Joint Supplements Reviews

People of all ages and activity levels suffer from joint pain. Arthritis is the most common culprit, which can strike at any age. Athletes are another group that is particularly susceptible to  joint pain and inflammation. Proper nutrition and exercise techniques can help alleviate many of the symptoms of joint pain. The most popular and effective joint supplements typically contain ingredients that can both promote stronger joints and joint repair, as well as help with pain and inflammation. It has been observed that 2/3 individuals are afflicted with joint pain in the US alone. This joint pain ranges from the temporary joint immobility and stiffness to the chronic rheumatoid arthritis.


It has been observed that 2/3 individuals are afflicted with Joint Pain in the US alone. This Joint Pain  ranges from the temporary joint immobility and stiffness to the chronic rheumatoid arthritis. Lifestyle, diet, medication and exercise all play an important role in deciding the nature of joint pains that one could become prey to, with advancing age.


<b>What causes Joint Pain</b>


As we age, bodily collagen breaks down, cartilage and bone is subject to wear and tear, cellular regeneration is lowed down in the body, illness and disease, injury and stress all leave their own marks on the overall health and fitness. The pain between joints is mostly due to thinning of the cartilage, which no longer acts as the shock absorber. Inflammation of the joints due to increasing friction and wearing down of cartilage and bone results in joint deformity and  Arthritis.


Athletes engaged routinely in high impact sports (rugby, soccer etc.,) and exercise, are also subject to severe joint pains in later years.


<b>Ingredients</b>


While most Joint Supplements contain cartilage building Glucosamine and Chondroitin, which also protect existing cartilage, newer suplements incorporate substances like Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), Collagen and Hyaluronic acid (HA).


Some new generation joint supplements contain COX-2 inhibitors, which are a class of drugs that selectively inhibit COX-2, an enzyme involved in the inflammation pathway, while sparing COX-1, thereby reducing gastrointestinal toxicity. COX-2 selective inhibitors are the newest of the NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).


<b>How They Work :</b>


Joint Supplements are designed to provide lasting relief when it comes to joint pains and rheumatic arthritis.


To protect cartilage and help rebuild it, physicians recommend Glucosamine and Chondroitin. Collagen, Hyaluronic acid (HA), and Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) are some of the newer and more promising ingredients being used by people suffering from joint pain.


Joint supplements have been observed to reduce pain and swelling, repair damaged tissue and also increase joint strength in 2-3 months after usage.


Synotrex, with its proprietary blend of patented ingredients, natural COX-2 inhibitors and multiple joint support and anti-inflammatory agents has made it to the top as an effective alternative for most kinds of joint pain. Synotrex is the only product with a 90-Day Guarantee, and the customer support and results were among the best.



This Article is Originally Published here: http://www.vitamin-review.com/joint-pain/joint-supplements.html

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Is Your Muscle Building Potential Limited By Your Genes?

It is clear that certain traits are handed down to us by our parents and unfortunately our ability to grow muscles beyond certain limits is no exception. That doesn't mean to say hard work and carefully planned training won't have a positive effect on your physique - it just means that some people will inherit a greater abundance of the favored physical characteristics than others. Not everyone possesses the physical traits to become a champion, but you can work wonders with the raw material you do possess.

How responsive you will be to physical stimulation can be predicted to a certain extent by examining your somatype or natural body shape. Basically, there are three recognized body types:

1. Endomorphs - these individuals tend to be squat with a round torso, thick neck and short limbs.

2. Mesomorphs - these individuals tend to be musclar with broad shoulders, powerful chest and limbs and little body fat.

3. Ectomorphs - these individuals tend to be slim and are usually tall with little muscle and body fat.

The ideal bodybuilding physique tends more towards the mesomorph with broad shoulders, narrow hips with arms and legs of medium length. Two further inherited features have a role to play in determining muscle building potential, and these are muscle fiber density and neurological efficiency. Fiber density determines the size potential of a muscle while neurological efficiency refers to the relationship between the nervous system and muscles. This is relevant because, in all out effort genetically blessed individuals have the ability to activate up to 50% of the fibers in a given muscle compared to the average person's 30%. This allows greater scope for stimulating growth.

The fact that there is no easy way to measure fiber density or neurological efficiency is actually a blessing because the incentive remains for all of us to train hard and strive for improvement. Only a tiny minority of people have the genetic tools to become champions but the rest of us can go a long way to fulfilling our own personal goals.

