Muscle And Fitness

Muscle And Fitness

Phil Heath Mr.Olympia Full Arms Training Routine

  Phil Heath Mr.Olympia Full Arms Training Routine

Off Season Arm Training

In the off season, Phil Heath trains his triceps along with his chest, and his biceps along with his back, both on separate days. Here are the exercises he does for his triceps, which are done after his chest workout is completed.

• Pushdowns with Rope Attachment  /  3 sets   /  12 reps
• Dips  /  3 sets  /   12 reps
• Close-Grip Bench Presses  /  3 sets  /   6-8 reps
• Lying Triceps Extensions  /   7 sets  /   6-8 reps

And here are the exercises, along with the sets and reps, that Phil Heath says he does for his biceps in the off season, which are done after his back exercises.

• Standing EZ-Bar Curls  /  3 sets  /  6-8 reps
• Hammer Curls  /  3 sets  /  6-8 reps
• Concentration Curls  /  3 sets  /  6-8 reps
• Dumbell Preacher Curls  /  7 sets  /  5-7 reps

Pre-Contest Arm Training

While Phil Heath’s off season arm training and pre contest arm training might seem almost the same, there are changes in the amount of repetitions completed and such. Biceps are still trained after back, and triceps are still trained after chest. Here are the exercises for triceps:

• Pushdowns with Rope Attachment  /  3 sets  /  12 reps
• Dips  /  3 sets  /  12 reps
• Close-Grip Bench Presses  /  3 sets   /  10-12 reps
• Lying Triceps Extensions  / 7 sets /  10-12 reps

And here are the exercises for the biceps:

• Standing EZ-Bar Curls  /  3 sets  /  10-12 reps
• Hammer Curls  /  3 sets /  10-12 reps
• Concentration Curls  / 3 sets  /  10-12 reps
• Hammer Strength Preacher Curls  / 7 sets  / 5-7 reps

While this may be a workout routine that Phil Heath uses, various bodybuilders are constantly changing their routine to maximize muscle growth by using a variety of different training methods for the muscles to continually be forced to adapt. Here is also an older video showing more of Phil Heath’s training methods for arms.

      10 Reasons to Drink More Water

Water is an essential part of your body. You will remember from reading various online health articles that drinking lots of water is one of the top things that various doctors recommend. Keeping yourself hydrated is important for a variety of important reasons. Today, we will be telling you about some of these reasons.


Check them all out below:


1. It is 75% of Your Brain
A lot of your body is made up entirely of water. Yes, that even applies to your brain! If you want to have a healthy, working mind that helps you every day, make sure you drink lots of water.


2. It Regulates Your Body Temperature
Water takes long to heat up and cool down. This property of water helps you out whatever the weather is. Drink cool water in summers and warm or room-temperature water in winters to maintain a good body temperature.


3. It Makes Your Skin Look Young
The health of your skin depends heavily on water. Do you want supple skin that is smooth and looks young? Well, you cannot have it without drinking a lot of water every day.


4. It protects Your Heart
Recent studies have shown that drinking water protects people from fatal heart attacks! This is just another reason why water is the best thing to drink when you are thirsty!


5. It Helps You Burn Fat
If you want to assist the fat in your body in its burning process, then few things will help you out better than water does!


6. It Prevents Constipation
While we might not like to talk about it, constipation can be a major inconvenience! Apart from the physical problems, it brings down one’s mood and makes the day difficult. Drinking lots of water helps digestion and your overall digestive system.


7. It Decreases Fatigue
Do you often feel tired after doing a few chores? If yes, then you might not be drinking enough water to keep your body well hydrated!


8. It Carries Oxygen to Cells
To help your body manage its functions, your cells must have easy access to the oxygen you breathe in. Help out those cells simply by drinking more water.


9. It Flushes Out Toxins
Toxins can have fatal effects on your body in the long run. Here are three words of advice for anybody who wants to flush out toxins from their body: drink more water!


10. It Helps You Control Calorie Intake
Finally, drinking water makes you feel more ‘full.’ This full feeling helps you eat less and helps you battle that calorie intake!

For all these reasons and even more, you should be drinking a lot of water every day! How much water should you drink? Simply divide your weight in pounds by 2. Drink that many ounces of water every day! For example, a 100 pound person should drink about 50 ounces of water every day.

     How to Boost Testosterone Naturally!

 If you want to boost testosterone levels naturally then there are many ways to do so. In this article we will examine how to increase testosterone through nutrition, exercise, supplementation and other lifestyle factors. 

