Their home gyms don’t come cheap, but they’re still very popular among exercise enthusiasts. The different models offered by Bowflex will satisfy a wide range of consumers, from experienced personal fitness trainers to beginners.

That being said, if you’re thinking about whether or not to buy a Bowflex home gym you might want to consider these general guidelines that will help ensure that you make the right choice, so you don’t throw your hard earned money away on something you will never need or use.

As with any other home gym equipment, you have to know what your goals are before making the purchase. Other factors to consider relate to cost, maintenance, how much room it occupies and several other things that relate to subjective and individual reasons.

Exercising = determination

Although the popular Bowflex is an efficient muscle builder and fat burner, you can’t accomplish any of these without the proper mental attitude. So, before you spend your money on a Bowflex, make sure you are up for the challenge it will present. Here are a few questions you should find answers for before purchasing gym equipment:

Will I be using this exercise machine 6 months from now?

If I create my fitness program, will I be able to stick to it?

Is it better to purchase a Bowflex home gym or should I go to a gym instead?

Where to use your Bowflex

Even though the machine itself takes little room, you still need to free up some considerable space in order to exercise properly. Make sure that you install your Bowflex in an area that doesn’t require you to move furniture around when you are exercising. Try to use the exercise machine in an area where your family members don’t need to have constant access and provide you with distractions. Reserve a set period of time for exercising with your Bowflex – do not take calls or let outside distractions come in the way.

Beginners Using Bowflex

With an entry-level Bowflex Class Home Gym offering over 30 exercises, you can rest assured that every major muscle group from your body can get proper training. The Bowflex Power Rod technology offers smooth resistance and creates the feel of free weights. Even though there are fewer power rods with the Classic home gym it’s significantly cheaper then some of the other Bowflex exercise machines.

Bowflex vs. Free Weights

The Bowflex Classic Home Gym power rod technology offers up to 210 lbs. of resistance. With the power rods the supporting muscle groups are not heavily targeted since you are working along a two-dimensional plane. Instead the Bowflex does a good job if really isolating muscle groups.

Free weights require you to recruit supporting muscle groups in order to stabilize during your lifts, facilitating compound exercises as opposed to isolation exercises.

Do you really need to target the stabilizing muscles to gain muscle mass?

Absolutely. In order to maximize muscle gains, you want to stimulate as many muscle fibers as possible, and cables and machines do not do this to the same extent as free weights.

If your goal is to gain weight and build muscle mass, you simply can’t beat doing the big compound movements using free weights. The gravity-based resistance provides a more balanced resistance through the entire exercise motion.

Is the Bowflex worthless?

Absolutely not. I’ve had a Bowflex in the past and found it to provide a decent workout. But I would use it to complement my free weights routine. I think Bowflex is especially useful to beginners who want to gain strength so they can build a solid foundation before starting a heavier weights routine designed for bulking up.

Cost

In order to have a good free-weight setup, you will need a barbell, adjustable bench, dumbbell handles as well as plates. If you were to buy everything brand new, 210-lbs. free weights would set you back around $300-400, less if you bought used equipment. Compare that to The Bowflex Classic Home Gym, which at the time of this article costs $649.

In Conclusion

As you can see there are pros and cons with the Bowflex home gym. If the main goal is gaining muscle quickly, then you should use free weights for the majority of your training.

With that being said, on the negative side, free weights require that you have a spotter for most exercises, and it’s more difficult changing the weights on the barbell or dumbbells.

If you are mostly using your Bowflex to gain a few pounds of solid lean muscle mass and get in a general good shape, than the standard model should be more than enough.

If you want to pack on more then just a few pounds, you will be required to lift heavy weight, and in my opinion your best choice is free weights. But with no spotter the Bowflex gym is still a very good option, especially for strength training routines

Fish has long been known to be a source of Omega-3 fatty acids but it wasn’t until recently that the exact effects of these acids have become known. And, now that the results are out in the open, people have been consuming fish or fish oil to receive the benefits they give.

Omega-3s (specifically eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA and docosahexaenoic acid or DHA) are known to help combat cardiovascular problems, memory loss problems, inflammatory conditions and obesity. Ensuring that your diet contains enough Omega-3 fatty acids will help you ward off these conditions. And as you’ll soon find out, Omega-3 can also help you to build muscle.

In 1996 the American Heart Association released the Science Advisory “Fish Consumption, Fish Oil, Lipids and Coronary Heart Disease.” The advisory report listed the benefits of taking these substances based on evidence from clinical trials.

In November 2002 the American Heart Association released a Scientific Statement “Fish Consumption, Fish Oil, Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Disease.” This statement more specifically linked consumption of Fish Oil (and Omega-3s) to a decrease in the risk of heart arrhythmias (which can lead to death), a decrease in triglyceride levels, a decrease in the growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque and a slightly lower blood pressure.

Although Omega-3s can be found in multiple sources including fatty fish like mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon, fish oil and even in flax seed oil. However, only fatty fish or fish oil contains adequate amounts of EPA and DHA.

Most people view Omega-3 fish oil supplements as general health supplements, however, supplementing your weight gain diet with fish oil should help you achieve an improvement in your body’s composition by decreasing the amount of excessive body fat mass as well as a lower likelihood of the fat being distributed in the abdominal area.

Studies have shown that even during periods of weight gain Fish Oil will help redistribute the fat cells away from the abdominal area and limit the rate of atherosclerotic plaque. In other words, even if it doesn’t help decrease weight it will help you be a “healthier” fatter you :)

Meanwhile, research from the Washington University and the University of Nottingham suggests that Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil supplementation can help improve muscle growth. In this study, healthy men and women supplemented with 4 grams of fish oil per day (1.86 g EPA + 1.5 g DHA) for 8 weeks. One of the most interesting findings of this study was that fish oil supplementation significantly improved muscle protein synthesis, suggesting an anabolic response to amino acids and insulin, which is an enormous benefit to people interested in gaining muscle mass and such.

Other studies have shown that Fish Oil has a significant effect on the brain and cognitive functioning. DHA plays a vital role in brain development and then maintenance of normal brain function in adults. The study “Helland IB, Smith L, Saarem K, Saugstad OD, Drevon CA. Maternal supplementation with very-long-chain n-3 fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation augments children’s IQ at 4 years of age. Pediatrics. 2003 Jan;111(1):e39-44” showed that maternal supplementation with fish oil has been shown to increase the IQ of children at age four by an average of 4.1 points.

Are There Any Side Effects?

Fish Oil seems to have very few side effects and it is generally considered safe and well tolerated. It even has fewer adverse effects than other dietary supplement oils. Doses equivalent to three times the FDA’s maximum safe dosage (3 grams EPA/DHA per day) have shown to be safe in rats. Studies have shown that the main side effects in humans have been a fishy taste in the mouth or “fish burps” but these side effects depend on the type of supplement taken.

It should be noted, though, that there are two major possible side effects of consuming too much fish oil. The first is that consuming high doses of fish oil may decrease the function of the immune system (as compared to an increase in function on lower dosages). The second is an increase in LDL cholesterol and an increase in HDL cholesterol. As with any dietary supplement, if you simply follow the directions and consult with your physician you can rest assured that the supplement is helping you.

Cost per Day

The Omega-3 dosages used in the research study were 1.86 grams (EPA) and 1.5 grams (DHA). The NOW Foods Ultra Omega 3 fish oil costs $21.25 (if you include free shipping) for 180 soft-gels. Since each soft-gel contains 500 mg of EPA, you would only need to take 4 soft-gels per day. This would last you 45 days so the cost per day would be around .48 cents. This is very inexpensive when you consider the muscle building and health benefits that you get from fish oil.

Final Thoughts

All in all, fish oil supplementation appears to improve our body’s ability to prevent disease, strengthen immunity, and improve muscle growth, among other benefits. Whilst you could get Omega 3 fatty acids from fatty fish in your diet, the problem is you would have to consume a large amount of fish. If you don’t, then you can take an Omega 3 fish oil supplement.

I’ve only tried the Now Foods Ultra Omega 3 Fish Oil. If you’ve found a better deal on a high EPA fish oil then let us know in the comments below. This can include liquid fish oil since I know some people find it hard swallowing big softgels.

