Workoutebooks

By Suzanne Macguire

The buzz around healthy lifestyle is reaching gigantic proportions in the present century. With stress levels bursting high, leading a fit and healthy life tops the priority list of everyone. Workouts, exercise, meditation or yoga are definitely helpful but should be effectively combined with a balanced diet. Intake of nutritious food is a must so as to ward off any nutritional deficiency. Besides, one also has to be selective about the kinds of food to be consumed. Given below are some essential precepts to ensure a healthy lifestyle.

a) Drink plenty of water: Since the human body is composed of around 80% of water, it needs to be replenished by this fluid regularly. Drinking at least 16 glasses of water a day not only removes toxins off the body but also keeps it hydrated. Besides, drinking adequate water is a natural way to keep your skin glowing.

b) Avoid junk and processed foods: It’s no news that processed and junk foods are a great obstacle to acquiring a healthy body. Processed foods lose their nutrients during the refining process. On the other hand, junk food offers no more than mere starches and unhealthy fats. Processed foods also contain chemicals for improving their texture, smell, flavor, as well as preservation. These foods do taste great but are in no way useful to the body. In fact, research suggests that consumption of processed foods contribute immensely to the ever-increasing obesity rate amongst the people.

c) Check animal protein consumption: Around 80% of the world population love to consume non-vegetarian food. But excessive intake of animal proteins increases uric acid concentration in the blood, thus causing damage to the kidneys. Instead, one can supplement animal proteins with plant and milk proteins. The best way to limit animal protein intake is to consume it just twice or thrice a week. This would ensure an effective balance of dietary amino acids in the body.

d) Consume healthy carbohydrates and fats: Refined starches like white flour or white rice offer no nutritive benefit to the body. Healthy source of carbohydrates refers to the fresh fruits and vegetables like mangoes, apples, grapes, potatoes, etc. These not only contain healthy starches but are also loaded with essential vitamins and minerals. Similarly, avoiding saturated fat is equally important. Our body loves poly unsaturated fats which can be easily derived from nuts, seeds, vegetables, as well as fishes like salmon and tuna.

e) Dietary Supplements: Intake of food- based dietary supplements is definitely helpful but one has to make sure that they are of standard quality. It should be remembered that dietary supplements should be taken along with your daily diet so as to waive any deficiency in your diet. Never try to substitute your regular meals with supplements.

f) Include whole foods in your daily diet: Whole foods don’t mean that they need to be consumed all at once. These foods can be consumed in their raw or natural form as cooking can result in the loss of essential nutrients. Adding fresh cut fruits to your daily meal is a great way to consume the benefits of whole foods. The above-mentioned tips are simple and easy to follow. Just try to see how they work wonders to escort you on the way to a healthy lifestyle.

The above-mentioned tips are simple and easy to follow. Just try to see how they work wonders to escort you on the way to a healthy lifestyle.

About the author
Suzanne Macguire is an Internet Marketing professional with years of experience in a variety of industries; currently engaged in studying fruit health benefits.

By Donna Pantin

Pilates, developed in the late 1920s by Joseph Pilates, has gained widespread popularity and is now practised in a variety of forms at home and in fitness studios. Its claimed benefits are numerous - improved muscle tone, posture, coordination, flexibility, core strength, and the ability to move more gracefully and fluidly. Mentally, by using controlled breathing and a varied routine, powers of concentration and focus are enhanced. The ideal pilates routine strives to be low impact, easy to follow and will not leave you feeling fatigued the way an aerobic or weight training workout can. Through attending pilates classes or purchasing videos and dvds, it is easily attainable to learn the basics. For those who lack the time or inclination to participate in classes, designing and following your own pilates routine can be fun and rewarding both mentally and physically. This article will highlight advice and tips for those wishing to follow their own pilates routine.

