Articles on Fitness Matters:

Consuming The Right Weight Lifting Supplements

Weight lifting is practiced by bodybuilders to develop size, strength and power in their muscles. However, it is not enough to just do weight lifting, it may be necessary to take supplements as well.

Bodybuilders need to adhere to 3 synergistic principles in order to continuously build muscles. These principles should be incorporated into a weight training program that will permit you to steadily develop.

These principles are: practicing intelligent weight training; using quality nutrition in a smart way; and resting adequately. Many weight lifters, bodybuilders and athletes have used these principles for years
with discernible effects.

If you are having trouble gaining muscle despite following the right weight training practices and resting well, chances are you haven't been feeding your body the right amount and kind of nutrients.

You must steadily increase your calorie intake to produce a caloric surplus which will fuel your growth in size and strength.

The most important meal is breakfast since you need extra calories in your system that early in your schedule, before you start working out.

It would help if you actually had eaten 2 solid meals before going to the gym. Your muscles need more glycogen running through your bloodstream for strength.

It is also important to consume the top five favorite supplements of bodybuilders. These can be consumed throughout the year. These supplements are: protein powder, creatine, greens, Essential Fatty Acids,
and multivitamins.

Of course, whether or not you take supplements, you must still consume a healthy well balanced diet. However, it is best if you subscribe to a healthy diet and quality supplementation.

Protein powder is important because it is a very convenient method of consuming extra protein at less cost. A weight training practicioner should consume a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight
daily.

You can see that drinking several protein drinks throughout the day is easier than eating huge amounts of food just to bring in that much protein into your body.

Creatine is known to improve protein synthesis and decrease protein breakdown. The aftereffects are an increase in lean muscle mass, higher performance levels during high-intensity exercise, boosting energy levels, and hastening recovery rates.

Creatine is a natural product that can be found in many foods though for convenience weight training practicioners should take supplements.

Phytonutrients are antioxidants that are found in greens. Examples of these phytonutrients are carotenoids, polyphenols and chlorophyll. Phytonutrients are important since they shield the body from free radical damage.

Greens therefore bolster the immune system of the body, while detoxifying and nourishing it. One serving of greens supplements amounts to around 8-10 servings of fruits and vegetables.

Essential Fatty Acids can be described as good fats. These good fats are actually long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids produced from oleic,
linoleic, and linolenic acids.

These help counter aging, and are beneficial for circulatory function, soft and smooth skin, adequate brain function, digestive support and building the immune system.

However, these are necessary fats that the human body fails to synthesize, and should be consumed orally.

For some people, getting their Daily Recommended Values for vitamins and minerals is easy since their diet is adequate. However, for others it might not be so easy since their diet lacks certain vital nutrients.

Thus, multivitamin supplements are necessary to avoid problems like nerve damage, weakened bones, or heart disease.

Dave Poon
26 Dec 2006

Dave Poon is an accomplished writer who specializes in the latest in Customer Service. For more information regarding Knowing What is Good Customer Service please drop by at http://www.everythingworkplace.com/

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Are You Working Out Too Much?

There is a question that I would like to ask you to ask yourself: Are you wasting too much of your valuable time by going to the gym to lift weights?

Are you trying to convince yourself that the more time you spend in the gym working out, the better off your results will be?

One of the biggest misconceptions I deal with each and every day as a personal trainer is the belief people have that it takes hours in the gym lifting weights to produce a fit and toned body.

I have some (good) news for you. What if I told you that only 20% of your total fitness results will come from the time you spend lifting weights.

What if I told you that 80% of your weight loss or weight management results come from the time you spend OUT OF THE GYM!

How much time do you really need to spend lifting weights to get a great body and be in great shape?

What if I said only 3 minutes a day, 3 times a week, for a TOTAL of 9 minutes A WEEK! (Are you scratching your head yet or calling me names?)

I am willing to bet money that you are spending a lot more than 9 minutes a week on weight lifting and I am also willing to bet you are not totally happy with your results.

Before totally labeling me crazy, let me explain.

Let's take a visit to the gym for a moment, and join up with yourself in a workout. Today is "chest day" for your workout.

