Weight Training for Surfers

Regardless of how far you plan to go with surfing, the fact is simple; you need strength to be a successful surfer. One of the most effective, and well known ways to build muscle mass and gain strength is by lifting weights. Lifting weights can help in more ways than one. It will help you avoid injuries, protect your bones surfing rocky breaks, and even slightly improve your balance. If done properly the benefits of weight lifting can be seen in as little as three to four months.

The biggest mistake made when lifting weights is improper lifting. By being careless and not taking precaution, you are making your body become vulnerable to injury. The main thing to take in account when lifting weights is to always keep your back straight, use a normal breathing pattern, and stop if you feel pain. By following these precautions you are ensuring you will get the most satisfaction from your workout routine. Please note that before lifting weights or following any workout regimen, please consult your doctor or physician.

The most common question people ask is "How does lifting weights actually build strength? The simplest way to explain muscle growth is that the pressure put on the muscles leads them to "feel" as if they should push more weight. This phenomenon is called Muscular Hypertrophy, or "muscle thickening". It is still debatable whether or not there is a certain point where the muscles divide and grow further. Muscle size is not really relevant when it comes to surfing, as we are not "bodybuilders". Surfers should focus on exercises that relate to muscle strength and stamina, as opposed to toning.

As surfers we need a much more specialized weight training system to be successful at what we do. It is proven that all surfing maneuvers rely on the core (abdominal area and back) to be performed.

The most effective lower-back exercise is known as a "Straight-Leg Dead Lift". When lifting weights always be sure to use proper lifting technique, and rest frequently. The science behind the Straight-Leg Dead Lift is that the lower-back muscles are used as a stabilizer and the hamstring and core muscles are built.

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.

• Grasp barbell with a shoulder-width grip.

• With knees straight, lower the bar towards the top of your feet by bending your hips.

• After the hips can no longer flex, bend your waist as the bar approaches the top of your feet.

• Lift the bar by extending the waist and hip until you are standing in an upright position.

• Pull shoulders back and repeat.

Seeing as how 90% of the time spent surfing consists of paddling, it is only obvious that a paddling workout is implemented as well. One of the simplest, yet most effective exercises is known as a dumbbell curl. To start this exercise, keep your back straight, and feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand to the outer part of your thighs. Proceed to lift each dumbbell individually towards your shoulder in an "arc" motion. Now alternate while keeping the same form.

These simple surfing training exercises alongside the full body workout routine will build muscle as well as increase muscular stamina. You may read more from http://www.surfingtraining.org. By following its surfing training guides, you can ensure your surfing success and enjoyment.

Why Should I Lift Weights?

Whether you call it weight lifting, pumping iron, or bodybuilding - lifting weights both light and heavy have long been a great way to get in shape and stay in shape. Weight lifting or weight training has many health benefits for both men and women. There are weight lifting and weight-training routines appropriate for men, woman, even children of any age, any size, and any body type. If you want to build muscle mass, increase stamina, improve cardiac function even stave off the symptoms of osteoporosis - you can accomplish all of that and so much more by adding a good weight training routine to your regular workout.

To get the most health benefits out of lifting weights, you need to combine your weight training with other exercise. If you are not already doing some kind of aerobic or cardio workout everyday, you must do this in addition to weight lifting. It is not healthy to just begin to lift weights without a proper warm up. Of course before starting any workout routine, check with your doctor. Prior to starting you weight lifting workout you need to "get the blood moving" and your muscles primed for some heavy lifting. Just before hitting the weights do a good ten minutes on a bicycle, take a short jog, or jump rope. Do a few legs and arm stretches as well. The key to successful weight training involves what are called repetitions. In lifting it is not so important how much you lift, but how many times you can lift the weight. A proper weight lifting routine will be designed to work out all of the major muscle groups of the body, which include: The Shoulders, Neck and Back, Biceps, Triceps, Quadriceps Chest, Abs, Hamstrings, Calves, and of course the Gluteus.

The next question on your mind is likely to be "should I use free weights or machines?" and "how much weight should I work out with?" You can use free weights or machines or maybe a little of both. If you are working out in a gym, of course they will have both and will likely be able to recommend a "circuit" of weight lifting exercises for you. If you intend to lift weights in the home, it all depends on your budget and physical space to determine of you want to buy a "Home Gym" type resistance trainer such as Bowflex - or a good set of free weights and barbells - or both. Weight machines are great for beginners because they have been designed to work a specific muscle or muscle group, and will insure that you are seated or standing in the right position to target that group when you lift. Free weights are the traditional barbells and dumbbells that have been around for centuries, and they work great. In fact some would argue that once you learn how to use them properly you get a better workout than machines because it is only the force of your muscles and your ability to balance the weight that keeps the weight and your muscles moving properly. There is no aid from the machine, so you are effectively using more muscle with free weights.

