Balancing Your Hormones to Perform Better in Bed and Build More Muscle

Your body is a machine with many working parts — an understatement if there ever was one. To say that your various systems, cells, genetics, and chemical makeup are merely “working parts” is like saying the sun is a little warm. Still, it’s incredible what your body is capable of with only the most minimal of hormone management.

They tell your body what to do and how your hormones perform dictates how well your body behaves its damn self.

So whip that puppy into shape! While diet and exercise are obviously important, these are the hormones you need to pay attention to the most, what they do for you, and how you can Darth Vader force grip your body into submission.

1. Ghrelin and Leptin

Ever wonder what makes you feel hungry or full? No, it’s not just your stomach being empty or stuffed to the gills, it’s hormones released by your stomach walls and fat cells called ghrelin and leptin. If you’re trying to keep your hunger in check, you need to make sure these guys are under control. How do we do that? Sleep! Less than six hours a night and the hunger gremlin, Ghrelin, starts winning the fights unfairly.

2. Testosterone

Who’s feeling frisky? You are if you’ve got enough testosterone in your blood! This bad boy tells you when you’re ready to get busy and also makes sure you have enough little swimmers to continue the family line (assuming you’re ‘worthy’). There are a lot of ways to increase your testosterone. Here are four of them.

3. IGF-1 and HGH

Any self-respecting bodybuilder knows what these two do. HGH tells the body to create more IGF-1, which acts as a growth factor. Together they tag-team your muscles, ligaments, and tendons, beating them into fierce weapons of mass attraction (hello, ladies). And how do we increase the levels of these two grunts naturally? By working out, of course! When you feel the burn, you’re doing it right.

4. Melatonin

To get your ghrelin under control, you need to sleep. But what if you have trouble sleeping? This is text, so you’ll just have to imagine fanfare in your mind. Enter melatonin! Think of melatonin like that uncle that comes over for Thanksgiving, eats your food and falls asleep on your couch. All he wants is to sleep. Same with melatonin. The thing is, blue light stimulates your brain and can delay your sleepy time hormone from kicking in. Want to get your cycle going normal? Cut off all electronics two hours before you’re ready to go down.

5. Insulin

We’ve talked sleep. Now let’s talk energy. Hello Mr. Insulin Man! He’s in charge of getting the fat and sugar out of your blood and into your muscle and fat stores. How do you manage insulin? Carb out after your workout! Make sure to take in some protein along with it for a balanced post-workout meal.

How To Build The Body - Are You Avoiding These Major Workout Errors?

For men, the more muscular they are the more attractive they seem. And a bigger built can most definitely give you confidence. And it is but natural for you to wonder about how to build the body effectively.

Body building is a program that requires and demands a lot form the trainer. It is important that you understand all that is involved in getting to the program before you jump into it. If you set proper expectations, you can become more committed knowing what you are getting yourself into.

Exercise is an important aspect of building the body. But this is not the only aspect that you should be paying attention to. For a more effective workout, here are some useful tips you can follow on working out successfully.

Use a workout plan.

Exercise is essential. And you should make an effort to research on effective workouts to help you gain mass and develop muscles. Knowing what is suitable is also the key to your success when you are learning how to build the body.

For a bodybuilding program, strength or weight training should not be the only focus. It should be a good combination of cardio exercises, weight lifting routines and other types of workout. And you should ensure your plan features a good combination of these.

It is strongly recommended that you try different work outs too. This can help you determine the best forms that you can stick to. And that can ultimately affect better results.

Give yourself rest and your body some time to recover.

Workout is indeed necessary but you have to be careful not to over train. Your muscles and your entire body require some rest too. Bodybuilders are advised to have two days rest after a strenuous day of exercise.

While it is good to work and train hard, you should not overdo it. Rest is equally essential. And for this, you need to make sure you have full night's rests too.

Make sure to eat right.

Your workout may be deemed useless unless you eat healthy. It is then essential that you carefully plan your diet too. Make it a point to have complete nourishment.

You have to avoid unhealthy foods. Only healthy and nutrient rich foods can properly nourish you and this is important to give you proper energy levels necessary for performing the workouts. These are all essential in working how to build the body in a healthy and successful manner. I've prepared some powerful body building and fitness secrets for you below, enjoy!

What Is Metabolism and How Does It Affect Us?

Metabolism is said to resemble a fire; in terms of how "big" or "small" it is. Essentially, metabolism is a general term given to describe all the activities and chemical reactions that happen in the body on a cellular level. This basically means how much work your body does and this is usually related to how many calories a person uses in a day. There are some key phrases to remember regarding metabolism.

