Body builders train hard

I often get the question:

How to train for mass?

Before I share myview on the topic consider this:

Most of us are training in the6-12 rep range. We do this unconsiously and sometimes for months andmonths, sometimes for years! To build massive muscle you have to build strength.

More strenght = more mass.

For over 40 years now many body builders know that 5reps x 5 sets for a given exercise build strenght. Most of us knowthis but do little with it ;-) So to build muscle please consider trying the 4-6 rep scheme forseveral weeks. Get ready: this means very intense workouts, withheavy weight (you are able to pound more weight when you haveto perform lesser reps!)

I usually suggest the following:

Use heavy weight for 4 reps. Nextweek try to get 1-2 more reps. When you are able to get out 6 fullreps, add weight and start at 4 reps again. Build up to 6 repsagain and repeat the process for several weeks. Rest 1 week after 4weeks of intense training. It is not easy to train like this, train only 1 muscle group (likechest or back or arms) per workout and get enough high qualityprotein every day you will surely pack on some solid mass!

Diet Information

If you alter your diet to become high protein, low carbohydrates, several alterations will take place.

First, you will probably be consuming fewer calories. Most high protein diets are low in calorie. Because your diet is higher in protein. Whenever one consumes fewer calories than the body needs, weight loss occurs, regardless of the diet consumption.

Second, your low carbohydrate diet will not allow your body to maintain it’s stores of glycogen in your liver and muscles. This glycogen is stored with water. Thus you will lose weight as a result as this loss of glycogen and water from the body.

Third, you are not providing the body with enough carbohydrates to supply the energy you need. The excess protein and fat you are eating must therefore do carbohydrates job of providing energy to the brain and cells. When excess proteins and fat are consumed, the liver and kidneys have more work to do. Protein contains nitrogen, a waste product not found in carbohydrates. Nitrogen must separate from the protein molecule and processed by the liver. The kidneys must then filter the excess nitrogen out of the body. The more protein you eat the harder the liver and kidneys must work to accomplish this task.

Lastly, because you are eating more protein, your intake of fat, cholesterol, and saturated fat will likely be high. According to me, an intake of no more than 300 mg of dietary cholesterol per day. Just one 3.5 ounce piece of white meat chicken without the skin, roasted contains 77 mg of cholesterol, one quarter of the daily limit. One 3.5 ounce portion of extra lean ground beef, baked to well done contains 107 mg of cholesterol. Diet providing 16 ounces of lean meat and 4 ounces of cheese per day can provide almost double the amount of dietary cholesterol.

Protein Needs:

1.7 to 1.8 g/kg of body weight (212 to 225% of currebt RDA)To determine your protein needs multiply your body weight by the conversion factor of .8 to 1.8

This will give you the grams of protein you need per day.

Sendentary or sporadic exerciser:

.8 grams per kg of body weight or,.4 grams per pound of body weight

Active exerciser:

1.2 1.4 grams per kg of body weight.5 to .6 grams per pound of body weight

Very active exerciser, weight lifter:

1.7 to 1.8 grams per kg of body weight.7 to .8 grams per pound of body weight

Here are some tips for fitness:












Regular exercise can help protect you from heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, non-isulsin-dependent diabetes, obesity, back pain, osteoporosis, and can improve your mood and help you to better manage stress.

For the greatest overall health benefits, experts recommend that you do 20 - 30 minutes of aerobic activity three to five times a week and some type of muscles strengthening activity and stretching at least twice a week. However if you are unable to do this level of activity, you can gain substantial health benefits by accumulating 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity a day, at least five times a week.

If you have been inactive for a while, you may want to start with less strenuous activities such as walking or swimming at a comfortable pace. Once you are in better shape, you can gradually do more strenuous activity.

How Physical Activity Impacts Health

Regular physical activity that is performed on most days of the week reduces the risk of developing or dying from some of the leading causes of illness and death.
Reduces risk of dying prematurely from heart disease
Reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure
Reduces the risk of developing diabetes
Helps reduces high blood pressure in people who already have high blood pressure
Reduces the feelings of depression.
Helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints
Helps older adults become stronger and better able to move about without falling.

Stretching:

If you’re a dog or cat owner, you’ve probably noticed how often your pet likes to stretch. Stretching feels good, especially after lying around all day. Or, as is more often the case with humans, sitting around all day.From sitting all day at our desk or computer, we usually move on to a seat in a car, bus or train, and then home to more seated activity – eating, reading, and watching t/v.Over time, our joints and muscles rebel, becoming stiff, and even painful. The more inactive we are, the stiffer we get.