Lifting weights improves your strength and stamina. Lifting weights builds muscle and confidence, improves cardiovascular health and can actually help prevent other sports injuries, and lifting weights can help you lose extra pounds and keep them off - so what are you "weighting" for come on get pumping!

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Bodybuilding Training Mistakes That Prevent Arm Growth

If there is one muscle group that identifies you as someone who practices bodybuilding is the arms. ?When someone asks you to flex a muscle, more than likely the muscle flexed will the the biceps of the arms. ?Isn't it true?

Thus, for many beginners who are just getting started, getting big arms is a huge priority. ?Now, keep in mind that symmetry is key and you don't want to have a situation where the only muscular part of your body is your arms. ?Thus make sure that you place as much emphasis on every single other body part (should go without saying).

With that said, I feel that there are two mistakes that are holding a lot of people from achieving the sort of arm growth that they could get:

Mistake #1: Sloppy Form

To get maximum stimulation on the arms you need to practice picture perfect form. ?Breaking your exercise form will simply get others muscles involved taking valuable stimulation away from the arms. ?Remember that they key to lifting weights is to use these as a tool to make the intended muscles work hard and grow as a result. ?Sloppy form will not only risk a debilitating injury that can take you out of the gym for a long time, but also is robbing you away from your bodybuilding gains.

Mistake #2: Overtraining

Too much of a good thing can be bad. ?Unless you have incredible genetics, or are a super advanced bodybuilder who knows what his body is capable of handling, 20 set biceps routines will just overtrain you. ?For the biceps and the triceps limit the number of sets to 6-12. The biceps is a relatively small muscle used in other movements for bigger muscles like the back and the shoulders. While the triceps is a bigger muscle than the biceps (twice a big actually), remember that it is used for all the pushing movements of your chest and shoulder exercises. Thus, there is no need to perform more than 6-12 sets ether. If performing triceps after a chest workout 6 sets will suffice. If performed any other day you can do as much as 12 sets provided you have a good recovery capability. (Refer to the various bodybuilding splits available here: ).

If you are confused on how to set up your arms routines please take a look at my arms routines page below:

Bodybuilding Workouts for Arms

View the original article here

10 Muscle Building Tips on Safe Weight Loss Muscle Gain Training For Increased Confidence and Health

Most people that want to build muscle mass are doing weight training in gyms all over the world, they focus on extreme high protein low fat diets. Some people want to build muscle and lose fat while they maintain a healthy balance between their family life, work and exercising. Men in this category mainly want to exchange their belly fat for a six-pack. Women focus more on the losing weight part than building muscle. For these people an 8-hour workout everyday is just not viable. They want results and they want it fast.

The best weight loss muscle gaining exercise program is one that build muscle up. Muscle burns fat while in a resting stage. That means if you can burn away fat while you are relaxing or even while you are sleeping. To start building muscle fast, you need a burn fat build muscle diet program. This is why you need my top 10 muscle building tips for safe weight loss muscle gain training.



Motivation - You need to be motivated all the way. If you lose motivation along the way, you will not succeed. Decide what you need to stay motivated and what you need to do regarding motivation before your weight training even kicks off.

Diet - Research what the best foods to build muscle are. A dietician can help you with that and you can get information on that from your local gym. Prepare yourself to drastically up your lean protein intake. Ask any muscle man or woman and they will tell you that skinless chicken and fish is their favorite protein source. Adding sweet potatoes will give you your carbohydrates and your personal trainer may also recommend eating lots of spinach. Drinking enough clean water is a must to help your body cleanse itself from a build up of acids.

Supplements - Research which vitamins and minerals are the best muscle building supplements. Asking serious body builders at your gym should make you aware of some of the preferred supplements to build muscle.

Weight Training - Weight training build muscle and muscle power. Anything less increase stamina, enhance fitness and sculpt definition. Heavy weight lifting requires lifting heavy weights as heavy as you can lift for a maximum repetition of 10 lifts.

Exercise Equipment - Going to a gym or doing your training exercises in a home gym is part of the decision you have to make. This involves a little bit of planning that may save you thousands if you take a minute or two to determine which option would suite best. You may otherwise end up wasting a lot of money on gym fees or weight lifting equipment.