Basal metabolism is used to describe the energy used by the body doing no physical activity at all that day. Knowing your basal metabolism is like marking a baseline on how much energy to consume. If you are a person who is desk bound to a job or generally inactive, your calorie intake should not vary too far away from your basal metabolism as you would have excess calories which will turn into fatty acids. In the same way, a construction worker who does a lot of physical work in a day requires more calories in a day when compared to his basal metabolism as he is active.

A high metabolism is a characteristic trait of an ectomorph. An ectomorph is someone who has difficulty gaining weight because of this trait. He is usually characterized as someone who has very little muscle mass and generally very lean. The high metabolism not only means that it consumes more energy which contributes to him being lean, but also that his body turn to using the glycogen in his muscle when it feels it is starved of energy, resulting in a state known as catabolism or muscle degradation.

A person with a low metabolism is used to describe an endomorph. An endomorph is someone who puts on weight easily due to the very nature of the body using the energy it gets from food slowly which results in a significant amount of calories to be stored as fatty acids. Endomorphs are also generally bigger in size and have a difficult time in burning calories which are stored as fats. Endomorphs however, are blessed with the ability to maintain anabolism or muscular productivity as the body does not "feel" that it is going through a state of starvation and thus will not turn to using the glycogen in the muscle.

Lastly, metabolism rate can be tweaked by both diet and exercise. Science has proven that when we consume food, the body will go into a state of overdrive as it has a new task of breaking down the food in the stomach and using it productively all over the body. This state will last generally for an hour before gradually falling down to suit the person's activity level. The same state also goes for exercise but instead of breaking down food in the stomach, the body goes to work repairing the muscular damage it faces during an exercise. An endomorph can use it to his advantage by consuming small meals throughout the day which will spike the metabolism more often which will thus burn more calories. When this is paired with intense exercise, this result in a fat burning ability which will ensure that he will lose weight easily.

An ectomorph must also follow this training regime but tweak it such that he consumes more full volume meals throughout the day. This raises his calorie intake so that it is easier for him to put on weight. The reason to integrate exercise into his plan to put on weight as muscle is 3 times denser than fat which will then be translated into weight gain on the weighing machine.

The Effects of Alcohol on Bodybuilding

This topic might have occurred in your mind. Will alcohol give any impact on my bodybuilding program? Some people can hardly say no to alcohol. For some of you, cutting down alcohol may be more difficult than reducing your food intake.

What is the connection between taking alcohol and building muscle? How can alcohol affect the process of building muscle? Here is some information you need to understand about the connection between taking alcohol and building muscle.

- Growth hormone

Alcohol intake affects the release of human growth hormone. Growth hormone is an important substance produced in human body to build muscle and promote cell growth as well as optimum bone growth. Human growth hormone is most produced when you are at sleep. Taking alcohol before sleep will affect your natural sleep cycle and can potentially reduce the growth hormone release down to 70 percent of its normal release amount.

- Testosterone levels

Testosterone is one of the most important hormones for muscle growth. Some substances of alcohol are synthesized in the liver. These often become toxins against the substances that trigger the release of testosterone. The decrease of testosterone levels will hinder the process of building muscle.

- Recovery time

Alcohol is often a toxin to human body. To reduce the effects caused by alcohol, our bodies need to spend more energy to get rid of alcohol from our metabolism. The more energy the body spends to get rid of it, the less remaining energy you have for muscle recovery.

- Hydration levels

Alcohol is a diuretic substance that can disturb your natural hydration levels. Dehydration can cause fatigue and decreased productivity. When you are dehydrated, you will not have enough energy to train your muscles.

- Glycogen synthesis

When you are taking alcohol drinks, alcohol synthesis takes place. Glycogen synthesis doesn't happen when alcohol synthesis takes place. Avoid taking alcohol before and after workout so that you don't get tired easily.

- Aerobic activities

Alcohol intake triggers the rise of blood pressure and increases heart beat rate. During workout, your heart is working at its maximum capacity, the rise of blood pressure caused by alcohol will make your workout much more challenging.

- Body fat levels

Alcohol contains calories which can cause you gain weight easily. One gram of alcohol equals 7 calories of energy. A few shots of alcohol drinks is just the same as having a full course dinner. It's just a matter of time that you will gain more fat.

Do You Really Know What Sugar Does to Your Body?

