Building Muscles

Building Muscles – Weight Training – Nutrition

Food is so important to your building a great body and shape. You will feel weak, and not see much change, if you don't eat correctly. This is very important.

The timing of your food intake is also extremely important.  I feel you should not eat a solid meal for at least 2 to 2.5 hours before you train. I will have a protein drink, normally an hour before I train - and I always put in a spoon of Creatine powder. Creatine is nitrogenous organic acid that occurs naturally in vertebrates and helps to supply energy to muscle and nerve cells. I find I am able to train much harder. Be very careful with the quantity you take. Don't overdo it, and always follow the maker’s instructions. They made it - they know best. Once you have finished training do not eat for at least an hour. The reason being - if you carry a few extra pounds of fat, your body keeps burning up the fat for up to an hour after you have already finished a good training session.

Building Muscles – Weight Training – Big Chest. Massive Arms (Huge Biceps and Triceps.) Single Leg Squats. For big Thighs and Quads

Since I have finished my 120 day basic training, I have changed the training a little, and am doing slightly less reps for each set. I didn't think this would work for me as it hasn't in the past. But I must admit it is working and better than I expected.

 

I am lifting heavier weights. My lowest number of reps is 6. I am using around 10kgs more weight doing bench press which has really got me going. I cannot stress enough the importance of taking your time when doing your reps. Pumping the weight up and down as fast as you can will not get the same result if you just pause at the top and bottom of each movement. This puts a lot of extra tension on the muscle and forces the muscle to work really hard. You will feel the difference.

As you train try to be in touch with your body. Feel the feelings and get to understand your body. I believe our bodies talk to us all the time. When you really understand how your body feels you will have some amazing workouts. When I finished my bench presses I did triceps Push-downs and then Z bar curls for my biceps.

I missed doing legs because it was my birthday so threw in a quad (Thigh) training session. I nearly puked. Single leg squats with your free leg on the bench is so intense. It works the hamstrings along with the quads. I find I have to rest a little longer around 90 seconds between sets because otherwise I run out of air. It really knocks me. The real reward however is an hour after training. That is when you know your training was all worth it.

Building Muscles - Train Without Weights – Big Chest

Training without Weights

This is the simple Push-up exercise. Doing push-ups works a bit more than the chest. This exercise also works the triceps and shoulders. Using the stands for push-ups enables you to lower yourself a bit more than if you had your hands were on the ground. As a result, you have a bigger movement and this works the chest really well.

At the top of the movement you can tense the chest muscles and get a good contraction. All of this works toward being able to train and build a good size chest. This is what the ladies will really enjoy - it tones the chest area. It will also help tone the arms.

The great part of this exercise is you can work from the knees up if you are not very strong in the upper body. As you get stronger you will eventually be able to have a straight body and lift the whole body off the ground from the toes. You can see the two examples from the photos.

I would be doing the same reps as for the resistance training with weights. In other words do the following.

• 1 set of 12 reps warm up
• 1 minute rest
• 1 set of 10 reps
• 1 minute rest
• 1 set of 8 reps
• 1 minute rest
• 1 set of 6 reps
• 1 minute rest
• 1 set of 12 reps with a
• 2 minute rest before the next exercise.
• I would work chest Mondays and Thursdays every week.

Building Muscles – Weight Training - Legs Question on Calves

This is a question I was asked on my Youtube Bazblog.

“Thanks for the demonstration. My calves tend to be extremely stubborn compared to my other muscle groups. I push them very hard but they don't seem to grow. If you have any advice for me it'd be greatly appreciated. Thanks”

My reply

“Thanks for the comment. Calves are a problem for a lot of people. They have to be worked quite hard and can take a lot of weight. You have to be persistent and even if you think nothing is happening, it is. I will be doing a video shortly on hints and tips on how to train calves and get the most from them. When you do your calf-raises, do them slowly, and focus on each rep. Try to get an extra lift at the top of the movement. I hope that helps”.

I have always been very lucky as I have prominent calves. They still have to be trained however, and you need to give them careful attention, especially if you are slightly lacking in this area. You might not think you are getting a result in line with the rest of your body growth, but you are. Provided you are training them properly, they will grow - even though it will take time. The answer is never give up.

Building Muscles – Weight Training – Massive Legs (Quads, Thighs) Strong Hamstrings and Huge Calves

Some people thrive on legs training, and others have a bit of a mental block on training legs. I really think I fall into the second category. If ever I have missed a training session throughout this quest of mine, it has always been on the legs day. Yesterday, for example, was my birthday and although I had good intentions to train, (guess what - legs day) I decided against it. This was partly because I spent quite some time in London and then on to Oxford to see clients. When evening came, I had the perfect excuse and was quite tired. I bet, however, if it had been upper body I would have managed it.

So what is the reason?

Well - I think it is because, in order to get a good workout on legs, you need to go quite heavy to build and train up big muscles. The thigh muscles are very big muscles, and you use a lot of energy training them. This leaves me very tired when I am finished. That is the reason I would never train legs during the day, but train last thing at night. I do sleep well after training legs. I do like the single leg squats because I don't have to try and hold very heavy dumbbells using straps etc. That, for me, can be a pain. Leg curls are good for Hamstrings. Then the dreaded calves. Here I have to go very heavy and find holding the weights a problem. I might just join a gym for doing legs. It is so simple with seated calf raises and standing calf raise machines. Squats are also so easy with squat racks. Never mind - we must do the best we can with what we have - and still get a result. I have added a bit of legs to today’s training so I have not missed them. I'm determined to train every day and not miss. It is the only way to get the results you want. 

