It seems like this is the common thought that a lot of people have. The thing that they don’t seem to understand is that supplements are only part of what you should do to get the body you want. Can they help? Yes! When used right they can help you to reach your goals faster than you would without them.

But before you run out and buy the next hyped up muscle building supplement, you need to make sure that your foundation is set. This foundation should consist of working out intensely and eating a good diet. This is how you use a well-rounded plan to reach your goals rather than relying on the marketing techniques of a supplement company.

Working Out Intensely

Taking a magic supplement alone will not give you the results you want. You need to push yourself in the gym.

We’ve all seen the people that go to the gym and don’t even come close to breaking a sweat or looking like they’re really pushing it. And you’ll notice over time that these people don’t get results either. But if you look at any of the guys that have great physiques working out, you’ll see them straining to push themselves to new levels.

Here’s a great example from MuscleHack:

Notice that he isn’t just casually lifting the weight up and down. He’s working hard to make each rep count.

Working hard doesn’t mean you have to grunt and groan under every rep. In fact, if you do you’re going to annoy a lot of people. But you do need to be pushing yourself to new levels.

There are a lot of intensity techniques out there. Try different ones to see what works well for you, and mix them up from time to time to get a variety. Here are a few examples:

• Supersets
• Slow negative movement
• Drop sets
• etc.

Nutrition – Eating Right

We all know that we need to eat to grow. But it isn’t just a matter of eating calories, you need to be eating the right calories. I read an article from Will Brink once that said that eating extra calories is what will help you gain weight, but the kinds of foods you eat to get those calories will determine what kind of weight you gain (fat or muscle).

Will Brinks Bodybuilding Revealed gives great guidelines on what to eat. The book and forum are worth checking out if you want to get a better handle on this side of things. But for now let’s just say that you need to get your protein from good sources and enough of it to grow. A good rule of thumb is to consume 1-1.5 grams of protein for every pound of body weight. Sticking with good carbs is necessary as well, along with eating vegetables and fruits.

Adding Muscle Building Supplements

Once you have the foundation of good workouts and nutrition in place, that’s when it’s time to consider what kinds of supplements you want to add to help you grow. Using whey protein can help you get the extra protein into your diet. There are also performance supplements like NO2 and creatine that can help you power through your workouts and grow faster, when combined with a good diet and exercise routine.

Not all supplements are created the same. So take some time to do some research to find out which ones are most likely to work, and not just be a lot of hype. Then experiment with different ones to see what your body reacts to. If you want to save money, visit our main site and do price comparisons to find the best deals online.

Growing muscle and building the body you want will take time and dedication. Make this the year that you dedicate to changing your body and life, and do it the right way!

Reaching a fitness goal can be broken up in to 3 main tasks: exercise, nutrition, and rest. Some of us are good at 1 out of 3, others are good and 2 out of 3, and few of us actually do all 3. So what are your weak areas? Let’s look at all 3 really quick and help you figure it out.

Area 1 – Exercise

It seems like this is the one that most people have the least trouble with. Granted, there are some people that simply dread going to the gym, but once you get going and start to enjoy it most people can stick with this one pretty good.

Can you spend some time tweaking your workout routine to get more out of it? Definitely! If this is your weak area there are a few things you can do to make it a strong point:

• Have a schedule and stick to it! Start slow if you have to, but find a schedule that works for you and stick to it.
• Get a training partner. Having someone that has similar goals work along side you can be a great motivator and help.
• Plan ahead of time. If you walk into the gym without a plan you probably won’t accomplish much. Know what you’re going to do before you get in there so you can stay focused.

Area 2 – Nutrition

To be completely honest, this has always been one of my weak areas. It’s just so easy to eat something I really shouldn’t. I’m sure a lot of you feel the same way!

No matter your goal, whether it’s to lose weight or pack on muscle, you’re going to have a hard time reaching your goals if your nutrition is out of whack. Either you are not eating enough, eating too much, or just not eating the right stuff. Here are a few tips to help:

• Figure out your calorie requirements. If you know roughly how many calories you should be eating for your goals you’ll have an easier time planning what you’re going to eat.
• Plan ahead of time. Sound familiar to the 3rd tip for exercise? Well, the principle applies here as well. If you don’t plan ahead you’ll end up eating fast food, which you and I both know is not the best way to go! Pack your food the night before, cook meals ahead of time, make your life easier!
• Get rid of the junk! Chances are you have some food in your house right now that is not going to help you reach your goal. Get rid of it and start fresh! That, or save it for a cheat meal.
• Have a cheat meal from time to time. These should be scheduled, not just when you feel like it. Having a cheat meal gives you something to look forward to when you have cravings.
• Remember it’s more than supplements! I believe that bodybuilding supplements can help you reach your goals, but not if yo don’t have the rest of your nutrition right. Figure that part out first, then look to supplements to fill in the gaps.

