Building Muscle: How is it really done?

	TEST

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Most people believe that in order to build noticeable muscle size, they have to devote many hours in the gym, 5 or 6 days a week for many years. This is untrue, yes, hard work is required, but to devote that much time is unnecessary.
Substantial muscle growth can be achieved with 40-minute sessions 3 days a week, sometimes much less if done correctly. Muscles will only grow in size when they have fully recovered from the gym workout, then, and only then will muscle growth happen. If your goal is to achieve maximum muscle growth in the shortest possible time then there needs to be more rest days than actual workout days.
It's difficult for some people to believe that substantial muscle growth can be induced with only
2 or 3 days a week at 40 minutes a session, or less. It can be done and it is being done by many, however, there is a catch:
These "few and far between" gym sessions will have to be short and extremely intensive. More intense than ever, you have to justify your days off. You have to give your body a very good reason to grow bigger muscles. The sessions will be about what you thought you could not do, but somehow managed to do.
Eg: if you're lifting a certain weight and you know you can only get 8 reps, you will push yourself further than ever before and squeeze out another 2 reps of that weight, with the help of your training partner or someone else of course. You will need help with the last 2 reps but the idea is to execute a greater effort than you are used to doing, this creates the environment for greater muscle growth (all other things being equal).
Below is an example of an 8 Week "every other day" muscle building routine. It's an example of how short the training sessions should be. It can also be done taking 2 days rest in between training sessions. I am assuming that you have weight training experience behind you, and also that you are familiar with the jargon. If not, then I would not recommend that you push yourself too far until you have built up your strength and fitness level. You should always get the go-ahead from your GP or health professional before starting or changing any physical exercise program.

Warm ups are not included in the below.
Day 1:
Chest - 2 sets 10 reps 1 exercise. Use the same weight for your 2nd set.
Biceps - 2 sets 8 reps 1 exercise. Use the same weight for your 2nd set.
Day 2: REST.
Day 3:
Thighs - 2 sets 10 reps 1 exercise. Use the same weight for your 2nd set.
Hamstrings - 2 sets 8 reps 1 exercise. Use the same weight for your 2nd set.
Calves - 2 sets 12 reps 1 exercise. Use the same weight for your 2nd set.
Day 4: REST.
Day 5:
Shoulders - 2 sets 10 reps 1 exercise. Use the same weight for your 2nd set.
Triceps - 2 sets 8 reps 1 exercise. Use the same weight for your 2nd set.
Day 6: REST.
Day 7:
Back - 2 sets 10 reps 1 exercise. Use the same weight for your 2nd set.
Abdominals - 2 sets 10 reps 1 exercise. Use the same weight for your 2nd set.
Day 8: REST.
Day 9: Start again.
Notes:
You will need someone to help you for the last 2 or 3 reps of every set.
So if you're doing a set of 10 reps, the weight should be heavy enough to allow only 8 reps
on your own, and you will need help to get the other 2 reps to make it 10.
If you're doing a set of 8 reps, it's really only 5 or 6 reps that you can get on your own; help will be needed to complete the 8 reps.
Increase the weight every week, even if it's only 5lbs in total. Safety takes priority over ego.
On the 4th week reduce the rep range by 2 for all sets and continue.
The idea is to put forth a much greater intensive effort than you imagine you can. The reward for these infrequent efforts is, shorter training sessions and more rest days away from it and of course much Greater Muscle Growth. Many people are now achieving greater results through smarter training methods, spending less time in the gym with more free time to enjoy other activities. Excessive hours and days in the gym is, at last! No longer the way to go.
For more information on how to achieve the greatest Muscle Growth in the shortest possible time visit http://www.explosivemusclegrowth.com/explosive-muscle.html

How Obesity and Heart Disease are Related
For a long time a majority of heart health professionals considered that obesity had only an indirect link to heart disease. They attributed the major risk factors for heart disease (such as hypertension, high cholesterol, and even arteriosclerosis) to the degree of the obesity of the person involved. While obesity is a contributing factor for many of these conditions, studies are now indicating a more direct link between obesity and heart disease.
A Direct link between Obesity and Heart Disease
A spate of recent studies has demonstrated that while obesity can affect a number of risk factors for heart disease, they are also directly related in that obesity can be a predictive indicator of heart disease. In the most recent fourteen year study, middle-aged women with a BMI index of between twenty-three and twenty-five, were found to be 50% more likely to be at risk of both fatal and non-fatal coronary heart disease. This is clear evidence of a correlation between obesity and heart disease.
There are other results which also highlight the link, in particular, abnormalities in the left ventricular mass and function of the heart. In sufferers of hypertension, this is quite a normal occurrence, but there is now sufficient evidence that obese subjects in the same studies also show a correlation when hypertension is not present at heightened levels. In such cases, the only condition that appears to affect the condition of the heart is severe obesity. This information therefore indicates that obesity and heart disease are intricately linked and can definitely lead to congestive heart failure.
What you can do to Treat Obesity and Heart Disease
Now that there is a clear correlation between obesity and heart disease, there are a number of preventative steps available to obese patients who are clearly at risk of developing heart disease.

