What Are The Benefits Of Flaxseed Oil?

What is Flax seed oil and what are the benefits of it? Well, there's been a lot of research of this product, mainly to do with bodybuilding and fitness. It has been found to contain an essential fatty acid (EFA) known as alpha linolenic acid. This is very useful because it is turned into Omega 3 fatty acid (well known EFA) in the body which in turn increases the insulin levels in the bodies muscle cells. The Flax seed oil also produces and increase in steroid production and therefore serves as a valuable source for energy, building muscle, and gaining weight.

That's not all, to crank things up a bit, did you know that there are also tonnes of other very valuable nutrients included in flaxseed oil? Well, there sure is, when I say tonnes I mean it. Nutrients included are :

• Folic acid - Is a form of water soluble vitamin B9 which is essential for the growth of new cells, it's also given to pregnant women during pregnancy to prevent anemia.
  
• Niacin - Is another water soluble form of supplement and it's also known as vitamin B3. It's main roles are energy metabolism and DNA repair, but it also helps in assisting in the production of steroid hormones made by the adrenal gland, such as sex hormones and stress-related hormones.
• Vitamin B1 - Is also known a thiamin, it plays an important role in helping the body metabolize carbohydrates and fat to produce energy.
  
• Vitamin B2 - (Also known a Riboflavin) Essential for converting carbohydrate into energy; Essential for normal tissue respiration; Necessary for healthy mucous membranes
  
• Vitamin B12 - Vitamin B12 is necessary for the synthesis of red blood cells, the maintenance of the nervous system, and growth and development in children. Deficiency can cause anaemia. Vitamin B12 neuropathy, involving the degeneration of nerve fibres and irreversible neurological damage, can also occur.
  
• Vitamin A - helps maintain the health of skin and mucus linings (in the nose for example); helps strengthen immunity from infections; helps vision in dim light.
  
• Vitamin D - acts like a hormone, regulating the formation of bone and the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the intestine. It helps to control the movement of calcium between bone and blood, and vice versa.
  
• Vitamin E - protects your cells against the effects of free radicals, which are potentially damaging by-products of energy metabolism.
  

If you want to experience the full benefits of flax seed, it is very important that you ground the seeds before you eat them or you can just use pure flax seed oil instead. The flax seed is way to hard to digest in the body and it will pass straight through the body without releasing any of it's nutrients. I hope you can see the benefits of this oil for building muscle and gaining weight and that you go ahead if you're not doing so already and use it.

If you want to know more information on how to gain weight and build muscle you can visit my Weight Training site to learn more.

What Exactly Are The Best Weight Gain Supplements?

A lot of weight gain supplements that are in the market do not work, there's only a few that actually do. There are a few supplements that I have taken that I fully endorse, don't get me wrong, but there are a lot of sales pitches around from big multi-million companies and people are falling for them and it needs to stop.

You can search around the net or in the shops to find the best weight gain supplements for each goal you have, whether it be losing fat, gaining muscle, or gaining weight.

Some of the best weight gain supplements I've tried and have been successful with are:

DHEA - DHEA is an acronym for the hormone dehydroepiandrosterone.

In men 50% of testosterone comes from DHEA and it's the most plentiful androgenic hormone that is produced by the adrenal glands. As you can see it's very important to bodybuilders and athletes alike, women even get 75% of their estrogen from it, and it goes upto nearly 100% after menopause.

Your levels of DHEA are very high at birth, they drop through childhood, and peak to their highest levels during young childhood. After that the levels continue to drop throughout life. Luckily however this product is available in supplement form. As a building block hormone it is proven to help towards the production of several other hormones as well, and it's been shown to help people lose weight, burn fat, and build muscle.

Using DHEA as a dietary supplement will help maintain adequate levels in the body and improve a person's general well being. Medical professionals in America have discovered that DHEA levels in people who are depressed are lower than in those of a normal mental state, and when given DHEA supplements it reportedly improved their state of mind. There are plenty of good names for DHEA, some what I use and have used are; AST DHEA, Ultimate Nutrition DHEA, and High Power DHEA.

Protein - This supplement is one of the major nutrients responsible for growth and repair of muscles. People who lift weights and are undergoing heavy training will need more protein than the average person. Protein should be the number one nutrient taken for people who are trying to build muscle and gain weight.

There are several different protein sources you can buy, some of the best I recommend are whey, casein, and soy. Whey is well and truly the best protein available for the body as it utilizes it better than any other.

Some of the best protein brands I know are Best Isopure, Optimum Whey, and Met-Rx Whey.

Creatine - This for me is without doubt one of the best supplements for weight gain. It is a must for people who are weight training and are looking to gain strength, muscle mass, and also endurance.

Creatine is a naturally produced compound which is produced in our own bodies to help supply the muscle with energy. Why do we need an extra supplement? you ask. Well you need it because we don't produce enough of it from whole foods on their own. It will increase endurance, overall power, and will also increase muscle size, so you can see why it is very useful to bodybuilders and people looking to gain weight and build muscle. It does these things by forcing water into the muscle cells, which forces the muscles to hold water within themselves instead of under the skin.

