Would you like to be a fitness woman? Or are you a fitness woman but would like to be effective? Here are 7 great tips on how to become an effective fitness woman:
1. Get a program that will best suit you. Every fitness woman is different. You may have surgical history where a program may not be suited for you. Always consult a qualified trainer to make sure that the fitness program will not hurt you. If the fitness program is not for you, it will only be a cause of frustration and injuries.
2. Set realistic targets. Wouldn't you be frustrated if you set your mind into reshaping your body in month? Make sure that the body you prefer in a period of time is achievable and realistic. The program should also be practical and will not give you false hopes. It is important to be aware of the blocks you encounter in your daily living. This will help you know what program is satisfactory. And once a program has been reached, then you can set goals and timelines that are realistic.
3. Exercises should work on the parts of your body where muscles are. The reason mainly is, when you develop muscles, you burn more calories and then you lessen the fats in your body. Multi-joint exercises and weight lifting are recommended. Learn what exercises work on certain parts of your body. Multi-joint exercises are also said to be effective but time saving.
4. Be systematic on working on your muscles. Your muscles should be working harder over time. Repeating the same sets of exercises and same weight without getting your muscles to work harder will not give satisfactory results. You can record your daily results and make the progression based on your previous data. A daily log will also motivate you since you are able to track how far you have gone. It builds confidence since there is a written proof something that was successfully accomplished.
5. Perform a set of exercises in 10 repetitions. Every number that was accomplished is called a repetition. Try to make every repetition with less momentum as much as possible. The lesser the momentum, the harder your muscles work. And the harder they work, the bigger they become. To check if there is much momentum when lifting, see if the arm is floating. If the arm does float, then there is much momentum.
6. Be flexible and perform a variety of exercises. Every exercise program should have a variety. You can change your exercises, goals and sets every month to keep you motivated and on the go. Doing this will help you prevent being bored and losing energy physically and mentally.
7. Be Motivated! The best way to keep the energy levels of trainees is to allow a healthy competition and allow them to have a sense of control. Having control is having the sense ownership where everybody gets a part in implementing a program. To do this you also need to be consistent in demonstrating your skills.
Not all programs work for all types of people. There is no workout that is best for everyone. But you learn from experienced people. Learn to acknowledge blocks and demonstrate self-discipline, keep yourself motivated and work harder everyday and add variety. Doing these things, you will discover that a lot of programs will work for you.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Dietary Therapy: High Fiber Diets
Can high-fiber diets really do all they claim to do? Studies have looked at the relationship between high-fiber diets and many diseases, including colon cancer, coronary heart disease and diabetes.
Proven benefits of a high-fiber diet include prevention and treatment of constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis. In addition, certain types of fiber help decrease blood cholesterol levels.
Dietary fiber comes from the portion of plants that is not digested by enzymes in the intestinal tract. Part of it, however, may be metabolized by bacteria in the lower gut. Different types of plants have varying amounts and kinds of fiber, including pectin, gum, mucilage, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin.
Pectin and gum are water-soluble fibers found inside plant cells. They slow the passage of food through the intestines but do nothing to increase fecal bulk. Beans, oat bran, fruit and vegetables contain soluble fiber.
In contrast, fibers in cell walls are water insoluble. These include cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Such fibers increase fecal bulk and speed up the passage of food through the digestive tract.
Wheat bran and whole grains contain the most insoluble fiber, but vegetables and beans also are good sources.Sometimes there is confusion as to the difference between crude fiber and dietary fiber. Both are determined by a laboratory analysis, but crude fiber is only one-seventh to one-half of total dietary fiber.
Insoluble fiber binds water, making stools softer and bulkier. Therefore, fiber, especially that found in whole grain products, is helpful in the treatment and prevention of constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis.
Diverticula are pouches of the intestinal wall that can become inflamed and painful.It is now known that a high-fiber diet gives better results once the inflammation has subsided.
Some types of fiber, however, appear to have a greater effect than others. The fiber found in rolled oats is more effective in lowering blood cholesterol levels than the fiber found in wheat. Pectin has a similar effect in that it, too, can lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood.
