How Strict Should Your Exercise Form Be?

When it comes to weight training there are generally 2 schools of thought when it comes to exercise form. 1) You have the typical personal trainers who say you should use slow and controlled movements. Then you have the power and strength athletes who like to use more explosive movements and looser training form. Which one is right and which one should you use in your training?

Well like a lot of things when it comes to working out there is no right or wrong answer. It all depends on the individual, the training situation, the level of training, and the fitness goals.

Obviously for beginners and people who are new to the gym, they need to learn how to perform the exercises with proper form using light weights. At this stage they need to get used to the whole working out process and learn how it feels to work their muscles with weight training.

But gradually as you get stronger and start lifting heavier weights in your workouts with the progressive overload principle. You'll find that your technique will have to change as well. The technique needed to bench press 100 lbs. is totally different then the technique needed to bench press 300+ lbs. As you get stronger different muscles come into play, you need to pay a lot more attention to your set up, how you actually contract the muscles to lift, the mental preparation, etc.

If you have the opportunity to watch advanced lifters train you'll notice that they are NOT going to be using an exaggerated slow and controlled type of exercise form. In fact lifting slow and controlled is not really natural. It doesn't carry over into real world strength and it is not how our muscles are meant to work.

Now I realize what I'm saying here is going to piss some people off. There are those die hard "fitness experts" out there who insist that slow and controlled is the only way and that if you use any speed or momentum in your lifting that you are cheating and that you are going to hurt yourself. But the fact is our bodies are designed for fast and explosive movements.

Real World Strength

Before we move on let's just look at some activities from real world examples. Things such as running, jumping, throwing, etc. all require speed, momentum, and explosiveness. To prove my point, just stand up right now and try to jump as high as you can, but do it in a slow and controlled fashion... you won't even be able to lift off the ground.

And for a few examples from outside of sports, think of trying to pull start a lawn mower or kick start a dirt bike. You have to do both very fast and explosive or else the engine won't get enough RPM's to turn over and start. Bottom line is that real world stuff requires strength, speed, explosiveness, and even momentum. So why are so many people dead set against training this way in the gym?

Now I know some folks (usually young ego driven guys who are full of piss and vinegar) like to go overboard and use too much weight with absolutely crappy form. You can see examples of this when barbell curls become reverse grip power cleans. And bench presses become a team effort push / pull exercise as the lifter drops the bar to his chest and his trusty spotter deadlifts it back up.

But there is that grey zone in the middle of the 2 extremes whereby you are training on the edge, pushing it hard, and also keeping relatively good exercise form at the same time. To see some examples of this type of training just go to YouTube and watch some videos of top bodybuilders like Ronnie Coleman, Branch Warren, and Johnny Jackson.

In these videos you'll see that the guys are powering up big weights and they are also using a bit of "Body English" to handle such poundages, but the form is still pretty good. Even through they are not lifting "slow and controlled", they are certainly placing maximum workload on the targeted muscle groups. This type of training will stimulate muscle growth in ways that endless slow and controlled reps with the pink dumbbells will never achieve.

Even in the great Arnold Schwarzenegger's Encyclopaedia Of Bodybuilding he refers to this as "Power Reps". Joe Weider calls it the "cheating principle". Basically it's just using a bit of umph in your movements in order to handle maximum workloads.

Power Reps For More Muscle & Strength

The use of any weight training technique will depend on the level of the trainee. So to keep it simple I'm going to cover all levels from beginners to advanced and outline how you can incorporate "Power Reps" into your own workouts.

Beginners (less then a year of training)

Beginners should focus on simply learning proper exercise form. The easiest way to do this is to use light to moderate weights and really focus on feeling the muscles flexing and contracting with each rep. The best way to do this, especially at the beginner stage is by using slow and controlled form all the time.

Intermediates (more then a year of training)

As you progress with your training you will notice the naturally tendency to use more force and momentum to try and complete your reps as the weights get heavier. This is something you want to pay careful attention to. Used in the right way this can help you work the muscles harder. Used in the wrong way it will take stress off the targeted muscles.

My advice here is to start with a weight that allows you to maintain strict control for at least 6-8 reps Then you can use a bit of "Body English" to power out a few more reps at the end. This will allow you to perform extra reps that you normally wouldn't have been able to do if you were "too strict" with your form.