 Testosterone is a powerful fat-burning (lipolytic) and muscle-building (anabolic) hormone produced by the leydig cells in the testes of males and the adrenal glands in females. It also has androgenic effects, which means it is responsible for male sexual characteristics. 

 For men, it is important to keep testosterone elevated as much as possible, so any lifestyle factor that can help you increase testosterone levels naturally should be encouraged. 

 It is possible to increase testosterone by stimulating the body’s production of testosterone as well as by suppressing the body’s production of cortisol, an hormonal antagonist of testosterone. 


 Before we examine the various ways to increase testosterone levels naturally, let’s consider the functions of testosterone in your body. 

Here’s a summary of testosterone’s functions:

Promotes muscle growth

Increases red blood cell production

Decreases body fat

Promotes male sex characteristics

 Since it promotes muscle growth and fat burning it is important to increase testosterone levels as much as possible. Even women can benefit from an increase in their testosterone levels! As long as it is done naturally then they can obtain all the positive benefits of testosterone (i.e. more muscle and less fat) without any of the negative effects (i.e. promotion of male sex characteristics).


 Now let’s examine the various principles you can employ to boost testosterone levels in your body. 

Nutritional principles to boost testosterone levels

Use correct timing of your carbohydrate consumption
The consumption of carbohydrate can have both a positive and a negative effect on testosterone; it is a double-edged sword. Chronic carb consumption lowers testosterone by promoting insulin production, which may lead to insulin resistance and elevated cortisol levels. Cortisol antagonises testosterone production.

 However, periodic carbohydrate feedings may boost testosterone production by reducing sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), which increases the level of ‘free’ testosterone.

Ensure you have an adequate fat intake

 There appears to be a positive correlation between dietary fat intake and testosterone levels in men. Unfortunately though, a high fat intake does not mean testosterone levels will also be high. 

 However, increasing fat intake from a low-fat diet to a moderate-fat diet will have the effect of increasing testosterone naturally. The increase in testosterone is dependent on the type of fat consumed. Both monounsaturated fat and the much maligned saturated fat raise testosterone levels, but polyunsaturated fat does not.

 Whilst a high intake of carbs may suppress testosterone production (by raising cortisol and promoting insulin resistance), lowering fat intake has the most powerful testosterone-suppressing effects.

Minimise your alcohol intake

Alcohol also has the effect of lowering testosterone and as blood alcohol levels rise, testosterone levels fall. 

Increase your protein intake

 Since protein has a growth hormone-boosting effect, and growth hormone has a mutually-reinforcing relationship with testosterone, protein may indirectly have the effect of increasing testosterone naturally. 

Exercise principles to boost testosterone levels

Exercise regularly
Studies show that men who exercise regularly have higher levels of testosterone than their sedentary counterparts. Furthermore, older fit men may have higher testosterone levels than younger unfit men. 

Keep exercise brief and intense
The body’s testosterone production and growth hormone production are affected by similar factors. With regards to exercise, a higher level of relative intensity increases both testosterone and growth hormone production. However, as is the case with growth hormone, testosterone levels may be lowered if exercise is excessive. Accordingly, resistance training tends to be the most effective form of exercise to boost testosterone production, but aerobic exercise, by increasing fitness, may also increase the body’s production of this valuable hormone. 

 The body’s testosterone production in response to exercise, however, is more complex than the growth hormone production. Elevated growth hormone production in response to exercise is rapid and immediate, whereas an elevated production of testosterone during exercise tends to be very mild. An increase in the production of testosterone in response to exercise mainly occurs during the recovery period around 5-15 hours post-exercise. 

Supplementation principles to boost testosterone levels

Take a testosterone-boosting supplement
There are a range of nutrients that can help boost testosterone production in your body. However, it is important to keep in mind that not only do you want to boost testosterone production but you also want to increase the level of ‘free’ or ‘active’ testosterone as opposed to bound testosterone (which is bound to sex hormone binding globulin, SHBG) and you want to inhibit the conversion of testosterone to oestrogen and di-hydrotestosterone (DHT). Therefore, it is best to use a testosterone-boosting supplement that contains ingredients that perform each of these functions. 

 Here’s a list of nutrients that perform at least one of the required functions: tribulus terrestris, avena sativa (wild green oat), zinc, magnesium, stinging nettle (urtica dioica), elk antler velvet extract, and eurycoma longifolia jack. 