Creatine overall, is very safe and easy to use, and is one of the best weight gain supplements you can buy. It has definately served me very well over the years and it will continue to do so I'm sure. Some of the best brands for creatine are; Prolab Creatine, FSI Creatine, and High Power Micronized Creatine.

These are just a few of some of the best weight gain supplements that I have tried and use till this day. Please remember though, that there is no miracle cure, no magic pills, or no substitute for a good solid 6 meal a day diet and a quality training regime to gain weight or build muscle.

If the supplements are taken properly and often (which means consistently and not too much) then products like protein, creatine, and meal replacements will help you no-end in reaching your goals faster and more effectively than not taking them at all.

Still don't know what supplements are right for you, then check out these bodybuilding supplement reviews or you can read our latest tips and articles on how to gain weight and build muscle.

Getting shut of those bodybuilding myths once and for all

Every single culture on the planet has it's myths and, whether it be "Big Foot", or "The Lochness Monster", bodybuilding has it's fair share of myths too. Like a lot of myths most of them have some truth to them and some are have no truth to them whatsoever. Bodybuilders and fitness experts the world over have been trying to get rid of these myths but have failed. I may fail too, but I am going to give it one hell of a go. It's time to stop these myths once and for all!

A lot of myths about bodybuilding start within the bodybuilding community, but there are the odd few that start outside by the general public or medical industry. The myths I am going to touch on here are in no particular order. Let's start with a well known classic first of all:

Bogus Myth #1. "When you stop working out your muscles will turn to fat"

This myth is mainly used as an excuse as to why people don't start a weight training program and are resenting those that have. My Auntie used to say this to me a lot when I started going to the gym at 16. There is no proven physiological mechanism by which muscles amazingly turn to fat when a person stops working out! What happens, however, when a person stops training, their muscle mass will decrease due to the lack of stimulation. People who do not exercise and eat too many calories get fat, it's not ground breaking stuff. So what you have here is often a lack of muscle mass coupled with an increase in fat due to an intake of excess calories and complete lack of exercise. The next time you look at someone who used to be nice and ripped but are now fat, it's not because there muscles converted to fat. They are fat because of the reason so many others are fat; too many calories and not enough exercise.

What if it was true? Is the fear of this crazy idea that your muscles convert to fat a reason not to start a bodybuilding program? If you stop washing you get dirty, but that's not a legitimate reason to never start washing in the first place is it! I have gained and lost a lot of muscle in the past, and I have known and worked with a lot of people who have gained and lost weight, and I have yet to see and truth behind the myth of muscles converting to fat. Let this be the end of this myth and let's here nothing else about it.

Bogus Myth#2. "Bodybuilders are not strong"

This myth comes from people who haven't even stepped foot in a gym. Strength in people varies greatly, some bodybuilders can lift upto 800lb squats and 500lb bench presses. Some weights I have seen being lifted have to be seen to be believed. Not all bodybuilders are this strong, but any bodybuilder who is serious about lifting is considerably stronger than the average person, it's not earth shattering news that the more muscle mass you have the heavier you can lift. Some bodybuilders who I know enter both in weight lifting competitions and bodybuilding competitions and do really well in both of them. Don't get me wrong some bodybuilders are not as strong as they look, but some are much stronger than they look, some are unbelievably strong.

Bogus Myth #3. "Pro's eat strict diets all year round"

This myth comes from the bodybuilding magazines and publications who want readers to think that these guys eat low fat healthy clean food all year round. This leads to many beginners trying to get all the calories they need from chicken, rice, veggies, etc. In fact getting the idealic 4000 calories from just clean foods alone is virtually impossible. This can be sometimes off putting and depressing for the newbies as they try and stuff themselves with healthy foods to make gains and they just can't seem to eat enough. For the truth of things: I have seen a lot of bodybuilders while off season who binge on fast foods and pizzas, no joke! This however should not be done for the average joe who is trying to build muscle and gain weight healthily. These pro guys are really strict when on season so they need a blowout when they're off season, who can blame them!

Obviously I can't speak for every bodybuilders off season diet because I don't know them all, some could have an absolutely spotless diet, but the majority I know don't. It is mainly an advertising myth mostly, as many bodybuilders say they carry much more body fat than they claim in these magazines. If you told these publications that they pulled into Burger King every other day they would not sell many issues. So you can see the advantage of how saying that these guys are clean all year round is to these big magazine companies.

Bogus Myth #4. "All Bodybuilders have small penises"

I bet you've heard this one before havn't you? Now, I havn't seen any bodybuilders' manly assets, but it's been my thought that they tend to be like every other man in that department. Some are small, some are normal, and some are big. One fact, however, is that a big guy with a normal sized member would look smaller than a skinny guys normal sized member. It's all in the proportions.

Bogus Myth# 5 "Bodybuilders are all full of themselves"

This one does have a bit of truth to it. Some bodybuilders can be full of themselves and can be the most narcissistic people you will ever meet. Some however can be very down to earth and humble people. Some cockiness and narcissism is sometimes par and parcel with the course of bodybuilding.