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Instantly Increase Your Strength On Every Back Exercise

Do you want a quick, simple and instant way to increase the amount of weight you can lift on virtually every back exercise you perform? Sound too good to be true? I speak the truth, my friend, and the reality is that if you aren’t utilizing this basic piece of gym equipment you’re missing out on some serious muscle size and strength gains. What tool am I talking about?

A pair of lifting straps!

This is such a basic and highly effective piece of equipment yet so many people neglect to use them. For those of you who are unaware, these are basically a set of thick straps made of extremely strong material that are placed around your wrists and then wrapped around the barbell, dumbbell or cable attachment. The purpose of lifting straps is to “eliminate” your grip from the equation by forming a secure connection between your wrist and the weight. If you use these straps properly you can basically hold onto the bar and perform your exercises while expending almost no energy from your forearms.

Why is this so valuable?

Picture this scenario…You’re performing a set of deadlifts (arguably the most powerful muscle-building exercise known to man) with the goal of performing 8 reps. You psych yourself up, grip the weight and clear the bar from the ground. The set is going well, but by the time you reach rep number 5, the strain on your grip is so great that you can no longer hold onto the bar. You’re forced to stop the set because your forearms reached muscular failure.

What exactly happened here?

Well, you gave yourself an amazing forearm workout! Congratulations! Unfortunately you severely limited the amount of muscle stimulation you could achieve on your back, shoulders, legs, and just about every other muscle in your body that the deadlift targets in the process. This is not a good thing!

Lifting straps completely eliminate this problem by making sure that you reach muscular failure in the major muscle groups that you are intending to target rather than on your forearms and grip. They can be used effectively for almost every back exercise or any other lift where the grip is of concern.

The main argument against lifting straps is the idea that they are a “crutch” and will negatively affect the development of grip strength and forearm size. Let’s get real here. What would you prefer, greater muscle mass and strength in your lats and upper back (and just about every other muscle group on your body) or greater ability to crack open a jar of pickles? Take your pick.

The positive effect that lifting straps will have on your overall muscle mass and strength gains will far outweigh any negative effect that they have on your forearms and grip. Besides, you can easily incorporate specific forearm movements into your routine to develop your grip strength and forearm size. If you aren’t using lifting straps already, get on it! You can find them at almost any store that sells sports or fitness equipment or you can order them online. They sell for about 10 or 15 bucks and are well worth the price!

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Information about steroids by shrenksonlinepharma

Like methandrostenolone (Dianabol), oxymetholone does not bind well to the androgen receptor (AR), and most of the anabolism it provides is via non-AR-mediated effects. It is therefore a Class II steroid and is best stacked with a Class I steroid. The drug appears to give the same benefits as dianabol. Unlike Dianabol, however, it seems that oxymetholone is progestagenic. It has been observed to cause nipple soreness or to aggravate gynecomastia even in the presence of high dose antiestrogens, strongly suggesting that the effect is not estrogenic. That effect can be reduced by concurrent use of stanozolol (Winstrol), which is anti-progestagenic. This
progestagenic effect of oxymetholone is only a concern when using aromatizing steroids. With androgens such as Primobolan, oxymetholone stacks very nicely and is a surprisingly friendly drug. In contrast, with testosterone it is a very harsh drug.

Oxymetholone does not convert to estrogen, and thus antiestrogens are not required if no aromatizable AAS are being used. However, in concert with aromatizing drugs, oxymetholone is notorious for worsening "estrogenic" symptoms, possibly by producing progestagenic symptoms which the bodybuilder
confuses as estrogenic, or by altering estrogen metabolism, or by upregulating aromatase.

Compared to what bodybuilders expect of it, the drug is reasonably mild when no aromatizing steroids are present. I consider its potency approximately comparable to Dianabol. It is not unusual for a first time user to do quite well on an oxymetholone-only cycle, but more advanced users will want
to stack with another steroid. Typical use is 50-150 mg/day, which should be divided into several doses per day.

Because oxymetholone is 17-alkylated, it is stressful to the liver. It is better to limit use to no more than 6 weeks or preferably four weeks before taking a break of at least equal length. Many users feel that it is more effectively used in the beginning parts of the cycle, rather than in the last few weeks.


