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Should I Do Cardio Before Weight Lifting - Does Exercise Order Matter?

Does the order of exercise make a different in my results?

What should you do first, cardiovascular endurance exercise or weight lifting? Or does this even matter?

The answer really depends upon what you are trying to accomplish.

There isn't any special magic in exercise order, but some reasons it may matter have to do with the available energy for exercise, the causes of muscle fatigue, and the risk of injury during exercise. In general, exercise you perform when you have adequate energy is performed at a higher intensity with more focus and efficiency. Exercise you perform when your energy supplies are low is less effective and more likely to result in injury.

Exercise order may also matter if you are trying to achieve a specific goal, such as building muscle or improving sports skills, or if you have an extremely high level of fitness already.

Exercise Order Recommendations

most recreational athletes can avoid this question altogether by doing cardio and weight training on different days. Another option is to do both endurance and strength training at the same time with interval training or circuit training routines that give a full-body workout in limited time.

Even though there is no magic in exercise order, some things seem to work better than others. If you have specific goals, use the following advice regarding exercise order.

If Your Goal is Improving Overall Health

To improve overall health, it really doesn't matter if you lift weights first or do endurance training first. In fact, you can do both at the same time with interval training or circuit training routines or you can alternate weight lifting and endurance days if you prefer.

If Your Goal is Increasing Cardiovascular Endurance

In order to build and maintain cardiovascular endurance, you should perform endurance exercise first, when you have plenty of energy for long-distance exercise. Add resistance exercises 2 to 3 times a week, either after or separate from the endurance work in order to develop muscular strength and reduce your risk of injury. Lifting prior to running is not recommended because you increase your risk of injury due to muscle fatigue.

If Your Goal is Increasing Muscle Size and Strength

increasing muscle size can best be accomplished by lifting weights first when the body's main source of energy for muscle contraction (glycogen) is high. If you do a hard cardio workout before lifting, you deplete glycogen, which makes the workout ineffective.

If Your Goal is Burning Calories for Fat Loss

if your primary goal is to burn as many calories as you can in a single session, it's probably best to do cardio first and lift weights next. There isn't any magic behind this; it's simply easier for most people to burn more calories per exercise session when they do cardio first. However, almost any combination of burning more calories while eating fewer will result in fat loss.

Some people achieve significant weight loss exclusively though dietary changes; others do it simply through weight training. Weight lifting definitely burns calories; in fact, it often burns more calories per minute than performing endurance exercise. The problem is that most people fatigue quickly when lifting weights, and therefore cannot perform the exercise as long as they can walk, bike or use an elliptical machine. The end result is that the total calories burned per exercise session tends to be higher for those who do endurance exercise first, simply because the can exercise longer.
Ultimately, the best way to lose body fat is to combine endurance exercise and resistance exercise and, of course, to make dietary changes.

If Your Goal is to Improve Specific Sports Skills

If you are training for a specific sport, you'll need to design your training to accommodate the needs of that sport. Whether you do resistance or endurance training first depends upon the requirements of the sport, your current level of fitness and your overall goals. If you aren't sure what is the best type of training for your sport, it's helpful to enlist the expertise of a coach or personal trainer.

Elite athletes perform a specific exercise order that encompasses days, weeks and months. Sport-specific training follows the competitive season and is carefully designed so that athletes will "peak" at the height of the season. Their training builds from a general foundation of overall fitness and becomes focused on specific skills, movements and even psychological components in order to provide an edge over the competition. These programs look like a pyramid and cover the entire spectrum of fitness (strength, endurance, flexibility, agility, psychology, etc...) over the course of a season.

If Your Goal is to be Consistent and Maintain an Exercise Program

In order to stick with exercise, it needs to fit into your daily routine and lifestyle. It also has to feel good to you. For this reason, it is helpful to pick the type of exercise, the order of exercise and the time of exercise according to what works the best for your body. You may be naturally inclined to feel best if you do endurance exercise first and then do weights. You may also find that your body responds best when you lift weights at one time of the day and go for a run at another. It's OK to let your body, mood or interest determine when you exercise.

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"The Benefit of Circuit Training"

"The Benefit of Circuit Training"
"Circuit Training Is Becoming Very Popular Due To Its Many Benefits"

Have you noticed the number of circuit training based gyms that are opening up everywhere? Does your gym offer circuit training classes or a dedicated circuit training area?