Advanced (several years of progressive training)

Advanced lifters already know what works best for their body by the time they make it to this level of training. After all that's what it means to be advanced. However for the purpose of this article I'll outline some "Power Rep" guidelines here.

At the advanced stage you'll have developed your own unique exercise groove from years of lifting. You'll instinctively know if a little swing here, or a little leg drive there, will provide more muscle stimulation and deliver the maximum workload to the muscles. You'll also know if you are over doing it and using too much momentum.

Some common things that advanced lifters do to handle maximum poundages include:

Bench Press: A slight bounce off the chest at the bottom to help rebound the weight up and not fully locking out the elbows at the top. This tends to allow for more weight and / or more reps to be lifted and also provide maximum muscle stimulation.

Squats: A slight rebound out of the bottom will help you get the weight back up. Again sometimes advanced lifters will not fully lock out the knees at the top and keep going, almost like a piston type of up and down motion.

Standing Presses: A slight leg drive will help move maximum poundages while actually cushioning the impact from the exercise. This absorbs some of the stress from the spine down through your legs.

Bent Over Rows: Like with the standing press a bit of leg drive will allow for heavier weights and can help move more weight and / or more reps.

Curls: A little swing at the start and even a slight back arch at the half way mark can help get past the sticky point in the middle of the exercise.

Lateral Raises: A little leg drive at the start and a slight swing in the middle will help you get more weight up. Also holding the dumbbells in the front vs. to the sides will help you lift more weight.

Lat Pull Downs: Arching your back will help you move more weight and actually help you fully contract your lats. Trying to keep your back totally flat when doing any pull down or rowing exercise actually prevents you from getting a peak contraction in the back muscles.

These are some common exercises that work well for "Power Reps". However, your own discretion is advised. This isn't a free for all to go out and use crappy form. It's just another tool in your tool box that can help you take your strength and muscular development to a higher level.

If you are going to use "Power Reps" in your training save them for the final all out work sets. Do your warm up sets using perfect form. Then as you work up to your top weight for a particular exercise you can give it that extra push to maximize the weights lifted and the stimulation to the muscles.

Lee Hayward is a Muscle Building Coach who is dedicated to helping aspiring bodybuilding and fitness enthusiasts build lean muscle, burn off stubborn body fat, and get a ripped athletic physique. Be sure to visit Lee's website at: http://www.LeeHayward.com and sign up for his FREE 10 Part Muscle Building E-Mail Course!

How to Burn Body Fat - Benefits of Starting Your Own Weight Lifting Program

Whether you are young or old, battling with a weight problem or have body image issues, we ask the same task in mind: how to burn body fat. One school of thought is to start incorporating strength training into your life style with your own weight lifting program.

Weight lifting is one of the key elements in any effort toward fat loss. It also provides the most change in your body. While of course diet and cardiovascular exercise such as aerobics are very important in burning calories, weight lifting changes the way your body looks.

A weight lifting routine will help to raise your body's metabolism. You'll burn more calories and fat. Weight lifting builds and maintains muscle mass. A weight lifting routine will make your body stronger, and increase endurance when you participate in physical activity. This is also a great benefit if you have kids!

Strength lifting is directly related to how your body is shaped. Therefore, it may enhance your self esteem and increase your self confidence. Certain weight lifting exercises that focus on the body's core can improve coordination and balance.

While it may be exciting to start your own lifting program, there are some important points you must keep in mind.

The first is that you must always do a warm up of some sort before you start training. Warming up can help in preventing injuries. You can do some light cardiovascular exercises (such as walking on the treadmill for 5 minutes) or a perform set with very light weights before working on sets with heavier weights.

You must always lift your weights with focusing on the movement. Try not to perform the movement too quick and also focus on the muscle you are working. If you find yourself having to swing to bring the weight up, it's probably too heavy for you. On certain movements you should be able to cheat a little bit to move the weight. However, you should discuss work with a personal trainer on these types of movements.

Incorporate stretching into your weight lifting routine. You can perform stretches in between sets. If you do stretch in between sets, you should stretch the same muscle group you are working with. You also have to make sure you have a full range of motion throughout the entire weight lifting movement.