Building Muscles - Training Without Weights – Getting Started

Just because you do not use weights doesn't mean you can't train and build up your muscles and have a great looking body.

What we are going to do is - use our own body weight to do the training. You must remember - this is still resistance training. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of resistance training. It is this that makes you strong, and helps the muscles to support joints bone and ligaments. When muscles support your joint and bones etc. you will find you will have very little pain. I found this with my back. I suffered a lot of back-ache. I thought, at one stage, I would have to have an operation. A very young physiotherapist was working with me and she gave me some advice many years ago that has made a major change to the pain I was suffering. She said I had to strengthen my back muscles. To this day, when I stop training and do nothing I get back-ache. While I train the back-ache goes away and I am almost totally free of pain in every area. That should in itself be a good reason to want to train and build up your muscles.

The equipment you will need (and you do need some equipment) is seen in the photos.

• The bar is for putting across the door frame for doing exercises like pull-ups.
• The two hand stands are for doing push-ups.
• The other gadget is for putting under the door so you can hook your feet under it and do sit-ups.
• The ball is for a lot of exercises you would use a bench for.

These few pieces of equipment are very inexpensive. Most sports shops will have them in stock.

Building Muscles – Weight Training – The Purpose

In almost anything we do, there must always be a purpose. You need to look at your weight training.  Is there a genuine good purpose to train? What is the exact reason you are doing it for. To say, "I want to be big" is not enough. To say "I want to be fit" is not enough. To say you are doing it to please someone else is definitely not enough.

Good results come because you have a good reason, a good purpose for training. I want to be big for ME. I want to be big for ME first, then if others find ME attractive that is great - but it is for ME first and not anyone else.

What am I going to get out of the training? That is a very important question you need to answer before starting weight training. There must be a really good purpose. You must be able to see the result in your minds eye. With this in mind, you can start to build and train your muscles to whatever size you want. You will not stop because the purpose is good and for the right reason -  YOU.

Building Muscles – Weight Training – How to Train and Build Massive Shoulders, Big Back (Lats) and Killer Abs

Shoulders – Massive Deltoids

As I have said before, you have to have an explosion on at least one muscle that you have decided to train and build. Mine just happened to be Shoulders (Deltoids). I took a light weight and made sure that I got a good warm-up - 15 reps. I have decided to reduce the number of reps I have been doing to see if that would make any difference. Then 12 reps with a heavier weight. I came down to 6 reps with as much as I could push. I was doing shoulder dumbbell presses. I then reduced the weight down and did 12 reps and then straight into a superset of 12 reps - lateral side raises. Awesome!!! With the warm-up I did 6 sets.

Back – Huge Lats

Well I certainly out did myself. After doing the shoulder weight training I thought I could not beat that - but I certainly did with back training. I gave it my absolute all in the workout. Today I am already stiff. I did the normal Lat Pull-downs in the quest to build and train up massive lats - I did it with much more intensity. Again it was 6 sets. I must admit I was struggling on the set of 6 reps as the weight was as much as I weigh and I had to fight to keep myself on the bench.

Abs – Killer Abs

I think I've mentioned this before - I really enjoyed the film 300. It was all about the Spartans. I understand they would train and build up incredible abs by holding a weight over their head while lying on their back and doing leg raises. I cannot believe how well it works. It is far better than anything else I have done. I used to have a few tractor tyres around my middle. I have reduced a lot of fat which does make a big difference. I now only have a car tyre around my middle. I am, without question, getting - Killer Abs.

Building Muscles - Train Without Weights - Aerobics

There are many people who would like to train, but they don't have any weights, so they don't even start. There are many ladies, who, no matter how much you tell them that weights will not cause big muscles, will not want to train with weights. There are also a lot of youngsters under the age of 16/17 who badly want to train. I do not agree with youngsters lifting heavy weights until they are a bit older. They often believe that they can lift the whole gym and every weight in it - which is not healthy.

So how do all these people train ?

Over the next while, I will be sharing exercises for people to reshape their body without the use of conventional weights. They will be using their own bodies to workout. I guess, for them, we will call this training without training. My aim, however, is to get you to enjoy training with weights - but I can be patient.

The first thing you need to do is get an aerobic training plan.

Start your training programme with just 30 minutes of exercise per day. It must become a habit - like brushing your teeth.

• You walk jog for just 15 minutes. You then turn around and return to the starting point in 15 minutes. Try never to take longer on the return than the 15 minutes. This is important - pace yourself on the first 15 minutes.
• Each time you go out,try to go just a little bit further - but in the same time - 15 minutes. It is not necessary to think "the fitter I get the longer I will run and train". Just stick to the 30 minutes training. You will get faster and faster and go further.
• You can use a tread mill, a stationary bicycle, a cross trainer or an ordinary bicycle. Remember, just 30 minutes and speed up each time. Have some way of measuring this so you can see the improvement.

In a very short space of time you will start feeling the benefits of training. This will immediately have an impact on your life - you will be removing stress. I can assure you will start to feel good about yourself. You will find a confidence that has been hiding and a self-image that is equal to the very best.

How to Train & Build a Big Chest - Hints & Tips