The thing to remember is that it is not always about "all" or "none." Moderation is key for most things, but admittedly harder to stick to around the holidays. We've got Thanksgiving under our belts with the winter holidays coming underway, and a whole new set of sweets to look forward to. Most (if not all) of us give in to our holiday sweet tooth, but for those of you who have a sweet tooth, and indulge it, all year round, there are some things you should know about what too much sugar does to the human body, particularly too much processed sugar.

Is It Really THAT Bad for Your Health?

For starters, sugar is addictive and really is not good for your teeth. For those of you who partake of sugary drinks, how are your teeth doing? Excessive sugar will eat away at the enamel protecting your teeth. You can get cavities, and ultimately, infections. Infections in the mouth find their way down into your digestive system, negatively affecting the whole body system. But that's just for starters...

Too Much Sugar Increases the Chance of Disease

While it affects many different aspects of the functioning of the human body, the liver is probably the most important. Your liver has a critical job in the human body, and you don't want to stress it out. Unfortunately, that's what excessive consumption of sugar does. Again, I'm not talking about minimal or even moderate amounts of sugar. Damage occurs with the habitual consumption of a lot of sugar. Basically, the kind of damage that too much alcohol can cause the liver, can also be caused by too much sugar. In fact, it can cause fatty liver disease (non-alcoholic).

Excessive amounts of sugar can increase uric acid levels, which in turn increase your risk of heart and kidney disease. Your kidneys process the blood in the human body, pulling out waste and extra fluid, preventing the build of said waste and extra fluid in the body. They will even regulate your blood pressure, among other things. That is, as long as they are working properly (so drink enough water, folks).

Excessive sugar increases the likelihood of insulin resistance and encourages weight gain by confounding our body's appetite system, making us feel hungry when we are not. The weight gain aside, the disruption to the release of insulin increases the chance of diabetes. Unfortunately, that's not all. Excessive amounts of sugar (NOTE: "excessive") can also create an optimal environment for the proliferation of cancer cells, which thrive in sugary environments. Sugar promotes the growth of cancer cells and cell division.

So, What Can I Eat?

Once again, sugar in moderation is not likely to send you down the path of disease. You tread a dangerous path when you partake of sugar in excess. Don't beat yourself up for having that slice of birthday cake at your friend's party, or that pie on Thanksgiving, but be aware of your habits. If you crave something sweet once in awhile, opt for fruit. The sugar that occurs in fresh fruit is natural and balanced by fiber and other nutrients, but enjoy in moderation. You can cut down on refined carbohydrates (think pancakes) also.

Balance is Key

A balanced diet serves to not only keep your organs and other body systems running smoothly, but also to keep your qi and yin/yang forces in balance. Remember that an excess in one aspect creates a deficiency in the other, potentially stressing our body system to the point of discomfort or illness.

7 Amazing Tips On Muscle Building For Skinny Guys!

Muscle building for skinny guys doesn't have to be hard. There's a misconception out there regarding how hard you should work. Follow the tips below and you will slice the time and energy you need to put into the process.

The most important tips on muscle building for skinny guys are:

#1: Your diet is truly important.
Certain foods prevent you from building your muscles and others encourage the building of muscles. Eat the same kind of good, healthy, clean foods each day. Monitor what you eat and measure how your diet influences your results.

#2: Take a good night's sleep.
Your muscles grow during the night. The better you sleep at night the more chances you have to build those muscles.

#3: Do cardio.
Doing cardio doesn't influence your muscles in a huge way, but it improves your hormone levels and it increases your metabolism.

#4: Do things that increase your metabolism.
Drinking water improves how your body works. A large part of our body is made out of water. It makes sense to give it water in order to keep it healthy.

Other foods and drinks that increase your metabolism are: green tea, soup, grapefruit, apples, pears, broccoli, yogurt, turkey meat, oatmeal, hot peppers and many others.

#5: It's possible to do it.
Most skinny people don't build their muscles because of psychological reasons. They have excuses and theories. Feel and believe that it is possible to get the results you want.

#6: Eat more often.
By eating more than 3 times each day, you will steadily fuel your muscles and increase your metabolism. Both help you grow your muscles and make your muscles more visible.

#7: Eat more food.
Muscles have luxurious body characteristics. They consume a lot of energy. This is why you need to eat more food. If your body doesn't get enough food, it will not grow your muscles. They will never grow beyond a certain limit. And the limit is determined mostly by how much food you actually eat.

The above useful tips make the muscle building for skinny guys a lot easier. Take your time and apply them.

Top 3 Dangers To Avoid When Bulking Up

Most folks have heard that in order to get big and muscular you need to eat BIG and feed those muscles - you are what you eat, after all.