High-fiber diets may be useful for people who wish to lose weight. Fiber itself has no calories, yet provides a “full” feeling because of its water-absorbing ability. For example, an apple is more filling than a half cup of apple juice that contains about the same calories.
Foods high in fiber often require more chewing, so a person is unable to eat a large number of calories in a short amount of time. Dietary fiber is found only in plant foods: fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains. Meat, milk and eggs do not contain fiber.
The form of food may or may not affect its fiber content. Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables contain just as much fiber as raw ones. Other types of processing, though, may reduce fiber content. Drying and crushing, for example, destroy the water-holding qualities of fiber.
The removal of seeds, peels or hulls also reduces fiber content. Whole tomatoes have more fiber than peeled tomatoes, which have more than tomato juice. Likewise, whole wheat bread contains more fiber than white bread.
Fiber supplements are sold in a variety of forms from bran tablets to purified cellulose. Many laxatives sold as stool softeners actually are fiber supplements. Fiber’s role in the diet is still being investigated.
It appears that the various types of fiber have different roles in the body. For these reasons, avoid fiber supplements. Instead, eat a variety of fiber-rich foods.
This is the best way to receive the maximum benefits from each type of fiber present in foods, and obtain necessary nutrients.
Proven benefits of a high-fiber diet include prevention and treatment of constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis. In addition, certain types of fiber help decrease blood cholesterol levels.
Dietary fiber comes from the portion of plants that is not digested by enzymes in the intestinal tract. Part of it, however, may be metabolized by bacteria in the lower gut. Different types of plants have varying amounts and kinds of fiber, including pectin, gum, mucilage, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin.
Pectin and gum are water-soluble fibers found inside plant cells. They slow the passage of food through the intestines but do nothing to increase fecal bulk. Beans, oat bran, fruit and vegetables contain soluble fiber.
In contrast, fibers in cell walls are water insoluble. These include cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Such fibers increase fecal bulk and speed up the passage of food through the digestive tract.
Wheat bran and whole grains contain the most insoluble fiber, but vegetables and beans also are good sources.Sometimes there is confusion as to the difference between crude fiber and dietary fiber. Both are determined by a laboratory analysis, but crude fiber is only one-seventh to one-half of total dietary fiber.
Insoluble fiber binds water, making stools softer and bulkier. Therefore, fiber, especially that found in whole grain products, is helpful in the treatment and prevention of constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis.
Diverticula are pouches of the intestinal wall that can become inflamed and painful.It is now known that a high-fiber diet gives better results once the inflammation has subsided.
Some types of fiber, however, appear to have a greater effect than others. The fiber found in rolled oats is more effective in lowering blood cholesterol levels than the fiber found in wheat. Pectin has a similar effect in that it, too, can lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood.
High-fiber diets may be useful for people who wish to lose weight. Fiber itself has no calories, yet provides a “full” feeling because of its water-absorbing ability. For example, an apple is more filling than a half cup of apple juice that contains about the same calories.
Foods high in fiber often require more chewing, so a person is unable to eat a large number of calories in a short amount of time. Dietary fiber is found only in plant foods: fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains. Meat, milk and eggs do not contain fiber.
The form of food may or may not affect its fiber content. Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables contain just as much fiber as raw ones. Other types of processing, though, may reduce fiber content. Drying and crushing, for example, destroy the water-holding qualities of fiber.
The removal of seeds, peels or hulls also reduces fiber content. Whole tomatoes have more fiber than peeled tomatoes, which have more than tomato juice. Likewise, whole wheat bread contains more fiber than white bread.
Fiber supplements are sold in a variety of forms from bran tablets to purified cellulose. Many laxatives sold as stool softeners actually are fiber supplements. Fiber’s role in the diet is still being investigated.
It appears that the various types of fiber have different roles in the body. For these reasons, avoid fiber supplements. Instead, eat a variety of fiber-rich foods.
This is the best way to receive the maximum benefits from each type of fiber present in foods, and obtain necessary nutrients.
Dieters Need More Calcium
Women on diets need more calcium than normal to avoid bone loss, say Rutgers University researchers.