Trivial name Oxymetholone
Systematic name 5-alpha,17-beta-Androstan-3-one, 17-hydroxy-2-
(hydroxymethylene)-17-methyl-
CAS number 434-07-1
ATC code A14AA05
Merck Index Number 7036
Chemical formula C21H32O3
Molecular weight 332.477 g/mol
Bioavailability 95%
Metabolism Hepatic
Elimination half-life 9 hours
Excretion Urinary: 95%
Pregnancy category X
Routes of administration Oral

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Increase Your Training Intensity - Training To Failure

You can only build muscle tissue if you can generate progressively stronger muscular contractions, so this calls for an emphasis on finding ways to increase exercise intensity. This should not be confused with exercise duration as maximum training intensity will actually shorten the time needed to achieve maximal muscular growth.

In an earlier article I outlined the ways in which you can intensify your training. Here we'll focus on the role that training to failure has to play in intensifying the training effect.

Anything less than maximum effort will reduce the effectiveness of your muscle building workout. The only way to force an optimal reaction in any muscle is to train it to failure - in other words, no matter how much effort you put in you are simply incapable of completing one more rep of a given exercise.

Too many people seem to finish a set when they reach a certain number of reps, but the body will only show significant change if you ask it to do something extra. Only by passing through the break-over point of momentary muscle failure will you stimulate the muscle to grow.

Anyone starting out on their bodybuilding career should not attempt this method of training as it could lead to serious injury. Spend several months perfecting exercise form and conditioning the body to lift heavier weights before gradually introducing training to failure.

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Increase Your Training Intensity - Pre-Exhaustion

You can only build muscle tissue if you can generate progressively stronger muscular contractions, so this calls for an emphasis on finding ways to increase exercise intensity. This should not be confused with exercise duration as maximum training intensity will actually shorten the time needed to achieve maximal muscular growth.

In an earlier article I outlined the ways in which you can intensify your training. Here we'll focus on the role that pre-exhaustion has to play in intensifying the training effect.

When an exercise employs two or more muscles it will be impossible to achieve failure for the primary muscle as the weakest muscle will give out first. This is perhaps best explained by giving an example. When targeting the chest, most exercises involve use of the triceps which is a relatively small and weak muscle. When performing the incline bench press for example, the triceps will fail before the pectorals have the opportunity to work to failure thus limiting the value of the exercise.

How do you get around this? By first performing an exercise that isolates and tires the pectorals before immediately moving on to the main exercise. For maximum benefits there should be no rest between the pre-exhaust exercise and the main compound exercise.

Beginners don't need to worry about pre-exhaust routines but when they advance to intermediate level they can be introduced once a week for each body part.

Examples of pre-exhaust routines commonly performed by bodybuilders are listed below:

Biceps - barbell curls and close-grip, palms-up pulldowns.

Triceps - pressdowns and dips.

Pectorals - flyes and bench presses.

Lats - dumbbell pullovers and barbell rows.

Deltoids - dumbbell laterals and presses behind neck.

Traps - shrugs and upright rows.

Thighs - leg extensions and squats.

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Increase Your Training Intensity - Partial Repetitions

You can only build muscle tissue if you can generate progressively stronger muscular contractions, so this calls for an emphasis on finding ways to increase exercise intensity. This should not be confused with exercise duration as maximum training intensity will actually shorten the time needed to achieve maximal muscular growth.

In an earlier article I outlined the ways in which you can intensify your training. Here we'll focus on the role that partial repetitions have to play in intensifying the training effect.

One of the biggest dangers confronting serious bodybuilders is the tendency to overtrain. Bodybuilders at the advanced level must resist the temptation to seek improvement by simply adding more exercises or extra workouts to an already demanding schedule.

One way to maintain progress yet avoid overtraining is to make constructive use of partial repetitions. This allows the introduction of additional intensity without adding significantly to the duration of training. To get the most out of partial repetitions you should follow these simple steps:

1. Use a much heavier weight than you would for the full range version of the same exercise.

2. Perform partial reps only from the halfway stage or mid-point of the exercise.

3. Use this method primarily on lagging body parts.

4. Perform only one exercise for one set per body part.

5. Use only as a supplement to full range movement exercises, not instead of.

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Increase Your Training Intensity - Negative Repetitions

You can only build muscle tissue if you can generate progressively stronger muscular contractions, so this calls for an emphasis on finding ways to increase exercise intensity. This should not be confused with exercise duration as maximum training intensity will actually shorten the time needed to achieve maximal muscular growth.

In an earlier article I outlined the ways in which you can intensify your training. Here we'll focus on the role that negative repetitions have to play in intensifying the training effect.

