Fat Loss 4 Idiots Opinion

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Checking Mistakes: Essential Advice for Building Muscle

By Brad Morgan

If you are undertaking a muscle building regime, there is a lot of information out there to help you get started. The problem is that there is so much information, and often conflicting advice, that you may not know how to start.

Why not start with what not to do? Here are some factors that can delay or stall your muscle building progress:

1. Buying overpriced gym memberships.

If you are considering a gym membership, it may be much better for you to save yourself the expense. While gyms tout their stack-pulley, computerized, or hydraulic machines as much more effective and safe than free weights, the best workouts are the low-tech, low-cost ones that you can do in the comfort of your own home.

From working with relatively inexpensive free weights to doing squats and lunges in absolutely no equipment, you can get a great muscle building workout. The best equipment you have is your body and a few free weights.

2. Not changing your workout.

When it comes to exercising and building muscle, what worked for you in the beginning may not work for you now.

Your body is a remarkably efficient machine: doing the same workout causes your body to become used to it. It is much less work to execute moves you've done over and over. Once that happens, it uses fewer calories to complete the exercises, making the workout much less effective.

Doing the same workout time after time sabotages your efforts to build muscle. To overcome this difficulty, add variation and more intensity into your workouts. You have to make a constant effort to challenge your body so it has to work just as hard. A side benefit is that you are always changing your workouts, meaning you won't get bored.

3. Ignoring Cardio

You may think that if you want to build muscle, you restrict your exercise routine to weight training. This does not work. If you want to build muscle, you have to add cardio.

We all know that cardio can help you burn fat. For muscle builders, it also helps the body rest and recover from weight training. To get the best results, do intervals of high intensity cardio for about twenty minutes right after your weight training session.

4. Exercising too much.

Your body builds muscle while it is resting, so it is important to take breaks for your training regimen. Take two or three days off per week and allow your muscles to rest.

Another mistake novices make is working the same muscles day after day. Instead, try alternating the muscle groups so they don't become injured or fatigued. You can work on your abs and legs one day and your chest, back, and arms another. Let your muscles have the appropriate rest so they can build muscle for you.

5. Not paying attention to what you eat.

Not eating properly is a big reason why many people fail to build muscle. Food is necessary for your body's health and to put it into optimum muscle building mode.

Make sure that you are getting plenty of protein. This nutrient, which is found in lean meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy, is a key to muscle growth. Try eating a protein snack after your workouts to maximize their effect.

6. Abandoning your goals.

Quitting is the biggest mistake you can make when trying to build muscle. If you have been working out and not seeing results, it is tempting to stop. Your body might just take longer to build muscle than others.

If you feel discouraged at your progress thus far, it is a good time to look at your routine. What can you do to change it? Should you add some intensity? Are you resting enough? Do you use supersets or compound moves? It may be that you simply need to stick with it a little longer in order to start seeing results.

Quitting negates all the work you have done so far. It puts you back at square one with the same body. Make some adjustments and keep fighting. - 17269

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