While you are probably mostly concerned with your abdominal muscles, remember they are a muscle group too. Don't get caught up working your abdominals every day of the week. The frequency of performing abdominal exercises depends on the exercise program you are training with. While some theories or exercise programs require more frequency in working out the abdominals, you can probably do fine with working the muscle group 1 - 2 times a week.

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How to Get Big Muscles - What You Must Know Before Starting Your Weight Lifting Program

Maximize your full potential and you can inspire people. In a world obsessed with getting slim, dare to go against the flow. There is nothing wrong with getting bigger to achieve your end goal, whether it's in the area of sports, health, work, or just plain old body building. In this article, you'll learn some tips on how to get big muscles quickly and safely.

As a kid, I had always been very thin myself, and had been the ridicule of a lot of big bullies at school. I desperately wanted to know how to get big muscles because, no matter what I did, I always stayed thin.

The secret on how to get big muscles is not just your workout. It is a careful balance between your diet, your workout and rest. It is true that there are some genetically gifted people who have a lot of muscle mass in their body such that a simple diet and workout routine would immediately endow them with lean muscles; but for the average Joe, we need to go through the discipline and extra mile to achieve our desired results.

1.) Motivation - this is what gets you started, and, believe it or not, will keep you going, too. You need to plan your meals, workout routines and get the proper rest to keep you motivated. Set attainable results depending on your specified time frame (i.e. 6 - 10 weeks) and stick to it, consistency is the key. Learn how to combat frustration and keep a record of your progress to help you get going.

2.) Knowledge - the eager desire to do without knowing what to do will get you nowhere. Get good advice from reliable sources on how to get big muscles. Don't just go along with rumours and your personal ideas on how to get big. Research on it.

3.) Nourishment - Increase your calorie intake to about 300 - 500. But don't just eat any food; "junk" foods will only give you excess fat and not the lean muscles that you want. Proper diet is essential on how to get big muscles. Your meals should consist of 30 - 40% protein, 20 - 40% carbohydrates, and 20 - 30% fats. It is okay to take supplements like protein in moderation; but it's definitely not OK to take performance-enhancing drugs like steroids, which are not only prohibited, but life threatening too.

4.) Program - It is okay to create your own weight lifting program as long as you consult with a certified PT. Incorporate workouts that target a lot of muscle groups in the body, like squats and bench presses, as opposed to exercises that isolate each muscle group. Avoid working out for long periods as this will make you lose weight instead of gaining it. If you're used to spending 2 - 3 hours a day in the gym, reduce it to 1 hour a day, 2 - 3 times a week. You don't have to go to the gym everyday to gain weight; you will instead lose weight if you do.

5.) Rest - Being passionate about working out will help get your muscles pumped, but don't go overboard. Your muscles actually build up during rest, not while working out. Working out for long hours at the gym everyday will help you tone your muscles, but not gain more.

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How To Lift Weights Safely And Avoid Injury

Lifting weights is not all about taking steroids or posing in tight t-shirts. Building muscle mass naturally is a great way to lose weight and reduce body fat. Although muscle weighs more than body fat, muscle tissue burns up more calories than fat tissue. Building muscle mass also increases metabolism (particularly in the hours following a workout, known as the after burn), meaning that you will naturally burn more calories.

It is important you stay safe and injury free, as you build up your muscle mass, strength and stamina.

Here are some useful weight lifting tips for beginners: -

1. Start With A Good Warm Up

Just because you are lifting weights, rather than doing cardio (I recommend blending both together), it does not mean that you don't require a thorough warm up. The purpose of the warm up is to raise your heart rate and warm up your muscles, making them less susceptible to injury. A light cardio session on the treadmill or exercise bike would be ideal.

2. Your Judgment Is Key

Lifting too much weight too quickly is a common (and potentially dangerous) mistake amongst people who are new to weight training. Rushing in to lifting more and more weight because you are hell bent on being the next Stallone, will not do you much good if you damage your back. Use your judgement wisely to assess different types of exercise and the weight you can comfortably lift. When trying any new exercise, start with a minimal weight as you can always add gradually to it.