Your pilates routine should begin with a warm up that emphasizes flexibility, maintaining proper body position and circulation. The routine should make use of positions and poses that exercise the core as well as specific areas such as the buttocks, arms and legs. It is important to follow exercises that move seamlessly from one to another. Your routine should resemble a dance in that there are a series of movements beginning in one area and transitioning to the next. You never want to be moving up and down constantly or abruptly from the floor. One exercise should lead smoothly to the next. Time must also be alloted at the end for a cool down and stretching

There are a number of ways to help control the tempo of your pilates routine. Counting breathing cycles or seconds for each pose or exercise helps you modulate the routine’s timing. Music is another factor for adding enjoyment and pacing. Typically, music appropriate for pilates is slower and instrumental, but the choice is always yours. It is wise however, to select a professionally made CD that has a gentle transition between songs. The key is to use something that is not choppy but also inspires and challenges you.

Boredom is one of the biggest obstacle to sustaining your pilates workout over time. Doing the same routine over and over again becomes monotonous. There are any number of ways to make your routine more fun, challenging a varied. It is important to first establish proper form, breathing patterns and technique. Once this is accomplished, there are a multitude of books, videos and dvds with exercise variations. Find resources with detailed instructions on proper form, so that these new moves can be incorporated with the maximum benefit. Fitness balls, cirles and resistance bands are pieces of equipment that you can use to make your workout more interesting and target different muscle sets. Again, the key is to learn and practice correct use first before working these exercise props into your routine.

Designing and modifying your own pilates routine can add much greater joy and benefits to your workout. Your own routine is conducive to an environment that is not competitive or judgemental. As with all endeavors, it is your dedication, and desire to maintain a high level of health and well being that will determine your results.

About the author
Donna Pantin is a fitness and exercise enthusiast with a degree in Kinesiology from the University of Waterloo, Ont. Canada. She writes extensively on health and fitness and runs a website on Plilates. For your one stop resource on pilates routines, equipment, and resources, go to http://www.superpilatesroutine.com Pilates Routine

—————————————–
Find out about The Pilates Power System at http://www.prhsolutions.com/workoutebooks/?p=49

By Muna wa Wanjiru

Pilates is one of the fast growing fitness exercises in America. The history of Pilates is mingled with the life history of its founder Joseph Pilates. It was not an overnight success. Joseph struggled hard to develop the exercise regimes.

The full name of Pilates is Joseph Hubertus Pilates. He was born In Germany in the year 1880. His father was a gymnast and mother was worked as a naturopath. He was grown as a ill health child. He was suffering from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever. However he had a natural urge to become stronger. He started studying gymnastics at the age of 14. He ultimately derived some exercise techniques.

In the year 1912, Joseph Pilates moved to England. He started his living as a boxer. Then he became a physical trainer. He taught various people about fitness techniques. Here the beginning of Pilates took a shape.

During the First World War, Joseph started rehabilitating the injured people by teaching them Pilates exercise regimes. He had created certain methods to teach those who were bedridden. Though Pilates can be practiced on an exercise mat itself, Joseph started using some special equipment. Thus he planted the seeds for special Pilate’s equipments.

Joseph developed certain methods and innovative techniques after considering Yoga, Zen, ancient roman and Greek exercise techniques. AS his ancestors were originally from Greece, it was easy for him to learn Greek exercise techniques. He mingled all the techniques and he also introduced new techniques called Pilates to cure the injuries of the soldiers.

After the First World War, Joseph moved to New York with his wife. He started a studio for Pilate exercises. He taught only a few students. However they later became important founders of Pilates exercise Institute. As already stated, the success of Pilates had not been received in over night. Though Joseph taught the techniques to dancers and athletes in New York, it was not that much famous until 1990.

Some of his famous students were Mary Bower, Robert Fitzgerald, Ron Fletcher, Eve Gentry etc. Eve Gentry brought her dance training into Pilate exercises and thereby expanded the Pilate techniques. She was one of the founders of Institute of Pilate exercises system.