Breathing Correctly - Learn to exhale on exertion. Stay clear from holding your breath.

Muscle Building Program - Following a muscle building program will ensure a balanced workout and that your different muscle group workouts are scheduled in such a way that your body have time to recover at places while your workout routine focus on a different part of your body.

Relaxation - Prepare to spend time to relax. This may include mild exercise like biking and swimming or something you may already be used to. Even taking time out to relax by doing nothing on a weekend, may inspire you for the next week of doing hard weight lifting exercises.

Safety - When you build up muscle mass through heavy weight lifting exercises, you put strain on your whole body. Lack of safety precautions may result in injury and even death. It is of the utmost importance that you plan your safety - especially if you decided on home weight training. Depending on the exercise equipment you may require another person to help you lift weights off you, in the situation where your body cannot lift the weight by itself. These precautions are normally covered in exercise and fitness training programs. If you plan a home gym, choose weight training equipment you can use on your own without compromising your safety.

Medical Precautionary Measures - Weight training and strict dieting can be hazardous to your health. Since the healthy working of your body should be your first and foremost concern, you need to consult your doctor. Your doctor should be able to give you sound medical advice and warn you of possible weight lifting soreness, sickness and health risks. Monitor your health in between sessions and if you know of any health risks, be safe and opt for the fitness and health club instead.

A FINAL WORD OF CAUTION:

Take your weight training program details with you when you seek the advice of their doctor. He/she can then use it to refer you to a local qualified nutritionist as well as warn you of any possible dangers should you wish to change your eating habits or start a weight training program. Go for regular checkups at your local medical facility in order to monitor your progress and your health. Always check the correctness of online content with your doctor or a qualified medical practitioner.

MUSCLE BUILDING VIDEO:
Now you know that weight training is the best exercise for building muscle and you know how crucial it is to have muscle mass in order to burn fat while you sleep. Remember that you need to be motivated through out the training period. Plan to relax weekends and do nothing. If doing nothing is not your style, motivate yourself by watching a muscle building video or by doing some casual exercise on the weekends.

SPEAK TO EXPERTS:
Talk to the weight training experts at your local fitness and health club and speak to a dietitian about health food nutrition. If you follow all 1o tips correctly, you should start to lose fat weight and gain muscle weight within a few weeks.

3 Reasons Why Women Should Lift Weights

Weightlifting is a fitness exercise with an image that is commonly associated with men. However, for many women weightlifting is a great exercise that can provide many benefits. Below are 3 reasons why lifting weights is good for you.

Reason 1

Recent research conducted in the US compared the effectiveness of aerobic exercises and lifting weights in losing fat. The study's findings revealed that weight training when applied with same amount of intensity had a greater effect on the body's metabolism rate. This resulted in more calories being burned hours after the weight training exercise was completed. The reason for this is because by lifting weights there is the dual effect of not only building your exiting muscles you are also building new muscles. Therefore, the more muscle you build the greater amount of body fat that is burned off.

Reason 2

In the fitness world there is considerable amount of focus placed on the importance of aerobic and cardiovascular exercises. These types of exercises are very important and effective at increasing your cardiovascular health. However, these types of exercises do not build up your muscles or body strength which are critical for overall health. Running and jogging can burn off the calories but it cannot build or strengthen your muscles which are key to body movement and flexibility. Recent studies have shown that women who combine cardiovascular exercises with weight lifting had more power and strength compared to women who focused only on aerobic exercises. Therefore, to achieve all round better health it is best to combine the two.

Reason 3

As well as giving your body muscles more power and strength, weightlifting plays an important role in helping to strengthen the bones. The more weights you lift increases your bone mass and therefore, making them stronger. As we get older we are more prone to serious bone conditions such as brittle bones and osteoporosis. Recent studies have revealed that as many as one out of every three women over the age of 50 are affected by the bone condition osteoporosis.

In order to protect yourself against this condition you need to increase the intensity of your weight lifting as this is more effective than using light weights with more repetitions. Begin slowly and start off with 3 to 6 reps and gradually build up the weights. The best exercise is squats and lunges. Make sure you use a support belt to protect your back.

Ensure you get clearance from your doctor first before starting a new exercise regime.

Patrick T. Mullen has been writing articles for over 3 years on subjects he cares greatly about. Having become a father for the second time, one of those subjects is baby products. Why not visit his website that includes information relating to cot bed mattress and wool crib mattress pad products and accessories.