At the most basic level, human muscles have three types of strength:

1. Positive strength - the ability to raise a weight.

2. Static strength - the ability to hold a weight.

3. Negative strength - the ability to lower a weight.

Many bodybuilders concentrate primarily on their muscles' positive and static strength but equal focus should be given to negative strength, or lowering the weight, if true muscle failure is to be achieved. You can emphasize this aspect of training by completing a set of negative reps after reaching positive failure.

You'll need one or two partners to lift the weight to the top position so that you can lower it under your own control. Once you can no longer control the descent, the set ends. Take special care with leg exercises and avoid negative squats to protect the knees.

Beginners should not attempt negative reps while intermediate and advanced bodybuilders can be imaginative in how they incorporate negative reps into their training programs.

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Increase Your Training Intensity - Forced Repetitions

You can only build muscle tissue if you can generate progressively stronger muscular contractions, so this calls for an emphasis on finding ways to increase exercise intensity. This should not be confused with exercise duration as maximum training intensity will actually shorten the time needed to achieve maximal muscular growth.

In an earlier article I outlined the ways in which you can intensify your training. Here we'll focus on the role that forced repetitions have to play in intensifying the training effect.

When you reach the point of muscular failure it is impossible to manage one more complete repetition of any exercise, at least not without losing form or correct technique. There is, however, one way in which you can increase the intensity even further and that is by completing one or more forced repetitions with the help of an experienced training partner.

The best way to achieve this is by keeping the same weights on the bar and have your training partner do no more than is necessary to allow you to complete up the three extra repetitions with good lifting form.

Beginning bodybuilders should avoid forced reps until they have learned good lifting techniques and have prepared their muscles for the stresses involved in this particular approach. Intermediate lifters should consider adding forced reps to one exercise in the pre-exhaust sequence. Advanced bodybuilders can utilize forced reps based on their own needs and judgement.

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How To Get Huge Muscular Arms? Build Big Triceps Exercises

So you want to get big huge muscular arms. Do not ignore your triceps exercises.

In gyms everywhere, you will see people doing bicep curls after bicep curls. If someone were to ask them to show their muscles, they will most likely flex their biceps. How about you? Well, since you are reading this article, then you must have known that to own huge muscular arms, you must build huge triceps.

Do you know why? It is because your tricep is 2/3 the size of your arm. Just imagine, your bicep is only 30% while your tricep takes up 60%. So if you are neglecting your triceps, you are neglecting 60% of your arms while working on the miniscule 30% called the biceps. Of course you still need to work on your biceps for that well rounded balanced muscular look.

Furthermore, since your triceps are involved in many other body building exercises such as military presses, bench presses and many other exercises, having strong triceps will help you to lift heavier in those other exercises and thus will be encouraging further muscular growth in other body parts.

Your triceps consist of three main muscle whereas your biceps has only 2, the their respective names begins with “tri” and “bi”. That is another reason why your triceps should be bigger.

Tricep Excercise Form

So you have been training your triceps but do not see good results. It could possibly be due to your movement during your reps where the exercises are not performed to its full range of motion. You see, the mass concentration of tricep muscles is at the top of the arm and therefore you have to stretch your arms beyond what you feel that is natural in order to reach the deep fibers of your tricep muscles.

On top of that your form must be strict with minimum elbow movements when performing tricep exercises like skull crushes and tricep extensions. These exercises reach deep into your triceps muscles when you do it with full range of movement.

Tricep exercises like close grip bench press, diamond pushups and cable pushdowns do not give you that range of movement as the range of these exercises are limited. This is not to say that you don’t do these exercises, just concentrate on them less.

So in order to build big huge triceps, you must feel the pull of your tricep muscles when the weight is at its lowest position before pulling them back.

Want those big muscular arms? Then do not forget to work on your triceps hard and do it in good form.

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How To Gain Weight And Increase Muscle Mass

If you want to increase muscle mass and gain weight, remember that in order to effectively bulk up, you will need to be persistent in your efforts. Increasing your caloric intake is an important part of gaining weight and building new muscle tissue. When you feed your body more food than it can burn, you gain weight. Weight training is also an important part of gaining weight and increasing your muscle mass. Weight training stimulates the muscles and promotes growth. The combination of weight training and proper diet is the best, most effective way to gain weight and increase muscle mass.