Area 3 – Rest

If you don’t take a break from time to time, or get enough rest in between workouts, you’ll find that you’re not reaching your goals. Your body needs time to recover. This is another area that I know I tend to slack off in, mainly by going to bed too late and then getting up too early.

When you get the proper amount of rest you have more energy. We all know it, but we make excuses on a regular basis and stay tired. Here are some ideas to break that cycle:

• Set a curfew and stick to it! Remember when your parents said “Lights out at 10!” Well, do the same for yourself. Let your family and friends know that you go to bed at a certain time. Come up with whatever reason you have to, but if they know they can respect it.
• Be consistent. If you can get your body on a regular schedule you’ll do a lot better. Figure out as regular of a schedule as you can and then stick to it.
• Plan breaks. You should take at least a week off working out every 10-12 weeks that you work out. This will give your body time to fully recuperate and come back stronger for the next round.

So there you have it. Now it’s time for you to take some action. What are your weak areas? What can you do TODAY to fix those areas and become stronger in them? You can do it. I have some work to do myself. So here’s to both of us!

Some of you may have had the goal to have a six pack by this time. But if you don’t, don’t just give up on that goal and stay flabby all summer. Reset your goal and work to have that killer six pack in the next month or two! It’s never too late to make those necessary changes to your plan so that you can get some great results.

Supplements for Leaning Up This Summer

Here are some supplements you can use to help you lean up even quicker:

Creatine Supplements

Not only does creatine help increase lean body mass, but it will give you more energy to power through your workouts as well.

Fat Burners

Using a good fat burner can help you to get a jump on losing some of that extra weight. Hydroxycut is being recalled, but use something like Nutrex Lipo-6x, which has a great track record.

ZMA Supplements

ZMA can help increase testosterone levels which in turn can help to increase your lean body mass.

Whey Protein Supplements

If you’re trying to lean up you’re going to need to increase your protein intake and cut back on the carbs. A great way to do this is by using a good whey protein powder. Personally I like the flavor of some of the Dymatize Elite brand.

Training Considerations

This won’t sound like anything new, but you’re going to need to increase your cardio if you’re going to lean up in the coming months. It’s a good idea to mix up the way you do your cardio as well.

In some cardio sessions do a longer duration at a good pace. It’s not a bad idea to use the ‘Fat Burn’ setting on the cardio device you’re using, then ride it for 30 minutes or so.

At other times, you should also do some HIIT training. Do short bursts of energy, followed by short times of rest. There are a lot of techniques to do this, so find one that works for you.

I hope these tips and supplement recommendations help. Good luck with your goals and let me know how it goes!

First let’s define what I mean here. Let’s use the Bench Press as an example:

• The Positive movement is when you push the weight up.
• The Negative movement is when you lower it back to your chest.

So which is more important for muscle growth? Well, in the end it’s the negative or eccentric motion that will actually give you the most strength and size gains.

The problem is that most of us want to see how much we can push up. We work on having an explosive positive movement, but don’t think much about the negative. Have you noticed that most of the cadence recommendations for lifting recommend spending more time lowering the weight than lifting it? This isn’t just to make sure you’re controlling the lowering of the weight, but is actually because you’ll get better gains this way!

Negative Training

If you want to take this to the extreme there is even such a thing out there as Negative Training, Negative Sets, or Negative Reps. The idea here is that you have a spotter help you lift the weight up (in other words, go heavy), but then it’s up to you to lower the weight as slowly as possibly.

This is a great thing to do from time to time if you really want to blast your muscles! Here’s a list of articles on the topic from BodyBuilding.com: Negative Training Articles.