Lifestyle principles to boost testosterone levels

Testosterone production can also be influenced by many other lifestyle factors including, physical fitness, sleep, stress, and quality of nutrition. Boosting testosterone production itself has a powerful positive influence on growth hormone production as well.
An interesting and little-known factor that may influence testosterone production is sunlight! In animals, light availability can influence hormone production and length of breeding season. In humans, studies have shown that sex hormone levels are highest during the time of the year when the sun shines the longest. 

Here’s a summary of what you need to do to boost testosterone levels in your body:

Use correct timing of your carbohydrate consumption

Ensure you have an adequate fat intake

Minimise your alcohol intake

Increase your protein intake

Exercise regularly

Keep exercise brief and intense

Take a testosterone-boosting supplement

Increase your fitness

Improve your sleeping habits

Reduce your stress levels

Improve your nutritional habits

Get an adequate amount of sunlight

     Building Big Arms In 10 Easy Steps!

Building big arms is actually really easy and in this article we will cover exactly what you need to do in 10 easy steps!

If you ask most guys what muscle group they would like to grow quickly they will generally reply with: ‘Arms!’ Whilst having big shoulders, chest or back are impressive, no other body part quite has the impact of a decent set of guns!

Even though building big arms is a goal for many guys, it is amazing how few actually achieve their goal. Before we go through the principles you need to employ, we will firstly examine how to rate different arm sizes.

Of course, the shape of everyone’s arms is different. Some have peaked biceps, while others are flat. Some have full, sweeping triceps while others have little shape at all.

Even though you can’t change the shape of your muscles (i.e. if you don’t have peaked biceps then no matter what exercises you do, you will never get peaks on your biceps!) you can change the shape of your arms by increasing the size of your muscles and by decreasing the fat stored around the muscles.


Best of all, no matter what you current arm size, using the strategies covered here will definitely help you with building big arms!

Here’s a guideline for arm size
(for natural bodybuilders):

• 15-inch arm:                       It looks like you might train a bit
• 16-inch arm:                       It looks like you definitely train
• 17-inch arm:                       That is a decent-sized arm
• 18-inch arm:                       That is a very big, impressive arm
• 19-inch arm:                       That is a massive arm!

Very few natural bodybuilders get arms bigger than 19 inches. However, if they do they are genetically-gifted indeed, and tend to weigh well-over 100 kilograms (220 pounds)!


These measurements are based upon the circumference of the flexed upper arm, measured around the peak of the bicep perpendicular to the floor. It may also vary quite a lot based on the height of the person (and therefore their limb length).


The appearance of the upper arm also depends on how lean you are. The above measurements and comments are dependent upon you being relatively lean, i.e. you can see veins in your arms. If you can’t see the veins in your arms you simply aren’t lean enough!

Here are the 10 principles you need to employ for building big arms:

1. Train ALL the muscles in your arms
2. Train as many muscle fibres in each muscle
3. Progressively overload the muscles
4. Use a variety of rep ranges
5. Use various ATOs
6. Train your arms twice a week (plus indirectly as well, split them up?)
7. Train your legs!
8. Consume sufficient calories and protein
9. Get plenty of rest
10. Use suitable supplements

We will examine each of these principles in detail.

Train ALL the muscles in your arms

If one of your goals is building big arms then you must train all the muscles in your arms. This means not just your biceps and triceps muscles but also your brachialis, brachioradialis, and forearm flexors and extensors. If all of these muscles aren’t trained then building big arms is extremely difficult.


The brachialis muscle sits underneath the biceps and its function is to perform flexion at the elbow joint (this is one of the functions of biceps as well). However, since the biceps muscle is far stronger than the brachialis muscle it tends to do most of the work when the forearm is in a supinated (palm-up) position.


Therefore, in order to put greater emphasis on the brachialis muscle the forearm should be in a pronated (palm-down) position or neutral position. Reverse curls and hammer curls are examples of exercises that work brachialis more than biceps.


Brachioradialis is the muscle on the lateral (outside) aspect of the forearm. Hammer curls are a great exercise to work that muscle.


The forearm flexor and extensor muscles are worked very effectively by performing the wrist flexion and extension exercises.

Train as many muscle fibres in each muscle

Building big arms requires you to train as many muscle fibres in the targeted muscles as possible. In order to do so you must firstly know the function/ action of each muscle. By knowing the function/ action of each muscle you can then select exercises that utilise those functions/ actions.


For example, the biceps brachii muscle has 3 functions/ actions:

• Flexion at the elbow joint
• Supination at the wrist joint
• Flexion at the shoulder joint

Therefore, when training your biceps you should select exercises that incorporate those actions into their movement. Barbell curls is a good exercise for performing flexion at the elbow joint, alternate dumbbell curls is a good exercise for supination at the wrist joint, and cable curls can incorporate flexion at the shoulder joint when you perform that movement.