Failure to eat properly while weight training could result in loss of muscle tissue. Make certain you get plenty of protein, fats, and carbs and in large enough quantities to allow your body to gain weight. Supplements can play a role in building body mass if taken while adjusting your diet and training with weights. Meal replacement bars, powders, and protein drinks can be an excellent way to increase your daily caloric intake. In order to increase muscle mass, you must give your body approximately 500 more calories per day than the number of calories your body uses.

Exercise and diet are the most important things to consider when attempting to gain weight and increase muscle mass. Weight training and the adequate food intake will leave your body with no choice but to gain weight and add mass. Make sure to get enough rest between workouts to give your body time to recuperate and build new muscle tissue.

If you want to get the maximum benefit from your mass building routine, you must avoid the most common reasons that cause people to fail at building muscle and gaining weight. A quality mass building routine combined with proper nutrition and plenty of rest can produce results that you never dreamed possible. Consistency, smart eating habits, the proper weight lifting techniques, and lots of rest are the common elements shared by every successful body builder.

Building muscle is a slow process and it could possibly take several months before you see noticeable results. If you are determined and consistent in your muscle mass building routine and your eating habits, you efforts will pay off in time. Nutrition is also crucial in building muscle mass. The right amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and fats must be included in your diet in order to give your body the fuel it needs to add muscle tissue. The trick to building muscle is to find the combination of foods that allow you to add new muscle mass. Trial and error combined with sound dietary guidelines will allow you to find just the right nutritional plan for you.

The proper weight lifting techniques are a very important part of a muscle mass building routine. If you don't work your muscles, they won't grow. You will need to find the right amount of weight and the right weight lifting exercises for your body. Determination, trial and error, and a consistent effort will eventually give you the results you want. The most important thing is to stay focused and realize your reward is waiting for you down the line.

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How To Gain Weight And Build More Muscle!

For many thin guys around the world, gaining weight without using illegal steroids has been a challenge. For thousands of lean young men, the dream is to gain weight, but no matter how much they eat they remain thin. Some people are naturally thin; that means their genetic makeup is in such a way that the body burns more calories than others. The very basic method of weight gain is to eat more calories than your body burns off. By providing the body with more calories, this balance can be altered and body mass can be increased. Weight training is of great importance in this context, which enables the body to absorb more nutrients from the food by increasing the level of certain hormones and increasing the muscle mass.

There are many incorrect beliefs and theories bout building muscle. The type of food to be eaten is an important factor which decides the type of weight gained, whether it is muscle mass or mere accumulation of fat. Some types of calories are not equal to others for gaining muscle; because most processed junk food contains empty, totally nutritionless calories. These foods promote accelerated fat storage, and do not provide the body with the correct nutrients essential for gaining muscle. High quality protein, which the body breaks down into amino acids, should be the centerpiece of all your meals. Intense exercise increases demand for amino acids, which support muscle repair and growth.

Another factor is the selection of the right type of weight training. Resistance exercises will help with muscle growth. Whereas aerobic exercises can result in the reduction of weight. For maximum muscle gain, the focus of your workouts should consist of free weight exercises, rather than machines or bodyweight exercises. To get a very effective workout, you must stimulate as many muscle fibers as possible, and machines do not do this. The main reason for this is a lack of stabilizer and synergist muscle development. Stabilizer and synergist muscles are supporting muscles that assist the main muscle in performing a complex lift.

The results of weight training can vary from person to person, and will usually depend on your consistency and commitment to your program. You should have the patience and motivation for building a powerful body with a consistent diet and exercise schedule.

Exercise Guidelines for building muscle:

Weight training involves the use of equipment that enables variable resistance. This resistance can come in the form of free weights like barbells and dumbbells, machines that use cables or pulleys to help you lift the weight, and bodyweight exercises like pull-ups or dips. The more stabilizers and synergists you work, the more muscle fibers stimulated. The exercises that work the large muscle groups are called compound (or multi-joint) movements that involve the simultaneous stimulation of many muscle groups. These compound exercises should be the foundation of any weight training program because they stimulate the most amount of muscle in the least amount of time. Multi-jointed free weight exercises like the bench press require many stabilizer and synergistic muscle assistance to complete the lift.

Free weight exercises like the dumbbell press or squat put a very large amount of stress on supporting muscle groups. You will get fatigued faster and not be able to lift as much weight as you did on the machine. But you will gain more muscle, become stronger very quickly and have a true gauge of your strength.