Sources:

National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
American Heart Association
Smith et al. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids augment the muscle protein anabolic response to hyperinsulinaemia-hyperaminoacidaemia in healthy young and middle-aged men and women, Clin Sci121(6):2011;121(6):267-78. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21501117
Helland IB, Smith L, Saarem K, Saugstad OD, Drevon CA. Maternal supplementation with very-long-chain n-3 fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation augments children’s IQ at 4 years of age. Pediatrics. 2003 Jan;111(1):e39-44. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12509593

You go to GNC and load up your basket with all the latest “Anabolic Technology”. Fresh with weight-gainers, pre-workout stacks, mid-workout shakes, and your post workout amino acid matrix –all clinically proven to maximize your lean muscle gains and get you looking like an NFL Quarterback. Then you see the price. $600.00! At which point you hesitantly hand over your credit card while you silently weep, “There’s got to be a better way!”.

Bulking up is simple in theory and cheap in practice. It all boils down to training and nutrition. If you have the proper training protocol and eat the right foods, you will gain muscle. There is no secret mythical formula on how to bulk up; it comes down to eating enough of the right macronutrients and doing the right exercises. However, like most simple ideas, they come with layers of nuance and complexity (think E=mc^2).

Log Your Calories
In order to gain weight you need to eat over your BMR or Basal Metabolic rate.

Use these formulas to calculate how much you burn:

BMR = 66 + ( 13.7 x weight in kilos ) + ( 5 x height in cm ) – ( 6.8 x age in years )

BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) – ( 6.8 x age in years)

Then you have to factor in exercise and whether or not you have an excessively high metabolism. The best way to do this is to log your calories. By documenting what and how much you eat you will be able to see how you should go about bulking. If your BMR is 2500 and you eat 3200 Calories a day and are not gaining weight, then you can start scientifically tweaking your weight gain diet by increasing your daily calorie consumption.

If this happens, increase your daily Calorie consumption by 500 Calories every 3 days until you start noticing weight gain. The idea is to eat 500-750 Calories over your maintenance level so as not to accumulate large amounts of body fat in the weight gain plan.

The best computer based calorie logger is Cron-o-Meter, a free tracking program. http://cronometer.com/download/

However, if you have a smart phone, just search “calorie tracker” in your app store and you will find several free options.

You Don’t Need That Much Protein to Gain Weight

Contrary to popular belief, you do not need excessive amounts of protein to gain muscle. Carbs are far more important for bulking. All you need is 1 gram of protein per kilogram of Lean Body Mass (LBM). This chalks up to about a half a gram of protein for every one pound of LBM. Now lean body mass is not your weight. It is what your weight would be if you did not have fat. If you weigh 180lbs and you are 20% body fat then your LBM would be 144lbs. This would equate to around 72 grams of protein per day. However, formulas are just formulas. I would recommend consuming around 80-120g of protein per day for a 180-pound man to gain muscle. Any more can lead to ammonia toxicity.

As a rule of thumb:
1-1.7g/kg LBM (per Kilogram)

or

0.5-0.85g/lb LBM (per Pound)

Stock up on eggs, milk, ground beef and chicken for cheap sources of protein. Powders are overrated and overpriced. A dozen eggs provides 84g protein, and costs .99-2.99 depending on the brand. Greek Yogurt is also a good source of protein.

Eat Carbohydrates to Increase your Muscle Glycogen Stores

The good news is that carbs are one of the cheapest macronutrients on the market. A good power carb is rice. Rice is cheap and is considered a safe starch – meaning it does not have anti-nutrients or toxins like gluten.

Sweet potatoes and potatoes are also great, versatile carb sources for bulking.

If you are not Gluten-Free then pasta is also a great addition to the budget carb list.

Focus On Anabolic Muscle Building Compound Exercises

Ditch the isolations exercises. They are of little value to gaining overall muscle mass. They are also much more time consuming than compound exercises. The more you focus on Squatting, Deadlifting, Pressing, Cleaning, and Snatching the more you will see gains.

Exercises such as these require several different muscle groups that work in conjunction and in opposition of each other. By working larger muscles groups such as the glutes, hamstrings, quads, lats, and core at the same time, your body is forced to adapt to the stress by releasing more growth hormone and testosterone. Heavy compound exercises produce a hormonal response while isolation exercises do not. The synergistic effect of using the major muscle groups is what leads to this adaptation.

As a rule of thumb, the heavier you lift the more muscle you will gain. You do not have to eliminate isolations exercises like curls, however you should save them for the end of your workout. As an alternative, you can do palms facing in chin-ups. Chin-ups work the biceps as well as the back in a great compound exercise. Normal pull-ups are also great for over all muscle development and fitness.

A sample Lifting Protocol Would be:

Day 1
Mobility/stretch

Snatch 1×5 (75% 1RM)
Squat 5×5 (70% 1RM)
Weighted Over Head Lunges 4x 100ft
Pull-ups 3x max (stop 2 reps before failure)

Day 2
Mobility/Stretch

Superset
Overhead Press 3×5 (75% 1RM)
Pull-ups 3x max (stop 2 reps before failure)
Clean 4×8 (65% of 1RM)

Day 3
Mobility/Stretch

Superset
Deadlift 5×5 (80% 1RM)
Bench 5×5 (80% 1RM)
Barbell Rows 4×8 (80% 1RM)

Consume a High Carb Insulin Spiking Recovery Drink Immediately After Your Workout

And you don’t need a weight gainer or a protein shake. All you need is some chocolate milk. The sugar will spike the anabolic hormone insulin thus increasing protein synthesis. If you spike your insulin levels at the right time, such as after a workout, it drastically enhances your building muscle potential.

However, keeping insulin elevated throughout the day is not desirable and can lead to insulin resistance (fat gain/high blood pressure/diabetes).

Drink 24oz of chocolate milk and you’ll get a recovery drink with 60g of carbs, 24g of fat and 24g of protein totaling to a whopping 552 calories. At 3.99 a gallon, it is by far the cheapest post workout drink.

GOMAD! Drink a Gallon of Milk a Day

There is a protocol called squats and milk popularized by Mark Rippetoe. You do heavy compound exercises and drink a Gallon of Milk a Day. Spring for whole milk as you’ll get the benefit of the extra calories from fit. A gallon of milk a day adds up to 2400 additional calories to your diet with 128g of fat, 192g of carbs and 128g of protein. Cheap and relatively easy to consume if spread throughout the day.

Dietary Fat is Important for Hormone Function

Fat is not necessarily the enemy in the obesity epidemic. While there are some bad fats, the right fats will optimize your anabolic muscle building hormones such as testosterone and human growth hormone. Beneficial fats are both Saturated Fats and Monounsaturated Fats (MUFAs). These are the most chemically stable and are not easily oxidized like Polyunsaturated Fats.

If you ever noticed the fishy smell after using canola oil, that’s because of the PUFAs have oxidized. When PUFAs oxidize, they become trans-fats. Saturated fats are not the enemy of heart disease. Trans-fats and excessive long chain PUFAs (Omega-6, Omega-9) are.

Cook and fry in fats such as Coconut oil, Olive oil, and Palm Kernel Oil to avoid the unnecessary trans-fat and PUFA consumption.

Olive Oil Shots to Skyrocket Calorie Intake

Now this is only for the dedicated and the brave. If you are having trouble eating the necessary calories to bulk, substitute some olive oil shots. Be sure to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil! Each 2oz shot will contain 480 Calories. If you can stomach this much olive oil then go for it! An easier way to consume all this EVOO is to mix it into your chocolate milk.

Remember that gaining muscle is as simple as eating in a caloric surplus and performing full-body compound exercises. Be Consistent, Persistent and Patient.

Summary:

Eat in a Caloric Surplus

Carbs, Carbs, Carbs.

Drink Milk (GOMAD), Eat Rice, Potatoes, and Pasta.

Don’t worry about protein. You’ll get enough in your diet and from milk.

Saturated Fats and MUFAs Optimize Hormone Profile

Squat, Deadlift, Press, do Olympic lifts, pull-ups, weighted lunges and barbell rows for an anabolic hormonal response.

Consume Chocolate Milk for Post-Workout Recovery Drink

Olive Oil Shots for 480 Calories a Pop

Supplements and Powders are Expensive and Unnecessary

Stick with it! Save time and Save Money!