Circuit training is defined as moving quickly from one exercise apparatus to another and completing a prescribed number of exercises or time on each apparatus. Circuit training keeps the pulse high and promotes overall fitness by working all muscle groups as well as the heart and lungs.

The rise in popularity of circuit training is primarily because it is a one-stop exercise session, giving you a total body workout. People like the convenience factor of getting a great strength training workout while also gaining cardiovascular fitness.

Typically, circuit training programs have between six and twelve stations focusing on total body conditioning. A complete workout consists of two to three sets of each circuit. Depending on the program, you may be required to complete a specific number of exercises or for a specified period of time. The break between the sets is shorts, usually 15 to 30 seconds. However, any individual can vary the circuit training program to ensure it meets their fitness needs.

Here’s how you can alter a circuit training program:

• Vary the number of circuits performed.

• Increase or decrease the length of intervals between circuits
• Change the time spent at each station.

• Vary the intensity and speed that you perform each activity.
• Change the rest period or eliminate it all together.

Circuit training is a great, diverse way to improve your overall fitness level, even if you are already doing traditional weight training. Here’s a brief listing of the benefits of circuit training.

• Circuit training allows people of all fitness levels to work together.

If you have a partner that you would like to exercise with, but your fitness levels are very different, circuit training allows you to work together. The great thing is that you work at your own fitness level and pace at each activity. Circuit training can be an excellent way to spend time and improve your health alongside your partner.

• Circuit training helps you develop good basic strength and body tone.

For people not interested in bulking up significantly, circuit training can be key because you can do lower weight for more repetitions. In addition, circuit training exercises tend to use more than one muscle group at a time. These exercises can give you quicker results than spending time on one piece of gym equipment focusing on one set of muscles.

• Circuit training gives you a cardiovascular workout as well.

If you practice traditional bodybuilding, then you allow your heart rate to recover during the rest period between your weight lifting exercises. Another benefit of circuit training is its ability to provide cardiovascular exercise because your heart rate remains elevated and sustained above a resting level throughout the workout. Circuit training promotes cardiovascular improvements and can eliminate the need to complete a separate cardio workout.

• Circuit training can improve your fat loss.

1. Due to the cardio benefits of circuit training, it provides more fat and calorie burning than traditional weight lifting programs.

2. This benefit of circuit training means that more work is performed in less time resulting in greater caloric expenditure during the workout

3. In addition, you are increasing your lean muscle mass, which means you are improving your metabolism and burning more fat throughout the day.

• Excellent off season workout for seasonal athletes.

If you play a seasonal sport like hockey or soccer, circuit training can help you stay in shape during the off season. Circuit training is a great way to maintain your general fitness and improve you strength while you prepare for the next season.

• Circuit training can help you build muscle in conjunction with traditional bodybuilding.

Since you have fewer rest periods in circuit training, men actually increase the amount of testosterone they release, which helps build muscle. In addition, circuit training programs tend to be around sixty minutes, which means you avoid the cortical releasing process. Cortical release occurs when testosterone levels drop (typically during extensive cardio exercise like running a lengthy race and the cortical can start to breakdown muscle tissues).


I encourage you to discover the benefits of circuit training by trying it. You might be surprised by the intensity of the workout and the great overall benefits for your body. Remember it gives you the maximum workout in the minimum time!

More Information; www.building-muscle101.com

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Do you get dizzy during exercise?

Many people seem to suffer from dizzy spells either during exercise or afterwards. If you are one of these people then check the list below to see where you may be going wrong:

1. Running on empty - if you exercise in the morning after maybe 10 hours since your last meal then your body is low on many of the nutrients and energy required to get you through your workout. If your carbohydrate stores (glycogen) levels are low then your body will use your muscles and fat for energy and this can be a strain on your system. Consider eating muesli, fruit, and porridge - 1 hour before exercise.

2. Lack of fluids - our body’s natural equilibrium of water is very crucial - as you perspire you lose water and this can tip you over the edge. Drink water before, during and after exercise but don’t overindulge.

3. Low blood pressure - fast movements from standing to lying can cause dizziness in people suffering from low blood pressure. Take your time between transitions or better still perform all your standing exercise and then your entire floor exercises.