Studies showed a weight loss diet of 1.5 pounds a week for 6 weeks cuts absorption of calcium. In 57 postmenopausal dieters it was discovered that those women who took 1,800 mg of calcium a day absorbed 78 percent more calcium than those who took only 1,000 mg a day. To prevent bone loss, women dieting after menopause should get 1,700 mg of calcium a day, the experts say.
For people on low-fat, high fiber diets calcium requirements are also higher. Studies show that 19 percent less calcium is absorbed. It is theorized that the healthier diet moves food faster through the gastrointestinal tract.
While it is common knowledge that calcium is necessary for bone-growth research shows that calcium also fights fat absorption. Studies reveal that calcium blocks fat storage in fat cells. A minimum of 1,000 mg. of calcium daily improves total cholesterol and good HDL, but lowers bad LDL.
Despite the publicity of the importance of calcium for healthy bones research shows that consumption has gone down over the past 30 years.
Experts recommend 1,000 mg of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D daily for people under 50, and 1,500 mg of calcium and 800 IU of vitamin D for those over 50. The safe upper limit for calcium intake has been set at 2,500 mg a day. Experts think going above that on a daily basis may invite kidney stone formation.
Once started, never stop taking calcium/vitamin D supplements daily. USDA researchers found that after a 3- year study over one-third of participants stopped taking the supplements. Within one year women lost all bone-density gains and men lost their gains in two years.
For those who are lactose intolerant calcium and vitamin D supplementation is even more important because it will be difficult to get the daily requirement through diet alone.
For those allergic to cow's milk. Drink enough soy milk to give you 500 mg of calcium per glass as compared to 300 mg in cows milk. Studies at Creighton University in Omaha, NE, showed that 25 percent less calcium is absorbed from soy milk as cows milk.
For more information on calcium and coral calcium: http://www.apluswriting.net/diettips/evitaminscalcium.htm
Studies showed a weight loss diet of 1.5 pounds a week for 6 weeks cuts absorption of calcium. In 57 postmenopausal dieters it was discovered that those women who took 1,800 mg of calcium a day absorbed 78 percent more calcium than those who took only 1,000 mg a day. To prevent bone loss, women dieting after menopause should get 1,700 mg of calcium a day, the experts say.
For people on low-fat, high fiber diets calcium requirements are also higher. Studies show that 19 percent less calcium is absorbed. It is theorized that the healthier diet moves food faster through the gastrointestinal tract.
While it is common knowledge that calcium is necessary for bone-growth research shows that calcium also fights fat absorption. Studies reveal that calcium blocks fat storage in fat cells. A minimum of 1,000 mg. of calcium daily improves total cholesterol and good HDL, but lowers bad LDL.
Despite the publicity of the importance of calcium for healthy bones research shows that consumption has gone down over the past 30 years.
Experts recommend 1,000 mg of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D daily for people under 50, and 1,500 mg of calcium and 800 IU of vitamin D for those over 50. The safe upper limit for calcium intake has been set at 2,500 mg a day. Experts think going above that on a daily basis may invite kidney stone formation.
Once started, never stop taking calcium/vitamin D supplements daily. USDA researchers found that after a 3- year study over one-third of participants stopped taking the supplements. Within one year women lost all bone-density gains and men lost their gains in two years.
For those who are lactose intolerant calcium and vitamin D supplementation is even more important because it will be difficult to get the daily requirement through diet alone.
For those allergic to cow's milk. Drink enough soy milk to give you 500 mg of calcium per glass as compared to 300 mg in cows milk. Studies at Creighton University in Omaha, NE, showed that 25 percent less calcium is absorbed from soy milk as cows milk.
For more information on calcium and coral calcium: http://www.apluswriting.net/diettips/evitaminscalcium.htm
Developing Healthy Eating Habits Amongst Kids
It is quite natural for any child to dislike new kind of food right away. It may take 10 or more tries getting a child to accept a new food. It is essential for parents to behave patiently if you want your child to eat right and healthy. For overall growth and development, parents should offer kids foods from each of the food group.
Some ways to develop your child's healthy approach towards eating
- Cut down on the amount of fat in your family's diet. Include low fat dairy products, lean meat, fat free cereals or breads.
- Avoid restricting sweets or desserts. Fat, salt, sugar have a moderate place in our diet. Don't curb them completely. Just teach your child to take small portions of it.