The true goal of any dieter is to lose fat mass and perhaps increase muscle mass, ultimately resulting in a leaner body. By tracking your body weight and body fat levels it allows you to better track your goals. In the case of those trying to gain weight, you don’t just want to gain mass, you want to be lean and toned.

One of the best ways to determine the body’s fat content is with body fat calipers. My favorite caliper, made by Accu Measure, is just one of a host of similar devices designed to help determine the amount of fat within the body.

Fat calipers have replaced underwater weighing as the primary way to determine the body’s fat content. They work by measuring skin folds to determine the subcutaneous (beneath the skin) fat content of the body. The person using the caliper puts the measurement into an equation that predicts body density and fat content.

It’s important to remember that fat calipers do not determine the fat content of the body itself but rather provide a number that plugs into an equation to determine the fat content. As with any mathematical equation the possibility of “user error” exists.

However, the other methods of measuring fat content (body fat scales and hydrostatic or underwater weight measuring) are time consuming, budget restrictive and hard for a single person to accomplish.

Placing a pinch of folded skin between the points of a fat caliper and then using that information to extrapolate fat content is much quicker and easier.

Using body fat calipers to calculate body mass index or fat content may not be as simple as it seems, though. There are over 100 different mathematical equations that can be used depending on sex, age, ethnicity, fitness level and the overall amount of body fat a person has will determine which equation to use and the general consumer will have a virtually impossible time picking the best equation.

And, even using the best fat calipers on the market today, there is still a 4% margin of error. Fat calipers are best used not to determine the exact body fat content a person has but rather to help measure progress of a diet, exercise or supplement program.

The best way for you, the general consumer, to use body fat calipers is not to try to determine your exact body fat content and percentage but rather to use the measurements given by the calipers to measure progress. The numbers don’t tell the full story, although body fat calipers can be really useful when used as a comparison tool.

Most experts agree on the following steps for general consumer use of fat calipers:

1) Test yourself on at least four locations (belly, arm, leg and buttocks for example)

2) Use the EXACT SAME four locations every time you test, noting the measurements of each. Be specific – for example, location one may be one inch to the left of the naval. Location two may be on the back of the arm exactly half-way between the shoulder and the elbow. Many experts recommend using a marker on your body to note the testing sites.

3) Use high-quality calipers. This is definitely a case of “you get what you pay for”. Calipers can be found for as little as $10 but many of the cheaper versions lack the tension control of higher-end models and won’t stay accurate for very long. Remember – you’re in this for the long haul.

Although you don’t have to fork over the $500 for a professional set of calipers you can expect to spend about $100 on a decent fat caliper. A great place to find an expert to help you choose a reputable and accurate fat caliper is at a gym, health club, dietary supplement store or even your doctor’s office.

Once you have an idea of which caliper is right for you look for it online to find the best price (one word of caution – it is best to avoid buying “used” calipers from sites such as eBay because there may be no way to determine their accuracy). Small errors in accuracy can translate into big errors in calculation results.

It’s important to remember that measuring your body fat percentage is just ONE of the components of a successful weight loss campaign. Other factors include increased muscle mass (which would lessen overall weight loss as measured by your bathroom scale), blood pressure and the cholesterol contents of your blood.

Peanut butter is in my opinion one of the best sources of calories for someone who has trouble gaining weight. Nowadays due to the popularity of energy bars, weight gainers, and protein powders, many athletes and weightlifters seem to forget about including real meals within their diet plan

It can become tiresome doing the same routine day in and day out and let’s face it sometimes you just don’t want liquid calories but something more delicious and substantial to eat.

Instead of getting the bulk of your calories from protein by consuming protein shakes, why not substitute your supplementation regime on some days with real foods that will offer you the same nutritional profile?

Then you get the best of both worlds: a high protein nutritious meal and a break from the mundane routine. The less monotonous the routine the more likely you are to stick with the muscle building program.

Why peanut butter? Well, peanut butter is an awesome muscle building superfood because its high in calories and an affordable source of protein and healthy fats that are needed to build and repair muscles.

Peanut butter lifters rejoice this week with seven great ways to incorporate peanut butter into your diet. Here are some cheap and easy to make peanut butter muscle building recipes that I found elsewhere on the internet. Simply click on the link for more information about an individual recipe using peanut butter.

1. Chocolate and Peanut Butter Protein Bars Recipe
2. Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
3. High Protein Peanut Butter Balls
4. Peanut Butter & Oatmeal Pancakes (feel free to use honey instead of maple syrup)
5. Cold Peanut Sesame Noodles
6. Banana Peanut Butter Weight Gain Shake Recipe (see recipe at the bottom of the page)
7. Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich

Get inspired with these peanut butter muscle building recipes. Eating doesn’t have to be boring! You can never get tired of eating peanut butter sandwiches try and make them a staple in your diet. In addition to using the chocolate peanut butter sandwich recipe above you can add ingredients such as honey, jelly, and cinnamon to change things up.

The chocolate-flavored peanut butter sandwich would have to be one of my favorite nutritious, high-calorie snacks.

Have cheap and easy to make recipes using peanut butter of your own? Let us know in the comments below.

I’m a hard gainer and when I first started wanting to gain weight, I wanted to make sure it was GOOD MUSCLE WEIGHT! I have no problem gaining fat weight, that’s easy. I’ve been there, done that and it took a long time to trim that down.

Now if you too are a hard gainer you may have been eyeballing some weight gainers at GNC or wherever. You see gainers with 500 to almost 2000 calories and you think, “Wow, with that big of a caloric intake I should be able to pack on size in no time!”. Your partially right you will pack on size…but it may not the be the size and shapes you want.

In order for a weight gainer to work the right way you must be training like an animal. You can’t expect to down 800 calories in one shot, work out for 45 minutes a day and gain good lean muscle mass in a short period. You have to do a little research and understand how it works and how your body will react to it. If you don’t, you take the risk of getting undesirable results.

Ok, so you started taking that weight gainer to put on some weight…but is it the weight you hoped for? The gainer you bought is full of calories…but what kind of calories are they? WHAT?? 75 grams of sugar…per half serving? That’s what you get for buying a cheap gainer. There are a boat load of gainers out there ensuring you that you will gain mass by using their product. What they don’t tell you is that it is mass quantities of fat!

Be choosy when picking a weight gainer. Look for the sugar content on the nutritional information. Check the carb percentage and check the overall caloric content per serving.

If your not working out twice a day and do not do a whole lot of physical activity where ever it is you work then you need to learn how to take the gainer. Some gainers say you should take it twice a day. Some gainers say mix with water and some with milk. It’s ultimately up to you really.

By reading the label and knowing what your goals are, you can decide what you want to do. Now if your goal is to gain-gain-gain and then diet down afterwards to get to where you want to be then by all means, follow the directions on the label and work your ass off.

But if you’re looking to gain lean mass, work hard but watch your caloric and fat intake like a hawk. Pay close attention to what you put into your body and what you get out of what you put in. We’ve all heard the phrase “You are what you eat”…there is so much truth behind that statement. If you eat garbage, you’re going to look and feel like garbage. It’s up to you!

If you are anything like me then you have probably had a minor injury and thought that it was nothing and decided to go to the gym anyway. However, training through injuries can be one of the worst things you can do for your body and your long term health.

Yes, consistency is important with any solid weight gain program to see good results, however, people who trained through injuries have paid the price! The athletes around the world who retire early due to injury are usually the ones that push themselves too hard. Sure, some get unlucky and have a terrible fall or break a bone or something like that but the majority of sports people who leave due to injury are forced to do so because they went too hard when their body wasn’t ready.

Take a look at Melbourne Victory’s Harry Kewell. He started playing professional soccer in the EPL for Liverpool when he was very young and has spent almost more time on the bench than he has on the pitch! He is troubled with one injury after another and it is all because he has trained (or been forced to train) through injuries when his body was young, developing and vulnerable.

It happens to bodybuilders, football players, martial artists – everyone.

Why injuries are worse for weight lifters and bodybuilders

If you train with weights then the chances are the injury you do to yourself is going to be worse than that which a soccer or tennis player might do.

As we are working with a lot of weight and putting our body under a lot of stress the magnitude of the injury can be quite serious. You can damage tendons and ligaments and muscles in a way other movements can’t.