If you use machines in your program, they should be used to work isolated areas and only after all multi-jointed exercises have been completed. Beginners should begin with a limited combination of machine exercises, bodyweight exercises and multi-jointed free weight exercises. Before increasing the weight levels, they should work on becoming familiar with the proper form and execution of each.

The following are some proven basic exercises to encourage muscle and strength gain unlike any other exercises.

Bench Presses - works the chest, shoulders, triceps

Overhead Presses - shoulders, triceps

Pull-ups/Barbell Rows - back, bicep

Squats - legs, lower back

Dead lifts - legs, back, shoulders

Bar Dips -shoulders, chest, arms

To build mass, you must weight train with heavy weights. To consider a weight heavy, you should only be able to do a maximum of 4-8 reps before your muscles temporarily fail. A weight is considered 'light' if you can do more than 15 reps before muscle fatigue sets in. Heavy weights stimulate more muscle fibers than lighter weights which result in more muscle growth. Heavy weight training puts a huge strain on your body, so adequate rest and recuperation after your workouts is essential.

Eating guidelines for building muscle:

A high protein diet is an inevitable part of any weight training programme, importantly, protein derived from animal sources. Proteins you need to be concerned with are those found in whey, casein (cottage cheese), eggs, beef, poultry, and fish. Soy protein, tofu and bean curd are some alternatives. Eating the right amount of foods consistently will force your body to grow beyond what you may think possible. The diet also should contain an adequate amount of carbohydrates (potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, oatmeal, cream of wheat, cream of rice, rice, beans, bread, pasta, all cereals) and fat. Green leafy vegetables and fruits also should be included.

When you train with weights, you should eat a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. You also must have protein at every meal. To enable your body to actually assimilate and use the all the calories you will ingest, you have to reduce your meal size and increase your meal frequency. Splitting your calories into smaller, more frequent portions will enable food absorption and utilization of nutrients.

During the past 20 years there have been great developments in the scientific understanding of the role of nutrition in health and physical performance. Studies shown that adequate dietary carbohydrate should be ingested (55-60% of total energy intake) so that training intensity can be maintained. Excess dietary saturated fat can exacerbate coronary artery disease; however, low-fat diets result in a reduction in circulating testosterone. So the balance between protein, carbohydrate and fat should be maintained.

So the focus on weight gain programmes must be on two components, lifting heavy weights, which will stimulate the largest amount of muscle fibers. Your body responds to this stimulus by increasing your muscle mass and secondly eat more calories than your body is used to. When you overload your system with plenty of protein and fats, your body has no other choice but to gain weight.

A Mass Gaining program is incomplete without the timely measurements to monitor your progress. Without it, you won't know how exactly your body is responding to your diet and training routine. Just looking in the mirror and guessing is not acceptable. If you want to start getting great results, you must develop the habit of accurately tracking your progress. This also provides the motivation to continue with the weight gain schedule and for the further progression. So even though you have a very thin body type, and haven’t been able to gain weight no matter what you try, you will definitely succeed with a well planned weight gain programme.

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How To Gain Muscle Naturally... No Steroids Necessary!

Wondering how to gain muscle? There are many fads, gimmicks and "quick fixes" to be found, but there is really only one healthy way to gain muscle mass. You don't need to be gifted with great genetics or use potentially dangerous illegal hormones or steroids.

The "how to gain muscle" question has a relatively simple two-step process:

1) increase your caloric intake, and
2) workout. This combination will provide the desired results.

Don't be embarrassed to look in the mirror! You CAN have the body that you strive to achieve. When you first begin thinking about how to gain muscle, the first instinct may be "But I don't want to gain fat". Losing fat and gaining muscle mass are two different objectives, and are tackled in two different ways. At this point you have to realize that dieting and exercising to lose weight is different than dieting and exercising to gain muscle.

In gaining muscle mass, the caloric intake must be increased. You have to take in more calories that your body is used to: take in more proteins and fats-your body has no choice but to gain weight. While nutritional supplements may be utilized, this should NOT be used as a substitute for a healthy diet. The increased calories are then offset by working out with weights in order to achieve the increased muscle mass you desire. This workout will stimulate growth by "overloading" the muscles. The combination of caloric building blocks (which help rebuild and repair muscle tissue) along with the increase workout.

If you are among the millions who constantly try to gain weight and build muscle mass, remember that a firm commitment, the proper diet, and a good weight-training regimen are the best ways to succeed in reaching your goal.  A muscle mass building diet includes plenty of protein and enough calories to promote weight gain.