While this is partly true, it's really only half of the story. The biggest problem facing many folks is that they will often gain fat as well as muscle while bulking up. If you're a skinny guy that might not be such a huge problem, but if you've already got a body fat percentage that is fairly high you can't really afford to take on any more without sacrificing your health.

Below I've highlighted the 3 main dangers that traditional bulking diets can pose, and the best way for you to avoid them.

1./ High Fat and Salt Intakes

Since you are consuming a larger amount of calories each day on a bulking diet not enough emphasis is placed on the quality of the calories that you are taking on, and where those calories come from. Most bulk up diets involve you consuming high amounts of salt, sugars, unhealthy fats, corn syrup and trans fats. As I'm sure you will agree, those things are recipes for bad long-term health and an increased risk of heart disease and other cholesterol-related illnesses.

2./ Insulin Resistance

Usual bulking diets make your body develop insulin resistance which can make muscle building difficult since insulin resistance makes your body send the carbs that you consume to your fat stores instead of your muscle tissue.

Insulin resistance can be hard to reverse, meaning that as time goes on it will become increasingly difficult to lose the body fat but easier to GAIN it...not good! This is a major reason why skinny people can stay lean despite eating pretty much they want.

3./ Underactive Thyroid

Too much fat gain can play havoc with your thyroid production. This hormone is responsible for speeding up the whole fat-burning process, and the fatter you are the less effective it becomes, resulting in you gaining fat faster - this is a nasty vicious circle that you should definitely avoid.

How To Avoid These Bulking Up Pitfalls...

As you can see, failure to understand how your body reacts to what you put inside it is a major cause of excess fat gain while bulking, but also of the increased chances of long-term health risks.

The key to avoiding these dangers is to reduce your high-calorie bulking cycles. In other words, many bulking cycles can last for several months - this takes a toll on your body and metabolism. Shortening your cycles to a few weeks will reduce the risk of fat gain and also get enough variety into your routine.

Focus on timing your meals appropriately too - don't just eat whenever you want throughout the day. Understand that your nutrient requirements fluctuate throughout the day. Understanding how and when to eat certain meals and food groups will maximize muscle gains and minimize fat gain. This is the art of nutrient timing.

How to Pick the Supplement That Is Right for You

Amongst the pages of all good bodybuilding and fitness magazines are a myriad of manufacturers attempting to sell you supplements with wild claims of almost every kind. They all have the miracle answer to your problems. But do they? Many of the claims that are being bandied around these days lack substance and do nothing to aid the consumer in the search for the product that is right for them.

So to help you make an educated decision when buying fitness supplements, bodybuilding supplements or general sports nutrition you need to adhere to the following basics.

1. The look of the product says a lot about the quality. It's usually true that packaging quality reflects the quality of the product inside, that is, if the packaging is poor, the product is likely to be inferior, and if the packaging is high-quality, chances increase that the product is a winner.

2. Now you need to do as any good grocery shopper would do and read the back of the label. I would suggest that the first thing you look for is the serving size and then how long will the product last according to the directions. You need to be looking for a product that gives you at least a 28 day supply to be of any value.

3. It's important to look for branded ingredient names on the back panel. While each product is unique, branded ingredient names can include names like "lean complex" and "rapid absorption initiator." It's usually a good sign if a product has branded ingredient names on the label as this can indicate that the product is of quality. While there is still the chance that low grade products can make up branded names in their advertising spiels on the packaging, usually the presence of branded ingredient names demonstrates that a company has put in considerable time and effort into making a quality product that may have some research backing.

4. Ingredient concentrations are important because ingredients make products work. For example, if a product contains metabolites like creatine, how much creatine does the product contain? This should be clearly listed on the label. To be effective and to meet claim, important ingredients should appear as close to the beginning of the ingredient listing as possible. This ensures that you're getting enough of the active ingredients to expect that the product will deliver.

5. Real-world case studies and testimonials are fine, but the ultimate test is this: does it work? This is a question that is best answered by science.

In today's market, there's really no reason why a product shouldn't be backed by science - unless it's just hit the market and academic testing is ongoing. High-quality products will almost always have scientific references listed if label space allows.

6. Contact information on a product package is a sign that a company stands behind its products and is willing to step up to the plate to give you customer service, should it be required. Avoid all supplements that don't list contact information on the label.

While these are general rules to use when picking a supplement, you need to be aware of what the ingredients actually do for you before you want to include them in your diet. So I would suggest that you research exactly what supplements will be beneficial to you and your goals.

Champion Health and fitness provides quality knowledge and products to help you in your health and fitness quest.