8 Common Weight Training Mistakes You Must Avoid

Weight training is not doubt one of the most effective ways to strip your body of excessive fat and sculpt a lean body. Lifting weights can also strengthen your bones and boost your energy. But unfortunately, many people do not understand how to perform weight training properly and often end up injuring themselves. Below are 8 common weight training mistakes you must avoid in order to make your workouts as effective as possible:

1. Failing to warm up - To reduce your injury risk, do five minutes of easy, aerobic exercise before you lift even a 2-pound dumbbell.

2. Forgetting to breathe during an exercise - You need not in hale and exhale with the gusto of a Lamaze student, but holding your breath causes your blood pressure to skyrocket.

3. Speeding through your repetitions - Move slowly and with control; otherwise you cheat your muscles out of a good workout.

4. Lifting too much weight - You may tear a muscle or drop a weight on your toe (or on someone else's). Besides, you can't maintain good form when you try lifting too much.

5. Not lifting enough weight - You won't see results if lifting a dumbbell feels like lifting a bottle of deodorant. Use a weight heavy enough that you fell challenged within 15 repetitions.

6. Failing to adjust a machine - Using an ill-fitting machine is like driving a car while sitting in the back seat: uncomfortable, if not downright dangerous.

7. Lifting weights every day - Your muscles need 48 hours to recover between sessions. Lifting weights every day can be counterproductive rather than helping to tone your body.

8. Carrying a weight plate like a Frisbee - Hold weight plates with two hands, and keep them close to your body.

Keep these common mistakes in mind when you are lifting weights, and you'll save yourself from a lot of unnecessary injuries, while getting the maximum benefits out of your weight training workouts.

Download your FREE "Training and Nutrition" Special Report and learn the 5 facts you must know if you ever want to lose your excess body fat and get ripped abs at http://www.truth-about-abs.net

A Simple Circuit For Runners to Start Cross Training With Weights

Cross training is a very effective method for staying healthy and boosting your athletic performance. One of the best things that a runner can implement into their training schedule is regular weight lifting sessions.

It is inadvisable to just jump right into lifting if you have never lifted before or after a layoff of some months without lifting weights. Instead, you should spend 2 to 4 weeks on a specific workout that gets your muscles used to the motions and stresses that are unique to lifting weights and which are much different from pounding out miles on the trails or pavement.

The following workout is good for people who have not lifted for some time, or who have never lifted before, and want to ease their way back into it safely.

If you have never lifted weights before, write this workout down and bring it to a gym where one of the personal trainers can teach you how to do each specific exercise. You can expect to spend 5 to 6 minutes per circuit.

If you are a complete novice to weight lifting, then start out by doing 1 circuit the first week, and then 2 circuits the second and third weeks. If you have experience weight lifting but have not been lifting for a while, then you can start with 2 circuits the first week and then do 3 circuits the third week.

This workout is done as a circuit, which means that you perform a set of each exercise and then immediately start the next exercise with as little rest as possible. You can either rest for a few minutes between circuits, or just continue with the first exercise if you are doing more than one circuit.

This workout is designed to hit all of the major muscle groups in your body by working similar muscles a few sets apart from one another. This way, you will have had plenty of rest to do 3 sets continuously with no rest in between circuits if you want.

For exercises that are not relying solely on bodyweight, you want to choose dumbbells that you can comfortably lift 15 times. You will do each set for 30 seconds, no matter how many repetitions you have done.

Start with some type of warm-up, such as a jig jog on a treadmill or easy spinning on an exercise bike. You want to get your blood flowing. One mile on a treadmill should be good, or 10 minutes on an exercise bike. Between exercises, you should drink plenty of water. Aim for at least 10 to 11 ounces of water per circuit.

The circuit goes as follows:

Jumping Jacks



Body-Weight Squat (advanced: use dumbbells)



Bench Press



Body-Weight Lunges (advanced: use dumbbells)



Deadlift



Bent Over Row



Crunches (advanced: swiss ball crunches)



Pushups



Medicine Ball Twists(you can substitute a light dumbbell)


That is one circuit. If possible, try to do these in order, but if you mess up and do something out of order you can just continue where you left off and do the one you skipped in the spot of the exercise that you accidentally did.

Remember, the idea is not to lift a lot of weight. The idea is to get your muscles used to the motions used in weight lifting so that you do not pull something in your first week or two. Each exercise is for however many reps you can complete in 30 seconds, but it is not a race so don't worry if you take your time. Your individual muscles will have plenty of time to rest between their own personal sets so you should feel good throughout the workout. Don't worry if you elevate your heart rate a bit because you are not stopping and resting.