Joseph Pilates wrote several books on Pilate exercise techniques. His techniques were simple to understand and easy to follow. People found great relaxation while doing these exercises. Unlike conventional exercises, they never require stress. These exercises also improve the mind relaxation and power.

Joseph had taught his Pilate techniques to his disciples. His wife Clara also accompanied him in teaching the techniques. He continued to teach some variations in the exercise techniques. Joseph died in the year 1967 at the age of 87. But in fact Pilate’s techniques have been become very popular nowadays. With the resurgence of yoga and tai chi Pilates have also found a place in fitness techniques. These exercises have been practiced by Hollywood celebrities and sports personalities. They found that Pilates also provide good relaxation and muscle strength.

About the author
Muna wa Wanjiru Has Been Researching and Reporting on Pilates for Years. For More Information on Joseph Pilates, Visit His Site at Joseph Pilates Post Your Views On Joseph Pilates At My Blog here Joseph Pilates

By Russell Alexander

When you are working to get tight abs, you need to focus on all of the abdominal muscles. If you tighten the upper abs and neglect the lower abs, you will be unbalanced. Focusing on the lower abs and neglecting the upper abs can also cause you to be unbalanced.

There are no real exercises that work all of the muscle groups at one time, but there are some exercises that do work a set at a time throughout the movement. Pilates is a type of exercise that does this.

Working one set of muscles at a time gives you a little more freedom to sculpt your body the way that you want.

To get tight abs and achieve a tight, toned midsection you need to work all of the muscle groups. However, when you work one set at a time, you need to make sure that you don’t overwork one group and under work another.

Leg lifts and pelvic lifts work the lower abs while crunches work the upper abs. When you perform these exercises, there are dozens of variations that work to give you all over tight abs.

This is particularly important with women because the lower abs are often neglected, but pregnancy and child birth can stretch out these muscles. When you work to tighten your ab muscles, pay close attention to your lower abs area, especially if you have experienced a pregnancy.

Pilates works sets of muscles in one movement. Because Pilates focuses on strengthening the core, you can certainly get tight abs. Many of the exercises were designed by dancers for dancers so the movements promote long, lean contractions and stretches. You can get toned, tight abs with Pilates and work lower as well as upper abs.

Cardio should be incorporated into your workout as well. Most cardio exercises work many muscle groups at once while burning fat. While this is not specifically targeting your abs, it is included as you complete the movements. Cardio also burns the fat that covers and conceals the muscle in your body so that your tight abs are more evident and defined.

Ideally, your workout should consist of exercises that work each individual muscle group. This could be free weights or floor work. It should also include exercises that work all the muscle groups such as with Pilates and cardio.

This is the most productive route to tight abs. You will probably want to do cardio every day because of its fat burning properties, but you can do floor work on one day and Pilates the next.

A good weekly workout for tight abs would consist of cardio every day. Monday, Wednesday and Friday would be your days to do floor work while Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday would be your days to do Pilates.

You can add some free weight exercises in there as well, but whether you are doing floor work, Pilates or free weights, make sure that you work all of the abdominal muscle groups. Work the upper abs as well as the lower abs and you will see defined, rock hard tight abs in no time.

About the author
Discover the 5 secret facts that your physical trainer doesn’t want you to know about getting rid of your gut and having a solid six pack. Click here to go to http://www.health-and-physical-fitness.com.

By Russell Alexander

Women have some special challenges with it comes to female fitness. Abs are a particular concern. Women tend to store fat in their hips and thighs as well as the stomach. Pregnancy and childbirth can leave a woman’s body looking a little loose and flabby. Concerning female fitness, abs in the lower region are of particular concern. That is the area that needs to be focused upon and worked. But there is a process and female fitness, abs or otherwise, requires a certain combination of diet, cardio and ab work.