Bogus Myth #6. "Bodybuilders are all gay"

This one is another stupid myth and is often started by those people who are envious of the bodybuilders physique and the attention they get from the ladies. It is my experience that bodybuilders are as often gay as the general public is, I know more gay people who aren't bodybuilders than I know gay bodybuilders. This is a really stupid myth and it should be put to rest right here right now.

These are just some of the really crazy myths going round now that put people off trying to gain muscle, there are many more that are circulating around the general public and they will be covered by me in the future I'm sure.

See you down the gym then!

If you would like to know more on how to gain weight and build muscle then check his site out at http://www.weightgain4you.com/

The Musclehead's Guide To A Godlike Physique Review

Hey,

Man to man, I would like to tell you about a product that deals with our ‘real’ concerns. I have discovered a product that is actually a step-by-step guide to the muscles we want to develop. What’s even better is that it’s simple, available online, and works. But there are many things that make this product far different from anything else I’ve tried on the market. It is made by an organization called The Musclehead. The forefront of The Muscleheads marketing campaign is a cartoon character who goes by the name of...yes you guessed it the Musclehead. If you read the Musclehead sales page he comes across as quite a jerk, but believe me he knows what he's talking about.

First, let's start with the basics. Some of the fantastic features of this program include a coaching program which is offered lifetime with the platinum edition. This coaching program alone is the worth the entire cost of the MuscleHead package and is run by a huge team of personal trainers, so you can be assured that the help your going to get is top notch. Plus the fact that the cost of a personal trainer can be astronomical to say the least, so the value for money offered in this package is unrivaled.

Aswell as the 3 ebooks that are included in the package (MuscleHeads Guide, The Archive of Exercises, and the Workout Guide) there are 3 more bonus ebooks included in the platinum edition that if sold seperately come to more than the Musclehead's Guide selling price. I ended up buying the whole schaabang platinum edition with this program as I just couldn't see why he was offering so much stuff for such a little amount, so you could say that I thought things were a little bit fishy and it needed investigating further. It turns out that the bonuses are top notch and are a really great addition to The MuscleHead Program. I don't normally hold a program in this high regard so I have to say that this one is pretty much a no brainer for anyone that wants to build the body they want, whatever that may be.


Click Here to Visit the Site

All the best,
Wesley McDermott

Marc C. David Muscle Growth Transformation

At 16, like most teens, I had a dream. And that dream was not to be small and skinny anymore. I had seen plenty of bodybuilding magazines and people in really awesome shape and I decided that I wanted that. Not to be the next Arnold but to have some size and be generally fit and strong. But at 16, the first thing that I did was grab an old Sears weight set and just started doing stuff. Just think about it.

What person just starts down the right path to anything? Hardly any of us. The first time we are introduced to structured learning is in kindergarten. That type of learning follows us into grade school, middle school, high school and maybe college. So why is it that so many beginners just “do stuff?” It’s not like we are born with the instincts to even tie shoes without somebody showing us the way.

Read more on Marc's Muscle Growth Transformation Story

The Muscle Nerd Jeff Anderson - Who is he and what does he do?

Jeff is a well known guy within the internet bodybuilding world, if you haven't taken a look at his program optimum anabolics I suggest you do so straight away, it's great for those of you that want to build muscle 100% the natural way and is a program I can highly recommend with no worries at all.

I managed to get Jeff to sit down with me and do an interview for our readers. You can check this very revealing interview by clicking Jeff Anderson Interview

Chocolate Oat Cakes

Here is a recipe for a treat that is a great addition to your bodybuilding diet and it tastes fantastic. This can be your treat for the week or whenever you feel like it because as long as you take into consideration your daily protein, carbs and fats intake you should be fine.

The ingredients you need for this are :-

2 Large Egg whites
1/2 c. honey
200g chocolate protein powder
1/2 c. nonfat milk
1 c. natural peanut butter
2 c. old fashioned rolled oats

Directions:

Mix the peanut butter and honey in a bowl, microwave on high for 100 secs.Add the rest of the ingredients and mix together. It's pretty tough to mix and takes time. If you don't have the tools you may want to cut the oatmeal a bit to make it easier to work with. Preheat the oven to 320 degrees F. Smooth into a 13x9 tray and bake for 20 mins. Cut into 20 equal bars and wrap to store in the fridge. Enjoy!!

Calories per serving: 170Protein: 12gCarbs: 15gFat: 7 g

Calories % Ratio : Carb 36% - Pro 28% - fat 37%

Get loads more great muscle building recipes

Build Bulging Biceps Trick

Building those biceps up is one of the most popular things a guy wants to do in the gym next to building up their chest, and what if there was a way that you could improve on that lifting technique to get the most out of your bicep curls would you do it? Course you would that's a no brainer, check out a technique that I have put together here on how to build bigger biceps.

Training With Sore Muscles Is Beneficial?

When many people say they have sore muscles they are often recommended to stay away from training until they have recovered but It can sometimes actually be beneficial to train the same muscle group that is sore again the next day. Think about it, if you train the sore muscle again the body is going to get shocked into realising that it's going to need more nutrients for that particular muscle, which in turn can improve the results considerably.

