Natural Bodybuilding Book Review
January 28, 2012 by admin · Leave a Comment
When I first started weight training as a 16 year old kid, I just picked up some weights and started lifting without any knowledge of what I was doing. Today we have information galore out there that can help up and coming fitness enthusiasts to get the right information and to start on solid footing.
Without the proper knowledge, fitness myths such as lifting weights will make you big and aerobic is for cutting the muscles or shaping go unchallenged and become local gym folklore. No doubt lifting weights or strength training does allow you to stress the muscles allowing them to grow bigger and stronger providing you are using the right resistance and repetitions.
Aerobic training also known as cardiovascular training, makes your body more efficient and allowing the body to take up oxygen more efficiently and in the meantime helping to carry nutrients in the bloodstream to feed your muscles for repair and growth.
To cut through all the information out there, I purchased a book three years ago titled Natural Bodybuilding by John Hansen.
I read the book and studied it prior to entering my first bodybuilding competition in 2010. I was impressed in how easy it was to understand and help cut through the myths when it comes to building muscle and getting stronger. The book itself does not talk about the numerous fitness myths that are out there but, makes the information available to anyone that wants to stick to the tried and true basics of bodybuilding and weight training.
The book covers not only detailed information on how to train and get bigger and stronger but also has a great chapter on nutrition and fat loss. You do not have to be a bodybuilder to find this book is well worth the money when it comes to getting a good basic understanding of weight training and how to eat to maximize your gains.
It is information for us that train without steroids and believe in natural bodybuilding and the benefits of doing so.
This book in my estimation should be a part of everyone’s library who trains with weights and who is looking to pack on some size for football or bodybuilding for instance.
It has a good section on diet and how to eat with examples on what to eat for maximum results.
For individuals like myself who belong to the over 50 crowd, the book has a tremendous amount of information to help you get leaner and build more muscle. That in turn helps to increase your metabolism. A faster metabolism equates to the burning of more calories which in turn causes fat loss.
A leaner more muscular body is a healthier body
If you are a natural bodybuilder or contemplating entering your first natural bodybuilding contest, this book will help guide you through the proper preparation and how to get yourself in the right mental state to compete.
If you have any questions or comments concerning my brief review please drop me a line.
Richard Haynes PTA
Total Joint Fitness LLC
Punta Gorda, Florida.
http://www.totaljointfitness.com
Staying Lean All Year Long
September 25, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Staying at a leaner body weight helps create a more conducive growing environment for your body. It helps in maintaining an anabolic environment for further muscle growth through proper hormone production and regulation for instance.
The idea that you have to add 15-25 pounds to your body to help in gaining muscle mass is simply not true. I also fell for this tactic many years ago when I was coming in between 225-245 pounds. In hindsight I looked awful and, did not feel as good at 35 as I do at 54.
Believe me it was not all muscle either.
Today, I work at staying leaner all year long and I do that for multiple reasons. The fact that I am 54 remaining lean helps keep blood pressure in check, that hormone regulation I spoke of a few minutes ago working at its optimal level and, overall general health prosperity.
Adding additional pounds of fat to the body does not serve you for any purpose other than adding additional stress to your cardiovascular system and possibly causing a lack of sleep and proper recuperation from your workouts.
There are many more reasons of course however you get the idea.
Waging war against unnecessary body fat is a full time job especially as you get older to protect your health. We all have heard of the costs that being overweight not only cost you personally but, the countries health care system as a whole.
To help your body no matter what your age is to continue to be in an anabolic state of growth and recuperation, keep a sound resistance program going lifting weight in the 6-12 repetition category, maintaining a common sense dietary plan and, getting the proper amount of sleep.
A leaner body is a stronger more vibrant body. Owning a lean muscular machine is what you want to carry around in this short life span we have to begin with.
Remember, the world is a competitive place and your body is your calling card.
Myself working in the health care field, need to practice what I preach.
You want to work on keeping your body fat levels between 9-12 per cent for men and 12-15 percent for women if possible.