With that in mind, the first order of business is to get rid of the fat that is hiding all of your hard work. You can do this by first cutting the fat and sugar in your diet. Men can get away with eating a little more fat, but women should cut back to 7 to 10 grams of fat per meal. You should eat 5 to 6 meals a day, that is three meals and two to three snacks. Choose healthy options for snacking like a handful of almonds or some fresh blueberries. For your meals, eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables as well as lean meats and whole grains. Steer clear of canned and processed foods; they are loaded with sodium and preservatives that will just get in the way of your toned abs.

Cardio is the next step in your quest to female fitness, abs that are toned and a body that is sleek. When you raise your heart rate and keep it up, your body burns fat. You need to do some sort of cardio exercise to lose the fat. Walking, cycling and aerobics are all forms of cardio exercise. You may find it more fun and interesting to switch up your cardio, walking one day, cycling another. You can also take your cardio outside with mountain biking, cross country skiing and jumping rope. The important thing is to get moving and get that heart rate up.

The next step in female fitness, abs work, will give you a sexy, toned midsection. This first exercise can be performed anywhere and no one can even tell that you are doing abs exercises! While sitting or standing, as you exhale, contract your stomach muscles, pulling your abs in as far as you can. Imagine that there is a string connected to your belly button and it is pulling your belly button in to touch your spine. Hold for about 15 to 20 seconds, then slowly relax your abs as you exhale. This will help to strengthen and firm your abs while teaching you how to control them. You can do this at work while you sit at your desk, on the elevator or while washing dishes. This is an anywhere exercise.

Of course, crunches, reverse crunches and incline crunches are all great for toning your abs. As a woman, you want to pay extra attention to your lower abs. Whether you have experienced pregnancy or not, the lower abs need extra attention in women. Also remember to pull your tummy in when completing the contraction portion of your exercises. This helps to keep your stomach flat. Incorporate an exercise ball into your abs routine for an extra challenge.

When you are going for flat abs and a defined midsection, it is important that you not neglect the other areas of your body. Work your whole body; don’t just focus on one area. You want all over female fitness: abs, legs, arms, backside and back. You may want to add in some Yoga or Pilates for some variety and extra challenge. With a little work you can have the body you have always wanted.

About the author
Discover the 5 secret facts that your physical trainer doesn’t want you to know about getting rid of your gut and having a solid six pack. Click here to go to http://www.health-and-physical-fitness.com.

By Zach Hunt

Yoga is a potent form of exercise that originated in India as a form of spiritual practice. Although, today’s version of Yoga has little to do with the Hindu practice, it can provide numerous benefits.

For those who are unaware of the Yoga way of exercise, it uses a combination of breathing exercises along with physical movement to free the body while the meditation aspect of Yoga assists in easing the mind and soul.

Benefits Of Yoga - There are many benefits to the Yoga exercise of. It is known that yoga also helps provide stress relief and health benefits. With the fast paced world of today, it is easy for an individual to become stressed out with the daily schedule and this type of stress and affect the body and mind.

Yoga can also help reduce stress in your life. There are some other benefits of yoga including lower blood pressure, better sleep, and higher energy awareness.

Yoga, can also benefit illnesses such as AIDS, cancer, and diabetes.

While Yoga appears to be the ideal way for a healthy life in , it is simply not efficient enough to allow most individuals to reach their ideal weight loss goals. In truth, yoga should be used mainly for the benefits it is known for.

With this being said, Yoga is a great starter exercise for those wishing to achieve their fitness goals but the Yoga exercise should not be the only form of exercise that a citizen uses to achieve a optimal level of fitness.

Yoga doesn’t do a whole lot to build lean toned muscle and burn fat, which is what most people want to do. The Yoga exercise will not allow you to gain the muscle necessary to enjoy the various outdoor attractions of but it will provide you with the an improved control over breathing that will help you journey through the various parks and trails in the area.

The practice of Yoga should be used as a way to free the mind and not as a way to gain the physical strength that will make you look good in a public environment.

Using Yoga In Your Fitness Plan - For those wishing to create a fitness plan, or improve the efficiency of their existing exercise schedule, Yoga is a great option. Yoga, however, is not meant to be done in isolation - away from strength training.