Read more on this controversial topic here: Training Sore Muscles

The Secrets Of Supersets

Many people ask me what is a superset and my inbox is full of them to prove it. With this in mind I'm going to explain to you what one is and hopefully I won't get as many emails in the future. Not that I don't enjoy answering peoples questions because believe me I do, it becomes quite tedious when the same question is asked day in day out in the many emails I receive.

Basically a superset is a change of exercise with little or no rest in between sets. So.... say that I have been doing a set of 8 reps dumbbell bench presses then I immediately switch to split dumbbell squats for example, this is a superset, it's as simple as that. And all you do after you have done that is repeat the same again with a rest after the dumbbell split squat and so on until you have completed you usual number of reps and sets.

Using supersets really gets your bodies metabolism moving and decreases the time in which it takes for your workout because of the use of many body groups at the same time. It's my experience that it is best to use switch between the lower body groups and the higher body groups on these supersets so it does not effect your lifting potential on each group.

How to Stay Motivated

Motivation is the key to achieving anything in life, and if your not motivated your bound to fail. I have lost my motivation before and almost give up lifting as I didnt have the necessary info and techniques on how to get and stay motivated. But now I do and I'm going to share some of them with you now.

1. Rewarding yourself - A reward for a job well done at the gym could maybe mean getting that new gym equipment you've always wanted or that games console or whatever it is that you think would be a good motivation. Think to yourself right....If I don't give 110% in this workout or if I don't reach a certain weight goal by the end of the month I'm not going to get that new thing I wanted.

2. Motivating Music - Listening to motivating music during your lifting is a good way of getting that little extra and take you away from the fact that your training intensely.

3. Week off - Another thing I like to do is take a week off every 8 weeks to recharge my batteries and mentally recover. That means no lifting, no cardio, nothing but your diet. This allows you to keep fully motivated and dedicated to reaching that goal.

4. Lift to impress - Ever wanted to impress someone? My bet is yes, and this is no different, using this form of motivation can be very effective if your going on vacation or trying to prove someone wrong. If you want to impress someone badly enough you will keep your eye on your goal and carry on with your bodybuilding lifestyle.

These are just a few of the tips I use to stay motivated, there are tonns more outthere some of which can only apply to you, so never stop looking for ways to stay motivated!!

Good luck and stay motivated!

Sleep and Muscle Growth Tip

You don't build muscles while you're exercising but when you're resting, that's a fact, and has been proven by many researchers in the past. Rest, rest, and rest again that is the key, at least 8 hours a night is essential. While all the muscles rest protein synthesis takes place, and it is able to concentrate and work more effectively on the muscles that were used to perform the highest load in that days workout, therefore allowing more growth and better recovery.

But the question is can muscle growth during the night be improved further? Yes it can, and I'm going to tell you how, why? Because I owe it to you.

If your muscles are not supplied with enought protein during the night they will start to consume themselves and much of your hard days work at the gym will have gone to waste. To stop this happening you need a protein called casein protein. Casein will slowly release amino acids into the blood stream as it is being digested, possibly over a full 7 hours. This slow release of amino acids can cause a very favourable anti-catabolic state (preventing muscle tissue from breaking down). Theoretically whey would be a better protein for muscle anabolism, however, arguably studies have shown that the fast influx of amino's from whey cause a high anabolic response very fast (muscle building) with no anti-catabolic properties and a high increase in oxidation rate creating a steady state metabolism and no overall increase in protein balance.

As a good basis for hypothesis combining both whey and casein in a sensible ratio would provide the positive benefits from both of these proteins. In all honesty many people are already doing this without actually realising. They mix 25 - 30g of good quality whey protein with about a glass to a pint of milk and have created a drink with an extra 8 - 16 g of slower acting casein. Where whey lacks the amino acid phenylalanine, casein is rich, and where casein lacks BCAA's, whey is rich, making a very good combination.

Vince Delmonte Interview

Vince is a well known bodybuilding author and his program No Nonsense Muscle Building is one of the best selling and most recommended ebooks on the internet today. I was lucky enough to be able to sit down with him and chat about his life and his renound love for fitness and bodybuilding. Here is sneak peek at the interview :

Hi Vince, thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to come and talk to us, I am sure our readers appreciate it.

Q1. Can you give the readers some background information about yourself, like how and why did you get into bodybuilding, how long have you been into it etc.?

Vince: I got into bodybuiding for probably the same reasons every other guy does.
I was too skinny, wanted to feel and look better. Lots of superficial reasons! And of course I wanted to look better for the opposite sex. Basically I wanted to have a body that turned heads and I was tired of being called "Skinny Vinny" LOL
But aside from the superficial reasons, after 4 years of university and long distance running I decided to stop running and transfer all the energy I once put into the endurance training into the gym. I always had a fascination with how big I could get with the same work ethic, dedication and comittment that I once applied to my running.

Q2. I know you have taken part in many competitions and done well in them,could you share with our readers a bit of info on how and why you decidedto take your muscle building to another level.