Naturally diet and weight loss are at the core of most treatment strategies to restore a healthy heart condition. Salt intake particularly Sodium salts need to be avoided in any healthy diet, but the main issue is weight loss. An exercise regime developed under the direction of a doctor or cardiac exercise specialist is by far superior than a visit to the gym. A lot of gyms offer what the see as specialist assistance to determine an appropriate program for you, but they should always be vetted by your doctor or cardiac treating specialist first.
Also it is interesting to note that a number of studies have indicated that a drastic weight loss, such as after gastro-intestinal surgery, greatly decreases the occurrence of both heart disease and insulin based diabetes.
You will probably be aware of many treatment programmes designed to reduce weight and modify diet. Surgery or medications are also alternatives but most commentators today agree that a lifestyle change oriented program is the best, as long as your doctor agrees.
In this way you can avoid the ink between obesity and heart disease and look forward to a healthy heart and a healthy life.

Michael is the owner of Your Healthy Heart, the BEST site for healthy heart options and information. You will also find great tips on the best healthy options and action plans for a healthy heart at www.Heart HealthLive.com

How a Minimal Exercise Program Can Offer Maximal Gains
As a wellness doctor, I always talk to my patients about the importance of exercise. More often than not, I am met with the same response of “But Doc, I don’t have the time to exercise.”
This excuse has been used so many times that it is akin to “the dog ate my homework.” There is always time. It might not be 30 or 60 minutes in a row, but I am positive a person can find at least 5 to 10 minutes somewhere in the day.
If you can perform a few exercises or postural patterns a few times a day and stay consistent for one week, you will have accomplished at least 35 to 70 minutes worth of exercise.
There are many people who suffer with headaches, neck pain, and back pain due to negative cumulative effects of sitting in front of a computer with poor ergonomics (poor sitting posture in relation to the computer monitor, keyboard, and mouse height) and/or for long periods of time, driving for long periods of time, and/or lack of exercise.
There are a few movement patterns that can be performed in a short period of time (5 to 10 minutes) that may help to manage or relieve tension, headaches, neck pain, or low back pain.
Exercise 1: The Kegel exercise. The world-renowned gynecologist, Dr. Arnold H. Kegel, developed this exercise named after him. This exercise is prescribed for patients who suffer from a weakening of the pelvic floor muscles, which may occur as a result of pregnancy, childbirth, or obesity. The goal of this exercise is to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, specifically the pubococcygeus muscle. This exercise is prescribed to both men and women. Aside from helping with urinary incontinence (involuntary loss of urine during physical exertion such as jumping, running, sneezing, or laughing), it also helps patients who suffer with lower back pain. It’s simple to perform. Just contract the muscles you would use to prevent yourself from urinating. Hold for a few seconds, release, and then repeat. Perform 3 to 5 repetitions.
Exercise 2: Shrug-relax maneuver. The shrug-relax maneuver is designed to decrease stress in the body and decrease neck pain and headaches caused by tension. Raise both shoulders to your ears (as if you are shrugging and saying, “I don’t know”), hold for 3 seconds, and relax. Perform this exercise 3 to 5 times.
Exercise 3: Neck range of motion (ROM). The goal behind this maneuver is to decrease neck and upper-back tightness. Hold each stretch for 3 seconds. Simply let your chin fall to your chest and hold, then return to your starting position; look up to the sky and hold then return to your starting position; turn your head in one direction, as if you are looking over your shoulder, and then, after 3 seconds, turn in the opposite direction; and the last ROM is to lean one ear towards the same shoulder for 3 seconds, and then repeat this exercise on the other side.
Exercise 4: Abdominal hollowing. This exercise helps strengthen your core, which is made up of your deep trunk muscles that support your back, abdomen, and pelvis. Slowly withdraw your stomach muscles back to your spine as if you are sucking in your stomach. Hold for 3 seconds and relax. Repeat this movement 5 times.
Exercise 5: Abdominal breathing. This very simple movement promotes relaxation throughout the body. It is a calming movement that relieves tension in the neck, upper back, shoulders, and chest. It helps to strengthen the abdominal muscles as well. Close your eyes and take a deep breath, attempting to fill your abdomen with air. This is where it gets kind of tricky. When most people take a deep breath, they usually fill their chests. Think of your stomach as a balloon; you are slowly inflating it with air (your breath). After you inhale, slowly let out all the air and repeat. Perform this maneuver 5 times.
That’s it, and it’s only five movements in 5 to 10 minutes. These exercises can be done anywhere, anyplace, and anytime. In fact, I usually refer to this workout as the “Red Light” workout because these movements are so simple, you can do them at a red light. You can even do these same maneuvers during commercial breaks while watching television. The idea is to perform these exercises every day—twice per day, if possible.
Remember that performing these exercises will not only help to relieve headaches and tightness in the neck, upper back, and lower back, but will also reduce your overall tension.
You can take this same principle and apply it to any exercise routine. Remember, just performing 10 minutes in a day will add up to more than an hour by the end of the week. This will provide you with over four hours of exercise in a month. Should you stop here? No, you should not, but it’s a start. To learn more about health, wealth, and happiness, visit me online at www.frompaintopersonalgain.com