- Make or keep wide variety of healthy foods ready at home to be eaten as snacks. Do allow occasional indulgence of chips, colas and cookies.
- Eating slowly helps to detect hunger and fullness better. Encourage your child to eat slowly.
- Eating meals together with family helps children. Meal time with family can be pleasant with free flowing, light hearted conversations about the day, etc.
- Activities like shopping for food and preparing meals are fun time for children. Both, parents and children learn about each other's food preferences and enjoy the time spent together.
- Eating meals and watching TV at same time makes it difficult to pay attention to the hunger and may lead to overeating.
- Sending children to bed without eating food may give them the impression that they will have to go hungry. So they may try to eat whenever they get a chance. Avoid using food as punishment.
- If your kid is having lunch at school, find out more about the lunch program. If you pack your child's food include variety of foods. While dining out, pick healthier items.
- If you as parents eat healthy nutritious food, your child tends to learn and pick up similar eating habits. Set a good example by eating variety of nutritious foods and snacks. Teaching your child healthy eating practices early in life will help develop an approach to eating food with right attitude.
Some ways to develop your child's healthy approach towards eating
- Cut down on the amount of fat in your family's diet. Include low fat dairy products, lean meat, fat free cereals or breads.
- Avoid restricting sweets or desserts. Fat, salt, sugar have a moderate place in our diet. Don't curb them completely. Just teach your child to take small portions of it.
- Make or keep wide variety of healthy foods ready at home to be eaten as snacks. Do allow occasional indulgence of chips, colas and cookies.
- Eating slowly helps to detect hunger and fullness better. Encourage your child to eat slowly.
- Eating meals together with family helps children. Meal time with family can be pleasant with free flowing, light hearted conversations about the day, etc.
- Activities like shopping for food and preparing meals are fun time for children. Both, parents and children learn about each other's food preferences and enjoy the time spent together.
- Eating meals and watching TV at same time makes it difficult to pay attention to the hunger and may lead to overeating.
- Sending children to bed without eating food may give them the impression that they will have to go hungry. So they may try to eat whenever they get a chance. Avoid using food as punishment.
- If your kid is having lunch at school, find out more about the lunch program. If you pack your child's food include variety of foods. While dining out, pick healthier items.
- If you as parents eat healthy nutritious food, your child tends to learn and pick up similar eating habits. Set a good example by eating variety of nutritious foods and snacks. Teaching your child healthy eating practices early in life will help develop an approach to eating food with right attitude.
Crushing Carbs Without Atkins
A few years ago, health fanatics were touting the benefits of cutting carbohydrates. That meant breakfast without cereal, Asian cuisine without rice and burgers without buns. Pasta? Forget it.
Now whole grains and fruits - especially organic - are at the top of the list. That said, people still want to lose weight; they are just looking for new ways to do so.
Some dieters abandoned Atkins and other low-carb diets because they ended up eating the same things over and over. Others could not stay on it because they had to severely limit their favorite foods.
But many couldn't stay on their low-carb diets for another reason: They crave sugar. Sugar and high-glycemic foods, such as potatoes, white bread and pastas made from white flour, are habit-forming because they evoke cravings and create cyclic demand on glucose and insulin production in the body. This demand creates both physical and psychological addictions.
So as people have abandoned low-carb foods that typically do not trigger food addiction responses, they are back into the cycle and susceptible to gaining back their weight.
Innovative Technologies Corporation of America developed a tea called Carb Crusher that, when consumed with a sensible diet and exercise program, can assist in the reduction of the body's absorption of calories and carbohydrates in the digestive and hepatic (liver) systems.
The key ingredient in Carb Crusher is GCA, an extract made from unroasted green coffee beans. Specifically, GCA reduces the amount of carbohydrates that get absorbed by inhibiting the active transport of sugar into the body. Even when you're not eating, GCA is still working to inhibit sugar being released from the body's glycogen stores (found in the liver and muscles). This forces the body to initiate the burning of fat sooner as an energy source. And since there is no added caffeine or stimulants, you can drink Carb Crusher on an empty stomach or at night.
Now whole grains and fruits - especially organic - are at the top of the list. That said, people still want to lose weight; they are just looking for new ways to do so.