Since Yoga will reduce the stress encountered from the rest of your exercise plan, it is a good idea to make Yoga a regular part of your healthy lifestyle.

For those who are already experiencing quality results with their exercise plan, the regular practice of Yoga will further increase the benefits and positive results of the workout.

Add Yoga To Your Life - Yoga is not right for everyone but it is an easy form of exercise that everyone should try at least once. If you think yoga would be a good addition to your life, you should talk with a fitness trainer or yoga professional.

About the author
Zach Hunt is a yoga expert, personal trainer and owner of Physzique, a fitness coaching service in Spokane, WA. Go here: http://www.spokanefitnesscoach.com/index.html or you can go here for more yoga tips: http://www.spokanefitnesscoach.com/articles/spokane-yoga-in-spokane.html

By Shawn LeBrun

If building muscle and losing fat are goals you have, follow the steps in this article to achieve both in less time.

1. Set a goal for yourself and get real about achieving it.

Until you set a goal of how much body fat you want to lose and muscle you want to gain, you’re just dreaming. I

It needs to be specific and written down. If building muscle and losing fat is what you want to do, you must be willing to achieve it at all costs. If you do not want to, you’ll continue to give yourself reasons not to workout.

Get real and tell yourself that you are going to do this, no matter what. Before any other step, this is the most important one. If you are not real and serious about building muscle and losing fat, all of the steps in the world will not help you. YOU MUST SET A GOAL FOR YOURSELF.

You need a reason to keep going, to do cardio first thing in the morning, to skip that extra slice of pizza. You need a reason or you will not follow through. So, step 1, and the most important one at that, is to stop dreaming and start doing.

Tell yourself you are going to achieve your goal no matter what. Write down what you want to achieve and then go after it!

2. Drink your life away! (well, not really)

If you have ever doubted the importance of water, try going a few days without it. You can live weeks without food, but only days without water.

It is used in EVERY single physiological process your body undergoes. Its importance cannot be stated enough, especially when it comes to building muscle and losing fat. Shoot for at least a gallon a day, preferably more.

The inconvenience of constantly using the bathroom is a minor drawback compared to the benefits you will receive. Keep a bottle wherever you spend most of your day, at your desk at work, in your car, heck, wear a water bottle around your neck, but just get enough water.

3. Eat 5-6 small meals a day consisting of high protein, moderate carbs, and low-fat.

This is important in keeping your metabolism efficiently burning calories. Constantly grazing on meals every 3 hours will allow your body to burn off what it has consumed quicker and more efficiently.

Not only that, it ensures your body has enough protein needed for building muscle. Protein is the nutrient responsible for muscle growth.

Eating 2-3 larger meals will actually cause your body to store fat as a defense mechanism. Your body is not sure when its going to get its next meal so it tends to store more in case of
perceived famine.

Make each meal consist of higher protein (builds muscle), moderate carbohydrates (fuel for the body) and low fat (energy and protection).

Make sure that every single time you consume something (besides water), it contains some protein and carbs, TOGETHER. So a slice of wheat bread w/ peanut butter is an example of protein w/
carbs. But remember to eat a protein/carb snack or meal every 3-4 hours to keep that metabolism running smooth.

4. Do INTENSE cardiovascular workouts 3-4 times a week.

This is where the majority of the fat-burning takes place. Nutrition is the other key. Treat your cardio days like you do your workouts. That means, put all of your energy and intensity into your cardio.

Do 30 minutes of cardio 3-4 days a week. During a session of cardio, warm-up for 5 minutes, then do 20 minutes at a high intensity pace. Then cool down for the last 5 minutes.

By intense I mean going at a fast enough pace where you are sweating, panting, huffing, puffing, turning red. Get your body out of homeostasis (everythings normal and in balance). Doing cardio for the sakes of doing it will not burn fat.