A good place to start is to multiply your current weight by 18. This number will give you a rough idea of how many calories your body needs in a day to bulk up. If you are extremely active, play sports, or have a faster than average metabolism, you may need to increase your caloric intake even more. A muscle building diet requires a lot of effort on your part. It's not easy to consume enough calories in three meals per day. A good suggestion would be to eat several small meals each day rather than three large ones.

Protein is a critical element in any mass building diet. Ideally, you should eat one and a half grams of protein per pound of body weight. While this seems like a lot of protein, spread over several small meals each day it will be a lot easier to meet this goal. Fish, poultry, eggs, and lean red meat are excellent sources of protein. Lots of fresh vegetables and simple carbohydrates combined with plenty of protein should allow you to meet your calorie quota each day. The best muscle building diet is a combination of consuming adequate calories and the proper types of foods.

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How To Build Muscles With BodyBuilding Exercise

A well-planned exercise routine will not only help you replace fat with muscle, it will help you gain strength and flexibility.

A bodybuilding exercise plan also improves bone strength, and lowers blood pressure. Whether you are a professional bodybuilder or you just enjoy hitting the weights hard at the gym, setting a goal for your bodybuilding exercise plan will help you achieve maximum results. Remember to make your goal challenging but be realistic.

Plan a routine that will help you reach the goals you have set. You may choose to plan on paper or on computer; whichever method you chose in planning your bodybuilding exercise goal, state your goal in a positive, precise way. It is best to choose performance-oriented goals instead of outcome-oriented goals. You can only control your own bodybuilding exercise goals, you have no control over other peoples routines, so don’t make you goal winning a competition. You might make your goal to gain a certain amount of muscles mass, or lose a specific amount of body fat. This type of goal works whether you compete or not.

Planning before you begin helps you get organized and stay focused. Putting it in writing makes it more formal, and more likely that you will stick to the plan. You should include short-term goals that help lead to your main long-term goal. Breaking down your main goal into smaller goals makes it easier to stay on your bodybuilding exercise routine.

Set a deadline for achieving your main goal. Without a deadline it can be easy to put off your bodybuilding exercise routine. Keep track of each workout you complete successfully. Plan on rewarding yourself once your long-term goal is met.

The most important step in planning is to include a proper warm-up period. Warming up reduces the change of injury and improves your performance. Warm up exercises of your bodybuilding exercise could include an aerobic activity such as treadmill walking, stepping, rowing or stationary cycling, or it could be arm circles, knee bends and shoulder circles. A third alternative is to lift light weights with a high number of reps.

The next step of your program will be tailored to the specific goal that you have set or area that you want to improve. If your goal involves your legs plan a bodybuilding exercise that works your legs, such as barbell squats or leg presses. Choose specific exercises that will increase your chest, like the barbell press, if that is your goal.

Perform each exercise carefully to avoid injury. To build mass, do fewer reps but include more sets and heavier weights, Rest at least 1 minute between sets. Another important part of your bodybuilding exercise plan is to eat properly and drink plenty of fluids.

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How To Build Muscles With Body Building Diets

Are you trying to get buff this summer? Okay, first of all, let me inform you that this can indeed be a process.

Don't expect to hit the gym a few times and see some significant results. For some odd reason this always bothers me. People go to the gym for a mere week and expect to be ripped like Van Dam. That's just nonsense. However, with the right weight training program and the correct body building diets, you can see a great difference in a couple of months. You see, it's all about how hard you train and how well you eat. If you are one of those folks who consume fast food twice a day, you'd better get ready to make some drastic changes. This will sadly get you nowhere. In order to get stacked you'll need to start one of the many recommended body building diets. I'm talking about a lot of protein, vitamins and minerals, but hardly any fat, sugar, and salt. Remember, you truly are what you eat. Just take a gander at the American population.

Are you currently searching for decent body building diets? These are easy to come by in this super age of technology and cyberspace. I too was looking to gain muscle a few months back. Although I'm not looking to acquire a body builder physique by any means, I do prefer some decent muscle mass. My first thought when it came to body building diets and weight training regimes was to hop online. I knew that the World-Wide-Web would have much to offer. After about an hour of surfing and reading, I had come to the conclusion that Whey protein is the bomb right now. We're talking it's all the rage in the body building circuits. Therefore I decided to weigh the options at hand. Because when it comes to contemporary whey protein, there are many products to choose from. In the end I purchased a whey protein mix from Wal-Mart. Go figure! Anyway, this nuance to the modern-day body building diets is basically an all-natural source of high quality protein. You can get a whopping 26 grams of it with one 8 ounce glass of milk. That's a hefty dose of the muscle building stuff if you ask me. Do this three times a day in addition to your weight training and you should surely see results soon. Now, when it comes to body building diets, you can't disregard you regular three meals. Make sure you consume healthy meals containing all of your daily vitamins. The collaboration of health food and whey protein is a sure win. It's time to get pumped.