4. Blood pooling - after heavy leg exercises (squats, dead lifts) blood rushes to your legs in order to fuel your muscles. Ensure you take time to recover after these exercise and give the blood chance to recirculation. Don’t sit down; moving around on your feet will help you return back to normal quicker.

5. Anaemia (iron deficiency) - because you have a lack of red blood cells you have less carriers for your oxygen and so can make it harder when exerted to return oxygen back to your brain.

6. Correct breathing - starving your body of oxygen by shallow breathing or holding your breath during exercise is a definite no. Concentrate on your breathing and this will not only get you through your exercise session but can improve your lung capacity and control your heart rate too.

7. Too much too soon - if you have been away from exercise for sometime or are trying something new then the shock to your body can cause spells of dizziness. Remember to take things easy and be progressive. Rome wasn’t built in a day!
If after following this advice or you still feel concerned about your dizzy spells then consult you local GP.
Don’t let dizziness spoil your workouts!!!

How to Get Rid of Dizziness

Dizziness is one of the common complaints heard by doctors; this is because dizziness can be a symptom of many, many physical illnesses and experiences (like aging). If you're feeling dizzy, it's important that you take careful stock of simultaneous symptoms, your surroundings and circumstances (are you moving quickly? drinking a lot of alcohol?), and possible causes (are taking a lot of medication or eating poorly?). This will help you get rid of your dizziness faster, and, if necessary, help a doctor diagnose the root cause of your dizziness.

Here we've explained simple steps you can take to stop feeling dizzy as soon as possible, as well as outlined common symptoms and causes of dizziness, to help you better understand why you're feeling dizzy. Dizziness is not a pleasant sensation, and can do much disrupt your daily life, so we hope this information helps you get rid of dizziness as quickly as you can.

Getting Rid of Dizziness

Move slowly and find a focal point as soon as you start to feel dizzy. If you're feeling dizzy, sit down, lie down, or stand still and focus on an inanimate object like a wall or a piece of furniture. Not moving will help your body regain equilibrium, and forcing yourself to focus on something still can counteract other symptoms of dizziness like blurred vision and nausea. Rapid motion can cause a drop in blood pressure that causes dizziness, so after an episode of dizziness continue to move slowly until you feel steady on your feet.

Take a look at your medications if you're feeling dizzy every day or almost every day. Dizziness can be a side-effect of certain medications, including anti-seizure drugs, sedatives, tranquilizers, antihistamines, and blood-pressure medication. If you think your feelings of dizziness are caused by your medication, talk to your doctor about side-effects, alternative medications, and the possibility of changing your dosage.

Modifying your diet can reduce dizziness. Caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco can all contribute to feelings of dizziness, or even cause dizziness in people prone to vertigo, problems balancing, and light-headedness. Artificial sweeteners and highly sweet or salty foods can also affect your body's ability to balance if you're prone to dizziness (aspartame can inhibit the central nervous system, and sweet/salty snacks can affect your inner ear fluid). Eliminating or reducing these elements in your diet can also reduce your dizziness, and certainly won't hurt your overall health.

Stay hydrated to keep from feeling dizzy. Dehydration is a very common cause of dizziness, especially during exercise and hot weather. Make an effort to drink the recommended 8 glasses (64 ounces) of water a day or more -- more especially if you're working outside and/or athletically active. Be aware of situations where you may become dehydrated quickly (sweating, consuming alcohol, losing bodily fluids from illness) and try to keep a bottle of water with you at all times.

See a doctor as soon as possible if you experience frequent or long-term dizziness, or if you experience dizziness along with any of the following symptoms: loss of consciousness, difficulty walking, weakness in your legs or arms, difficulty speaking, difficulty hearing, difficulty seeing, numbness, severe headache, dehydration, severe ear pain, high fever (100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher), slowed heart rate, or chest pain. See the information below, for more information on possible medical treatments of dizziness.

Medical Treatment for Dizziness

If you're experiencing severe or chronic dizziness, especially dizziness accompanied by any of the above-mentioned symptoms, it's time to see your doctor for medical treatment. Because dizziness is a common medical complaint that can be symptomatic of a myriad of medical conditions (see the information on causes to the left), your doctor will base your treatment on your accompanying symptoms.