It gets worse though! The thing about weights is that they can wear down your body graudally so that even when you think you are doing ok and making good progress your body shuts down after a few years because it cannot take the stress anymore.

And it gets worse! Because bodybuilders are such crazy hardcore people they are more likely to train through an injury telling themselves that it isn’t serious and that it will go away.

Wrong!

Often times young bodybuilders will be fearless in their approach to resistance training, thinking that the pain they experience when lifting heavy weights is something which they must push through. In reality, however, the body is telling them that there is something wrong with the body, whether it be the joints or tendons.

What can happen if you train through an injury?

The consequences of lifting weights while you have even the smallest of injuries can be quite serious. It can lead to:

• long term back/neck/joint pain
• impaired muscular movement and function
• surgery

So the next time you feel a bit of an uncomfortable feeling in your muscles, joints or bones – stop and watch tv instead!

Let’s face it, if you’re feeling like crap you will not be very motivated to workout. Without eating enough of the right foods to fuel your training program, fatigue may beat you to the finish line and your muscle gains will come to a quick halt. Worry no more! Here’s the inside scoop on how to eat to beat fatigue and overcome those training plateaus to maximize your muscle building efforts.

Get your confidence back!
The first thing you need to do is re-gain your confidence. Plateaus in training happen to every weight lifter at some point in their lives and it is no reason to give up lifting weights. I know many people who couldn’t get through it and so they gave up. Wrong!

Change your exercise order
The first thing you need to do is change the order that you do your exercises. Many people do the same workout for years at a time and after a while their muscles become bored and stuck. Change the order you do your exercises. Even go so far as to chuck away some exercises for a few weeks and try something new. If you do a split change the muscles that you pair together.

Rocky did this when he had to learn to box with a different leading hand. He had to change the way he worked his muscle by changing the exercise order.

Change your lifting style
If you are one of those dudes at the gym who lifts his weights super fast and with plenty of energy then slow things down. Do every single repetiton as slow as possible. It might mean you only get out four or five but it will give your muscles a new way of training and force them to adapt to something new.

Rocky (in every movie!) kicks up a gear and goes from slow boring training to hard and fast lifting to really boost his muscle development. Maybe we need to do the reverse.

Take a few weeks off
At the end of every year I take off a few weeks from training. I still go for jogs and do some pushups occasionally but I don’t go to the gym and I don’t push my body too hard. This is one of the best secrets there is. Your body will recouperate, revive and you will find you grow and come back to training with more passion and energy than ever before. During my weeks off I eat well and take care of my system. Injuries recover and I feel like a new man. If you are stuck on a plateau maybe you are overtraining and your body can’t keep up anymore.

Rocky overtrained. No doubt about it. If you don’t take a few weeks off every now and then you will burn out. Once a year is plenty.

Clean things up
After a few years of lifting weights you can get into certain bad habits. Leaning back when you do a barbell curl, bouncing the bench press off your chest, etc. All these things lessen the amount of stress you put on the muscles and retard your progress. If you are stuck on a bodybuilding plateau try re-learning all the techniques and make sure you lift cleanly. Really hit those muscles you are targeting well.

Watch Rocky’s boxing style in episode one and compare it with episode three. Everything cleaned up and he became a huge, ripped and skilled fighting machine!

Find different ways of adding resistance
The absolute basic principle of bodybuilding is that you need to gradually increase the work you are doing so that your muscles keep responding and growing. If you are on a plateau it means you have stopped growing. Therefore, find new ways of adding resistance to your exercises so that your muscles are forced to respond.

If you can’t add anymore weight to your bench press try doing pushups as soon as you finish your set; something your muscles aren’t used to. Or, instead of trying to add more weight take weight off each set so that your muscles get more of a “endurance” type workout. Be creative and find new ways to challenge your body. This tip is cash money! Rocky ran stairs, chased chickens and did all sorts of things to develop his skills. Be creative!

Don’t neglect your diet
Proper nutrition and a good weight training program need to be combined if you want to start putting more muscle on your scrawny body. Trying to train intensively when malnourished or feeling fatigued is a recipe for disaster.

Make sure that you are getting adequate calories and protein in the diet for supercompensation to occur. Supercompensation is the period after a training session when the muscles have a higher performance capacity. This is important to progress to lifting heaver weights. Due to your increased activity level it’s a good idea to increase your protein intake.

If you can’t get enough protein from raw foods then protein supplements is a consideration. Just make sure you buy a good quality whey protein. If you are unsure of what whey protein you should get, read supplement reviews online to know what others think of different brands.

Food is fuel for your body
Consuming food during the time that you are most active allows a steady flow of energy to your muscles and, most importantly, to your brain. It doesn’t make sense to bank the majority of your calories until dinner and afterward, when your body requires the energy earlier in the day.

Snack throughout the day. Your breakfast and lunch fuel will only last a few hours, so you need to be snacking during the day to maintain energy levels. I would suggest you avoid sugary snacks, which will give you a burst of energy but not much of anything else.

Replace coffee for more water
Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Keep your caffeine consumption to a moderate amount, no more than about two cups of coffee per day. Water is the most important nutrient that the body needs, so make sure you are drinking enough water.

Conclusion
The bodybuilding plateau is a scary and annoying time for any lifter. With a few minor changes to your training and diet, however, you can get your training and muscle growth back on track. Don’t be afraid to change your old habits to get some new results. Just like Rocky.

It seems that the majority of advice on muscle building workouts one can read or hear about suggest organizing your weekly workout schedule so that on Monday you’ll exercise your legs, Tuesday chest, Wednesday back and so on…. Doesn’t it? Now what’s strange about this is that everyone is doing it without even bothering to question why or maybe even thinking up a new king of training schedule.

Almost all types of muscle building workouts have been around for decades and no one bothered to examine their propriety. In the 60s, however, anabolic steroids became popular and with them conscious training disappeared. Men like Paul Anderson and Steve Reeves worked out with lower volume programs, but, unfortunately, these are no longer, or hardly, in use because of the widespread use of all those supplements that the industry has to offer. And when Arnold went to the Venice Gold’s Gym for the first time body-part splits were well established in bodybuilding practice if one wanted to be massive and strong.

Advocates of this type of training methods will unswervingly try to convince you that “higher volume training is needed for hypertrophy gains.” The University of Chicago, however, in their ongoing study of the effects of Jay Cutler’s marathon workouts is slowly but surely coming to a different conclusion. Studies show that doing one set can be just as effective as doing three, so don’t believe it when someone tells you that you need 8-12 sets per muscle group to grow.

The other thing you might also hear from higher volume training proponents is that higher volume workouts are associated with the higher-level secretion of the growth hormone. But what you will most definitely not hear from them is that this increase is not high enough to make any kind of difference. GH levels rise in extreme temperatures but your biceps are not getting any bigger.

Guys who want to take up drug-free bodybuilding and plan to train in this manner are making a big mistake. Besides prolonging recovery time between training sessions, body-part splits also drain the amino acid pool and the glycogen stores. If on Monday you do 8-12 chest sets, it is not possible for your body to recuperate fast enough and you will not be able to work out those muscle groups for a whole week.

However, should you reduce the number of sets to the point of faster recovery and without draining the amino acid pool and the glycogen stores, you will be able to work that body part twice per week. Furthermore if you maintain a relatively low volume, you can even workout one body part three times a week. Think about it; which method is more effective? By simply lowering your volume, you get 104 more muscle group workouts.

In order to train more often you need to lower the number of total sets per workout and to further lower the number of total sets per one exercise. Don’t be neurotic and think that you have to do an infinite number of sets so that you’ll hit every angle and stimulate every fiber.

These old school muscle building programs survived for so long because technology and resources that could disprove them have not been around for too long, and in any case nobody wants to hear that they are wrong. In my opinion though, it’s more sensible to spend less time doing something and still get better results than doing what everyone else is doing, doing it longer and even then not be satisfied with the results you see.

Walk the beaten track or go on the road less travelled – the bottom line is that the choice is up to you. But, if you want great results while not having to work yourself to death in order to get them and still being drug-free, lower your volume, use more weight and more intensity.