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How To Build Muscles And Own That V-Shaped Upper Body?

Every guy who steps into the gym dreams of achieving that great classical V-shaped upper body that commands respect and attention. Many have trained for months, if not years and yet that V-shaped upper body just isn't forth coming. Ever wondered why?

Before I show you various ways to achieve that glorious 'V', you must also be aware that the 'V' shape is also an illusion. If you have a wide thick back with a powerful chest, coupled with boulder-like deltoids, your 'V' will show up commandingly because those attributes will make your waist look small and thus accentuating the 'V' illusion.

To have a stupendous upper body, you MUST train your lower body. V-shapes will just be an ugly upper body shape if your legs are like bamboo poles. The excellent full body shape is called the X-frame. Just like those super heroes you see in comic books. If you don't train legs, you are missing out on training the largest muscle mass. When training legs, many other upper body muscles especially the back and abs will be involved. This gives you the most muscle mass trained in one go. And because you are training so many muscles at one go, you secrete tons of growth hormones when you sleep, further enhancing overall muscle development for that perfect X-frame.

Another muscle group many people fail to pay attention to is the back. The back must be trained for thickness as well as width. Many back exercises also develop the rear deltoids and the trapezius which are very important to getting that 'V'. When your back is thick, you will look powerful and with the width, it will make your waist look narrower, thus making the 'V' more pronounced. Do bar-bell row, deadlifts for a thick and powerful back. Chin-ups and push-ups (weighted and doing them in a slow controlled motion) will provide you the width or more commonly called 'wings'.

Another very obvious V-shape illusion creator are your triceps. But most people pay more attention to the biceps than triceps. Why triceps then? Because your triceps, as the name 'tri' suggests, has three 'heads' and each 'head' must be dealt with when you exercise them. They are also 1/3 bigger than your biceps. By training the triceps hard, your upper arms will grow bigger faster, giving more berth to your upper body and again creating a narrow waistline illusion.

The best illusion-shapers are your deltoids. Your delts have 3 'heads'. However, most of the time, I see people only working out the front delts. When you develop your delts well, they will be round and boulder-like, and they make your shoulder wide and strong. Now, close your eyes and have a mental image of yourself with a wide thick back, big strong triceps... now, do you see that 'V'? Add lateral raise, bent-over lat-raisers and upright rows to your routine.

How to have a beautiful 'V' if your abs are flabby? Forget the side crunches and side bends. It will only make your waistline thicker. Go on a lose fat program by combining weight lifting, cardio exercises and eating correctly. Your abs will show in no time.

Ahh... to finally stamp your authority in the gym and at the beach, a wide and powerful gladiator's chest will put you ahead of the pack! Train your chest heavy with dumbbells, barbells and cables machines. Use incline benches rather than flat or declining ones. You want to build the upper chest and not targeting the lower chest in case it gets you the droop or saggy chest which we call 'bitch tits'. Although the pec is one huge muscle, it can be targeted at different places to recruit different fibres to shape it.

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How Long Should You Rest Between Muscle Building Sessions?

In an earlier article we concluded that muscles must be worked to failure if an adequate hypertrophic response is to occur. Whether this involves one or more sets is irrelevant as in either scenario the muscles must be worked to failure and beyond. This causes significant microscopic damage to the muscle tissues and it is during the period of recovery that protein synthesis undertakes the repair process that results in bigger muscle fibers.

But how long does this process take and when is it safe to expose those same muscles to further intensive exercise? Scientific studies suggest that muscle fiber degradation takes approximately five to seven days to repair and recover. Any further exposure of the affected muscle to intensive activity will interfere with the recovery process and actually prevent it from achieving maximum growth. However, using the muscle to assist in exercising other body parts or even taking part in low intensity aerobic exercise will not prevent recovery.

It follows therefore that each muscle group should be trained intensively only once each week in order to allow full recovery. This can be achieved by incorportating a split training regime that allows you to work out several times each week but still exercise each muscle group intensively only once every seven days.

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