3. Adopt Good Technique and Form

The way that you lift weights and execute each individual exercise is far more important that how much weight you can lift. If you are at the gym, take advice from the professional and knowledgeable staff who will be delighted to help. If you are lifting weights at home, then read your manual (that came with the weights) before attempting an exercise. You could also ask a more experienced friend for guidance or gather information from the internet. Poor technique can put extra strain on different parts of your body (putting them at more risk) such as your back, shoulders and knees. If you have any doubt about how to execute a particular exercise correctly and safely, then leave it and seek advice before attempting it again.

4. Lift Weights Slowly

Do not rush your repetitions, stay in control and lift weights slowly. Take a good few seconds to lift and the same amount of time to bring the weight back. Lifting too quickly can cause you to lose balance or even drop the weights and cause serious injury. Avoid dropping weights down quickly and swinging them too much, slow and controlled movements are the best way to go.

5. Get Your Breathing Right

Do not hold your breath as you lift weights, it raises blood pressure and you could pass out once you exhale. Try to breath in slowly as you lift and exhale slowly as you bring the weight back, in a calm and controlled manner.

6. Take Regular Rest

Avoid lifting weights for 2 days running, give your body plenty of rest. Get more out of your sessions by mixing weights with cardio exercises or alternate sessions between cardio and strength.

Lifting weights safely will give you the time to build up strength and stamina. Eventually you will be able to attempt more complex strength exercises as you become more experienced and knowledgeable.

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Is it Better to Lift Before Running Or Vice Versa?

The types of exercise that I believe are the most impactful to burn fat at the gym are combining cardio exercises with weight lifting.

I am looking great and my lean body mass that I am building is really showing, all thanks to burning fat and building muscle at the same time.

Lots of people want to know if they should be doing their cardio after or before they lift weights at the gym. Let's discuss what the benefits are for each approach and then I will tell you what I think works the best.

When it comes to doing cardio after lifting weights, these are a few of the reasons people seem to favor this approach. First, this lets them wind down their day since their body is feeling pretty vulnerable.

Now, lifting weights is surely going to take some of your energy, but you are going to feel a lot more drained when you do an activity like running. And, weight lifting does burn calories, but running most definitely uses more energy overall.

It is because of this reason that so many people prefer to do weight lifting first and then running at the end of the workout. They can also lift weights using as much strength as is possible.

On the flip side, there are also advantages to doing exercise before strength training. It has been said that doing this will get your heart rate going the entire time you are working out, which is certainly going to challenge your body a lot more and help you with the burning of calories when you are lifting. If your body is ready for the challenge, this is surely a strategy to think about.

Now the approach that happens to be my favorite is definitely a combination of the two, and the tolerance is definitely required for a challenge. Get in short bursts of running throughout your weight lifting workout. By doing that, you are going to get the best of both worlds.

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Is Weight Lifting a Healthy Practice? One Tip That Will Help

Weight lifting is the first thing that comes to mind when we see men or even women with muscular frame. Although we shouldn't entirely owe those billows to weights or dumbbells, they make up about 50-70% of the whole package. It is impressive how people develop the discipline and determination to gain muscles but one needs a strong drive to do so.

Motivations vary. People who want to develop muscles lift weights because it improves muscle mass and increases endurance. Bodybuilders do this also to sculpt their abdominals, triceps, and biceps for competition purposes. Sometimes, weight training is a call of duty.

One can benefit from resistance training in various ways. It goes hand in hand with cardio workouts and proper diet. However, consulting a doctor before submitting to this activity is a rule of thumb. The American Heart Association strictly warns people with erratic blood pressure to refrain from lifting weights unless advised by a physician. Although resistance training is normally blood pressure-friendly, one must know the proper way to do it beforehand especially with the presence of certain medical conditions.

Healthy Benefits Of Weight Lifting

Cardio workouts and resistance trainings have positive effects on health, which is why most people endure rigid workout programs. Doctors and health and fitness gurus have been talking about it all over the Internet for years but in case you missed them, let us give you a few useful ideas:

Weight lifting develops self-esteem. Whether it looks awesome or awkward to other people, those with chiseled physique have enough confidence to ignore comments or likes, knowing what they had to go through to achieve such figure. Toning and shaping the body have become a healthy routine for them because they want to maintain a healthy and beautiful lifestyle.