What Type of Body Do Women Really Want?

One thing that just about any guy wants is to be the guy that all the girls want. It's a typical fantasy that guys often have where they have girls hanging off of their arms. Body building magazines exploit this desire by showing the massively muscled body builders on the cover with attractive women hanging off of their arms or down by their thighs.

But is that an accurate representation of what women really want? In my journey through this thing we all call life for the most part that isn't quite true. How often have you ever heard a women say that they found body builder's disgusting? I know I've heard it more then once. And if what women really wanted was to have a guy that was over muscled don't you think that there would be more posters of Mr. Olympia competitors then of Taylor Lautner in college girl's dorm rooms? The empirical evidence is there. Let's take a look at some of the psychological studies that were conducted on females and what they found to be "sexy".

"As predicted, women rate muscular men as sexier, more physically dominant and volatile, and less committed to their mates than nonmuscular men. Consistent with the inverted-U hypothesis of masculine traits, men with moderate muscularity are rated most attractive." Why is muscularity sexy? Tests of the fitness indicator hypothesis.

Frederick DA, Haselton MG.
Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563, USA.

So using that as a basic guideline it shows that the typical over muscled body builder is not what women find the most sexually appealing. Yes I know that "moderate muscularity" is a bit of a broad definition but you can use this as a simple guideline to say that you should look like you workout with weights but not so much that you obsess over it and look like you are chemically enhanced.

"Women who are traditionally feminine show a preference for traditionally masculine physiques, i.e., tapering V physiques" Female preferences for male physiques
Paul J. Lavrakas
Loyola University of Chicago, USA 

Ever notice how they stick shoulder pads within suit jackets? That is done to give you a broad shouldered appearance. Apparently it's a common thing for women to like a guy with strong shoulders and a lean midsection. The way you can accomplish this is with a variety of overhead presses with a variety of pull ups and chin ups in addition to a healthy nutrition program to lean out your midsection. It seems that the old time lift called the bent press would be a wise choice since it trains both the shoulder and the latissimus dorsi at the same time to give you that broad shouldered look that women seem to prefer.

Again these are just general guidelines. There are numerous theories on what type of physique women prefer but no women is exactly the same as the last one and all lean towards somewhat different preferences. The only thing you can really go by is what type of body the majority of women seem to want.

So to wrap it up just get out there and start training but don't obsess about becoming big enough because big enough never is and is often too much.

10 Great Tips For Bodybuilding Beginners

1. Find a full body workout and stick with it for at least 2 - 3 months. You do not want to end up with an awesome chest and biceps with tiny chicken legs. If you have a full body workout routine, your body will be well rounded. It takes time to see results. Sometimes newbies will be tempted to leave a really great workout routine to find the latest workout routine fad. After 2 -3 months, if you see that your routine isn't giving you the results that you are looking for, then by all means, switch it up a bit. But keep doing what is working. You can find a vast amount of free workout routines online.

2. Use machines over free weights when you are beginning. I say this because you can really hurt yourself if you aren't using proper form. It's pretty hard not to have proper form while using a machine. This tip is especially true if you don't have a spotter. In order to tear those muscle fibers so you can build them up, you will need to work those muscles to exhaustion. It can be scary if you are benching a considerable amount of weight, you are by yourself, and feel like you may not be able to get the bar up.

3. Use lighter weights. It can be very tempting to want to try to keep up with the other guys in the gym. You might feel like a wimp curling 10 lbs dumbbells while the guy next to you is curling 60 lbs. It is better to work your way up then to hurt yourself. I grantee you that the guy next to you didn't start curl 60 lbs over night.

4. Start out with straight sets. I recommend doing 15 - 20 sets of 3 for each exercise that you perform. Use lighter weight. Your third set should be hard to do For example if you are doing curls you can start out with 3 sets with maybe 15 lbs dumbbells. Go even lighter if the weight seems too much. . When this becomes too easy you can either increase the weight or begin doing a more advanced pyramid technique. A sample pyramid technique would be 1 set of 15 reps with 15 lbs dumbbells. Then do 1 set of 12 reps with 20 lbs dumbbells. Then do 1 set of 10 with 22.5 lbs dumbbells. Decrease the reps while you add weight to each set.

5. Don't forget about cardio. Be sure to have some cardio involved in your workout routine. I spend about 25 minutes on the treadmill at least 3 times a week. Cardio can really help you shed off the fat so you can have lean muscle mass. The best time to run is first thing in the morning before you eat. At night while you are sleeping, your body begins to burn off fat so when you wake up your body is already in fat burning mode. Cardio is also great because it helps you to have a healthy heart. Too much cardio can make you a skinny bean pole so be sure to balance it out.