Tips to Emphasize the Negative

Here are some tips to make sure you remember to emphasize the negative when you’re doing your reps:

• Slow down! Take your time lowering the weight.
• Keep a cadence in your head. A good start is one second up, two seconds down.
• Experiment. Try going even slower and notice how your muscles tire out quicker when you take longer on the negative
• Notice you feel after your workout. Chances are you’ll get a better pump by emphasizing the negative and that alone should motivate you to do it!

Do you have any other tips about emphasizing the negative? Share them below!

Rule 1 – Leave your ego at home!

Have you ever walked into the gym, started to load plates on the bench, and then looked around, realized that some guy was lifting more than you, so you decide to add more to look tough? Don’t do this! When you go to workout, have your best workout. Don’t try to compare yourself with someone else. Just go in, do your best, most intense workout, and leave.

The minute you start comparing yourself to the other people nearby, you’re starting to enter a mindset that will set you up to get injured. That’s why Rule 1 is to leave your ego at home. Too many injuries come from ego problems.

Rule 2 – Don’t lift more than you can handle without an active spotter!

Dropping a weight on yourself isn’t a good idea. I know that sounds like a dumb statement, but if you’re lifting more than you can safely handle, you’re running that risk. If you’re really going to failure on a set you should either be using a smith machine, or have a spotter (or two) that can help you in case of trouble.

Watch this video and you’ll see what I mean. WARNING: This definitely broke some bones and possibly caused other problems. This video might cause you to hurt just by watching it!

A couple of problems here: the guy was lifting a lot of weight, but the spotter wasn’t actively helping him from the beginning. Problem 2 is that he didn’t wrap his thumb around the bar. Just be safe if you’re going to lift heavy!

If you don’t have a spotter and you’re afraid to ask someone to help you, use a smith machine or another machine that will help you be safe.

Rule 3 – Use good form

Notice that I didn’t say ‘perfect form.’ I believe that there is a little bit of room for flexibility in what makes ‘perfect form,’ but there is definitely bad form. Bad form on many lifts is just an injury waiting to happen.

If you’re going to be doing a lift you’re not familiar with, study it online before doing it. You can find all sorts of videos online that will help you know how to do a lift. Study these videos before you injure yourself with a lift you’re not familiar with!

I’m sure there are plenty of other ‘Rules’ that could be added to this list, but in my mind these 3 will keep you out of a lot of trouble. If you have any others, feel free to share them below!

Today we have another guest post from Ryan Riley, writer of musclebuildingfitness.blogspot.com. Today’s article is about how to strengthen your abs. I hope you enjoy it!
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If you have ever done an internet search for “6 pack abs” then you have by now seen the dozens of ab workout programs that claim to have the most “amazing” and “incredible” ab workout known to man. There are a couple of problems with these amazing workout routines. First of all, not everyone can have nice looking 6 pack abs because everyone’s body is different. Secondly, all of these programs are trying to sell you for $30 or more what you can easily find by simply doing just a little bit of research online.

It’s important to understand that really defined abs will take a whole lot of work, no matter what any one else tells you. Again, everyone’s body is different, so it’s possible that you will be able to get the abs you want with little work. But chances are you will need to do an ab workout 5 days a week if you really want to see results. Remember too that you will need to minimize your fat and sugar intake and do at least 2 hours of cardio a week in addition to your ab workout.

That being said, here are a few great ab exercises that have the potential to make your midsection look great:

1. ¾ Crunches – Lay flat on your back with your knees in the air and feet approximately one inch off the ground. Place your hands behind your head and hold your head approximately one inch off the ground. Lift your head forward and your knees backward until your knees touch your elbows. Repeat the motions making sure that your hands and feet never quite hit the ground.

You should aim for about 20-30 reps per set and about 8-10 sets total with this exercise.

2. Bicycle Twists – Lay flat on your back with your knees held upright and lift and swing your elbows until your elbow touches the adjacent knee. So if you are starting with your left arm then you would try to touch your right knee. Go back and forth with your left arm and right arm. Rinse and repeat.

With this exercise you should also aim for about 20-30 reps per side (each side of your body is a different ab muscle) and about 8-10 total sets.

3. Flat Raises – Lay perfectly flat on the ground with your legs stretched outward. Place your hands behind your head and lift your head until it is at about a 90 degree angle and then back down again. Make sure you keep your legs perfectly straight and flat on the ground while doing this exercise. You should be able to easily do 40 or 50 of these starting out for each set. You should aim to do about 10-12 of these per workout.