Vince: Too be honest, I am one of those guys who likes to do things and then stroke it off my lifes 'to do' list. I still have to go bunjee jumping and sky diving this year!
Fitness modeling and dieting hardcore like a bodybuilder was one of the things I wanted to 'try' and see what could happen with a 100% effort. Doing well in the shows was just a bonus.
Too be honest, I really don't like dieting and putting my body to that extreme for just a few days to show it off. I had a poor experience at the shows I competed in. The shows were very poorly run, had a low attendance, high entry fees and virtually no prizes for the winners. You defintely have to compete for your own reasons but the organizers could have done a better job of enticing first timers to compete. I don't know if it was just me but I didn't feel a positive energy at the bodybuilding and fitness shows I attended, for the most part, everyone seemed very self absorbed and in their own little world. Personally I would rather train for fitness, testing my limits, compete in sports with others and focus on having a solid athletic physique all year round and not worry if my body fat is 5% or 7%. I do have to say that competing in the show helps me relate to the bodybuilders out there, my clients and customers who wish to compete. And I have a tremendous respect for the bodybuilding lifestyle, especially the dieting component. I believe that you should not preach something that you have never done yourself so I felt it was necessary to compete in a few shows so I could relate to a degree on how they push their bodies and go through.

Read the rest of the Vince Delmonte Interview

Weight and Muscle Gain: Muscle Building - Being Successful

Weight and Muscle Gain: Muscle Building - Being Successful

I'm back and man does it feel weird

Orite guys,

I'm back and raring to go, its been a long couple of months and I've loved every second of it, I would recommend doing something like that to everyone. I just totally cut myself off from everything and I feel brand new, its quite weird.

I have lots of work to catch up on but I have a few more days off work yet so It will have to wait, just concentrating on getting back to normal first.

The training went great while I were away and I'm up a pound in muscle. It was hard to keep on top of things though but I managed it with the plan I made out before travelling. It was my bible while I was away, my fiancee' wanted to burn it, I had it with me everwhere I went so I knew what I was eating.

Anyways, hope you all have been working hard in the gym and I will speak to you soon.

Going Travelling

Hey Guys,

I am going travelling for the next 2 months with my fiancee', thought I would take a bit of time off to see the world before I settle down, get married, have a family the usually stuff that happens when you decide to settle down. So I won't be able to keep in contact with you all.

Its going to be a challenge to keep on top of my daily routine and making sure that I am taking in the right foods and exercising well. I have come across a really neat way to to this while travelling though, you can take a look at it here. Travel Training

Why can't you keep in touch? I hear you ask, well my pedigree chums, I am cutting myself away from anything and everything well apart from my workouts of course. It's going to be hard but I am sure I will get used to it.

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to it, its probably the biggest thing I have ever done, I just can't wait. First we are starting out travelling through Europe, then its off to Australia, then to Asia, then africa, and we finish off in America and then back home to the UK. We have worked it out it should take us 2 months with stops in a few countries on each continent as well.

Keep up your training and diets and I will speak with you soon. Good luck to you all in getting what you want.

Wes

Nutrition - Dietary Fat

Don’t forget the fat when you are working at building your muscle mass. I mean dietary fat – which help your hormone production. This is what makes you grow and become strong. Low fat diets actually won’t make you build those muscles. And contrary to what people think, eating fat won’t make you fat. There are some specific muscle building diets that insist that you only eat fat. And it works. The overweight people are like that because they get a diet that is high in carbs – not fats. A low fat diet makes your body store the fat because it doesn’t know when the next quota will arrive. Also, your testosterone levels dip with a low fat diet. That is not what you want when you want to gain muscle. There is a relationship between dietary fat and testosterone production. The more the fat, the more the testosterone levels. So a decrease in fat is not going to help at all. But beware – don’t load up on saturated fats - these will only give you diseases and heart problems. Just focus on the essential fatty acids. These help with various things including prevention of muscle breakdowns. They help in increasing your good cholesterol levels too.

Nutrition - Eating Correctly

Ah, that mass and power! It has always been my dream to show off my abs and muscles, but I also know it takes a lotta hard work. And I believe my grandmother when she says nutrition is the key. I only have to remember my grandad to believe it. Protein, protein, protein – add it in the right proportion – if you are about 170 pounds weight, you should eat 170 grams of protein each day. Its okay to use nutritional supplements - with the right mix of nutrients and the right program, you can go in for a sport supplement that can improve your performance. And remember to take the right quantity at the suggested time – from a well-known manufacturer with a good rep. Five or six small meals per day is a good idea instead of concentrating it all into 3 per day. Bring on the carbs – at the rate of 3-4 grams per pound of bodyweight every day. Add good fats to your diet. Keep out empty calories that are no good for the system or for the muscles. Don’t starve, drink lots of water, and don’t have a meal within two hours of bedtime – happy muscle building!

Nutrition Facts - Have One More

Eating more than your usual quantities helps. My trainer tells me to eat a little more than I usually eat – two sandwiches instead of one, three helpings instead of two, bigger glass of milk, larger bowl of cereal, more fruit than usual – all this makes that important difference.
For high calorie foods, read the labels on all the food you buy so that you can choose the ones that have the max. If you usually buy orange juice, switch to cran apple juice, which has more calories. Granola as more calories than Cheerios; Corn is more calorie rich than green beans. Its good to drink a lot of milk and juice – they can help you increase your calorie intake fast. Rather than water, go for calorie-rich liquids. Cran apple juice can help gain weight fast – you can add six glasses of it to your daily diet. My own recipe for a weight gain drink is to mix 1 quart of 2%-milk with 4 packets of Instant Breakfast and 1/2 cup of powdered milk. This makes a thousand calories. Blend it – drink half in the morning and half at night before you hit the sack. I prefer to do strengthening exercises like weight lifting, push ups etc to build muscle bulk. For those who cannot put on weight easily and think exercise makes you lose weight, remember exercise can increase your appetite and thirst and you will eat more. Plan it healthy.