Tariq Sims is a NRL footballer that signed with the North Queensland Cowboys for the 2011 season – making his debut in Round 2 against the Newcastle Knights.

Sims, who is of Fijian/Caucasian descent, was playing for the Brisbane Broncos. From 2008 to 2010 he played in the Bronco’s Under 20s team.

Even though Sims attracted the attention of the Cowboys this season as an up and coming rookie, not too many people know about the dietary changes that has transformed the 21-year-olds physique from a modest 84kg footballer that was playing as a winger to a 106kg backrower.

The then under-20s coach Anthony Griffin, who is now the head coach of the senior Brisbane Broncos team, gave a honest assessment of the teenager back in 2008, believing he lacked the size to play in the NRL. The assessment forced the club to perform various tests on metabolism and other things and that helped to formulate a customized weight gain diet plan so that Sim’s could put on some bulk.

These dietary changes included eating bananas and peanut butter sandwiches just before bed, drinking weight gain protein shakes on a daily basis, and eating every two to three hours throughout the day.

This eating plan helped Sims put on 22kg within the space of three years and the results speak for themselves with the Cowboys young gun on the correct path to claim the NRL’s rookie-of-the-year award in 2011.

Sims recalls the daily grind of always eating, which included many late-night feeds, in a desperate attempt to make his NRL dreams come true.

Make no mistake; trying to gain weight is not an easy task. It requires dedication and strong will power. “It was very hard to do,” says Sims. Also he was required to be “Waking up in the middle of the night trying to choke back a sandwich was bloody hard to do, let me tell you.”

In addition to eating like a horse every two to three hours, Sims recalls drinking fluids and protein shakes being an important component of his weight gain diet.

“Before and after training, I made sure I drank plenty of water to stay hydrated and I would have at least three protein shakes a day.”

Although Sims’s wasn’t called up for State of Origin duties this year, during State of Origin series game two he was called into camp by Blues coach Ricky Stuart to give him a better understanding of exactly what it takes to become an Origin footballer.

During this time he had a good chat with NSW captain Paul Gallen, who was very influential on Sims and spoke to him a lot about mental preparation and the external pressures of the game.

Do you know which of the amino acids is frequently used by dieters and bodybuilders to build muscle tissue? Amino acids are the chemical components that are the basic elements of proteins. Each Amino acid performs specific functions in the body. The benefits of Amino acids are numerous and varied and will be discussed in this article, especially with regard to the benefits for bodybuilders.

To understand the importance of these chemicals, you must understand how important proteins are to life. Proteins are found in every living organism, from the largest animal down to the tiniest microbe.

Proteins form the structure for every living creature. The proteins making up the body are not derived from dietary sources. The body breaks down dietary protein into its Amino acid components, which the body then uses to create the proteins it needs.

In its various forms, protein participates in numerous chemical processes necessary to maintain life. They assist with the transportation of oxygen, the contraction of muscles, and with the exchange of nutrients between intracellular fluids and body tissues, blood, and the lymphatic system.

Next to water, protein is the most abundant substance in the human body. It is found in muscles, tendons, bones, hair, nails, organs, and glands.

There are twenty of these acids found in protein. Of these twenty, humans can produce 10 of them, with the remainder supplied in foods.

The 10 acids that humans are unable to produce are called essential acids. Failure to obtain even one of these chemicals causes a degradation of the proteins in the body. Unlike fats and starches, these chemicals are not stored for later use.

The remainder of these amino acids is considered to be unessential. This means they do not need to be obtained through the weight gain diet as the body can manufacture them on its own.

Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)

Branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) are three essential amino acids, including Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine. They can be easily obtained from protein foods and are the three most important amino acids in the manufacture, maintenance and repair of muscle-tissue.

First on our list of essential Amino acids is Isoleucine. Isoleucine helps with the formation of hemoglobin and regulates levels of sugar in the blood. It also participates in the formation of blood clots.

Our next item is Leucine. Leucine is another branched-chain acid that protects muscles and acts as fuel. If also helps to build muscle tissue and is commonly used by bodybuilders for this purpose.

It promotes the healing of muscle, bone, and skin after traumatic injury.

The last Branched-chain Amino acid is Valine. Valine is needed for muscle metabolism and for tissue repair and growth.

It is useful in treating a deficiency of Amino acids occurring as a result of drug dependency.

The Other Amino Acids

The next amino acid we will discuss is Alanine. Its main function is to help the body metabolize Tryptophan and Pyridoxine.

It helps the body to metabolize glucose, a simple carbohydrate the body uses for energy.

Next we have Arginine. Arginine promotes immune system function by increasing the size and activity of the Thymus gland, which produces white blood cells called T-Cells.

Arginine is used to make a chemical called Nitric Oxide.

Nitric Oxide causes the blood vessels to relax and may help with conditions such as Atherosclerosis, Intermittent Claudication, and Erectile Dysfunction.

The next item in our list is Asparagine. Asparagine helps the nervous system to maintain a calm equilibrium. In other words, it helps prevent you from becoming overly excited or overly calm.

It helps the body to metabolize ammonia. It is considered to be a nonessential Amino acid.

Next we have Aspartic acid. Aspartic acid helps to increase stamina and combat fatigue. It is sometimes used as a treatment for Depression.

Chronic fatigue may result from low levels of Aspartic acid.

On a cellular level, it assists with the functions of RNA and DNA, which carry genetic information.

Our next item is Cystine. Cystine is involved in the production of collagens, which is the main protein of connective tissue.

It is necessary for proper utilization of Vitamin B6 and helps heal burns and wounds.

It promotes healing after surgery and severe burns.

Now we have Glutamic acid. Glutamic acid is converted to Glutamine where it functions as a neurotransmitter.

It is useful for metabolizing fats and sugars.

It helps transport potassium across the blood-brain barrier into the central nervous system.

Glutamine is our next Amino acid. Glutamine easily crosses through the blood brain-barrier into the brain where it is used for fuel.

It is frequently use by dieters and body builders to build muscle tissue.

Next on our list is Histidine. Histidine is an essential Amino acid that helps with the growth and repair of various tissues.

It helps to maintain the myelin sheaths, a protective outer layer covering the axons of neurons in the nervous system.

The next item in our list of Amino acids is L-lysine. Lysine is necessary for proper bone development and growth in children.

It helps with the production of hormones, antibodies, and enzymes.

L-lysine is used as a treatment for lesions of the mouth and genital regions caused by the herpes simplex virus.

Next on our list is Methionine. Methionine helps to prevent fat buildup in the arteries and liver that might block blood flow to essential organs.

It is a beneficial antioxidant as the sulfur in it neutralizes free radicals. Some studies have shown it may help improve memory.

The next item in our list of Amino acids is Phenylalanine. Phenylalanine is an essential acid that, once inside the body, can be converted into Tyrosine, which is needed for the production of the neurotransmitters Dopamine and Norepinephrine.

Phenylalanine is a neurotoxin and high levels of it can lead to cellular death in the brain. It constitutes half of the artificial sweetener Aspartame, a sweetener that is found in diet sodas.

One animal study has shown it may be a useful treatment for Parkinson’s disease. More research in this area needs to be done.

Next we have Proline. Proline helps keep skin healthy by assisting with the production of collagen.

It works to maintain and heal cartilage, which makes it useful for conditions such as Osteoarthritis.

Next is Serine. Serine helps the body to properly metabolize fats and fatty acids.

It assists with the production of immunoglobulins. Immunoglobulins play an important role in the immune response, by destroying foreign substances such as bacteria.

We now come to Threonine. Threonine is an acid that helps to maintain a proper balance of proteins in the body.

It helps produce elastin and collagen, two elements needed for healthy skin.

As it is found in the Central Nervous System, it may be helpful in treating some types of Depression.

Our next Amino acid is Tryptophan. Tryptophan is used by the body to produce Serotonin which is needed for normal sleep.

It helps to alleviate insomnia, as it is a natural relaxant.

It helps the immune system to function properly and minimizes the severity of Migraine headaches.

As it helps to produce Serotonin, it may help with certain types of Depression.

Our last Amino acid is Tyrosine. Tyrosine is a precursor to the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine, which function as mood elevators.

A deficiency of Tyrosine may result in inadequate amounts of norepinephrine in the brain that may lead to Depression. It increases alertness while simultaneously fighting fatigue.