Weight lifting compared to physical therapy is rigorous and more aggressive but the goal can be the same - rehabilitation, physical enhancement, and restoration of motor function. Sometimes you can find weight lifting as a sub-category in physical therapy. Injuries obtained from accidents and trauma cause physical damages that can be treated or alleviated by weight lifting. Certain health conditions that require a person to be active and lose fat find weight lifting to be a good form of moderate to heavy workout, too. And that's the price of getting fit.

Calorie restricted diet is one of the most effective weight-loss methods. However, it weakens the bones. Weight lifting reverses this deterioration and replenishes the lost mass and density and at the same time helps manage weight.

It keeps a person fit and healthy as a whole. Regular weight lifting not only enhances strength and bone density, it also keeps one fit and well inside and out. Why? Because weight lifting works skin-deep. Aside from achieving balance and stamina and stronger immune system, it also sharpens the mind and spirit, what with its demand for strong discipline and proper conditioning. A healthy mind, body, and spirit overpower stress and anxiety.

The core concept of weight lifting is to develop muscles. Don't miss out on the other benefits though. If you think you need to flex, you might as well want to hit the gym and accomplish a few reps for a start. After all, weight lifting knows no age but people of various ages must know their limits and the different resistance training techniques that apply.

One Key Tip

It is easy to get carried away with weight lifting, especially you are training with heavy weights. Many serious lifters and bodybuilders end up injuring themselves because they lift more weight than their bodies can handle? Why? Adrenaline is one reason, peer pressure is another, impatience is another.

Many simply don't know what their bodies can handle. Knowing your limits is key, and one way to do that is to use a 1 rep max calculator, which is a program that helps you determine what your body can handle based on your current work out or training patterns.

Such programs are handy tools because they allow you to input certain data points specific to you. A good one rep max calculator will then provide you with what your maximum tolerance is for any given exercise of your choice.

Again, weight lifting knows no age but people of various ages, strength levels and backgrounds must know their limits and the different resistance training techniques that apply. One way to do that is to use appropriate tools and programs to aid you in your training initiatives.

The Max Lift iPhone App is one example of a weight training application that aids in safer and more effective workouts. It is developed by the Real Cool Apps team.

Leg Power - 2 Great Exercises to Develop Great Leg Strength!

If you want to develop animal-like leg strength and even want to learn a different way to do it rather than using the more traditional type of lifts like squats and cleans then you will like this article. Remember that to gain ultimate strength in any lift you have to learn and practice it with flawless technique. The following 2 exercises can be varied to a level of desired intensity.

Lift 1: (The One-Legged Squat or Pistol) Now this is a very difficult and challenging exercise to execute in the beginning. It is certainly something that has to be carefully practiced in order to obtain optimal results. This exercise can be practiced with the use of a chair or bench. You want to start by lifting one leg off of the ground in front of you and completing a squat on the other leg. Now this can be varied to the desired intensity a couple of ways. One you can use a different height chair or bench depending on how far you can take your range of motion. The other way is starting from a seated position and executing the concentric portion of the movement, or upward phase of the squat by standing up on that leg. The second variation is to actually put one foot on the bench and in a controlled fashion lower yourself until the leg that is hanging just touches the floor before coming back up.

Lift 2: (Flipping Tractor Tires) Did I just say "flipping a tractor tire?" Yes, I did. If you can get your hands on a commercial tractor tire and have an open field or area to play in then this is a tremendous way to build total-body strength and overall leg power! You can manipulate this lift several ways. First, you can simply stand outside of the tire squat to grab the edge and flip it over. You can add an extra dynamic by jumping up on the side-wall of the tire after the flip and back down in the doughnut hole of the tire, back to the opposite side-wall, and finally back to the ground on the opposite side.

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Massive Muscle Weight Lifting Tips - You Want Powerful Muscle? Weight Lifting is Your ONLY Choice!

There is no need to spend countless hours at the gym in order to develop a defined muscular system. In fact, with the appropriate routine there is no need for daily training, three times a week and proper nutrition will help you to define the muscle, weight lifting can give you... fast!

There are a few concepts you need to know clearly before starting a training program.

Weight lifting is suitable for any healthy adult, but since it will require physical effort from you, a medical examination performed before starting the program would be advisable. This is standard.

If you are thin or keep fit, and you're just looking to improve the shape of your body, there is no need to combine weightlifting with aerobic exercise and losing weight diets. However, you should consider the benefits of cardiovascular workouts on your overall health. It's important!