Body Building Tip - Variety is The Key

Variety is the spice of life – and bodybuilding! You need variety in your workouts if you want to keep from over training and its associated hassles. Cross training works for cardio stamina – walking, running, jogging, biking, swimming etc. You should get a whole body muscle work out once a week. You have to vary speeds and intensity of workouts to successfully gain weight. Enough rest should follow the cardio training. Also, be very sure that the trained body part gets enough time to completely recover; otherwise you’ll head for damage. Retraining comes after this. Get one-gram protein per pound of your body weight, as proteins are the muscle builders and you just can’t do without them. What about carbohydrates? Get about 60 per cent of your total calorie intake. Be moderate with fats – about ten to twenty percent ought to be okay. One thing I learned is that in weight gain and body building you can never speed it up – it is too risky. Not only does it lead to injuries, you could just end up doing the wrong things like over training and burn out. Your muscles and tendons can tear – and oh boy! That is painful, I can tell you! Finally – its all about patience and discipline. They get you to your goals in good time.

Nutrition Facts - Variety Is The Key

Eating is my favorite part of the weight gain process. Yeah, so I enjoy working out – but being a real foodie – I relish the diet. This is why I had a professional guide me. See, you must get the most out of each morsel that goes into your mouth! And why not make it tasty? Those extra calories we need, can come through nutritious, calorie packed meal combos, you know! How do you do this? If you don’t already, start using milk instead of water in your hot cereal, soups and sauces. Well, I just love milk powder – I add it to my casserole and other food for extra calories, protein and calcium. For your sandwiches, add avocado, cheese and salad dressings. Some salad dressings can even add calories without the fat. Mix nuts, beans, cheese, wheat germ into your cooked side dishes and your pasta. For the liquid part, go for those thick appetizers and calorie rich beverages when you eat out. But don’t over do the soda and beer – these are just empty calories. Your body building diet should have as much variety as possible. Multivitamin-multi-mineral supplements have digestive enzymes that help in protein synthesis. This way you can keep out the junk food and the kind of calories you don’t need.

Nutrition Fact - Eating More Than You Lose

I can’t get away from the fact that weight gain is all about balanced eating and regulated physical activity. I’ve been told enough times – and it is true! Just like in normal life – weight gainers need a healthy lifestyle too. We see lots of people finding it tough to lose weight – but as we know, there are underweight people desperately trying to gain weight. Granted, there are supplements that promise results – but you gotta work it so that you eat more than you burn. But don’t just do those three solid meals a day. Instead break it up – get in snacks that are nutritive as well as in the weight gainer class. There is no need to feel as if you have eaten too much – just takes a little planning.

Here are tips on calorie-loaded foods. No – not the yummy desserts and the fried things – they’re fine, but try and concentrate on the foods that are loaded with protein, vitamins, minerals and calories. Bread, cereal, rice and pasta come in this class. Go for the granola, bagels, biscuits and cornbread. Fruits – the nectars, the canned stuff, the dried stuff. Veggies like avocado, olives, potatoes, peas; peanut butter, nuts, chickpeas, dry beans; milk foods like yoghurt, cheese, puddings, custards…go for them!

The Importance of Warming Up

I think warming up is a big part of any bodybuilding program. It is important to do a proper warm up before you get started on your bodybuilding because it lessens your chances of getting injured. And, it makes you perform better. No matter how hard you work, a warm up is vital. Your muscles will react and respond to exercise if you prepare them for what is next. Warming up basically increases the flow of blood to your muscles, lubricating the joints – it literally helps your joints move freely and comfortably – think in terms of melting the stiffness. When you rest, your muscles get only 15-20% blood supply, but when you exercise, the requirement goes up substantially to 80% even. So, you need to get that bloody supply going, and can’t expect it to be efficient without the warming up. I mean, you just can’t be relaxing, then suddenly get up, and start vigorous exercise! Another thing about warming up is you help your muscles become more elastic – encouraging them to work harder. It also takes them longer to tire out, meaning that you build up stamina. For me, warming up really gets me going for the coming part – letting me nicely wind up for the strenuous part. Puts me in the swing of things.

Bodybuilding Tips - Routine Changes

Here are some tips that help me in bodybuilding. You must try to train at least two of your body parts in each workout session you go to, and each body part must be trained at least once a week. Do your exercises the right way – you don’t want injuries. Also, take care to rest lots so that your muscles recover before you continue with your next session.

Make some alterations in the exercise routine once a month. If you want to build muscle mass, reduce the reps but add the sets and weights. Do those workouts four times a week. When you are starting off, don’t do cardio workouts. That is for later. Begin by training one upper body part and then a lower body part. This means one works while the other rests – makes you feel much better than battering just one part of your body.