6. Watch what you eat. You can workout everyday of the week, but if you are eating junk your workouts will not give you very good results. Stay away from fried foods, foods high in sugar, and be careful not to take in too many carbs. This means bye bye Snickers, McDonalds, and KFC It is a good idea to try to get as much protein in your diet as possible. Protein helps build and repair muscle tissue. The suggest amount of protein is 1.5 grams per lbs. I weigh 185 lbs so I should be taking in about 277 grams of protein a day. Carbs aren't 100% bad either. They give you energy so you need them to, just keep your carb intake on the lower side.

7. Take advice from a ripped guy over a big fat guy. If the guy is ripped, his method must work. Even better than advice from a ripped guy is getting advice from an old ripped guy. The person who got me into bodybuilding was 54 years old. This guy looks 30 something. If a guy is old and ripped, his techniques must work long term.

8. Don't worry about where you workout. Some people go around in circles with should I workout at home, should I go to the gym? Each have their advantages, but just pick which ever one that works best for you. I have young children that require my time when I get home. Even if I had the greatest gym in the world, it would do me no good.

9 Study up. Read what you can on health, nutrition, and bodybuilding. You could be eating stuff that is making your workout routine unproductive but would have a clue unless you studied up on it.

10. If at all possible, find a workout buddy. Workout buddies can help keep you motivated. Be sure that your workout buddy is not a slacker or you might find yourself eating potato chips and playing Halo at your workout buddies' house.

Best Muscle Building Secrets - 6 Top Secrets For Building Muscle

While it may seem like building muscle is just based on exercising more, the truth is that best muscle building secrets can help you achieve the results you're after. But be careful about what secrets you consider the best.

With the right training tips and following a sensible routine and diet plan, you will begin to see the muscle build in just a few weeks, rather than feeling like you are fighting a losing battle.

Rest Is Important

1. The first thing that you will want to know is that you should allow your body to rest and recuperate at least a few days of the week, so that it can repair from your last training session. This is one of the best secrets for building muscle that you need to know since your common sense may have been telling you to work more, instead of less to build muscle in your body.

2. It's vital you stretch each and every time that you work out, both before and after you exercise. Don't ignore this muscle building tip since forgetting to stretch your muscle correctly can lead to damage that can take weeks or months to heal, making it take longer for you to build your muscles.

3. Remember to keep track of which exercises you do, so that you can increase your repetitions and weight in the future. It may be a good idea to write down exactly what you do, and how many repetitions you have so that the next time you work out, you know how many more you need to do.

4. Most of the time, it is better to train more intensely than to train for a long period of time, so keep your workouts short and intense for best results. Keep your time in the gym for weight training brief, but make every minute count.

5. Another of the top muscle building secrets is that you should keep your weights relatively light, so that there is less strain on your muscles. Remember that doing 15 sets of thirty pound weights is just as effective as lifting 250 pounds three times, but it won't cause you to become sore and overworked nearly as easily as lifting the lighter weights.

6. Maintain a positive attitude about training, so that you don't give up too easily. It may take several weeks, or even several months, before you see your muscles begin to respond to your training, especially if you have just begun eating the right foods. Nearly everyone who is healthy can build muscle, as long as they stick to their routine and maintain a healthy diet.

12 Powerful Tips to Building Muscle Fast

Interested in building muscle fast huh? Then you can't afford not to read this article. We've prepared 12 essential truths about mass building that are needed for optimum results. Let's get started now...

1. Hammering out a bunch of biceps curls will not give you big guns... You need to increase your overall mass to get the arms you know you want!

2. It's better to train more, and eat more, than to train less, and eat less. Want results? You're going to have to work for them!

3. You don't need a training partner to get big (but it helps). I packed on my first 16 pounds of muscle working out in my basement alone... You can too!

4. PLEASE stop talking and start taking action! It gets tiring to see the skinny guys wanting to get huge, but all they ever do is hang around forums asking questions instead of getting out there and investing their own time and effort into learning through action!

5. Stop with the "fake" lifts! You know the ones I'm talking about. You see it in the gym all the time. 1 man bench pressing more than he can handle, while his partner yells at him "You're doing great! It's all you man!" All the while, the partner is helping him lift... What a knucklehead!

6. Stop trying to find the easy way out! This takes effort and you know it!

7. Results are all that matters. Who cares what everyone else 'thinks' - All you should care about is if it's working for you right? You're the one who wants to look good!