The importance of flexibility as a building block of fitness has been long overlooked. That's changing fast as people 50 and older discover the mental and physical health benefits of Yoga.
Stretching helps keep your muscles loose, which improves your flexibility, or your ability to bend without hurting yourself. Regular stretching can make you more mobile, making it easier to bend down.

Staying flexible can help you:

. Improve and maintain your range of motion, which improves balance.

· Reduce tension and stress· Improve circulation and concentration

· Boost your energy. Playing it safe. Keep these safety tips in mind when you stretch.

· Start slowly. It will become easier to stretch with practice.

· Don’t force it. Overstretching can cause pain and injury.. If it hurts, stop.

· Breathe deeply. Don’t hold your breath, Breath slow and deep.

· Warm up. Never stretch a cold muscle – you increase your risk of pulling it.

· Stretch all major muscle groups, holding for about 30 seconds.

· Try to stretch three times a week and on most days of the week that you exercise.

· Don’t compete. Listen to your body. Everyone has a different level of flexibility.

Some Body facts that people know very rarely

The human nervous system can relay messages to the brain at speeds up to 200 miles per hour.Some caterpillars have more than 4,000 distinct muscles, while humans have fewer than 800.There are approximately 60,000 miles of blood vessels in the average human body.

Blood is thicker than water -- six times thicker.The human stomach has approximately a one quart capacity.One cubic inch of bone can withstand a two-ton force.By the time you grow from infancy to adulthood, you have 144 fewer bones.The human body contains enough iron to make a spike strong enough to hold one’s own weight.

In the coarse of a lifetime, the resting heart will have pumped enough blood to fill super tankers, each with the capacity of one million barrels.In one day people smoke more than 86 million packs of cigarettes. If, as one source estimates, smokers shorten their lives by 5.5 minutes per cigarette.The right lung takes in more air than the left lung.There are 10 trillion living cells in the human body.

The human body has 45 miles of nerves.A person breaths 7 quarts of air every minute.Tongue prints are as unique as fingerprints.

Eating Habits

U must need enough energy whols the day to do your work better. Right?.. To maintain your energy levels, your body breaks down the food you eat into glucose (blood sugar) – the body’s main fuel, and sends a steady stream of it to your cells. To feel energized throughout the day, your blood-glucose levels should stay within a certain range. If your blood glucose drops too low –which can happen if you go too long without eating. If you eat the wrong kinds of foods, your blood glucose can spike and drop, eventually causing the same symptoms of food poisoning. With this in mind, here’s how to eat for all-day energy and keep your blood-glucose level stable.

1.Don’t skip meals

Not eating meals is one of the fastest ways to low blood sugar. If you skip breakfast, your ability to concentrate will suffer all morning. Skip lunch, and by 3pm your energy level and concentration will crash. The reason: your brain needs glucose to function. To keep your blood glucose from dipping, and zapping your physical and mental energy, eat three (3) meals or six (6) smaller meals a day and don’t go more than four (4) hours without eating something.

2.Balance meals

Make sure your meals include a mix of complex carbohydrates – such as grain products, fresh vegetables and fruit, beans, lentils and other legumes, protein and some fat. At breakfast, have waffles topped with fresh fruit and a cup of low fat or nonfat yogurt (a mix of protein, carbohydrate and fat). At lunch, have a ham and cheese sandwich on whole-grain bread (this provides protein, fat and carbohydrate) and a piece of fruit (this is mostly carbohydrates). A combination of carbohydrates, protein and fat helps moderate blood-glucose absorption so you blood sugar rises gradually. On the other hand, if you eat only carbohydrates, such as fruit alone, you blood-glucose level will rise and drop quickly, leaving you hungry and low on energy within an hour or two after you eat. Likewise, if you only eat protein, you’ll get calories, but they won’t kick in fast enough to make you feel energized when you need it.

3.Snack smart

During all the day, eat snacks that mix carbohydrates, Protein and fat. Good energy-sustaining snacks include low-fat with fruit, cheese And crackers, an apple with peanut butter, and low fat cookies, such as ginger snaps and a glass of skim milk. If you experience an energy low that makes you feel shaky or keeps you from focusing on your work, go for a carbohydrate-rich Snack, such as a whole-grain breakfast bar or a glass of fruit juice. Doing so will raise your blood-glucose levels quickly. Either way, be sure to keep you snack light to avoid weight gain.