You have to watch your body – if it takes you time to recover, and then take that time. Don’t ever go hungry. Weight gain drinks help. A protein shake taken a couple of hours before bed time is helpful. Don’t get too stressed – here yoga and meditation help. If you do two weeks of high intensity muscle strength training, then follow it up with two weeks of low intensity endurance workouts – this helps your muscles gain strength and grow.

Getting The Correct Weight Gain Diet

We were talking of a weight gain diet the other day and it became quite an interesting topic. A good weight gain diet must basically tell you how much of the calorie loaded nutrients to include in it. You need 1-2 gram of protein per pound of body weight, which makes it 20-50%; 30-60% carbs, and 20-30% fat in your weight gain diet. So you have to get that nutrient ratio right in your weight gain diet. You’ll hear many experts telling you different ratios are the best according to them – but remember this would obviously depend on the person. That’s why there’s a range – it will help gain weight when you work within the range.

You must track what your diet consists of and be able to know what makes you gain weight. But never mind. Even if you don’t know – say if you are a very active person, you must adopt a diet that is high on carbs to give you that extra energy you need. If you are naturally skinny like me and just can’t seem to gain that extra weight you want so much in spite of everything you do, or eat, get a higher protein and fat-packed diet. If you already have a lot of body fat, begin with more protein; say 40-50 % after you figure out your body fat percentage. Remember to be flexible as there is no fixed ratio. It is your focus that counts – and it has to be reworked to give you the best result.

Gaining Fat when Gaining Muscle

One of the things am totally paranoid about is gaining fat. When weight gain is the focus, eating junk and getting fat is a no-no. Chips and candy are not the answer. Cut fast food and fried stuff. I know some people insist that you can eat anything to gain weight – but I disagree. Its better to eat high protein low saturated fat foods, rice, pasta, fruits and vegetables, nuts, flax seed oil and so on. In fact it is a good idea to work out a diet plan. And follow it, of course.

You need to keep track of how you are doing. Get your weight once a week – this helps you know whether the weight you are gaining is just fat or pure muscle. Know your body fat percentage to get the hang of this. Drink plenty of water – say around half a gallon a day, and even more if you are able to. It gives you energy to help you gain meaningful weight. Probably the most vital part of gaining weight is zzzzzz – sleep. So easy. But so easily ignored. Ensure those eight hours every night.

It worries you when you put on a little bit of extra fat when you gain weight, doesn’t it? But that’s a fact of life that’s unavoidable. Its not possible to gain weight without the fat initially. But concentrate on it…and later when you’re happy with your weight gain and muscle mass – you can always burn it off.

Gaining Strength the Key to Gaining Muscle

I feel gaining muscle is to do with lifting weights. This is because you get stronger and gain more muscle. So as you become stronger, you gain more muscle. This means you really need to focus on increasing your strength when you work out. Over a period of time, you get stronger and increase muscle mass. To gain strength, it is important to train and eat properly. In spite of this, your body could do with some extra supplements, in addition to the training and eating.

I have 5 favorite supplements that can last you a long time and help you work on that strength and muscle mass. Belts are one accessory that really help in weight lifting. They give you back and ab support and safety. They increase muscle stimulation and growth. Then come gloves – save your hands from getting blistered and callused. Good grips too! Wraps help support your knees. If you notice, most lifters wear wraps on the knees for knee support. But don’t overdo it with these wraps…you don’t want to stop your blood circulation! Straps are cool when you use them to let your arms hook up to lift the weight. They stop you from losing the grip and help you gain muscle mass. Straps can be of cotton, nylon and have hooks too. Another thing is chalk. Lets you lift weights better. Can be used fro bench press, dead lift, squat, curls, etc. See how the supplements work?

Building Muscle - Knowledge

Building muscle involves a lot of knowledge about what works and what doesn’t. It is not just about reading up a lot of stuff – its easy to lose your focus when you try a bit of too many things. It always worries me when youngsters get hold of those magazines and devour them – because they are most definitely not for beginners.

They have stuff from professional body builders whose genetics are way beyond the regular guy down the street. These guys have the stamina for more weight training that you or I could handle – and they use performance enhancers that lets them work out more, and recover fast. So my friends, try to draw the line when it comes to ‘too much’ knowledge. In my experience, I’ve found that the more one knows the less one does.

Its better to know what actually makes your muscles grow and burns fat. Hopping from supplement to supplement won’t cut it. When you find it easy to understand, you are likelier to put it to practice. If not, you just get disappointed when you don’t seem to see results from your efforts, little realizing that you have not been consistent with your methods. Ok, so let me get off that armchair, by telling you that it is best to keep your ears open, browse around and learn what works – talk to people - and work out a plan that works for you!

Weight Gain Supplement - Glutamine

Another highly recommended weight gain supplement is Glutamine – and as with anything else, there’s always the worry of whether it has any serious side effects. I have seen this question posted on various forums. My weight training coach’s favorite line is “too much is too bad”. That makes sense – too much of any supplement cant be good. An upset stomach is not my favorite fantasy.