8. Most trainee's work out for a whole year and look exactly the same! Hmmm... Something's not right here! Most will look identical the next year as well! Time to invest in a good program!

9. Don't take advice from just anyone! Would you take financial advice from someone with less money than you? Something to think about isn't it!

10. Is your program complete? A complete program entails: Strength work, movement patterns, flexibility, injury prevention, core training, recovery enhancement etc... Most programs you buy contain 1 or 2 areas, but neglect the rest... Are you missing any of these? If so, you're robbing yourself of results!

11. Stop with the body part workouts, and focus on full body workouts instead. Unless you're already in great shape, you'll need to build the entire body before targeting specific body parts.

12. Most supplements available on the market carry only a 30% absorption rate. This means 70% of your investment is going down the tubes! This is usually done intentionally to increase profits as you have to keep coming back for more. Watch carefully what you invest your hard earned money into!

Bodybuilding Myths Vs Truth

There are a lot of bodybuilding myths out there that should be busted right now. They are giving people false hopes about bodybuilding. It also makes bodybuilding sound easy. The real truth is that bodybuilding is not as easy as you think. Most bodybuilders spend years to achieve their perfect, ripped body; this with the help of multiple supplements as well as a lot of intensive and extensive training.

Myth No.1: You can become as big as a pro-bodybuilder if you work out for a long period of time

Let us tell you that what the magazines have been telling you are lies. Pro bodybuilders get their bulky muscles by using steroids and growth enhancing drugs. It is not possible to become as muscular as them even if you work out for 10-20 years. Drugs help pro bodybuilders to manipulate their hormones so that their body can increase the ability to pack on muscle mass. Exercise alone will never get them to achieve those tree bark like muscle veins. Nevertheless, you can always choose to join natural bodybuilders. They believe in natural supplements and training to build their body. That's your safe way to bodybuilding.

Myth No 2: Your muscles will grow bigger if you work out more

This myth causes a lot of beginner bodybuilders to overwork. Working out too much is not helping to build your muscle mass. Overworking will only cause muscle failure, which in turn, will take approximately one week for you to recover. You should be working out consistently, for 3-4 days a week. In between your workouts, do some cardio to maintain your fitness level. It is not true that the more you work out, the bigger you will become.

Myth No 3: The longer you work out, the better it is for muscle development

No, it is not necessarily better to work out longer. The main point in working out is to achieve muscular fatigue. You can achieve this in just one set of workout. For instance, when you lift weights, you are working on every muscle of your body; legs, biceps and triceps, back and chest muscles. If doing one set is enough to tire your muscles out, you don't need to work out more. Otherwise, you'll experience muscle failure. When you achieve muscle fatigue, rest your muscles before your next workout. This will give the muscles an opportunity to grow. The myth is again, proved to be just a myth.

Myth No 4: A hundred sit ups will get you a washboard abdomen in the end of the day

This is overrated. There is no such thing as achieving a washboard abdomen in one day. You can do a sit up until you faint but there is no way you are going to get those six packs in one day. For your information, exercise only will not help to flatten your tummy. You also need to watch out your diet. Otherwise, your hundred sit ups is just a vain attempt to gain six packs.

20 Benefits of Deadlifts You Probably Never Knew

Without question, deadlifts are one of my favorite compound exercises after the squat. Before I share the top 20 benefits of deadlifts, in case you don't know, deadlifts are a weightlifting exercise which involves lifting a bar of weights off the ground.

Deadlifts will help increase your overall strength and build lean muscle mass unlike any other exercise. All you need is a standard Olympic bar and the appropriate weights for your body size and you are good to go.

Some people are afraid to do deadlifts in case they get injured. You will only get injured if you don't know how to perform the exercise safely. Like any exercise, if your form and technique is bad you're going to injure yourself eventually.

There are several variations of the deadlift, but I prefer just regular conventional deadlift as I find it more beneficial, also, I've been doing it for years now.

Other Deadlift Variations Include:

1. Rack Pulls
2. Sumo Deadlift
3. Romanian Deadlift
4. Trap Bar Deadlift
5. Kettlebell Sumo Deadlifts

I personally don't do any of the above deadlift variations, but are more suited for different people based on their goals, especially if they are just learning to improve their form or lack mobility to pull the bar safely off the floor.

How often should you deadlift?

I do deadlifts once a week when I do my back and biceps workout in the same day. I usually start off every back workout doing deadlifts because it's the only exercise that requires more effort than any other back exercise I do. So, after deadlifts, it's, barbell rows, pullups etc.