Let's assume that for each exercise, you perform the standard norm of 10 repetitions per set. So, if you do a bench press, you probably do 10 reps.

That, my friend, amounts to about 10 seconds of time that you are actually physically moving the weight.

Next time you are in the gym, time yourself and see how long it takes to perform a set of 10 reps. (Please do not look at your watch while doing the exercise!)

Let me save you the time--it takes 10 seconds. If you perform 3 sets, which most people do, you are now up to 30 seconds (3x10) of actual lifting movement.

If you do 3 exercises for each muscle group (for the chest we can do bench press, incline dumbbell press, and dips) you are now only up to 90 seconds, or 1 1/2 minutes.

So far, so good?

Let's assume you do two muscle groups per workout (let's say chest and back). You have doubled your 1 1/2 minutes to 3 minutes. 1 1/2 minutes spent on chest ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY LIFTING THE WEIGHTS and 1 1/2 minutes spent working out your back, ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY LIFTING THE WEIGHTS.

Total time=3 minutes.

All of the other time you are spending can be put into one of these other categories:

1. RESTING BETWEEN SETS
2. WASTED TIME

Hopefully, most of the time that you are not actually lifting is spent in category #1, rest.

Waiting between sets, walking around a bit, getting a drink of water. But this should only amount to 1-2 minutes between sets.

So, what does all of this mean?

You have 3 minutes to make or break your results. 3 minutes to give everything you can give while in the gym.

Treat it like the last 3 minutes you will ever have (you never really know when it will be) and I absolutely bet that you will have an incredible workout and will soon be reaping incredible results.

Remember I said at the beginning that 20% of your results come from the time spent in the gym lifting weights and the other 80% comes from time spent out of the gym.

If you are spending only 3 minutes total each workout and 9 minutes total each week ACTUALLY MOVING THE WEIGHTS UP AND DOWN, shouldn't it stand to reason that most of your results will come from outside of this 3-9 minute time period, outside of the gym?

The time you spend in the gym is meant to accomplish one thing. Muscle stimulation. Period.

The time spent in the gym lifting weights is for muscle stimulation, which in turn, will lead to muscle growth and improved muscle strength.

I hope you weren't thinking fat loss.

You cannot burn body fat during the lifting process, lifting is anaerobic, not aerobic. Don't worry though, weight training is probably THE BEST investment for future fat-burning capabilities!

Your time spent lifting should focus on muscle stimulation by progressively lifting heavier weights so that your muscles become stronger and bigger.

THE OTHER 80% of your results come from:

1. Proper rest outside of the gym
2. Proper nutrition to support muscle growth
3. Intense, yet brief aerobic/cardio exercise

If either of these three areas are compromised, results are minimal.

All of the weight lifting in the world will bring about nothing positive if you are not recovering properly between workouts,are not eating to support muscle growth and fat loss, and are not performing aerobic activity to help the heart and also aid
in fat loss.

Focus and direct your efforts on making sure these three criteria are being met and I guarantee you will see positive results.

In conclusion, because you are only spending 3 minutes of actual weight lifting time each and every day, do you see areas in your own routine that can be cut down to become more efficient?

Are you spending way too much time in search of those elusive results you're after, all the while unsure if what you are doing is even the right thing?

I know this much for sure.

There is no universal law that states if you double your time spent in the gym, you double your results.

Quite the contrary. I see many people spend needless hours in the gym, not changing their physique a bit. I also see people that change quite dramatically by losing fat and gaining muscle.

I know for sure that these people are making that 3 minutes of each workout the best possible 3 minutes they can give.

It is not the time that matters, it is how well you spend that time.

Make your 3 minutes of your workout the most intense, focused 3 minutes you possibly can and I guarantee you will start to see better results.

So, the next time someone asks you how long you work out for each day with weights, you can tell them, with confidence, that it only takes 3 minutes a day to get a great, muscular and toned physique.

Everything else is either rest or time wasted.

Shawn Lebrun
02 Jan 2007

Most people are dead wrong in how they train to build muscle mass. Shawn Lebrun shows you, step by step, the correct way to build muscle and lose fat in less time. Visit Shawn Lebrun Fitness.com now.