Some dieters abandoned Atkins and other low-carb diets because they ended up eating the same things over and over. Others could not stay on it because they had to severely limit their favorite foods.
But many couldn't stay on their low-carb diets for another reason: They crave sugar. Sugar and high-glycemic foods, such as potatoes, white bread and pastas made from white flour, are habit-forming because they evoke cravings and create cyclic demand on glucose and insulin production in the body. This demand creates both physical and psychological addictions.
So as people have abandoned low-carb foods that typically do not trigger food addiction responses, they are back into the cycle and susceptible to gaining back their weight.
Innovative Technologies Corporation of America developed a tea called Carb Crusher that, when consumed with a sensible diet and exercise program, can assist in the reduction of the body's absorption of calories and carbohydrates in the digestive and hepatic (liver) systems.
The key ingredient in Carb Crusher is GCA, an extract made from unroasted green coffee beans. Specifically, GCA reduces the amount of carbohydrates that get absorbed by inhibiting the active transport of sugar into the body. Even when you're not eating, GCA is still working to inhibit sugar being released from the body's glycogen stores (found in the liver and muscles). This forces the body to initiate the burning of fat sooner as an energy source. And since there is no added caffeine or stimulants, you can drink Carb Crusher on an empty stomach or at night.
Diet and Supplements for Gaining Weight
Bodybuilders usually have one or two immediate goals: They want to lose bodyfat and get ripped, or they want to pack on muscle size. The Holy Grail would be to accomplish both, but that’s hardly realistic, since it involves going in two opposing directions at the same time. The most you can hope for is to maintain your muscle while you’re losing fat. Building muscular bulk is an entirely different process from cutting up.
In years past the diet portion of acquiring muscle could best be described as haphazard. You simply ate anything that wasn’t nailed down. That, of course, resulted in not just lean mass gains but also a hefty increase in bodyfat. The next step involved reducing calories or carbs or both until you lost the excess fat. Under ideal conditions you also kept most of the muscle gained during your bulking-up phase.
For a classic example of the comparatively primitive bulk-up/cut-down process take a look at Bruce Randall, who began his bulking phase while he was in the U.S. Marine Corps in the early 1950s. He consumed prodigious amounts of food (courtesy of Uncle Sam) including dozens of eggs, quarts of whole milk and plenty of bread. That diet led Randall to a body-weight of more than 400 pounds, but he wasn’t just another fat, sloppy guy. He lifted actively during his entire hulking period, doing some extraordinary lifts, such as good mornings with 900 pounds.
I recall being told a story about the time Randall visited a New York gym for a workout during those days. He opted to do incline presses but for some reason decided to move the bench, which he did. Only after he moved the bench from one end of the gym to the other did Randall realize that the bench had been bolted to the floor. He was so powerful that he ripped the bench from its moorings without realizing it.
Randall later began training for bodybuilding competitions and, through a stringent diet and training program, dropped his weight from 405 to 187. He then increased it to 227 and won the ‘59 NABBA Mr. Universe title in London. His trophy was presented to him at the contest by buxom film star Jayne Mansfield.
A more recent example of a successful hulking program was that of two-time Mr. Universe and star of the “Incredible Hulk” TV series, Lou Ferrigno. When Lou started back in Brooklyn he was skinny, though a enthusiastic young bodybuilder. After a few years of training Ferrigno weighing nearly 300 pounds. What had he done to achieve such phenomenal mass gains?
“Plenty of milk and food,” he said.
And therein lies the key to success in gaining muscular size. You simply have to eat more. These days the object is not to gain just any type of weight, but to ensure that what you gain is mainly muscle. The problem is, you must still increase your calories. There’s simply no way around that, regardless of what you hear or read.
That last statement must be qualified to a certain extent. Using certain anabolic drugs, including anabolic steroids, growth hormone and insulin, among others, can indeed increase muscle size, but even with their assistance, you still need to eat and train properly to build quality muscle. In fact, emerging research shows that you can manipulate your body’s anabolic hormones by making certain adjustments in your diet and supplement regimen. That way you fine-tune your gains so they’re mostly lean mass rather than a combination of muscle and too much fat.