Alcohol and muscle building does not mix. I think if you are serious about your health and muscle building development and you want the maximum possible benefit from your weight training program, then you should drink alcoholic in moderation or NOT at all.

Moderation is usually considered as having 1-2 drinks a day. If the aim is building muscle, it likely won’t do much harm, and may even have some health benefits such as increased HDL. I know everyone has heard that drinking wine is good for you and that is true to a certain degree. The actual truth can be found in the grape skin. It has an enzyme that is good for you and you can get it from grape juice.

However, excessive alcohol consumption will undoubtedly compromise the results you’ll get from your weight gain diet and training program. The truth is that you should not want to consume these types of alcoholic drinks because you are in constant training of some type or another. Hangovers are a result of dehydration. Alcohol dehydrates the body since it draws water from the cells and increases water loss through the kidneys.

Dehydration cannot only hinder muscle growth, but it can be dangerous also. For example running requires water within the body to keep you cool. If lack the proper hydration you are risking over heating such as heat exhaustion, muscle cramps, or heat stroke.

Alcohol consumption hinders your body from absorption of the proper nutrients for muscle growth during weight lifting. Remember we are dieting to have their proper fuel for our type of training. We don’t want to block the vital nutritional gains. We want to enhance them.

Alcohol suppresses your body’s ability to burn fat. The main reason is the oxidation of the alcohol takes top priority over the oxidation of other macronutrients such as carbohydrates, protein, and fats. In other words, while your body is busy metabolizing alcohol it cannot properly utilize the fats, carbohydrate and protein. As long as the alcohol is in your system, your body will simply convert most of the calories you normally eat into body fat.

Alcohol also decreases natural production of testosterone in the body, which is one of the main anabolic muscle building hormones.

Due to alcohol beverages being calorie dense, some people may think it’s a good way to gain weight. However, due to the lack of nutritional value it provides and interference that excessive amounts of drinking can have on your schedule, it just isn’t worth it if you are serious about seeing good results.

Bruce Lee is famous for one reason – he worked hard. His training was brutal and he was very dedicated. In this post I want to look at a few things that Bruce Lee can teach us about reaching our muscle building goals.

Bruce Lee stressed repetition

If you want to be good at something you have to repeat it over and over again. When you are feeling tired you need to repeat it some more. There is an old martial arts saying that Bruce Lee often said to his students:

“It is not the 10,000 kicks you have practiced once that I fear. It is the one kick you have practiced 10,000 times.”

Bruce Lee was often seen to be performing the same punch or the same sidekick out on his heavy bag for hours at a time. Just one punch, over and over and over. This is how you become good at something.

Bruce Lee tried new things

“Use only that which works, and take it from any place you can find it.” – Bruce Lee

One of the great things about Lee was that he was open to trying new things. He always learned new martial arts from people and he even looked into other sports to better his martial arts. For example, he started fencing lessons because he thought that it would help him learn to spring forward faster to deliver quicker punches and kicks.

Bruce Lee made things thoughtful

“The meaning of life is that it is to be lived, and it is not to be traded and conceptualized and squeezed into a pattern of systems.” – Bruce Lee

One of the best things you can do for your workouts is to take them to a spiritual level. If you go to the gym everyday and spend hours working out it is a little silly to just leave it at the physical level. Fitness, martial arts, bodybuilding, etc. all need to be taken to a deeper level where you learn new things about yourself and the world. Bruce Lee was always looking at his martial arts as a microcosm of his life and as such learned how to deal with hardships and teach people wonderful lessons.

Bruce Lee made progress

“Make at least one definite move daily toward your goal.” – Bruce Lee

One thing that bodybuilders often do is get stuck on a plateau. They forget to keep adding more weight, more intensity or more reps. It is important to make sure that you are always progressing and getting closer to your goal. Bruce Lee says that each day you should take one sure step closer to your goal. Make sure you do to.

Conclusion on Bruce Lee’s lessons

Bruce Lee’s life work was so vast that you could continue to study it for the rest of your days. It is important to look at great people like Lee and learn from their example. It will help you grow as an individual and it will help you take your training to an all new level.

There has been a lot of research on bodybuilding to learn what works and what don’t, so you can rely on tried and true bodybuilding techniques and get the results you want. But they have yet to do a great deal of research regarding the role the mind plays in building muscle.

Even so, I don’t think you can underestimate the importance of the mental aspect of bodybuilding. I think if you truly want to transform your physique and to build muscle and gain weight fast, you need to make sure your brain is part of the program and it starts with a positive mental attitude.

As you progress in your training you will begin to understand the power of the mind and breathing importance. The mind plays a large roll in all aspects of life and training is no different.

As you stretch and prepare for your set, you will know how many repetitions you need to do, to achieve your goal. Now you must focus your mind on achieving what is required.

Repeat to yourself this figure and convince yourself there is NO WAY you will not achieve this figure. Fight until you get it. Then you see what happens when mind power becomes involved…

Breathing Techniques During Preperation

The most efficient way to breathe is in through your nose and slow controlled breaths out through the mouth. This will help keep the heart rate at a good pace and help you to focus as you prepare the mind for the challenge which lies ahead.

I encourage you to keep this at the forefront of your mind and make this a part not only your workout routine but of your daily life.

Breathing Correctly During The Workout

During your dynamic warm ups one of the most important factors in helping you push through the tougher stages of a workout is breathing correctly. I know it sounds so simple but as you’ll soon discover it’s one of the hardest tasks to get right!!

As you just learnt the most efficient way to breathe in normal life is in through your nose and out through the mouth. This is also the key to success during your workouts. Do not worry if you don’t get this the first time, for many this will take practice.

But once success is had, you will push through your workout with an amazing amount of extra energy that you would never believe existed inside of you! Breathing properly during a workout is crucial, it can literally make or break you entire set.

Breathing Perfectly During Your Sets

As a general rule of thumb, whenever the exercise is at its hardest – which is always at the start of the movement – is when you should be breathing out.

1. So before starting any exercise breathe in through your nose!
2. When you are bringing the weight back and getting ready for the next ‘hard’ part; this is when you should be sucking in the air! (recovering is the technical word here!)

To help you get this right I recommend counting during each repetition.

Mixing counting with breathing…
When working out you should count to a rhythm. This is great as it distracts you from the actual exercise causing you to focus more deeply on getting it right.

Through the ‘hard’ part of the set you should count to two. This is when you will be breathing out and pushing or pulling that weight!

Through the recovery stage you will need to be counting to four. Sucking in the air through your nose, preparing for the next repetition .

The counting should be in sync, not too fast and not too slow. 1-2-3-4 and 1-2.

The Easy way to remember…

Tough part – Count 1-2 (or to 3) and be breathing OUT through your mouth
Recovery – Count 1-2-3-(4) and be breathing IN through your nose

Happy counting!

Choosing the right weight for your weight gain program…
How easy was your warm up? You should have been working around the 3-4 on the 1-10 scale of intensity. As you endeavour to choose the right weight for your workout the first thing you will need to do is bump up your dynamic warm up weight. Your aim will be to work at a 4-5 during your first set. Don’t go crazy, just one or two plates up will be fine.

If you’re a beginner when it comes to working out, you will not be able to do the same building muscle program that a seasoned competition body builder would use. The first thing you need to assess when looking for the right muscle building program for you is what is your health and fitness levels like and whether supplements can help achieve your goals. Are you extremely overweight? Have you been working out for many years and are a looking for a new muscle building program because your progress seems to be stalling? These factors will all determine what build muscle program will work for you.

After you have decided how you want to improve your body and what your physical fitness level is, you will want to then decide how much time you can consistently work out each week. Whenever you are starting a new muscle building program, you need to stick with it. So many trainees fail to see good results due to program hopping and not sticking to the one system.

By setting up a muscle building program that you can realistically keep every week, you will have more chance of success. When you are setting up your weekly schedule, you should schedule the minimum that you can do. It is with in reason to do more if you are feeling good and would like to, however, you should never do less than you have scheduled.

For those who are trying to bulk up after working out for a good amount of time, you should keep your muscle building program to three days a week and make sure you get adequate recovery in between sessions. Remember you don’t actually build muscle in the gym your body needs plenty of rest and recovery for repair and growth. It’s also important not to ignore post-workout nutrient with protein powder supplementation when your body needs the nutrients the most.