If your doctor diagnoses vertigo (officially known as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV) as the cause of your dizziness, you will likely undergo simple physical therapy to move particles of calcium carbonate crystals loose within your inner ear. When these particles break loose and fall into the wrong parts of the ear canal, you experience vertigo; by maneuvering your head in a deliberate manner, you may be able to move the offending particles to a different location, where they can be reabsorbed into the inner ear fluid. BPPV is a common result of aging, or trauma to the head.

Your doctor will likely treat dizziness caused by other inner ear conditions, vestibular migraines, and anxiety by treating the source of these conditions; diet modification, counseling, and coaching to avoid triggers are common approaches. Other physical ailments, such as ear infection or heart problems, can cause dizziness and will need to be treated on an individual basis.
Medications specifically designed to combat symptoms of dizziness are another treatment option. These medications include Meclizine (Antivert), Dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), a Scopolamine patch, Prochlorperazine (Compazine), and Promethazine (Phenergan). Be sure to talk to your doctor about all your treatment option before beginning medical regimen to get rid of your dizziness.

Fore more information at: www.getridofthings.com

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Please restrain from using the mentioned towel for other purposes.

Whey Protein Isolate or Whey Protein Concentrate; which is better?

I’m really confused about all the different types of proteins. Can you tell me what is the difference between whey protein isolate and whey protein concentrate?

Before I explain the difference between the two types of whey, you first need to understand something very important: Much of the information being provided about protein comes from companies that sell supplements. The next time you read an article about protein supplements, keep in mind who is writing the article. Don’t be surprised if you get a sales pitch at the end of the article with an 800-number for easy ordering.

If a bodybuilder ever recommends a particular brand of protein, or makes outrageous claims like, "I gained 15 pounds of solid muscle just by switching to brand X protein", check to see if they have an endorsement contract. I have to laugh when I read that a bodybuilding champion claims to have built their physique by eating 50-80% of their calories in the form of protein powder, while they have a contract with the company that makes it. If anybody is really gung-ho about a particular type of protein, look for the bias – it’s almost always there.

That being said, it’s true that whey is definitely a great source of protein. Whey has a high biological value (BV). A high BV means that the amino acid ratio is excellent for building muscle and that a large proportion of the protein consumed is absorbed and utilized by the body. In addition, numerous studies from reputable researchers have shown that whey has immune-system enhancing benefits.

Whey is a dairy protein that is a by-product of the cheese making process. In its raw state, whey contains substantial amounts of fat and lactose (milk sugar). You wouldn’t want to eat raw whey. That’s why it is filtered and processed: to remove most of the lactose and fat. If you’ve ever heard of micro filtration or "ion exchange," those are simply methods of separating the fat and lactose from the protein. The end result is a more concentrated protein – either concentrate or isolate (which is what you want).

The primary difference between isolate and concentrate is that the isolate is more pure. In other words, isolate contains more protein with less fat and lactose per serving. Based on whose figures you go by, whey isolate usually contains between 90-94% proteins while whey concentrate has a protein ratio of 70-85%.

If you are lactose intolerant and you have problems with gas and bloating, then the isolate might be a better choice. But being more "pure" doesn’t necessarily mean the whey isolate is better or will produce greater muscle growth. Whey protein concentrate is still an excellent source of protein. Besides, isolate does have disadvantages: For one, it is more expensive than concentrate. Isolate has also had some of the valuable immune-boosting protein sub fractions such as alpha lacto globulins and lactoferrins removed in the filtering process.

In the long run, I don’t think it makes much difference whether you use concentrate or isolate. Nutrition companies will surely bicker back and forth forever over whose protein powder is the best, but choosing your protein isn’t something you should lose sleep over.

Protein nutrition is very simple: For practical muscle-building purposes, the important thing is to consume between 25-50 grams of protein (depending on your needs) every three hours. Whether it comes from whey isolate, whey concentrate, egg whites, chicken, fish, lean red meat or whatever – I just don’t think it matters that much.

I’ve used whey for years; I throw a couple scoops in my oatmeal in the morning sometimes instead of making egg whites. Sometimes I have a protein shake instead of a food meal. The main benefit of protein powders and meal replacements is convenience. Drinking your protein is definitely easier than preparing, cooking and eating it. Still, 80% of my protein comes from food sources such as egg whites, chicken, lean red meat (usually top round), and occasionally some tuna, salmon or other fish.

