalized weight training program, and keep a positive mindset as well as a good image of your body.

In no time at all, you will get that perfectly fit body for a newer and healthier you.

Dave Poon is an accomplished writer who specializes in
the latest in Fitness and Health. For more information
regarding Weight Training Program please drop by at http://www.malemusclebodybuilding.com/
Filed Under: Featured, Weight training programs Tagged With: Bodybuilder, Program, Training, Weight

The Importance of Weight Training in Losing Weight Fast

April 15, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Many people that are seeking to lose weight do not understand the vital role that strength training plays in helping you to keep excess weight off permanently. Most people focus on diet and tend to ignore the exercise element. Even those that do develop the habit to exercise tend to only focus on aerobic exercise however you must not ignore weight training and just think that it is for bodybuilders or only for men since women need to build and maintain healthy muscles too. Here are some tips to help you lose weight more quickly:

Tip 1: Just get started

The biggest step is to just get started as this is often the hardest thing for most people especially those that have never been on a weight training program before. Join a local gym nearby or buy a good piece of weight training equipment and go through a workout routine.

Tip 2: Do not weight train too much

Weight training is very stressful on your body and it is designed to be stressful so as to trigger new muscle growth or maintain what you already have. If you get over enthusiastic and start lifting almost every day then that can be very bad for your overall health and will definitely not help you to lose weight.

Weight training helps to add muscle to your body which is critical since muscle burns calories continuously. This is important for weight loss purposes since if you can raise your overall metabolism then burning fat becomes a lot easier as it is very difficult and actually potentially dangerous to go on very strict low calorie diets.

Do not even bother trying those starvation diets as again they are very risky for your overall health and well being. It is not necessary to give up your favorite foods, you may need to lower quantities and portion sizes but if you like a food then go ahead and keep eating it and monitor your weight closely and make adjustments accordingly.

Tip 3: Train heavy for short periods

The whole point of a weight training workout is to trigger new muscle growth and not to spend hours and hours in the gym. A good workout routine can simply consist of 3 sets where the first 2 sets are light sets just to warm up and the third set is your heavy set where you lift the most weight you can for 5 to 8 repetitions.

The key point is to lift heavy enough weights to trigger new muscle growth. This does not mean you need to do a ton of reps or do reps until your muscles hurt. Just lift a heavy load for a few reps and that should be enough. Also know when to draw the line and know that you have built enough muscle and then focus on maintenance. Weight training can really make a big difference in helping anyone lose weight and stay fit so make it a regular part of your life. Follow some of these tips to help you get in better shape more quickly.

Roberto is a health and fitness expert and enjoys sharing his view online on his websites. Visit his site on weight training to learn how to lose weight faster and get fitter. Also learn about the most effective weight training equipment so you can get the best workouts.
Filed Under: Featured, Weight training Tagged With: Importance, Losing, Training, Weight

6 Potentially Dangerous Weight Training Exercises

April 15, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

There are many weight training exercises recommended today that are potentially dangerous. These exercises are still being prescribed simply because of word of mouth, ignorance, and unfounded generalisations passed down from generation to generation. However, many scientific studies, along with the basic laws of anatomy and physiology prove that many of these exercises are not only ineffective, they are potentially dangerous.

LEG EXTENSION
The leg extension is a classic example of an isolated exercise. (Stimulates only one muscle). It is not a functional exercise that is performed in our daily activities. The actual movement draws the patella (knee cap) back onto the femur (thigh bone) causing a grinding type motion. This causes anterior knee pain, which is the most common place for knee pain. A very good reason why this exercise should be avoided. Tests have also proved that they aren’t merely as effective at stimulating the quadriceps as compound lifts, such as squats, leg press and lunges.

PECK DECK
This weight training exercise places the shoulder joint in its least stable position, which makes it susceptible to injury. This shoulder positioning is also ineffective in creating maximal force about the shoulder joint. Compound exercises like, dips, push ups or the bench press are much safer and more effective alternatives.

BACK HYPEREXTENSION
This exercise, because of the dysfunctional range of motion, puts a lot of stress on the intervertebral discs of the lumbar region. Isolating the back muscles, by not letting the ab muscles support in the exercise is potentially dangerous. To improve your back strength and decrease back pain, it would be a lot more beneficial to strengthen your abdominal muscles. The erector spinae muscles this weight training exercise aim to strengthen are rarely weak. They are used all day long to maintain posture and carry out activities.

BEHIND THE NECK SHOULDER PRESS
The starting position is very unstable for the shoulder joint. The shoulders are placed in their weakest position. The range of motion during this weight training exercise places the shoulder in a position that can cause impingement of the rotator cuff. The poke neck posture also encourages rotator cuff impingement. Lifting weight while having this poked neck posture also puts a lot of undue stress on your cervical spine (neck vertebrae). These stresses can be a lot worse in people who have bad posture, lack shoulder flexibility and have poor control of their scapula (shoulder blades).

BEHIND THE NECK WIDE GRIP LAT PULLDOWN
This weight training exercise is very similar to the shoulder press. Hence the problems are the same, rotator cuff impingement and stress on the cervical spine. This exercise is also very easily performed incorrectly if you lack flexibility in the shoulder joint. This can drastically increase the risk of injury to the neck and shoulders. A much better weight training exercise would be to do close grip lat pulldowns to the front, pulling it down to your collarbone.

HAMSTRING CURLS
Just like the leg extension, hamstring curls are also extremely dysfunctional. When would you perform this movement in real life? Your legs are built to work as one collective unit. The joints and tendons of the knee (Or any other joint for that matter) are simply not built to be isolated then overloaded with weight. Hamstring curls, pulls the tibia back onto the femur, putting a lot of strain on the knee joint. A much better way to train the hamstrings is the way they are meant to function, by extending the hip. Much more efficient exercises would be squats, lunges or deadlifts.

Based on sound, scientific principles, these 6 weight training exercises increase the risk of sustaining an injury. So do yourself a favour and stop doing them. There are plenty of alternatives that are not only safer, but deliver better results.

Luke Johnstone managed to lose 39 pound of fat and get a six pack for the first time in his life. He did this eating absolutely anything he wanted and training only 90 minutes a week. He now has a website helping others to get in shape. For photo proof and more info outlining how he did it, check out http://www.junkfooddietsite.com

Filed Under: Featured, Weight training exercises Tagged With: Dangerous, Exercises, Potentially, Training, Weight