One common question about gaining muscle is, How much can I realistically expect to gain? The amount of lean mass gains varies among individuals due to such factors as genetics, body structure and training intensity. Those who are blessed with a combination of naturally high androgen, or testosterone, levels and a high percentage of fast-twitch muscle fibers will make the most rapid initial gains, but even those who have less of a genetic head start will nonetheless make impressive gains by eating properly and training hard. A bodybuilding axiom holds that you make your best ever gains when you first begin training, simply because your body isn’t used to it and responds rapidly to the added stress of exercise. As you progress to the advanced level, adding muscle each year becomes increasingly difficult regardless of genetics.
Mass-With-Class Weight-Gain Diet
Meal 1
1 cup orange juice
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup milk
4 scrambled eggs
2 slices whole-grain toast with butter (no margarine; avoid transfats)
Meal 2
8-ounce hamburger
1 large baked potato
Tossed salad with dressing
1 cup milk
Fresh fruit
Meal 3
Weight-gain drink or meal replacement with a banana mixed in nonfat milk
Meal 4
8 ounces cottage cheese with fruit
1 cup yogurt
Meal 5
6 ounces tuna
1 piece fruit
1 slice whole-grain bread
Meal 6
8 ounces chicken
2 cups brown rice
2 slices whole-grain bread
1 cup broccoli or other vegetable
Tossed salad
Fresh fruit
1 cup milk with added protein powder
What to Eat for Mass
Regardless of genetic predispositions, you’ll need a positive energy balance to increase your muscular bulk. That simply means you must
eat more food than you burn. The effect is so potent that eating an unusual amount of food alone can add lean mass even without exercise, although that isn’t a recommended procedure. Studies involving human subjects who overate but didn’t exercise showed some surprising changes in body composition. The subjects all showed significant increases in lean mass.
The gains were the result of the body’s adjustments to the unaccustomed levels of food. The body compensated by increasing the levels of anabolic hormones, including growth hormone, testosterone, insulin and insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which led to the subjects’ building more muscle, a.k.a. lean mass.
Eating all those calories also blunted the levels of the primary catabolic hormone in the body, cortisol. High levels of cortisol promote the catabolism, or breakdown, of muscle. Cortisol is secreted mainly under high-stress conditions; hence its designation as a stress hormone. But the stress conditions that promote cortisol release more often involve an energy-deficit condition, such as a lack of sufficient calories or carbs. So overeating itself is an anabolic process.
The point here is not to suggest that you must overeat to gain muscle size but that you do have to up your calories because it promotes the secretion of anabolic hormones that will work in tandem with exercise to produce lean mass gains.
A vital consideration in any hulking plan is protein. While it’s true that providing additional calories in the form of carbohydrates alone has a protein-sparing action in muscle, maintaining a high level of amino acids from food-protein sources promotes a positive nitrogen balance that sets the stage for muscular gains through increased muscle protein synthesis reactions in muscle. Some call the process the ‘anabolic-drive effect.”
In years past the diet portion of acquiring muscle could best be described as haphazard. You simply ate anything that wasn’t nailed down. That, of course, resulted in not just lean mass gains but also a hefty increase in bodyfat. The next step involved reducing calories or carbs or both until you lost the excess fat. Under ideal conditions you also kept most of the muscle gained during your bulking-up phase.
For a classic example of the comparatively primitive bulk-up/cut-down process take a look at Bruce Randall, who began his bulking phase while he was in the U.S. Marine Corps in the early 1950s. He consumed prodigious amounts of food (courtesy of Uncle Sam) including dozens of eggs, quarts of whole milk and plenty of bread. That diet led Randall to a body-weight of more than 400 pounds, but he wasn’t just another fat, sloppy guy. He lifted actively during his entire hulking period, doing some extraordinary lifts, such as good mornings with 900 pounds.
I recall being told a story about the time Randall visited a New York gym for a workout during those days. He opted to do incline presses but for some reason decided to move the bench, which he did. Only after he moved the bench from one end of the gym to the other did Randall realize that the bench had been bolted to the floor. He was so powerful that he ripped the bench from its moorings without realizing it.