WARNING: It's a common thought that if there is fatty tissue above your muscles, the first thing to do is to get rid of that unnecessary fat covering your muscles. No matter how much effort you put into it, how much weight lifting you do, your muscles will not show up unless fat goes away, you muscles will grow anyway, but fatty tissues will be masking them. If this is your situation you will have to do aerobic exercises that are the ones that really burn fat.

This is totally garbage. It's a little known FACT that larger and more active muscles increase your metabolism and help you to burn fat. Therefore you need to workout your muscles! Weight lifting is an essential part of every weight loss success formula. Grow your muscles strong, and they are your biggest fat burning allies!

You should do at least 3 sessions a week of over 20-30 mins of interval training to increase your metabolism to help you burn fat, as well as maintain your weight lifting program. This training is best done in the morning on an empty stomach (have a couple of glasses of water to get your body going). The importance of the exercise is to speed up your metabolism to burn fat ALL DAY. Not just while you exercise. Much better than the recommended 45 mins workouts!

Nutrition:

When combining aerobic exercises with weight lifting, nutrition plays a fundamental role. You will be burning calories and losing weight at the beginning. Later, when training starts to build muscle, weight lifting will consume lots of energy but as muscle mass is growing there will be a moment when you will stop losing weight.

You lost fat but are gaining muscle mass.

Remember, the goal is to look better and increase your health. "Weight loss" is not important if you're looking and feeling great!

Nutrition has to be balanced, with quality calories, proteins, minerals, vitamins and good fats. Proteins play a fundamental role building muscle, you can obtain them naturally through the food you eat or purchase the supplements on a store. Feedings must be frequent, you have to maintain ideally 6 meals meals and do not spend more than 3 hours without eating. You will be accelerating your metabolism this way.

Of course, you must keep yourself hydrated, so drink some water before starting to exercise. Eat foods that contain high water content to supplement your diet if drinking water becomes a chore.

Training

To make your muscles grow, weight lifting must be done with increasing intensity. It is not about spending hours, on the contrary a successful weight lifting routine should be short, specific and intense. Less repetitions in each series with more weight will make your muscles grow faster.

You will discover that with some time, effort and discipline, you will be able to build strong, solid and lean, hard muscle. Weight lifting combined with a proper nutrition will allow you to achieve that muscle definition that will make women turn around to look at you and men secretly admire.

If you're sincerely interested in learning how to gain the most muscle quickly I highly suggest checking out some of the muscle building programs available on the internet today. It's cutting edge stuff! (see below)

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Things To Consider Before Lifting Weights

Many women find a man's body with bulging muscles very desirable. That's why the workout most men include in their exercise is weight lifting. It's a great way to improve your muscles and give you that adonis like physique. Before starting your weight training though, there are some things you need to consider for your safety and for great results.

The first thing you have to think about is your strength level. Your strength level will determine how heavy you should start lifting. Who wants to start immediately at 40 pounds when all you can do is 1 lift? It's important to know your limit to avoid getting injured. A great thing to do to find out what weight you should start with is to use the 10 rep rule. You basically have to do 10 repetitions of lifting of the weight you want to start with. If you are still okay after that, the weight is too light for you. If you tire out before the tenth repetition, that means it's too heavy. If after the tenth rep you feel exhausted, then the weight is just right. This ensures that you avoid causing muscle damage and allowing your muscle the right amount of weight it can handle to develop.

Prepare your equipment and make sure that they are secure. If you have weight lifting equipment at home, check if they are still in good condition before you use them. Avoid leaving them in high places as well for a very obvious reason that it will hurt someone if it falls down. Having a person to workout with is also a good idea so they can act as your spotter. A spotter can ensure your safety when you are doing lifting on a weight bench. Make sure that you also find a space that has a lot of room for you to move. If you workout in a tight space, it's harder for you to move and do the proper movement. This can lead to accidents as well.