Going for a leisurely walk will not sufficiently burn fat, unless you walk ten miles. Riding a stationary bike while relaxingly reading the paper will not burn much fat. Hey, its only 30 minutes. Bust your butt for this time and the return on your investment will be great.

Choose cardio machines that get more of your body moving. The more you move, the more you burn. Stairmaster and running on the Treadmill are good examples. The stationary bike is o.k., but
only your lower body is moving. The more your whole body moves, the more energy you expend.

5. Do INTENSE Weight training 3-4 times a week.

Do not mistake weight training w/ trying to burn fat. Weight training will not burn a sufficient amount of body fat. It’s more for building muscle.

What weight training will do is help you burn fat in the future. When you add muscle to your frame, your body has to expend more energy (burn more calories) to maintain that muscle tissue.

So when you’re at rest, even sleeping, the more lean muscle mass you have, the more calories you will expend. Weight training will not only strengthen existing muscle, but will add additional lean muscle tissue to handle any future demands placed on the muscle. The more lean muscle tissue you have, the more calories you will expend at rest.

6. Figure out your daily energy expenditure and reduce it.

Most people do not like to calorie count, me included. But in order to properly lose body fat, you need to determine your daily energy expenditure or caloric maintenance level.

You then need to reduce your energy consumption to be below your energy output. It’s difficult to place a number on how much below your consumption you should go, because everyone is different.

A good place to start would be 150-200 calories below your maintenance levels. Then continue to observe the effects in the mirror to determine if this number needs to be changed. If you continue to see no results, try reducing your energy consumption to 300 calories below your energy output.

7. Instead of a 30 minute cardio session, do 2, 15 minute sessions.

This is definitely a tough thing to do because of busy schedules, but if it is possible, do a 15 minute cardio session first thing in the morning and another session later in the afternoon or early evening.

Research has shown that compared with subjects that did a 30 minute cardio session, those that did 2 15 minute sessions burned twice as many calories. Make each 15 minute session still very intense, which is easier to do if you are going 15 minutes.

Warm-up for 2-3 minutes and then go all out for 13-15 minutes, then cool down for 2-3 minutes. Once again, if you can fit 2 15 minute cardio sessions into your day (never on weight-training days), you will burn twice the amount of calories than doing a 30 minutes session.

8. Continue to up your weight (overload) when doing resistance training.

Remember that building muscle will assist you in the fat-burning process later on. The more muscle you have, the more energy your body expends to maintain that muscle, even at rest. In order to make constant and significant gains, remember to train intensely and for short durations. I like to call them bursts of exercise! Work no more than 2 muscle groups a workout, 3 workouts a week. Keep reps between 4-6.

This will cause you to maintain high enough resistance to add overload to the muscle, causing more muscle growth. Do only 2 heavy sets per exercise and keep workouts no longer than 45 minutes. Keep your workouts intense and to the point. Do it and get out of the gym. DO NOT DO YOUR CARDIO BEFORE OR AFTER WEIGHT TRAINING!

It’s hard to focus intensely on both weight training and cardio in the same session! Do not rob one to pay the other.

There you have my 8 proven steps for building muscle and losing fat in less time.

About the author
Start building muscle and losing fat in less time with this powerful program from personal trainer Shawn Lebrun. It’s a step-by-step workout and nutrition plan. Start building muscle and losing fat today!

—————————————-
Top 5 Weight Loss Ebooks available here: http://www.prhsolutions.com/workoutebooks/?page_id=109

Welcome to the May 12, 2008 edition of workout blog carnival.

Dr Martin W. Russell presents “I Can Make You Thin” by Paul McKenna - A Review posted at Dr Martin W. Russell.

Fenny presents latest-beauty-tips.com • View topic - Nutrient that is needed daily by the body. posted at Fenny Lopez, saying, “Protein is a nutrient that is needed daily by the body. These nutrients are essential for health and must be provided in the foods eaten. We are here to give you an idea of the amount of protein you can find in certain foods, check out.”