I never test my body fat through calipers etc as that number can vary depending on who is doing the measuring however, I find the mirror does not lie!
Lean is what you want to show off the muscle you have built and continuing to improve on.
Richard Haynes PTA/CPT
Total Joint Fitness LLC
http://www.totaljointfitness.com
When Is The Best Time To Weight Train?
August 3, 2011 by admin · 1 Comment
The question comes up with beginners to weight training about finding the best time to train. That is a question that I answer by finding out about the clients lifestyle, responsibilities regarding work, family, etc… and of course age comes into recommendation as well.
When I was in my late teens and early 20s, I would get into the gym late afternoon or early evening to lift weights. As I grew older and took on a different lifestyle due to work etc… the times had to change.
I personally find the best time to train is the early morning. Your mind is refreshed from a good nights sleep and, your body is rested and ready to physically perform as well.
There is nothing better to know that after a long hard day at work that you do not have to stretch yourself by getting to the gym. There will generally be 101 reasons why you cannot make tonight’s workout.
Your body also gets itself prepared for the day after a morning workout. You attack the day will more energy and enthusiasm.
With a body well rested and the fact you have fasted all night, you also will burn more fat in the early morning hours. This topic also is also debated by other professionals depending on who you talk too.
I would recommend that you get to the gym as early as possible. Wake up hydrate your self with plenty of water take a whey protein supplement to stop the catabolic effects of fasting all night and, enjoy the best workout you have had in a long time!
Richard Haynes PTA/CPT
Total Joint Fitness LLC
Punta Gorda, Florida.
http://www.totaljointfitness.com
http://www.orthopedicweightloss.com
Building Muscle With Rest
July 24, 2011 by admin · 1 Comment
For those of you that have been in the weight training game for awhile, you understand the importance of getting your rest. Unfortunately, many of you that are just starting out in weight training may fall prey to the “more the better” school of thought.
I did myself many years ago when I was much younger. I started weight training myself without doing the type of research that you should do prior to taking up the iron game. My theory was the more I lift, the bigger my muscles will grow!
That was the farthest thing from the truth. I worked biceps seven days a week. Crazy. I was fortunate that I did not injure myself. Little did I know I was tearing down what I was building up. I may have been all of 17 or 18 at the time.
Today with all the technology we have at our disposal in learning the truth about how muscle grows, we know that periods of rest are vital to get stronger and build more muscle. It is when you rest that your muscle is growing, not at the gym.
It is important that when you start working out for the first six months to a year, to workout three no more than four times a week.
Getting the proper amount of sleep is vitally important. This where all the major reconstruction is going on throughout your body. This includes your muscles being re-built after those hard training sessions.
Your muscles will grow with the proper amount of rest.
Remember, no more than three to four times a week in the weight room when you are first starting out and, getting seven to nine hours of sleep at night will begin to get your muscles in an anabolic state and growing.
Richard Haynes PTA/CPT
Total Joint Fitness LLC
http://www.totaljointfitness.com
Warm Up Prior To Your Workout
July 19, 2011 by admin · 1 Comment
Prior to starting any workout, the first thing you want to accomplish is to be sure you have warmed up correctly. I observe in my local gym where many newcomers to the weight training game enter the gym and jump on a machine or, grab a barbell and start to work immediately.
They are setting themselves up for an injury which will keep them out of the gym and, supress your muscle building efforts.
When you begin any workout the first thing you want to do is take your body from a resting state and prepare it for exercise.
How you warm-up is your choice, stretching, biking, walking on the treadmill etc…all are activites that help prepare your body for a rigorous workout.
By warming up for approximately five minutes prior to your workout, you allow your muscles to get flushed with blood, which allows them to work at their maximal ability and, allows for more abundant blood flow to the area. More blood means it is carrying more nutrients to the muscles nourshing them.
Warm-ups also help increase the speed of nerve impulses which makes for more efficient body movements.