Glutamine is a carbon and nitrogen giver. It restores the glycogen in the body, restoring energy. Sounds like Greek? Okay - it controls muscle protein and repairs and builds muscle. Glutamine is connected to the protein synthesis in our body. It keeps your muscle from being eaten up to share glutamine with other cells in your body. Your wounds heal faster. Glutamine replaces its levels lost during a really intense workout. A study says that 2 grams of L-glutamine ups your growth hormones by 400 per cent. Nice, eh? It also boosts your immune system. So what? So, for us body builders it makes sure our glutamine levels are up to the mark. You also need it for your intestines – so if you have a leaky you-know-what, glutamine repairs it. It also cures ulcers. For me, I believe in Sci-Fit Glutamine AKG 1000 – two soft gels = 5 grams of regular glutamine powder.

Creatine - Need to Know

Here’s what I know about creatine – it helps you gain weight, strength and size. Creatine supplements help improving energy during workouts and makes you see weight gain in just weeks. It’s the quick results that make it exciting. Especially for people who are unable to gain weight at the same pace as others creatine works. Apparently one can expect something like 15 pounds during the first month of taking creatine, and some really huge people even gain 30 pounds. ( I wouldn’t want to meet them down a dark alley, though! – not yet, anyway!)

Prolab Creatine shows immediate benefits especially when you take it properly with regular workouts. One hassle is the water retention – so you have to watch out for that. But by and large, you’ll gain muscle weight and feel much stronger and look it. Even though Prolab Creatine costs a little more than its competition, it is very effective. Creatine is very popular among body builders today. Our body gets most of its creatine from food and supplements and this is absorbed with ease through the intestinal tract into the bloodstream. Another advantage with creatine is it encourages your body to produce more protein. The best thing is to take creatine about twenty minutes before your workout. The powder form of creatine stays in your blood stream for a an hour or two. If your muscles are to grow, it must be absorbed into your muscles. When your muscles get saturated, then the creatine gets converted into creatine and excreted.

BodyBuilding Supplements - Taking them Correctly

Bodybuilding supplements are abundantly available – and I think they are great, provided you take the right one. There are so many out there in the market that don’t quite measure up. It is not a question of – the more ingredients the better. One thing that must be borne in mind is that you should never try too many products at the same time. Sounds crazy? Maybe – but its true.

I know people who start one product and then add something else (not weight, always J) to it because someone recommended it and then wonder why its not working. I mean, its difficult to tell which one’s working. It is best to go with brand names that are well known even if they appear to cost more, rather than go in for something that costs less and doesn’t work at all. Brand names like NOW foods, Optimum Nutrition, etc. have been tried and tested and proven successful.

I’ve seen people who have bought these products and were consistently happy with it. I’d suggest that you add the following natural protein supplements to your diet when you are training to gain weight = whey, soy, egg, meal replacements, creatine, glutamine, multivitamins and mineral. For your weight gain effort to really work, you should concentrate on your training regime – rather than the supplements you take.

Weight Gain Supplement - Prolab N-Large II

There is this weight gain supplement – Prolab N-Large II being highly recommended – apparently it works. A friend of mine combines it with creatine and is standing proof that it works. And what is more, you don’t need a blender (and the mess of cleaning it). This supplement mixes nicely, and tastes great – you have a choice between chocolate, vanilla and strawberry.

Ok…enough about the trivia – lets cut to the real stuff. One serving of N-Large (nice name, by the way) as 52 grams of protein, 89 grams of carbs and – hold your breath – 620 calories. For any normal person we only need 1800-2000 calories a day; this means a serving of N-large takes care of one-thirds of your daily needs. So N-large + Milk = results! If you tend to put on weight too easily, you might need to watch it, but for someone who finds it hard to put on weight, this is a boon. A serving of N-large means four scoops (152 grams) so maybe one or two servings at a time ought to do.

Prolab N-Large II has all the necessary elements to pack in energy, reduce body fat while building muscle mass, improving endurance and strength. Also it is not as expensive as some of the other products out there. Ordering on the Internet saves some bucks as well. Definitely worth checking out - protein does help you build muscles – Mom wasn’t so wrong after all! Read more on Prolab N-Large

Muscle Building - Being Successful

Just as some people want to lose weight, some people want to gain it! Maybe you have been trying quite hard to gain weight and build those muscles but nothing’s working? As I talk to various people, I’ve realized that they end up being unsuccessful in their quest to gain weight because of some really simple reasons.

The main thing is the diet – you know, if you don’t eat enough protein and don’t follow a weight gain diet, you are just not going to add those extra pounds. Eating too many simple carbs doesn’t help either. Ask yourself if you are stressing your muscles properly during your workout? No? there’s no need to break your back but it is necessary to go that extra mile when you work out if you are really keen on growing those muscles and gain weight.

Above all, you need single-minded focus. Consistency. Now, if you don’t concentrate and stick to the weight gain program, there’s no way you’re going to build those muscles. Don’t expect results overnight – it takes a little time.

That doesn’t mean you feel miserable and decide its not going to work. If you want something badly enough, you’ve got to stay focused and work at it. Believe me – if you are willing to stick at it, your body will certainly respond. Get obsessed and go for it!