For beginners who are new to working out, make sure you set realistic goals for yourself. As you begin to improve your fitness, you can change up your program to meet your new needs. But if you have unrealistic expectations it’s just going to kill your motivation and your lack of results will show because of it.

As your body gets stronger, it will need a change in routine in order to challenge it further. The No-Nonsense Muscle Building program does exactly that. If you do not know how to workout at all, you can always follow the step-by-step instructions of a proven muscle building system which will be able to help you with all the exercises and meal plans you will need to do.

Wanting to gain weight and some serious lean muscle mass? Here are some useful tips on how to gain weight quickly for men who are “too skinny” and are struggling to put on extra pounds. As always, there are many people that put on weight very easily and naturally, and desire to get rid of it. On the other side of the scale, skinny guys can find it extremely challenging to gain weight in order to enhance their physical appearance.

It is always good to understand the basics behind natural and healthy weight gain. This is how a person can discover more on how to gain weight in a healthy and quick way. Before tackling this issue, let’s look at the reasons why thin and scrawny guys fail to gain weight successfully. Poor diet, poor motivation and no proper workout routine are some of the primary reasons for thin people not being able to gain weight quickly.

Some men are quick to blame “poor genetics” for their lack of progress, when in reality they just aren’t trying hard enough to gain weight. Gaining weight is in a lot of ways tougher then losing weight so you want to make sure you tick all the correct boxes.

Below are some of the easy-to-follow tips on how to gain weight quickly for men:

Eat Big – A person should make it a habit to eat more than their daily caloric and energy needs. A person should also find out what their BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is. The BMR is a measurement that calculates how many calories get burned daily, and should be used to calculate calorie maintanence requirements for weight gain purposes. You should also begin planning a weight gain diet plan to increase weekly consumption by 3,500 calories in order to achieve weight gain of one to two pounds within a week. The plan should be to consume lots of protein based foods like chicken, fish and beef regularly. Milk is also one of the best sources of protein. A person should balance his meals with a consumption of nuts and vegetables.

Weight Gain Foods – One of the keys to successfully gaining weight is to consume the right types of weight gaining foods. Eating food like chips, fast food and junk food will make a person gain weight fast but its an unhealthy way to pack on pounds and a person can expect to gain mostly fat instead of bulking up if he or she eats this type of food on a regular basis. Don’t get me wrong, there is no problem with having cheat meals to reward the efforts you are making in the gym and the discipline you have to your weight gain diet, but a diet which consists of healthy nutritious foods should form the foundation of your diet.

Lift Big – A person following a weight gain program for men needs to turn the extra calories being consumed on a weight gain diet so that he doesn’t end up being overweight. A person should engage in a progressive weight training program at least three times every week, with the aim of increasing the weight every few weeks to stimulate growth.

But what exactly does a sample men’s workout program look like?

Luckily for you, the No-Nonsense Muscle Building workout program, designed by Vince Del Monte, tells you exactly what it takes to pack on quality muscle for skinny guys and how he achieved his incredible fitness model physique. Vince aka “Skinny Vinny” is the author of the No 1 selling muscle building program on the web and is a regular contributor to Men’s Fitness Magazine.

Wanting to gain weight and sexy curves in the right places? Forget all you hear about women, weight lifting, and “bulking up”, etc. The truth is that gaining weight for women isn’t that different to men. When it comes to putting on weight you will need to select a plan that is based on your natural body shape. The reason is that your body tends to put on weight first in places that come most natural. Hence if you want to gain weight all over (as opposed to only on your waist) then your weight gain program will need to reflect this.

It’s important to also realize that it’s difficult to identify your body shape when you are underweight. As a result, you might need to adjust your weight gain plan as you start to fill out and your shape becomes more noticeable. However, there are three generic body shapes all women should be mindful of…

The Apple Body Shape

The “apple” body shape is characterized by a wide torso and large abdomen. Men who have an apple body shape are said to have a “beer belly”, a “pot belly”, or “love handles”. Women who have an apple body shape tend to put on weight in the face, neck, chest and waist. Due to genetics you are more likely to be gaining weight on your upper body but having skinny legs. In order to gain a nice shape you will need the right exercise and diet.

The Pear Body Shape

The body is classified as pear-shaped if the waist-to-hip ratio, i.e., the size of the waist divided by the size of the hips, is 0.80 or lower. If the ratio is higher than 0.80, the body is classified as apple-shaped. Women who have a pear body shape tend to put on weight on the hips and thighs and not the upper body. In order to gain sexy curves you will need the right weight gain diet plan, which is very important, but you really need to focus on certain workout routines to target the problem areas.

The Proportionate Body Shape

Idealized by many women. The good news is that you will gain weight all over. Both exercise and diet is the key.

The Truth About Women and Weight Lifting

Whenever I suggest to women clients about using weights I usually get a lot of push back. I would like to use this article to correct myths and share some truths.

1. Weightlifting does burn calories. If it burns calories for men it works the same for the female population. To really gain quality lean muscle mass you need to pay strict attention to your diet to compensate for the effort you are making in the gym and to help repair and rebuild muscle tissue!

2. You will not look more like a man, unless you are taking steroids. Men and women were born with different hormones. Not every man who works out with weights looks like Arnold either. Therefore any muscle gain you get as a result of diet and training will only serve to accentuate the feminine shape you already have. You will look sexy and feel better about yourself!

3. If you lift weights while on a weight gain diet you will not look fat. In reality you will be performing fat burning in the gym while building muscle. Reduce the fat around a tight, toned muscle and other will notice.

Weights can help you achieve the sexy body and be prettier than ever before. Why is that? Because with weight you not only burn calories but you target parts of your body that you may want to tighten and develop.

For example you may have hit a wall on development in the buns area with the stair climber, but lunges with dumb bells may give that little extra target that you desire.

Lifting weights can also help to build confidence. I recommend machines for beginners. If you are a beginner then you may start at the machines. It helps build some strength and range of motion to move the weight. But there is something positive in confidence when you can move from machines to free weights. Also movements with weights are not restricted so you can really target those muscle groups.

Exactly what does it take to achieve good results? Well, it takes a real dedication to your diet and workout program. You would be required to exercise at least 4 or 5 times each week. And more importantly, it takes a real WANTING to see that new lean and toned body in the mirror.

But what exactly does a sample female workout program look like?

Luckily for you, the FULL-BODY-LICIOUS workout program, designed by Flavia Del Monte, tells you exactly what it takes and how she achieved her incredible physique. Flavia is the wife of Vince Del Monte, and for those who don’t know Vince, he is author of the No 1 selling No Nonsense muscle building program, fitness expert and fitness model. Flavia’s approach to fitness is incredible and she has undoubtedly got the female formula for getting a great physique figured out. She shares all of that with you so that you can achieve the same results.

Sometimes when you workout, you feel as though you are not getting anywhere. You’re trying hard to build those muscles and wondering where it is you’re going wrong. A lot of people believe that all they need to do is workout but that’s not always the case. In order to get that dream body, using digestive enzyme supplements is a must because the supplements gives you that push that you need to get started in the right direction.

You might be asking right now, what exactly are digestive enzyme supplements and how can they help act as indigestion remedies? Don’t worry, I’m about to go over with you and break things down so you know exactly what they are and why they help your body with building muscles.

Understanding Digestive Enzymes

Our food has to break down in a certain way and when it does not, it can cause problems if it does not break down just right. Digestive enzymes help to properly break down the food for absorption. In order to help them break down just right, digestive supplements come in to make sure that the body is able to absorb it properly. Digestive enzymes also helps by ensuring that the body gains the calories it needs daily for body builders. When you body build, it’s important to have as many calories that you can get and just lacking in a few can cause you to not get the body of your dreams.

A Variety of Digestive Enzymes for Bodybuilders

There is a variety of enzymes available and listed below you’ll find the ones needed for body building.

• Amylase is the one used to help with breaking down the carbohydrates.
• Protease breaks down the proteins.
• Lipase breaks down all of the fats.
• Cellulase breaks down the fibers. Keep in mind that the body does not produce all of the enzymes the right way. In order to get all that we need, we have to add them in our diet daily.