Also, you want to be sure you use exercise-specific warm-ups prior to exercise. Exercises like the squat, deadlift, or bench press will take a few more minutes of stretching and lifting lighter weight during your warm-up period to be sure the muscles are prepared to handle maximal poundages.
I can promise you a muscle pull or strain can take quite a while to heal if you do not take the time to strectch and warm-up correctly.
The moral of the story is to make sure you take the time to warm-up prior to lifting the iron to keep yourself healthy and prevent injury.
If you have a story about how you warm-up or, what happened to you by not warming up properly, leave me a comment.
Richard Haynes PTA/CPT
Total Joint Fitness LLC
Punta Gorda, Florida.
http://www.totaljointfitness.com
Losing Weight and Meal Frequency
July 17, 2011 by admin · 1 Comment
When it comes to losing weight and building more muscle you have to include proper meal frquency in your training plan.
The days of eating three square meals a day to properly satisfy your muscle building and weight loss goals are no longer valid.
Through scientific reasearch we know now that our bodies utilize food much more efficiently through smaller, more frequent meals. Its the same idea with diabetic patients who are instructed to eat smaller meals more frquently to avoid spikes in blood sugar. More frequent meals control hunger pangs and keeps your body satisfied without having those large swings in sugar levels in your bloodstream.
I personaly eat between 5-6 meals a day. I pack smaller food portions and, use protein shakes as well to supplement my food consumption.
Each meal should have a protein and a complex carb added with it if possible.
I consume a lot of chicken breast during the week plus eating a salad with it. I have two protein drinks a day as part of my meals.
I take them with me on the road as I do not stop to eat during the week in my occupation as a road warrior. It only takes a few minutes to drink a shake that you can carry in a plastic container and mix it with water.
I also carry and RTD as well which is a protein drink already mixed in a sealed container.
There, I have two meals already plus, what I carry in tupperware in my food container.
Your meal frequency and the food you consume is what will take you to the next level whether you are building muscle, losing weight or both.
If you are eating properly and training correctly you will be adding muscle and losing bodyfat in combination.
Remember do not get to wrapped up in your weight. Its the body composition that counts. If you are adding muscle you may be in fact putting on a few pounds but,your body composition will be improving.
Eat more often with smaller amounts for a faster more productive metabolism.
Richard Haynes PTA/CPT
Punta Gorda, Florida.
http://www.totaljointfitness.com
Training Abdominals and Fat Loss
July 14, 2011 by admin · 1 Comment
When it comes to training your abdominal muscles there has been so much hype and mis-information out there that no wonder everyone can be easily confused and frustrated.
The bottom line is this, you do not have to work your abs everyday. Though they have what is called slow twitch muscle fiber and, are used to prolong work loads they can be overtrained as well.
Exercising your abs three days on and one day off will suffice.
To get the abdominals to show you have to do more then 1000 crunhes a day. to get the six pack ab look, you need to incorporate aerobic work plus, consuming a diet with low fat content and plenty of fruits and vegtables. Lifestyle change is key!
Though this sounds like common sense, I am always amazed at the number of people at the gym who will spend 45 minutes or so working their abs and wondering why they do not see the results they are after.
Generally they are missing one of the key components that is required to get the adominals to show.
Remember this, in the abdominal area it is the first place your body will store fat and, the last place it will take it off.
This is why a disciplined program of weight training, aerobic exercise, and diet need to be ussed in conjunction with each other to burn the fat away.
Your body will not spot reduce. You cannot just target the addominal area in other words.
Patience, discipline, and determination is what it takes to have a successful fat burning program.
if you would like further information on how to construct a program to burn the fat and build a strong abdominal area to assist with your overall core strength as well, leave a comment and I will get back with you.
Richard Haynes PTA/CPT
Total Joint Fitness LLC
Punta Gorda, Florida.
http://www.totaljointfitness.com
Muscle Confusion
July 3, 2011 by admin · 1 Comment
Avoiding sticking points in your quest to build more muscle and develop your body to its fullest is important to see the types of gains in your development that you expect. Muscle confusion involves constantly changing your routines to keep the body guessing.