A future article will cover the functions/ actions of all the major muscles groups in the body, but until then you may need to visit a library (remember those?) or search online for more information about the different functions/ actions of muscles.

Progressively overload the muscles

There are many fundamental bodybuilding principles that apply for building big arms just as they apply for any other muscle. One of the most well-known of those principles is that of ‘progressive overload’. This principle states that in order to stimulate a muscle to grow it must experience a stress that it is unaccustomed to. Therefore, as a muscle grows and becomes stronger the stress needs to become progressively greater.


The greater stress doesn’t necessarily mean you have to keep increasing the weight even though that is one way to progressively overload a muscle. Progressive overload can also be achieved by increasing the intensity of exercise, perhaps by using Advanced techniques of Overload (ATOs), you could also increase the frequency of exercise (how often you train), or by increasing the volume (amount you train).


Usually a combination of all 3 factors, intensity, frequency and volume, works best.

Use a variety of rep ranges and sets

Since different rep ranges target different aspect of muscle hypertrophy it is worthwhile using a variety of rep ranges for each exercise in your workout.

You may also want to increase the number of sets you perform for each muscle group. This is one of the factors in progressive overload. However, if you decide to increase the intensity of your arm workout you may want to reduce the number of sets you perform. This will help to reduce your risk of over-training.

Use various ATOs

ATOs are a great way to increase the intensity of your workouts and intensity is one of the key factors involved in progressively overloading the muscles. They also make it easier to help use a variety of rep ranges.


The most common ATOs will be covered in a future article, but until then here are some of the most commonly-used ones:

• Forced reps
• Drop sets
• Pre-exhaust
• Super-setting
• Negatives

If you’re serious about building big arms then you must use some of these Advanced Techniques of Overload in every workout.

Train your arms twice a week 

One of the best strategies for building big arms is to train them more frequently. This is also one of the factors for progressively overloading the muscles.


When structuring your workouts for this make sure that you have a break between arm workouts and try and if possible try to avoid training them the day after training them indirectly, i.e. when you train chest or back.


If you decide to split up the muscles or train them together in a workout is completely up to you. It will make little difference. However, it may be a good idea to change things around after a few weeks of following the same routine so if you usually train them together, perhaps try splitting them up and training them with a different muscle group.

Train your legs!

The hips and thighs are the largest muscle groups in the body. As a result, they have the greatest impact on hormone production when they are trained. This means that anabolic hormones, like testosterone and growth hormone, get produced in greater quantities when these muscles are trained.


Best of all, not only do these hormones affect the muscles that stimulated their growth in the first place, but also all of the muscles throughout the body. This process is known as the ‘Indirect Effect’ and will be discussed in greater detail in a future article.


Therefore, if building big arms is important to you it is absolutely imperative that you train your legs in order to maximise the hormones production in your body.

Consume sufficient calories and protein

Building muscle requires sufficient calories and protein in your diet. Therefore, building big arms means you must focus on eating correctly in addition to training properly. Calories, in general, provide your body with energy and protein provides the building blocks of muscle tissue. This means that you must have sufficient quantities of both in order to build your arms.

Insufficient calories or a lack of protein in your diet will impede your ability to build muscle and therefore will stop you from getting bigger arms.

The importance of nutrition for muscle growth as well as the importance of rest and recuperation

Get plenty of rest

Your body builds muscle during rest, not during training. Training provides the necessary stimulus for muscle growth, nutrition provides the energy and building blocks for muscle growth, and finally rest and recuperation provide the ideal environment for muscle growth.


Therefore, makes sure you have a good quality sleep each night and take naps during the day whenever you can. This will ensure adequate recuperation and an optimum environment for muscle growth.

Use suitable supplements

Supplements are a great addition for building big arms. Whilst they certainly can’t take the place of good nutrition or a suitable training program, they can definitely give you an edge.

        Secrets To Get Six Pack Quick

When trying to Get Six Pack and achieve an effective abdominal workout you must remember one important lesson first. All the sit-ups, crunches and leg lifts in the world will not give you the famed “6 pack” stomach if you have a high degree of abdominal body fat. Therefore, dietary restrictions become as important to success for the stomach as does the type of exercises that you do
For the best results you must consider these basic principles for working the abs. Exercising this region actually does not require much movement at all. When working out you want to keep your abs in a contracted state as much as possible and limit the range of motion to approximately 30-730, from the starting surface. Otherwise, when you pass a certain point doing a crunch, for example, you disengage your abs thus becoming wasted motion. When strengthening to get six pack abs, there is no time to “waist”.