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Myths of Women's Weight Training and Female Bodybuilding

The myths about women's weight training and female bodybuilding do not ever seem to go away. With this article, I'd like to share the facts regarding weight training and female bodybuilding.

Women's Weight Training Myth #1 -Weight training makes you bulky and masculine.
Due to the fact that women do not, and cannot, naturally produce as much testosterone (one of the main hormones responsible for increasing muscle size) as males do, it is impossible for a woman to gain huge amounts of muscle mass by merely touching some weights. Unfortunately, the image that may come to your mind is that of professional female bodybuilders. Most of these women, unfortunately, use anabolic steroids (synthetic testosterone) along with other drugs in order to achieve that high degree of muscularity.

In addition, most also have good genetics coupled with an unbelievable work ethic that enable them to gain muscle quickly when they spend hours in the gym lifting very heavy weights. Believe me when I say that they do not look like that by accident. Women who conduct weight training without the use of steroids get the firm and fit cellulite-free looking body that you see in most fitness/figure shows these days.

Women's Weight Training Myth #2 - Exercise increases your chest size.

Sorry girls. Women’s breasts are composed mostly of fatty tissue. Therefore, it is impossible to increase breast size through weight training. As a matter of fact, if you go below 12 percent body fat, your breast size will decrease. Weight training does increase the size of the back, so this misconception probably comes from confusing an increase in back size with an increase in cup size. The only way to increase your breast size is by gaining fat or getting breast implants.

Women's Weight Training Myth #3 - Weight training makes you stiff and muscle bound.
If you perform all exercises through their full range of motion, flexibility will increase. Exercises like flies, stiff-legged deadlifts, dumbbell presses, and chin-ups stretch the muscle in the bottom range of the movement. Therefore, by performing these exercises correctly, your stretching capabilities will increase.

Women's Weight Training Myth #4 - If you stop weight training your muscles turn into fat.

This is like saying that gold can turn into brass. Muscle and fat are two totally different types of tissue. What happens many times is that when people decide to go off their weight training programs they start losing muscle due to inactivity (use it or lose it) and they also usually drop the diet as well. Therefore bad eating habits combined with the fact that their metabolism is lower due to inactivity, and lower degrees of muscle mass, give the impression that the subject’s muscle is being turned into fat while in reality what is happening is that muscle is being lost and fat is being accumulated.

Women's Weight Training Myth #5 - Weight training turns fat into muscle.

This is the equivalent of saying that you can turn any metal into gold; don't we wish! The way a body transformation occurs is by gaining muscle through weight training and losing fat through aerobics and diets simultaneously. Again, muscle and fat are very different types of tissue. We cannot turn one into the other.

Women's Weight Training Myth #6 - As long as you exercise you can eat anything that you want.

How I wish this was true also! However, this could not be further from the truth. Our individual metabolism determines how many calories we burn at rest and while us exercise. If we eat more calories than we burn on a consistent basis, our bodies will accumulate these extra calories as fat regardless of the amount of exercise that we do. This myth may have been created by people with such high metabolic rates that no matter how much they eat or what they eat, they rarely meet or exceed the amount of calories that they burn in one day unless they put their mind to doing so. Therefore, their weight either remains stable or goes down.

Women's Weight Training Myth #7 - Women only need to do cardio and if they decide to lift weights, they should be very light.

First of all, if you only did cardio then muscle and fat would be burned for fuel. One needs to do weights in order to get the muscle building machine going and thus prevent any loss of muscle tissue. Women that only concentrate on cardio will have a very hard time achieving the look that they want. As far as the lifting of very light weights, this is just more nonsense. Muscle responds to resistance and if the resistance is too light, then there will be no reason for the body to change.

Women Should Train Hard

I have trained with girls that train as hard as I do and they look nothing but feminine. If you want to look great, don't be afraid to pick up the weights and lift hard!

For more information at www.bodybuilding.about.com

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“Can You Burn Fat And Build Muscle At The Same Time?”

If there is one question that I’ve been asked the most, it’s how to burn fat and build muscle at the same time. It seems there is a lot of confusion about whether or not one can actually burn fat while building muscle at the same time.