TheLifeLessTraveled presents Couple Quit Jobs, Sold Possessions To Bicycle Around The World For A Year…Find Adventure And Freedom posted at The Life Less Traveled, saying, “In 2006 James and Sarah Welle sold all of their possessions and left their comfortable jobs at Microsoft to bicycle around the world. During their year-long adventure, the pair encountered interesting people, delicious food, new found athletic prowess and the realization of how close at hand freedom and the choice to shake up your daily life truly are. Read about how they decided to bicycle around the world for a year…and how you can, too!”

Alvaro Fernandez presents Exercise your brain in the Cognitive Age posted at SharpBrains, saying, “Reflections on key questions on Brain Workouts that politicians, health policy makers, business leaders, educators and consumers should pay attention to.”

Tip Diva presents Tip Diva | Top Ten Tips - Joining A Gym posted at Tip Diva, saying, “So, you’ve finally decided to join a gym. But where do you start?”

Kevin aka RateLadder presents Importance of Maintaining Adequate Hydration posted at Weight Ladder.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of workout blog carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

By Daniel Lackner

1. Lift weights for no more than three to four days per week. Doing so is not only unnecessary but can quickly lead to over-training, especially if you are doing other physical activities such as cardio or playing recreational sports on a regular basis.

2. Limit your workouts to 30-45 minutes and 15-20 total sets. If you can’t build muscle and gain strength in that time frame then I’d say you are half assing it. You have to remember that results are greatest when energy levels and mental focus are at their highest. That is during the first 30-45 minutes of your workout. Going beyond that point causes both of these to plummet.

3. Use big, compound exercises and lift heavy. Deadlifts, military presses, squats, bench presses, rows and chin ups should always be the main focus of your muscle building workout programs. These have been the best muscle building exercises since the beginning of time and that will never change.

4. Continually try to get stronger and always track your progress with a training journal. Progressive overload is the most basic but often forgotten principle in weight training. It states that to make progress you need to constantly increase the amount of weight you lift. Follow this rule and you will get bigger and stronger. Ignore it and you will get nowhere. If you are benching 225 right now, you better be benching 315 by this time next year if you want to build muscle.

5. Train with a multitude of rep ranges. Doing this allows you to target both slow twitch and fast twitch muscle fibers and maximizes your muscle building capabilities. Reps from 1-20 should be used to target both fast twitch and slow twitch fibers.

6. Always change your weight training program every 3-4 weeks. After 3-4 weeks on the same program you will start to burn out and your results will slow down. To keep your body in a muscle building state, be sure to change your workouts frequently. If you have been lifting for several years, this may need to be done every two weeks because you will adapt more rapidly to the same stimulus.

7. Make a serious commitment to eating. Proper nutrition plays a huge role in your muscle building efforts. Without adequate calories you will never grow optimally. Force feed yourself if you have to and be sure to time your carbs correctly, meaning around training and at breakfast, while cutting them out at night if you want to stay lean while building muscle.

8. Be sure to get at least 8-10 hours of sleep per day and take naps whenever possible. When you are sleeping is when you are building muscle. Sleep is the time when you recover and grow. Without adequate sleep you will never reach your true potential and your muscle building efforts in the gym may be wasted. Do not overlook this important factor.

9. Utilize recovery methods. Training and eating properly are not enough to ensure the fastest muscle building results. You also have to be sure to use whatever recovery methods you can to accelerate your progress. Some of these include taking contrast showers or baths after training, stretching after training and on off days, icing, using foam rollers and whatever else you can think of to help you recover faster.

10. Find a good training partner. While I left this for last on the list it may, in fact, be the most important factor of them all. Without a good training partner your results will always be less than what they could be. It is imperative that you try to find someone to push you and to compete against if you really want to take your muscle building efforts to the next level.

About the author
Daniel is a natural bodybuilder and personal trainer and martial arts instructor residing in Canada.

For extreme muscle building in a short period of time visit- http://www.amazingmuscle.com