Workout Routines | Building Muscle | Burning Fat | Weight Lifting Exercises

The most common question beginner and intermediate bodybuilders have is: How should I train to build muscle quickly? Although training is very important, it can never be complete without proper muscle building nutrition, or eating the right foods for maximum gains.

Many people make the mistake of focusing on the training aspect of things, even though it is well known that almost any type of workout routine will yield results for the beginner, as long as they’re lifting a load that is challenging…

Infact, at the beginner level, its more important to focus on safety and take a lighter approach, because virtually anything you do will pack on some muscle.

The greater focus should be on nutrition, through which the real bodies are built. Remember, bodies are broken down in the gym, and built in the kitchen. This is a cold hard fact thats very tough to swallow, but its the absolute truth. In the gym, you stimulate and breakdown your muscle fibers. It is during the rest and recovery phase that actual muscle building occurs.

You won’t grow an ounce of muscle if you’re not eating enough. The basic rule of thumb is to consume more calories than you burn, or in other words, create a calorie surplus. These extra calories will then be used to build and repair muscle. Within these calories, its important to focus equally on protein and carbohydrates, while consuming some fat. Moreover, micronutrients such as…

Read the rest of this article on Muscle Building Foods…

How to conquer those moments when you just can’t find the inspiration to work out!
Everyone who works out knows that there will be times you just don’t feel like exercising. It doesn’t matter how motivated you are, how long you have been working out or how much you love being active, it is a simple fact of life that you will have days when getting moving is a challenge. What you choose to do at these times can make the difference between staying in shape or starting a downward spiral that will take a toll on your fitness level.

I want to address this issue beyond the “just do it anyway” type of advice and give you a few super techniques that can push you over even the most difficult slump.

1) DO IT ANYWAY, BUT TAKE IT EASY. There is a big “gap” between doing nothing, and doing a full-blown super workout. When you are tired or don’t feel like working out, the thought of doing a hardcore workout can be very “intimidating” and working yourself up to actually doing it can be impossible. So if you don’t feel like working out, go for a lighter workout. If at some point you feel like picking things up, go for it. But only do it if you feel like it. Refuse to judge yourself if you choose to stay at a light to moderate level. If it’s easier to get motivated to do a light workout and you know from the start that’s all that’s required, you are much more likely to get started. Although a super workout is ideal, a lighter workout is still great. You will get your workout; you will keep the habit, and will still get good results. For example, if it’s cardio day and you don’t feel like running, go for a light to brisk walk instead. If it’s strength training day, perform less reps or utilize only 3/4 of the weight you normally do.

2) FOCUS ON THE PLEASURABLE PARTS. Focus on the aspects of exercising that you enjoy the most. For example, remember how great you feel when you finish a workout! Not just the feeling of accomplishment that you have done it, but the physical energy that you feel. Your endorphins are flowing, you feel good, energetic, ALIVE!! And that’s a feeling that you will only get when you do your workout. (And by the way, a light workout will give you those same feelings.) Also, focus on the exercises that you like, rather than the ones you don’t enjoy so much. Keep thinking about those specific exercises and look forward to when you get to those in your workout.

3) CREATE A PLAYLIST OF GREAT WORKOUT SONGS. I’m giving away one of the greatest tips that’s in my motivation e-book, but here it goes: Make a tape, CD, or playlist of songs that are motivating for you and only listen to it when you workout. This is a great technique that I have been giving my clients for years with amazing results - especially for their cardio workouts. Your mind works largely by association. If you do one thing whenever you do another, your mind will associate the two and the feeling brought about by one will be associated with the other. Now if you only do one thing whenever you do another, that association becomes even more powerful. So if you always listen to some of your favorite songs when you work out and only when you work out, your mind will strongly associate the two and the same feelings of joy brought about by the songs will be linked to your workouts. You will find yourself looking forward to working out just because the whole experience feels great.

4) JOIN THE CHAMPIONS TEAM. Remember that working out when you don’t feel like it is what will separate you from the rest and guarantee your success. Everybody faces challenges from time to time. Even world-class athletes! There is a saying that goes: “champions are made on the off days”. Everyone can workout when they feel great and motivated. It is those who can get themselves to the gym when they don’t feel this way that become champions and achieve amazing results. Look at those challenging times as opportunities. Because those are the times you are given a chance to join the elite champions team that make it through their workouts no matter what.

I hope you find these tools useful to push you through those tough times.

Enjoy,

Eduardo Dias.

Eduardo Dias is a personal trainer and nutritional advisor based in Toluca Lake, CA. His website http://www.eduardodias.com is dedicated to providing information in all areas of health and fitness: from nutrition and exercise to mental health and motivation.

He is also the creator of the Workout Deck; the simplest exercise instruction tool ever created. http://www.workoutdecks.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eduardo_Dias

Don’t have a lot of time to workout? Do you think the world is running too fast, and you’re just caught up in this race against time? Don’t be stressed, most people live their lives this way, especially in this “modern” day and age…

If you feel like you need to hit the gym everyday for 1-2 hours to see any definite results, then we have good news for you…

You DON’T need to hit the gym everyday, and you don’t need anymore than 20-30 minutes. In fact, these 20-30 minutes 3 days a week can go a long way for you, both for burning fat and building muscle. If you’re an advanced weight lifter, then you can atleast maintain your current muscle and strength.

Your body doesn’t count the minutes as to how long you’ve been working out, and it doesn’t care about how many reps and sets you did. Your body, or your muscles specifically, measure the “intensity” of your workouts, which determines whether an adaptive response needs to take place or not…

An adaptive response is simply an adjustment by the body to either increase muscle, increase strength. It can also be carried on to mean burning fat, as long as the calories in are less than the calories out. Basically, through high intensity training, you can trigger the muscle growth response or burn a ton of calories to lose fat.

You’ve probably heard of high intensity training, variable intensity training, or all the other complicated terminology. Don’t let it confuse you…all it means is constantly working your body hard, without a break, at a high enough intensity that it tires you out in a short amount of time. Generally you can’t sustain this type of workout for more than 20-30 minutes, but the results are long-lasting…

Check out many quick weight lifting programs here…