Ryan Riley is an enthusiastic personal trainer and fitness guru who believes that physical fitness is the absolute key to happiness. If you are really serious about building muscle check out the Muscle Building Fitness blog for killer advice without the hype!

This is a great question to ask yourself from time to time. After going to the gym, eating right, using body building supplements, and all the other things that you’re doing to build a better body, do you really know why you’re doing it?

There are a lot of reasons that people use. Here are a couple I can think of off the top of my head that I’ve heard people say:

• To be more confident.
• To be more attractive.
• To be more of an athlete/to compete.
• To be stronger.
• etc.

What Are the Best Reasons?

I don’t think there is such a thing as a ‘best reason’ to get in shape and look your best. Everyone has a different reason for wanting to do it. The important thing is that you have a reason that motivates you. Not a reason that you read in some magazine, or a reason that someone else told you that you should have. You have to have a reason that comes from you.

This is the type of reason that will motivate you to wake up early if you have to, to go out in the cold, to not eat that oh-so-tempting treat because you have a bigger goal in mind. This is the most important part of building a better body. If your motivation isn’t strong enough you won’t put forth the necessary effort. So focus first on your reason

How to Get There

The purpose of this post is not to go into a lengthy discussion on exactly what you need to do to build a great body. But there are a few key things that you need to build the body you’re after. Here they are:

1. Proper nutrition
2. Proper exercise
3. Proper rest

You can guess which one most people focus on. Yep, the exercise! But if you aren’t getting the right nutrition or the right amount of rest you won’t see the results you’re after. If you just eat well but don’t exerrcise you won’t get the right results either! You have to work on all three of these to be successful.

Look at what you’ve been doing and see if you’re not giving one or more areas enough priority. If you need to work on improving your nutrition, make that a priority this month. Get in the habit of eating right. Maybe even use a tool like FitDay.com to track what you’re eating. If you’re not working out enough, make that a priority. If you don’t rest enough make that a priority. In other words, figure out what’s broken in what you’re currently doing and make some changes to fix it!

The Role of Body Building Supplements

Can using a body building supplement help you to reach your goal? Definintely! Granted, some work better than others and different people have different reactions to different supplements. But the main point is that creatine supplements or any other supplement will only really help you if the other three areas (nutrition, exercise, rest) are in place. Don’t try to use supplements to replace proper nutrition. You have to use them in addition to proper nutrition.

Today we have a special guest post from Ryan Riley, writer of musclebuildingfitness.blogspot.com. This article focuses on some tips you can use to build more muscle mass fast. Here you go!

So you want to build muscle mass fast? Let me be the first to tell you that it absolutely can be done and without resorting to illegal drugs such as steroids. Below are half a dozen muscle building tips that will have you packing on muscle faster than you ever thought possible.

1. If you are new to weight training, never workout less than 60 minutes or more than 90 minutes per day. After 6 to 8 months of solid gains, you can increase your workouts to as much as 150 minutes, or 2 ½ hours.

2. Consume 1.5 grams of whey protein per pound of bodyweight per day. This means if you weigh 165 pounds like I do you need to consume approximately 240 grams of protein per day. If you find that you simply can not consume this much protein per day, then make sure you take in at least 100 grams per day.

3. Rest for a minimum of 60 seconds and a maximum of 90 seconds in between repetitions. If you need to, purchase a stop watch from your local dollar store so you can precisely measure your rest time. I have found that 6 or 7 deep breaths usually take around 60 seconds.

4. Get a training partner who you can workout with at least 3 times per week. Having a training partner allows you to stay focused and prevents you from slacking off. More often than not, if you are not building muscle it’s because you are not working out as hard or often as you should be.

5. Eat at least 4 meals per day. If your body does not have energy it will be much more difficult for you to build lean muscle. Some people find it difficult to eat at least 4 times per day. If this is the case for you then try drinking protein shakes or meal replacement shakes twice per day. If you are a male, make sure you are only consuming whey protein. If you are a female, you should stick with soy protein.

6. Limit your cardio exercise to no more than 25 minutes with 20 minutes being ideal. Cardio exercise is great for your health but if you perform too much cardio then your body will actually start to burn muscle, especially if you are a male who does cardio at the end of a workout.

Ryan Riley from http://musclebuildingfitness.blogspot.com