Well, it’s no wonder. Just take a look around the internet and you’ll find 101 different answers to this question. Some sites say you can build huge amounts of muscle while reducing fat and others say you can’t build muscle if you are trying to lose body fat. So, who’s right?
Where do I stand on the issue of burning fat and building muscle at the same time? Well, I find myself caught in the middle of this question. That is, it is sort of like a balancing act when it comes to building muscle and burning fat. You see, it all depends on what you want and where you currently stand with your training program. Now, there are a whole lot of you out there who want the best of both worlds - Including me, which is to build the maximum amount of muscle while burning fat.

However, I can’t possibly say that you can actually build the maximum amount of muscle while at the same time, losing the maximum amount body fat. I tried this and it doesn’t work. Well it worked when I first started training but that soon stopped.

Now, I mean, when a person is training hard and heavy, their body is relying on a huge supply of nutrients to fuel and build their bodies. In order to grow, you need to feed your body the correct amount of nutrients that is required for growth. You cannot grow by reducing your overall caloric intake that is needed to lose weight and burn fat.

However, with that being said, there is a very fine line between gaining muscle and gaining body fat. You see, in order to get big muscles, you need to get strong first. When you are training, your muscles start to get strong and when they start to get strong, they get bigger and bigger to meet the demands of more weight being stressed upon them. Once this happens, they need more and more nutrients to keep growing. This is the only way the cycle of getting big muscles work.
As you get stronger, your muscles will start to get larger and your body will actually demand that you feed them a certain amount of nutrients to sustain this new growth. If you don’t feed your body the nutrients that it demands, it will get weaker. Once it gets weaker, your muscles will start to get smaller and it will draw on other sources of energy.

The general line of thinking to building muscle is this. To build muscle, you need to create what is called a calorie surplus. That is, you need to ingest more calories than your body is burning per day. Let’s say you need 2,500 calories on a daily basis, taking into account your exercise levels, to sustain your current body weight. Now, if you want to add body weight and build the maximum amount of muscle, you will need to adjust your training schedule to exert new demands on your body but more importantly, ingest more calories to support these new demands. You will need additional calories on a daily basis to support new growth.

Now, if you want to burn fat, you have to create what is called a calorie deficit. That is, you must ingest fewer calories than your body is burning on a daily basis. Of course, your training regiment will have to change but to alter your body fat levels; you will need to cut down on calories to burn the maximum amount of body fat.

So, to build muscle, you need to get strong. Once you start getting stronger, your body will demand more nutrients to sustain these new strength and muscle levels. However, this is where the balancing act comes into play. You know that in order to build muscle you need more and more nutrients to support new strength levels that is needed to get bigger muscles. Ok, now, that means more and more food. Let me be very clear about this. You need clean, powerful, muscle building food to support this new growth. All increase in calories should come from clean, body building foods.

You see, muscle is a very active tissue and once they start working, they turn into mini metabolism machines that are constantly going. Once they start to get strong, they crave more and more nutrients to keep that machine going. And if you feed them the right nutrients and in the right order, they will keep on going.

However, this process depends on a variety of factors such as age, gender, training styles, and so forth. But, all things being equal, the process of building muscle stands the same which is:

Get strong with hard and heavy weight training;

• Muscle gets larger to sustain strength levels;

• Body needs more nutrients to sustain new growth;

This is the basic process of growth. Now, this is very important for you to remember. The foods you choose to sustain new growth will have a direct impact as to how much fat you gain as compared to how much muscle you build. Yes, the foods you choose will be one of the deciding factors as to the kind of mass you want to gain. I’m a firm believer that calories are not all created equally. And this is where most people get confused when it comes to building maximum amount of muscle while losing or maintaining current fat levels.

You want to eat just enough calories to help with the growth process. If you ingest more calories than your body can use to sustain new growth, some of it will go to fat. This is the trick to maintaining body fat levels during growth phases. By gorging yourself with high fat foods, you will ultimately ingest too many calories to sustain new growth. However, if you eat clean, muscle building foods, your body will use up most of those calories for fuel and growth.

Yes, there are some sites on the internet will insist that all calories are created equally and the body doesn’t recognize one calorie from the next. I cannot agree with this statement. Eating 3,000 calories from cheeseburgers and Hagan daze is not the same as eating 3,000 calories from whole foods such as lean meat sources and complex, fibrous carbohydrates.