You must also realize that when doing abs you should not do it all in one day. Therefore I have posted two different abs routines in the workout section so that you can get the most efficient workout. If you want to work them as hard as possible, then do each workout on consecutive days, then rest the third day; repeat the workouts back to back again the following two days.

Superset to Get Six Pack Abs
When your core becomes strong enough, I highly recommend super-setting in your ab routine. This means that instead of having a rest period in between sets, alternate between two different machines or exercises to keep a good burn (muscle fatigue) going and lead to an extra strong/hard stomach!


Any Suggestions for Getting Great Definition In Your Abs?
I suggest doing abs first! Really push yourself too. Your abs can be pushed pretty hard and you may find it necessary to do so in order to see great definition. For example, you shouldn’t be able to think about how many repetitions you have left if you are working your abs to exhaustion. How many repetitions you do is just a number. Just like weight lifting, if you aim for a certain number of reps per set for any workout, sometimes you will be able do a few more or a few less. No matter what, you push until momentary muscle exhaustion!
When I do my ab workouts I aim for 3 sets of 20-30 reps no matter what machine I am using. However, if I get to 30 and can still do more, I will keep going. You need to feel a deep burn, then when you hit that burn and it feels like you couldn’t possibly do another crunch; you do 10 more! Focus is the key here and your focus should be “I want to get six pack abs!” not “Only 5 crunches to go until 30″. Also, 3 sets for an exercise is just a rule of thumb. For example, if you are doing leg lifts and you are starting to feel a great burning sensation in your abs and you are on your second set, do not stop!

Attention!
Do not sacrifice good form for more reps to get six pack.

IMPORTANT: YOU CAN NOT SPOT REDUCE FAT!
Unfortunately doing an ab routine will not eliminate your belly fat. It will build muscle UNDER the belly fat thus resulting in a stronger core. The key to losing belly fat lies within your meal plan do these abs bodybuilding workouts to get six pack and in time you will be enjoying the best stomach you have ever had! Keep your abs as tight as you can while sitting in your chair reading this site. You will feel great by the time you get up!

5 Tips To Build Muscle Mass

            5 Tips To Build Muscle Mass

Building muscle mass is a topic that has been talked about a lot and is also something that puzzles lots of people who are workout frequently and are having problem to put on some pure muscle. I am sure you’ve often been in the condition where you are working hard, you take your protein and you have been following a nutrition plan with discipline. However, it is common for many not being satisfied from their results. I will give you five tips to help you beat the difficulties and gain the muscle mass you were always aiming for:

1) Time to Start Eating

I can understand that it is not going to be easy for you to change your eating habits. However, gaining mass means more food consuming. You have to increase your daily calorie intake rapidly and stop worrying that you might have to sacrifice your muscle definition. Muscle definition is something you are going to deal with in a later time period. For now, start calculating your daily calorie intake and increase it. You must understand that while you are bulking up some fat gain is unavoidable. 

2) Weight Gainers

Finding the right weight gainer is crucial if you want to bulk up. Weight gainers have the advantage of giving directly to your muscle the amount of calories, carbs and protein they need and assist your body to develop mass. There are several products in the market to choose from. However, I fully trust Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass as one of the

3) Maximize the Weight and Lower the Reps

Now is the proper time to start lifting some serious weights. Bulking means heavy weights. You must discover your limits. Do not be afraid to push yourself to the edge. A rep range of 4 to 6 reps per set lifting the maximum weight is all you need during this training period.

4) Train one Muscle Part per Day

Training one muscle part per day means that you have to adopt a 5 day workout routine during your muscle mass gain phase. For example: Monday-Chest, Tuesday-Back, Wednesday-Arms, Thursday-Legs and Friday-Shoulders. That way you can focus your training to one particular body part per day and train it with full intensity by doing 12 to 15 sets until exhaustion. The blood concentration and the muscle pump you are going to feel after completing your workout will be amazing!

5) Minimize your Cardio Exercise

Cardio and mass gaining do not fit together. You have to reduce your cardio to once a week the most. You need the calories to bulk up and you cannot afford to waste them by doing cardio. Just to avoid any misunderstanding, I have to mention that cardio is necessary in bodybuilding but not while you are trying to add mass to your body. You can always increase your cardio exercise whenever you enter the muscle definition phase.

conclusion

Follow these five easy rules, take a good weight gainer, be patient and constant you are in the right path to gain some serious muscle mass.