Keep in mind that you don't get bigger muscles by pushing yourself over your limit. You get hurt. Listen to your body when you lift. Don't rush when you lift. It helps with improving your strength but it makes you more prone to getting hurt. Managing your movement allows you to keep the workout focused on the muscle you are targeting. Rushed movements causes unwanted stress on your muscle and joints and the development of muscles you are not working on. Working out slowly does not mean that your muscle will develop at the same pace. When you do weight training, you will eventually develop your strength and increase the weight you lift. Make progress, but be patient and smart about it. Injuries can set you back for long periods of time because recovery periods can be several weeks or month.

Weight lifting is a great way to develop your body and boost your self esteem. Just be sure that you follow the necessary precautions before you start since this is also a potentially dangerous exercise. When done correctly, however, the rewards are many.

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Two Bodybuilding Exercises for Men - Even If You Are Over 40

So you woke up one day and found out you're out of shape and going downhill fast.

As we age our bodies succumb to the ravages of aging especially if we have not lived a healthy life style. Most people are just too busy and don't notice the subtle but deadly change that can lead to some of the following conditions and diseases they are setting themselves up for:

- Being Overweight

- Low Energy

- Memory Loss

- High Blood Pressure

- Heart disease

- Type 2 Diabetes

- Back Pain

- Sagging Skin

Not all of these are preventable; genetics does play a part in our lives but you can do the most to avoid with them by adopting exercise routines with workouts for men over 40.

TIME ITSELF SEEMS LIKE AN ENEMY

A balanced workout routine.

But it's not too late even if you have one of these conditions or diseases you can feel better. It's important to remember that you're not 25 and bullet proof anymore. When you begin doing aerobic exercise and weight lifting you might be defeated by injuries if you don't start out right.

You need to start a sustainable health workout routine using bodybuilding exercises.

One designed for someone over 40 that will help you lose some weight, tone up your muscles and boost your energy and immune system.

IT STARTS IN THE KITCHEN

Yes I said the kitchen. You are addicted to all kinds of foods that are full of sugar and bad chemicals that cause disease and illnesses. Sugar is bad for you and you need to reduce it. By reducing sugar alone you will be taking away calories that add to fat stores but most likely won't reduce your weight a lot. But it's a great start.

THE RIGHT EXERCISE ROUTINES FOR MEN OVER 40

Start slow you don't want to burned out and get discouraged. You will want a workout routine of 4 or 5 days a week and again start slow, you are out of shape.

Second place is get busy. Walk, bicycle, swim or any other aerobic exercise you can do for 20 to 30 minutes per day. Will this help you lose weight? It will, but more than likely it won't shed a lot of weight all by itself.

HERE ARE TWO BODYBUILDING EXERCISES I USE

The first one is low impact but gets your heart beating faster. I take a two five pound dumbbell in each hand and go for a 30 minute walk but not any longer ever! I will take a walk. I will walk at a fairly fast pace for 30 seconds and then slow down for 15 seconds and repeat.

I will swing the dumbbells back and forth as I walk, up-and-down to the right and left, hold them over my head, and just about anything else I can think of to put a little bit of resistance training into my walk. This combines elements of aerobic exercise and weight lifting for more complete bodybuilding exercises.

Remember you're not trying to become a marathon joggers here you're trying to do as much intense workout for 30 seconds that you can do and then rest for 15 seconds by walking slow and not moving the weights. This is called interval training and is used by many bodybuilders to get more fit.

The second set of bodybuilding exercises is body weight training. Again I only do this for 30 minutes at a maximum and I will do the exercises as intense as I can for 30 seconds and then stop and rest for 15 seconds and repeat. I will do no more than 8 to 12 exercises for about 2 1/2 minutes each.

I will also give myself about a minute between each of the exercises. These exercises are similar to the ones you did in gym class in school. I will do jumping jacks, squat thrusts push-ups, sit-ups, standard-crunches, rear-kicks, leg-twists, jackknives, and double-leg raises.

I will make sure that I balance my exercise between lower body and upper body exercises so I don't wear out one part of my body.

I will alternate these two workout routines every other time I exercise so that I am getting different muscles worked every day. If I get fatigued I will take a day off during the middle of the week and only workout four days one week but then try to get back to five the next.

A TIP TO RELIEVE SORENESS FROM AEROBIC EXERCISE AND WEIGHT LIFTING

Lastly I have a tip for you to make you feel much better when you do aerobic exercises and weightlifting. The tip is to pre-hydrate. What that means is to start drinking water at least 2 to 4 glasses of water three hours before you workout. That will help eliminate muscle fatigue and becoming dehydrated when you workout. Because it's too late to hydrate once you start working out.