If you want to eat fatty, high calorie foods, you will gain a lot more fat than muscle. I think this is where most people get confused. When you get right down to it, it will come down to the foods that you choose that will be the deciding factor when trying to build the maximum amount of muscle while maintaining current body fat levels. A diet high in quality nutrients will produce much better results for building muscle mass and maintaining body fat levels than a diet high in fat and processed foods. Don’t believe me? Try cutting out all high fat foods and sugars from your diet and replace them with lean protein sources and complex carbohydrates. Do this for a week and see how it impacts your training. I can say with 100% certainty that you workouts will improve drastically and your body will take on a whole new look.

Now, there is an exception to this rule. It is during this period of growth that certain individuals can actually experience a certain level of body fat reduction while building muscle. However, before you get confused with this statement, let me explain. For beginners and those of you who are already out of shape, this is very possible.

That is, your body is in a state of growth from the weight training and your testosterone levels are increasing. Since your body is using up everything to build muscle, your fat levels are actually being reduced. For those of you who have been training for awhile, you can probably remember how fantastic those times were. You could eat just about anything and still build muscle without getting really fat.

But, this happens only for a certain period of time before your body needs more and more food to sustain strength levels and where most people experience plateaus. By not feeding your body the necessary nutrients to grow, it will stop growing. That means no more strength gains and why a lot of you reading this page now, are not getting stronger and bigger.

Now, most sources on the internet and other fitness publications will say that you have to choose one or the other - Build muscle or lose fat. It is true, you have to decide what you want to do and since you want to build muscle, you need to increase overall caloric intake. However, you have to be smart about this. Increasing caloric intake doesn’t mean increasing your consumption of cheeseburgers and chili fries. You have to increase calories from high powered, clean body building foods.

So, if you want to build the maximum amount of muscle you are going to have to increase your overall caloric intake. The trick is to increase your calorie intake with only quality, high powered muscle building foods. If you can do this, while training hard and heavy, you will gain quality muscle mass while maintaining current body fat levels. Choice of food is the real key to building lean muscle mass.

This is what I suggest. You don’t want to consume so many calories that you become fat. You want to consume enough calories that will support new growth but keep fat levels to a minimum. If you simply gorge yourself with food, it can be difficult to get rid of those extra pounds when it comes to stripping off body fat. I suggest you do the following:

1) Find your starting point;
Multiply your body weight by 20 to get your base starting caloric intake for adding mass. If you weight 165 pounds, multiply that by 20 to get 3,300 calories. This will be your base caloric intake.

2) Decide who much protein, carbohydrates, and fat you need.
You should be consuming at least 1 to 1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. That is, if you weight 165 pounds, you should be consuming anywhere between 165 grams to 198 grams of protein per day. You should also be consuming about 3 to 5 grams of quality complex carbohydrates per pound of body weight. Keep fat down to about 15% to 20% of your overall caloric intake.

You will also need to eat, at the minimum 5 to 6 meals per day. If you skip breakfast, this won’t work. If you wait 4 to 5 hours in between meals, this won’t work. If you skip a meal or two, this won’t work. You must, eat 5 to 6 meals per day, spaced 2 to 3 hours apart. No questions about this part.

3) Decide on what kinds of foods you want to eat
Cut out all junk foods! This is a priority. Cut out all sugars and processed foods. Eat only high quality protein, carbohydrate and fat sources. Remember, you don’t want to add a lot of fat but muscle. I can guarantee all of you who are reading this page now that if you cut out all junk food and sugars, and replace them with whole foods such as lean protein sources, fibrous carbohydrates, and clean fats, your workouts will shoot through the roof.

For more information at www.building-muscle101.com

Strength training: OK for kids when done correctly

Strength training: OK for kids when done correctly

Strength training for kids is OK. But bodybuilding is dangerous. Know the differences and follow these guidelines to keep your kids safe.

The young athlete in your family is disciplined and devoted, squeezing in practice whenever he or she can. Now your child wants to start strength training. You've heard coaches and other parents talk about strength training, but you wonder — is strength training really good for a child?

The answer is yes. Strength training exercises that are supervised, safe and age-appropriate offer many bonuses to young athletes.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the National Strength and Conditioning Association all support strength training for kids — if it's done properly. Today's children are increasingly overweight and out of shape. Strength training can help put them on the lifetime path to better health and fitness.