Randall later began training for bodybuilding competitions and, through a stringent diet and training program, dropped his weight from 405 to 187. He then increased it to 227 and won the ‘59 NABBA Mr. Universe title in London. His trophy was presented to him at the contest by buxom film star Jayne Mansfield.
A more recent example of a successful hulking program was that of two-time Mr. Universe and star of the “Incredible Hulk” TV series, Lou Ferrigno. When Lou started back in Brooklyn he was skinny, though a enthusiastic young bodybuilder. After a few years of training Ferrigno weighing nearly 300 pounds. What had he done to achieve such phenomenal mass gains?
“Plenty of milk and food,” he said.
And therein lies the key to success in gaining muscular size. You simply have to eat more. These days the object is not to gain just any type of weight, but to ensure that what you gain is mainly muscle. The problem is, you must still increase your calories. There’s simply no way around that, regardless of what you hear or read.
That last statement must be qualified to a certain extent. Using certain anabolic drugs, including anabolic steroids, growth hormone and insulin, among others, can indeed increase muscle size, but even with their assistance, you still need to eat and train properly to build quality muscle. In fact, emerging research shows that you can manipulate your body’s anabolic hormones by making certain adjustments in your diet and supplement regimen. That way you fine-tune your gains so they’re mostly lean mass rather than a combination of muscle and too much fat.
One common question about gaining muscle is, How much can I realistically expect to gain? The amount of lean mass gains varies among individuals due to such factors as genetics, body structure and training intensity. Those who are blessed with a combination of naturally high androgen, or testosterone, levels and a high percentage of fast-twitch muscle fibers will make the most rapid initial gains, but even those who have less of a genetic head start will nonetheless make impressive gains by eating properly and training hard. A bodybuilding axiom holds that you make your best ever gains when you first begin training, simply because your body isn’t used to it and responds rapidly to the added stress of exercise. As you progress to the advanced level, adding muscle each year becomes increasingly difficult regardless of genetics.
Mass-With-Class Weight-Gain Diet
Meal 1
1 cup orange juice
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup milk
4 scrambled eggs
2 slices whole-grain toast with butter (no margarine; avoid transfats)
Meal 2
8-ounce hamburger
1 large baked potato
Tossed salad with dressing
1 cup milk
Fresh fruit
Meal 3
Weight-gain drink or meal replacement with a banana mixed in nonfat milk
Meal 4
8 ounces cottage cheese with fruit
1 cup yogurt
Meal 5
6 ounces tuna
1 piece fruit
1 slice whole-grain bread
Meal 6
8 ounces chicken
2 cups brown rice
2 slices whole-grain bread
1 cup broccoli or other vegetable
Tossed salad
Fresh fruit
1 cup milk with added protein powder
What to Eat for Mass
Regardless of genetic predispositions, you’ll need a positive energy balance to increase your muscular bulk. That simply means you must
eat more food than you burn. The effect is so potent that eating an unusual amount of food alone can add lean mass even without exercise, although that isn’t a recommended procedure. Studies involving human subjects who overate but didn’t exercise showed some surprising changes in body composition. The subjects all showed significant increases in lean mass.
The gains were the result of the body’s adjustments to the unaccustomed levels of food. The body compensated by increasing the levels of anabolic hormones, including growth hormone, testosterone, insulin and insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which led to the subjects’ building more muscle, a.k.a. lean mass.
Eating all those calories also blunted the levels of the primary catabolic hormone in the body, cortisol. High levels of cortisol promote the catabolism, or breakdown, of muscle. Cortisol is secreted mainly under high-stress conditions; hence its designation as a stress hormone. But the stress conditions that promote cortisol release more often involve an energy-deficit condition, such as a lack of sufficient calories or carbs. So overeating itself is an anabolic process.
The point here is not to suggest that you must overeat to gain muscle size but that you do have to up your calories because it promotes the secretion of anabolic hormones that will work in tandem with exercise to produce lean mass gains.
A vital consideration in any hulking plan is protein. While it’s true that providing additional calories in the form of carbohydrates alone has a protein-sparing action in muscle, maintaining a high level of amino acids from food-protein sources promotes a positive nitrogen balance that sets the stage for muscular gains through increased muscle protein synthesis reactions in muscle. Some call the process the ‘anabolic-drive effect.”