Most weight trainers and bodybuilders should change their routines every 6-8 weeks. Some will change their routines every time they hit the gym. Our bodies are very efficient in adapting to the stress that is placed on it. If you do not change your routine around, the body then adjusts to the workout and will not respond as well. Therefore, to continue seeing progress you can modify your routine in a number of different ways. Some of them are as follows:
Adding more repetitions
Adding more weight to the exercise
reversing the order of exercises
Using dumbbells instead of barbells
Using your body weight instead of free weights
Using machines instead of free weights
Increasing your work out tempo
Working the exercise at different angles.
As you can see there are a large number of different variables you can work with to break things up and avoid getting stagnant. The list I added is just a small number of actual ways to break sticking points with your training.
Keep adding and changing your program around once you either become stale physically or your workout no longer stimulates you mentally. Anywhere from 6-8 weeks should suffice for most.
If you have other great ideas that you have used in the past please leave a comment and share it with all of us.
Richard Haynes
Total Joint Fitness LLC
Punta Gorda, Florida
http://www.totaljointfitness.com
Bodybuilding Tips For Beginners
June 19, 2011 by admin · 1 Comment
Bodybuilding Tips For Beginners
Bodybuilding is a sport that requires desire and discipline and if you posses the desire to become a bodybuilder there are some tips to help you get started.
When you build your body it takes a lot of discipline. You have to work very hard, every day in order to achieve results. You need to make sure that you have what it takes to put in the work required for success. You will not see results overnight, and it will take a while to get where you want to be.
You have to keep in mind that every body builder started somewhere and the majority looked like normal people at some point. They have the drive and the determination to see the successful results. You should find someone that you want to look like and see if they will give you some insight on what it takes personally.
Your diet obviously plays a part in your goals of being a body builder. You want to be careful with reducing calories if you will be working out diligently. You might even need extra calories, but it is important to increase your caloric intake wisely. You can consult a nutritionist to help you determine the best diet to help you reach your goals.
You should check out many gyms before you make a permanent decision. You can get the best deals at many gyms if you sign a long term contract. You will want to find a good gym with a good training system to achieve the results you want.
Bodybuilding consists of many parts. If you do some research and make a plan you can see results in no time.
Bodybuilding has many parts and you want to make a good plan before you begin. Nutrition needs to be addressed and you will need to increase proteins and carbohydrates. You also need to make a good choice about a gym. You can learn more now about changing your body and making your goals a reality.
Richard Haynes PTA/CPT
Punta Gorda, Florida.
http://www.totaljointfitness.com
A Body Building Plan Can Help You Achieve Your Goals
June 19, 2011 by admin · 1 Comment
A Body Building Plan Can Help You Achieve Your Goals
You see it everywhere, many overweight people that are struggling to get around due to the extra weight they are carrying. You may be one of these people and body building can help you get into the best shape of your life.
When you are first getting into shape you will want to make a plan and stick to it. To become a body builder, you have to become very strict and make this goal the priority in your life. This includes your diet and exercise program. Both of these things have to be monitored very closely and revised.
With your diet you may want to keep a food diary and record and monitor everything that you put into your mouth. Liquids should also be accounted for and even gum which contains sugar should be recorded.
Once you have a food diary you can begin to determine what changes you need to make in order to see the results you want. You will want to determine what your caloric and fat intake should be daily to help you reach your goals.
You can utilize the same system with your exercise plan. If you keep a detailed log of when you are working out and how long, you will be able to determine where you need to focus. You should also record what areas of your body you are working every day and you will be able to make any changes necessary.
Body building can change your life and create a feeling you may have never felt before. If you design a plan and stick to it, you can accomplish all of your goals.
Body building is a great way to get into shape and change your body for the better. If you keep a food and exercise diary it can help you see where you need the most help. You can change your life with this type of plan and you will see results if you stick to it. Learn more now about changing your own life with a body building plan.
Richard Haynes PTA/CPT
Punta Gorda, Florida.
http://www.totaljointfitness.com