Strength training, not weightlifting

Strength training for kids — not to be confused with weightlifting, bodybuilding or power lifting — is a carefully designed program of exercises to increase muscle strength and endurance. Weightlifting, bodybuilding and power lifting are largely driven by competition, with participants vying to lift heavier weights or build bigger muscles than other athletes. This can put too much strain on young muscles, tendons and growth plates, especially when proper technique is sacrificed in favor of lifting larger amounts of weight.

Strength training for kids, however, isn't about lifting the heaviest weight possible. Instead, the focus is on lighter weights and controlled movements, with a special emphasis on proper technique and safety.

Your child can build muscle strength using:

• Free weights
• Weight machines
• Resistance bands
• His or her own body weight
  

Benefits for young athletes

Strength training for kids has gotten a bad reputation over the years. Lifting weights, for example, was once thought to damage young growth plates — areas of cartilage that have not yet turned to bone. Experts now realize that with good technique and the right amount of resistance, young athletes can avoid growth plate injuries. Strengthening exercises, with proper training and supervision, provide many benefits to a young athlete.

Supervised strength training that emphasizes proper technique:

• Increases your child's muscle strength and endurance
• Protects your child's muscles and joints from injury
• Helps improve performance in a particular sport
• Your child may gain other health benefits from strength training, too.

These include:

• Better heart and lung function
• A healthy body composition
• Stronger bones
• Lower blood cholesterol levels
• A good fitness habit that lasts a lifetime

Some studies suggest that improved self-esteem and a decreased chance of depression also are upshots of strength training. Your child may get a feel-good boost after improving his or her performance.

Who benefits most?

Strength training benefits older preteens more than younger kids. At the age of 5 to 6, kids should be focusing on body awareness and body control, balance, running, jumping and throwing.
Strength training also helps those kids who have a focused interest in a particular sport. For example, a figure skater or dancer who has a goal of jumping higher can improve with strength training. Football players, soccer players — just about all young athletes — can enhance their performance with a strength training program.

Because technique and proper form are so important, don't let your child begin strength training until he or she is mature enough to accept directions. A good rule of thumb is if your child is old enough to participate in organized sports, such as hockey, soccer or gymnastics, he or she is ready for some form of strength training.

Guidelines for youth strength training

The right strength training program for your child isn't just a scaled-down version of what an adult would do. Many adult programs focus on fewer repetitions and heavier weights. A youth strength training program needs to focus on:

• Correct technique
• Smooth, controlled motions
• Less resistance and many repetitions

Your child's coach can tailor a strength training program for your child according to your child's age, size, skills and sports interests. The general principles of youth strength training are:

• Provide instruction. Show your child how to perform strength training exercises using controlled breathing and proper form. You might ask a trained professional to demonstrate. If you enroll your child in a class, make sure there's at least one instructor for every 10 students to ensure that your child receives proper instruction.
• Supervise. Adult supervision is important to reinforce safety and good technique. For instance, if your child lifts weights to strength train, a spotter — someone who stands ready to grab the weights — can step in if the weight becomes too heavy. As a parent, you can get involved in strength training, too. You can supervise your child and serve as a positive reinforcement for healthy lifestyle habits.

• Warm up; cool down. Have your child begin each workout with 5 to 10 minutes of a warm-up activity, such as walking, jogging in place or jumping rope. This makes muscles warm and ready for action, all the while minimizing the risk of injury. End each workout with a cool down, including some light stretching.
• Think light weights, controlled repetitions. One set of 12 to 20 repetitions at a lighter weight is all it takes. Kids don't need weights specially sized for them. They can safely lift adult-size weights as long as the weight isn't too heavy. The resistance doesn't have to come from weights, either. Resistance tubing can be just as effective — especially for younger kids.
• Rest between workouts. Establish a rest period of at least a day between strength training workouts. Two or three sessions per week are plenty.
• Track progress. Teach your child how to fill out a chart of which exercises, how many repetitions, and what weights or resistance he or she uses during a workout. It will be helpful in monitoring progress.
• Add weight gradually. Only when your child masters proper form should you add weight. If your child can't do 10 repetitions at a certain weight, it's too heavy.
• Keep it fun. Vary the routine often. Kids are more likely to stick with strength training if they don't get bored by it.

Results won't come overnight. But over time, you and your child will notice a difference in your child's muscle strength and endurance.
More information at http://www.mayoclinic.com/

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