How Digestive Enzymes Helps You Daily

Bodybuilders consume a lot more protein in their diets. Whenever you start to train or workout more then you need amino acids and often times, more than the average person because your body increases how much it uses. With extra amino acids, it enhances the ability to put on those lean muscles tissues that you need. After taking digestive enzymes the body is able to absorb the protein with greater efficiency. Once it absorbs the nutrients to repair and rebuild muscle tissue, you will start to see results faster. When you find yourself working out and struggling a lot with fatigue then you’ll need some more supplements like L-Glutamine plus BCAA’s. When you get older, enzyme supplementation is needed even more.

When To Take Digestive Enzyme Supplements

When you need to take supplements there are certain times you should take them depending on what kind you are using. For instance, protease enzymes needs to be taken right before and after working out. I recommend taking between 200-300 mg’s per day before and right when you are done working out.

Lipase and Amylase enzymes need to be consumed daily before having a meal or something to eat. You cannot find these sold separately because they are usually in a blend.

Pancreatine is a great supplement to consume daily because it helps with the digestive system. Pancreatine is also cheap and affordable. When the body absorbs food without the enzyme supplementation it might take longer but with the perfect blend, it absorbs it fast.

You’ll find a variety of digestive enzymes on the web. Make sure to find ones that have a blend of lipase, amylase and protease in it. Papain helps to digest the proteins because of the enzyme. Papain has pepsin, chymotrypsin, and trypsin. These amino acids help with building up the muscles faster’ and gives you energy that you need for the workout.

Whenever you find yourself struggling to make bodybuilding progress, it wouldn’t hurt to look at taking digestive enzyme supplements.

Success though a positive mental attitude is paramount for those who are trying to gain weight and muscle. Granted, we can offer specific techniques but it is you who is in the “drivers seat”, who ultimately determines your destiny.

Over the years research has concluded that athletes facing grimacing odds of overcoming severe injuries followed 6 mental patterns that characterize a positive mental attitude. You too can follow those same principles as you involve yourself in reaching your weight gain goals and living a healthy lifestyle.

In order for you to gain weight and pack on lean muscle mass, not only should you be training like an athlete, but also you are required to think like one. Utilize the following 6 principles to acquire weight gain success through a positive mental attitude, apply the principles together with a proven weight gain program and results are sure to come your way.

1. Successful athletes use both motivating directions. They move both towards goals and away from consequences. This way they are able to use their maximum amount of motivation. They know where they are going. For example, an injured high school swimmer wanted to overcome her injury but she also wanted to win a swimming college scholarship. She was motivated and directed. She was moving towards her goal.

You, wanting to eliminate weight gain can apply this principle too with a goal of eliminating weight gain and live a healthy lifestyle. You then can use both motivators, moving away from pain and moving towards a healthy lifestyle.

2. Athletes in rehab were dedicated in regaining full strength and health. Ones attitude was, anything less is unacceptable. Ultimately, success through a positive mental attitude is a key fundamental aspect to weight gain success and regain complete confidence in yourself.

3. Athletes approached rehab one-step at a time. It’s intimidating to think of accomplishing the entire rehab task all at one. If you take it in individual steps you’ll complete it. Each step becomes a new goal. While you’re going through the weight gain program, have that mental goal in front of you and take it one-step at a time.

4. How the athlete in rehab thinks about time. When concerning about daily goals, the successful athlete needs to be in the present. Think about the single activity right now and not get distracted or discouraged by thinking about the future. If you’re engaged in your first day of weight training, think about what you’re currently doing and how to life the weight with proper form.

If you project yourself doubtfully and ask, “Will I ever be the same?” or “Will I succeed?” If your thinking is like this, you may have problems. These types of questions can create a negative orientation. It’s better to ask, “What can I do now to reach my next milestone?”

It’s helpful to think ahead about what are the rewards and benefits of the struggles you are now going through. Success though a positive mental attitude is key.

5. Involvement is a fundamental element towards your success. The more the athlete helps him or herself, the better the recovery. Even if it’s as simple as placing ice on an injury. When you participate you influence what is going on. It makes you more determined and aggressive.

It’s been discovered amongst hospital patients, that the more they participate in their own recovery, the more likely they’ll recover. In terms of eliminating your weight gain, get thoroughly involved. Do all the necessary techniques.

6. How you judge your performance is critical to your overall outcome. This applies to all aspects of life. Far too often comparisons are made between ourselves and the actions of others. We tend to evaluate our progress by making comparisons to other people.

If you come out on top, you’ll feel good but if you come out at or near the bottom you’ll likely feel inadequate. Unfortunately, by the time we all move to adulthood, comparisons between others becomes a habit and is often done so unconsciously.

It’s very important for your successful weight gain progress that you do not fall into this mental trap of comparing. Successful weight gain is done by a self-to-self comparison. Ask yourself, “How far have I progressed since last week? The last month?”

We can all do this by measuring our own progress. That’s what is important, your own progress, therefore, you can look at others progress as inspiration, models of excellence or sources of information, not targets of envy! You can delight in the success of others and truly value your own success.

Summary… You are now an athlete as you face the dilemma of achieving weight gain success and regaining fitness and confidence. Many people have done it, you’re not alone. Success through a positive mental attitude by following the 6 fundamental steps will help you stay on track. Use a proven weight gain program in conjunction with these fundamental steps to accomplish your goal.

I admit that I have been guilty of focusing primarily on the ectomorph body type, also known as the “hardgainer” on this site, because they are the ones who knowingly want to gain more weight and feel better about themselves. However, teenagers and adults are not the only people who are struggling to gain weight. Weight gain is a problem which is common amongst babies and toddlers as well. This age group can have a tendency to be fussy eaters which can effect their development and growth rate, especially when they hit about 18 months to 2 years of age.

Whether you are 18 yrs old or a toddler who is only 2 years of age, the fundamentals of weight gain are no different. To gain weight faster you required to increase your total calorie intake. This can be accomplished by increasing the portion sizes of your normal foods, increasing your meal frequency, and by adding new foods to your regular diet.

When I was given the book, “The Man Who Ate Everything” by Jeffrey Steingarten one year for Christmas, one paragraph in this book stuck with me:

Exposure, plain and simple. Scientists tell us that aversions fade away when we eat moderate doses of the hated foods at moderate intervals, especially if the food is complex and new to us. (Don’t try this with allergies, but don’t cheat either: few of us have genuine food allergies.) Exposure works by overcoming our innate neophobia, the omnivore’s fear of new foods that balances the biological urge to explore for them. Did you know that babies who are breast-fed will later have less trouble with novel foods than those who are given formula? The variety of flavors that make their way into breast milk from the mother’s diet prepares the infant for the culinary surprises that lie ahead. Most parents give up trying novel foods on their weanlings after two or three attempts and then complain to the pediatrician; this may be the most common cause of fussy eaters and finicky adults–of omnivores manqués. Most babies will accept nearly anything after eight or ten tries.

So I decided to put this into practice. I’ve always had an aversion towards blue cheese and olives. Firefly, a tapas restaurant I frequent in town, serves a little plate of olives and bread to their guests upon arrival. Every time I visited, I’d pick up one olive and eat it. After multiple visits, I’m now a huge fan of olives.

I did the same with blue cheese and now I frequently add chunks of blue cheese to my salads to provide some protein and my goodness is it tasty!! It’s not just good with salads either! Sometimes I add blue cheese sauce on broiled chicken or steak or pork chops or in hamburgers. Also good on spinach, broccoli or cauliflower. And depending on the type of blue cheese its generally higher in fat than many other cheeses, so it’s an easy and tasty way to increase fats in your diet. I suggest you to learn why you need to eat fat to build muscle.

I know cottage cheese, a milder tasting cheese, is often a recommended bodybuilding food on a weight gain diet, but I was not very impressed when I tried it. If you can gain an appreciation for a more diverse range of foods then it will allow you to pick and choose the foods you enjoy eating. You don’t have this flexibility if you only like a limited number of foods.

I challenge you to try this too!! For parents who have a child with a poor appetite who is not gaining weight, its important to be introducing new foods like peanut butter, fish, and different fruits & veggies to your toddler and seeing what they like!! Sometimes its simply a case of finding out what they like or being persistent until they finally decide to like a new food.