I have created a seven part eCourse that will give you all the detailed information you need to create a "workout routine" that you can do to improve your health and fitness.

So take action now and find out how you can begin by signing-up now at my website http://www.MensFitnessExercise.com

Two Goals of a Muscle Weight Gainer

While many people are too concerned on weight loss methods, others are focused on weight gain, particularly on the muscle part of their bodies. Weight loss and weight gain are two things that can either function rapidly or slowly in every person's body. These depend on the body's metabolic process. Individuals who tend to have fast metabolism, no matter how much they eat, do not gain weight easily while those individuals who have slow metabolism, no matter how little the amount of food they eat, gain weight easily. If you are concerned on putting on muscle weight then you have to focus on muscle weight gain methods and procedures. There is no surgical method needed or medicines to be taken in order to achieve this. It is just a matter having the proper diet and ample amount of exercise. In other words it is simply safer and more effective to eat and exercise properly as well as employ guidance or instruction.

How the exercise is staged and exactly what to eat is an entirely more comprehensive article, but here are some thoughts:

Muscle weight gain, just like weight loss methods, has different methods and procedures that need to be adhered to in order to reach the ideal muscle weight. If you intend to gain weight on the muscles, you have to eat more calories than you burn. Individuals with fast metabolism, who wants to gain muscle weight, must add more calories in their daily diet plan in order to maintain weight gain instead of losing weight, which is contrary to the plan.

The first focus should be on food intake.

As a muscle weight gainer, you should consider adding calorie-rich foods such as bagels, avocados, biscuits granola, butter, peanut butter, corn, cheese, yogurt and milk. You can drink milk more often, in addition to water, in order to add calories. You can eat all of these food products in different ways such as mixing milk into sauces and soups, eating cereals with a lot of milk in it, mixing meat, beans and cheese into your pasta or side dishes, adding avocado and cheese to your salads and sandwiches. Not only are these products healthy for muscle weight gainers, but they also are delicious. It is certainly important to add calories to your food without adding saturated fat. Adding shakes and smoothies between meals can also be helpful. You can prepare a diary of your weekly food that you can follow it daily, so as achieve your objective of gaining muscle weight and not just getting fat. Considering a diet plan which isolates and recommends the proper balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, fat, recommended vitamins and minerals will help you get to your goal sooner. These plans are readily available from many sources.

The second focus is exercise.

As a muscle weight gainer, you have to mix exercise with food intake. Let me say that again; YOU MUST EXERCISE TO GAIN MUSCLE. Once you have your calories under control, you can start to lift weights and begin aerobic exercise. This is very helpful in gaining muscle and minimizing the amount of fats entering the body. Although, it is expected that you also gain weight because of high calorie-foods, you must exercise in order to put the nutrients in their proper place while eliminating the fats.

Weight lifting should be commenced in a gradual manner in order to get used to the assault on your muscle groups. This means that you should only lift weights no heavier than those you can easily carry during the initial stage of reintroducing lifting into your routine. It is important that you start lifting lower weights for a few workouts, just to get back into the hang of it. Make sure that you are able to lift enough weight so that you can complete 6 to 8 repetitions for each exercise. You need to have longer recovery periods between sets and more recovery days between workouts. In order to avoid injury, you should have a training partner or use spotters when working out, especially when you start handling heavy weights that would be difficult to move safely if you began to lose control during a lift.

Do not force your body to do intense routines in weight lifting for the first week or so. You have to get used to the process before proceeding to more difficult tasks. The heavy weight training will start soon enough and you will be pushing to the limits with your weight lifting.

In a nutshell, there are two primary goals for a muscle weight gainer. Those goals are to eat and lift. By starting slowly, and moving toward a goal of intense workouts, you are on the right track on achieving the ideal muscle gain. Have fun and see the transformation right before your eyes.

Tyler Douglas has spent years helping others achieve their goals. He is now committed to writing and sharing and is a contributing writer for [http://www.Muscle-Weight-Gainer.com] a website devoted to the subject. Follow his articles to find your personal solution to creating the "NEW YOU". You may reach him at Tyler@muscle-weight-gainer.com