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Buying Nutritional Supplements Online
If you are looking to purchase nutritional supplements, look no further than the World Wide Web. There are millions of businesses based both in the “real” and virtual worlds that hock any type of natural extract or supplement imaginable. These nutritional supplements can be anything from naturally building muscle and tone to ensuring your body has the proper nutrients at all times. Online sellers of nutritional supplements are just as reliable as the traditional brick and mortar stores, and are often controlled by the same company.
Instead of searching all over town for those hard to find nutritional supplements, look no further than your computer. The World Wide Web has essentially shrunk the earth, allowing you to purchase anything and everything from any corner of the globe and have it delivered directly to your door. Many small towns do not have a health food store or nutritional supplements shop, so instead of driving near and far to purchase the items you seek, you can save time and money on gas and hop on the internet for all your shopping needs.
Quite often, these online sellers of nutritional supplements are a great deal less expensive than traditional brick and mortar stores. This difference in price is usually because of the rock bottom overhead it takes to run a virtual business. Instead of renting a storefront for your nutritional supplements store, paying employees to stock and man the register, purchase a variety of business related items, and paying utilities on the store, you can quickly and easily run a significant business out of your own home. This savings is directly passed down to the buyer, who reaps the rewards of convenient shopping at great prices.
If you are looking at a place to purchase nutritional supplement online, ask your friends, family members, or coworkers for a reference. Most individuals have done some sort of shopping on the World Wide Web and can point you in a general direction. Also, speak with your primary healthcare provider about an appropriate store in cyberspace to purchase your nutritional supplements. This is critical since your doctor should know of anything you are taking, whether all natural over the counter supplements or prescription medications. Once you have found a reputable dealer of nutritional supplements online, establish a relationship with the company and be sure to tell your friends. Word of mouth advertising is an excellent way to spread the word about a specific business.
Whenever you purchase anything online, especially nutritional supplements, only work with legitimate sellers. Remember the old adage, if it is too good to be true, then it probably is, and carefully look up the background information of any store before you buy your nutritional supplements. Also, once your products arrive, ensure they are still properly sealed and the containers are in perfect condition when they arrive. This inspection is important so that you can be sure none of the products were tampered with before they arrived on your doorstep. Once your nutritional supplements arrive, you can begin taking them and be on your way to proper health in no time.
Instead of searching all over town for those hard to find nutritional supplements, look no further than your computer. The World Wide Web has essentially shrunk the earth, allowing you to purchase anything and everything from any corner of the globe and have it delivered directly to your door. Many small towns do not have a health food store or nutritional supplements shop, so instead of driving near and far to purchase the items you seek, you can save time and money on gas and hop on the internet for all your shopping needs.
Quite often, these online sellers of nutritional supplements are a great deal less expensive than traditional brick and mortar stores. This difference in price is usually because of the rock bottom overhead it takes to run a virtual business. Instead of renting a storefront for your nutritional supplements store, paying employees to stock and man the register, purchase a variety of business related items, and paying utilities on the store, you can quickly and easily run a significant business out of your own home. This savings is directly passed down to the buyer, who reaps the rewards of convenient shopping at great prices.
If you are looking at a place to purchase nutritional supplement online, ask your friends, family members, or coworkers for a reference. Most individuals have done some sort of shopping on the World Wide Web and can point you in a general direction. Also, speak with your primary healthcare provider about an appropriate store in cyberspace to purchase your nutritional supplements. This is critical since your doctor should know of anything you are taking, whether all natural over the counter supplements or prescription medications. Once you have found a reputable dealer of nutritional supplements online, establish a relationship with the company and be sure to tell your friends. Word of mouth advertising is an excellent way to spread the word about a specific business.
Whenever you purchase anything online, especially nutritional supplements, only work with legitimate sellers. Remember the old adage, if it is too good to be true, then it probably is, and carefully look up the background information of any store before you buy your nutritional supplements. Also, once your products arrive, ensure they are still properly sealed and the containers are in perfect condition when they arrive. This inspection is important so that you can be sure none of the products were tampered with before they arrived on your doorstep. Once your nutritional supplements arrive, you can begin taking them and be on your way to proper health in no time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)