Some people like to deadlift 2-3 times a week because they are not pushed to their maximum limit, therefore they are able to recover faster.

Deadlifting is popular among athletes and non-athletes alike and it's never too late to start. So, there is no excuse!

Here are 20 benefits of deadlifts which you probably did not know existed.

1. Fat burner

For anyone who would like to lose extra pounds, deadlifts can come in very handy. Deadlifts facilitate the rapid burning of body fat and it complements dieting and aerobic exercises. Some experts say believe that with deadlifts alone, one can burn more pounds of fat than they would while dieting

2. Muscle Workout

Deadlifting is the best workout for those who would love to exercise as many muscles as they can. What most people do not know is that deadlifts engage all the major groups of muscles of the body. Not only do deadlifts work out the upper body, but also the lower body and the muscles of your back. If you have no time to do many exercise routines, this one will suffice.

3. Improves Posture and Stability

If you have problems standing or sitting upright, you should try deadlifting. The idea behind deadlifting is to enhance core stability and strength. Regular deadlifting can help you achieve the appropriate posture, even when doing other activities.

4. Improves Grip Strength

What most people do not know is that when they perform deadlifts they actually work out their finger muscles. The forearm is exercised as well, but the fingers are relied on to hold the weight in place. With time, you will increase your grip strength, something which may come in handy when you have a task that requires you to hold onto something for long.

5. Makes Real Life Lifting Easier

When you do deadlifts over time, you will realize that lifting things become easier and effortless. Unlike a bench press, which requires you to lie on your back and push things upwards, deadlifts are more realistic since nobody really pushes items in the air on a daily basis. On the other hand, people lift items off the ground or from other surfaces on a daily basis.

6. Sculpt and Strenghten Your Core

Deadlifts will help sculpt and tighten up your entire core section, upper and lower abs, obliques

7. Increases Testosterone

For a man, testosterone is a very important hormone as it is responsible for most of their features. Doing deadlift is advisable for anyone who would like to increase their testosterone levels. Testosterone improves the growth of muscles and their repair.

8. Increases Growth Hormone

Any form of exercise, especially deadlifting, increases the levels of growth hormone in the blood. This hormone is produced by the pituitary gland and is responsible for tissue healing, muscle growth, strong bones and fat loss.

9. Keeps the Heart Healthy

Doing 10-20 repetitions of deadlifts in a single set will definitely increase your heartbeat. Deadlifts can be an alternative to aerobics as they work the same way to increase your cardiovascular ability.

10. Affordable

One of the reasons why people avoid signing up for a gym membership is because of how expensive it is. Instead of spending that much money to stay fit, simply buy yourself an Olympic bar and a few plates and you are good to go.

11. Strengthen Hamstrings and Butt

A note to all women: Do you want curvy legs and a sexy butt? Deadlifts will help you achieve this. Squats and deadlifts are the two best compound exercises that will help strengthen and tone your entire body.

12. Prevents Potential Injuries

According to fitness experts, deadlifts may reduce the chances of one getting injuries affecting the tendons and ligaments. The reason behind this is that deadlifts enable you to develop strong muscles that support the joints.

14. Suitable for women

Women are always concerned about getting a male physique when working out. Unlike common belief, deadlifts do not distort one's femininity, but improves on their physique.

15. Not just for athletes

I don't consider myself a professional athlete although of people who don't personally know me, think I am. So you don't need to be a pro athlete to do any compound exercises - squats, deadlifts of bench press. Anybody can do them.

16. Slows down the aging process

Strength training exercises such as deadlifts and squats helps make your muscles firmer as well as and speeds up the metabolism and keeps the skin taut and strong.

17. Reduces Depression

Deadlifts help your body release feel-good hormones which are responsible for lifting the mood. After your workout, you will feel a lot happier and peaceful. This is the perfect way to deal with stress.

18. It's Fun

If you would like to exercise with friends or family, this is the best exercise to do. You can challenge each other to do a number of deadlifts and have fun while at it.

19. More than one squat variations

There are several different squat variations that you can do based on your goals and experience.

20. Builds Stamina

Deadlifting is one type of exercise that challenges a person to go beyond their comfort zone. Apart from strengthening your core, you will also get lessons on stamina and discipline.

It is obvious that deadlifts are very beneficial to both men and women. However, apart from these 20 benefits of deadlifting, there are many more reasons why you should create your own deadlifting routine.

The good thing about it is that you can do it anytime and without supervision. Start doing your ten repetitions today and take advantage of these benefits!