The most important thing to remember after any weight lifting workout is to eat something. If you do not eat anything after your workout, you may as well not have gone. You don't have to get fancy; a granola bar or banana is fine, or else fruit juice or a protein shake if they are available. Within half an hour to an hour after you finish lifting try to eat something that is a little more substantial.

Remember to drink plenty of water in the hours following your workout. By keeping yourself well hydrated and providing a small but steady stream of food in the hours following your workout, your muscles will have a chance to repair the damage that you have done to them.

Your muscles may be a little sore for a few days following the workout. When you are just getting started, it's okay to wait for the soreness to go away before doing another workout; within a few weeks, that soreness will only last for a very short time and you will be ready to start increasing your workload.

Blaine Moore is a running coach in Southern Maine with 20 years of training and racing experience, which he shares on his blog at http://news.RunToWin.com - If you would like to get regular tips and training advice along with his his report, The 3 Components of an Effective Workout, then sign up for his newsletter at: http://www.RunToWin.com/newsletter.html

Advanced Exercises for Weight Lifters

Advanced Exercises

If you've been lifting weights for a few months, you've hopefully been changing your workout as your muscles become adapted to each routine. It is estimated that your body adapts to a workout routine in only 6-8 weeks, and then gains begin to slow down or even stop. Your body is an efficient machine, and will modify itself to exert the least effort to accomplish a specific task. If you're not switching up your exercise routine every two months or so, your gains are suffering.

Below are some ideas to shock your body back into growth. Give them a try next time your body needs a change and see if you like the results.

Perform Single Drop Sets

This should only be used on one exercise per body part. Any more than that could result in over training.

The idea is, once you finish a set of an exercise, immediately switch to a different exercise for that same body part. Just be sure to use a lighter weight than you normally would because your muscles are already pre-exhausted. Below are some suggested combinations:

Chest - Barbell Bench Press followed by Dumbbell Flies

Shoulders - Barbell Military Press to Dumbbell Arm Raises

Lats - Behind the Neck Pull downs followed by Seated Rows

Thighs - Squat or Leg Press followed by Leg Extensions or Hamstring Curls

Biceps - Barbell Curls followed by Concentration Curls or Preacher Curls

Triceps - Standing Triceps Pull downs followed by Behind the Head Dumbbell Extensions

Traps - Barbell Shrugs followed by Dumbbell Shrugs

Note that completing each combination of two exercises counts as only one set.

Do Cardio between Sets

This sounds strange, but it can help your body to burn fat while simultaneously building muscle. You should already be timing your breaks between sets, only taking between 60 and 90 seconds before starting your next set. Now during these breaks, try to jump on a stationary bicycle or elliptical machine and work at about 50% of your full effort (so don't go as fast as you can, but don't go too slow, either). If your weights aren't close to the aerobic equipment, then just run in place or, even better, jump rope. This will keep your heart rate and blood flow relatively high, constantly burning fat and replacing nutrients that your muscles lost during the previous set.

You may notice that you are not able to do as many reps during your next set if you employ this technique. Don't despair; your muscles are getting just as much of a workout even though your numbers seem to be lagging. If you continue this for four to six weeks, you'll certainly notice a difference in your physique.

Vary your Weight, Reps and Exercise for each Set

You're no doubt familiar with the fact that different numbers of reps per set affects different aspects of muscular development: lower reps equates to growth in muscle mass, higher reps usually means higher muscle stamina and endurance. The theory behind this idea is that the weight lifter should strive to gain in all three aspects of muscular development in a single exercise session. Three sets are done for each body part, with a different exercise and rep count for each set.

Using thighs as an example,

First set would be squats for 6-8 reps followed by 90 seconds of rest.
The second set would be leg presses for 12-15 reps followed by 90 seconds of rest.
Finally, the third set would be leg extensions for 20-25 reps.

Using this technique, the muscle is exercised in three different ways to prevent it from adapting to just one exercise. Also, you'll notice that your muscles will burn like fire after that last set - a good feeling if you have been at a plateau.

After working out for several months, the weight lifter begins to crave a little variety in their workout. The ideas above could provide that variety, along with sparking new gains in muscular strength and size. However, as these ideas tend towards being high-intensity, it is recommended not to incorporate them for more than 6 weeks in a row.

Want to get fit quick? Head on over to Men-N-Fitness and get a free 7 day training guide.