Top Mass Building Workouts You Should Be Doing Now

As you may know, there are many techniques to getting ripped and building muscle. To look really good you may want to use a gym to help you on your journey. However, you could be wasting your time doing the wrong exercises the wrong way time and money. You should do these top mass building workouts to get closer to your goals quickly.

Read on to find out the right exercises you need to be doing immediately to build a nice mass and look great.

Squats

Squats are great in developing stronger legs. When doing this type of exercise, it's important that you follow the right technique and form. Much like with other exercises, form and technique plays a huge role in the effectiveness of your routine.

Make sure your back is arched when using a barbell when doing squats. Your chest should be out; your head tilted back (or looking up during the set); and feet a little wider than shoulder width.

Doing it the right way will make executing the exercise a whole lot easier.

Bench press

Bench presses are considered as the bread and butter of people who want to develop really strong and big chests. If you walk in a gym, you'll notice that most guys are doing this. However, you'll also notice that not everyone has the proper form.

Without proper form, not only will these people not develop chest muscles, you can also hurt yourself. Also, don't be like the other guys who only wish to brag about how much weight they can take so they pack their bars with so much weight and start lifting.

This would not help that much because these folks are more than likely got to throw the weights. Doing it this way will not use the muscles in your chest.

What needs to be done instead is to lower the bar to your chest real slow and then easily push it up towards your head. Ask any trainer and they will tell you that the negatives, or the force you feel when you slowly lower the weights, help a lot in developing and strengthening the muscles. You'll get more results by gently lowering the bar.

Deadlifts

Doing deadlifts can improve your mid to lower back. These are a few workouts that you need to do later on in your exercise program. You'll build thickness and strengthen the muscles in your back with this exercise.

Again, doing it the right way is very important. You should keep your feet apart and your back arched.

Straight Leg Deadlifts

Doing leg deadlifts will target your hamstrings. This is one of those that are really simple to do with the right form. Remember to stick your butt out, arch your back, have your chest up, and head tilted back. When you lower the weight down, always remember to stick your butt out and bend at the hips.

Military Presses

Military presses are great for developing the shoulders. You can choose between pressing the weight behind or in front of your neck. Do whatever pleases you. You just have to remember that your forearms need to be completely perpendicular to the bar and your back and butt should be pressed against the seat.

Some people think that building bigger muscles would require doing so many complicated exercise routines. It doesn't work that way. You can still get great with not much exercise as long as you do the right techniques with the right form. These top mass building workouts should help you go from being scrawny to bulky.

How Much Protein Do You Need To Increase Muscle Mass?

If you are looking to increase muscle mass you need to ensure you are consuming enough protein in your diet. Protein is the building block of the body. Eating the right amount of good quality protein will build muscle, aid muscle recovery after exercise and burn body fat.

So how much protein do you need to increase muscle mass? And where can you get good quality protein?

How Much Protein Do You Need?

If you are training hard to increase muscle size. You should be consuming between 1g and 1.6g of protein per pound of bodyweight a day. So for someone weighing 154lbs that is between 154g and 246g of protein a day. It is recommended to spread this daily consumption between 5-6 meals a day.

Good Quality Protein Sources

You will want to make sure that your protein intake comes from good quality sources. You will want complete proteins which contain all 9 essential amino acids.

Meat - Beef, venison, lamb. High protein sources and high in fat. Venison is lower in fat and calories to beef and lamb and highly nutritious.

Poultry - Chicken and turkey. Lean meats are great to avoid excess fat in your diet.

Eggs - Poached, scrambled, raw. Eat the yolk as well. Egg yolks are misunderstood and provide high nutritional value.

Fish - Salmon, tuna. Brilliant protein source and increases consumption of Omega 3 and fish oils.

Protein shakes - Quick no nonsense protein snack. Great for immediately after exercise, and just before bed time.

Recommended Protein Shakes

EAS 100% Whey - Aspartame free and tastes great.

USN Pure Protein - Slow release proteins make it perfect to supplement your meals and to consume before bed time to feed your muscles while you sleep.

Reflex One Stop - All in one complete muscle building solution. 37g of protein and 5g creatine. Contains probiotics and digestive enzymes.

Example Eating Plan

The example eating plan below allows for the consumption of protein regularly throughout the day. A workout shake is consumed within 20 minutes post workout is quickly get protein to the muscles.

Breakfast - Oatmeal, banana and a whole egg

Snack - 2 whole eggs and a pear

Lunch - Tuna Salad

Snack - Handful of mixed nuts and berries

Post Workout - Protein shake and an orange

Dinner - Chicken or turkey breast and veggies

Pre-Bed- Protein shake and some fish oil

Lose Body Fat: Obese Person's Guide to Losing Body Fat

If you're overweight or obese, it can be difficult to figure out how to get started on your fat loss plan. One of the most important things you must realize is that it is your current lifestyle that has made you fat.

Hence, you must dramatically change your lifestyle to get positive results. The shift must go from being sedentary to being as active as possible. So, look for opportunities in your daily life where you can become more active.

You don't need to go to a gym in order to be active. In fact, loose that "gym" mentality. You can do at home what you do at a gym. The majority of people end up walking on a treadmill at the gym anyway.

Benefits of High Intensity Exercise

So instead of walking on a treadmill, walk around the block. And instead of focusing on distance, focus on speed. Try to move your body faster and faster. This is what will help you lose bodyfat.

Why?

Because you are slowly increasing the intensity of the exercise as opposed to the distance. Your body is a very efficient machine, and it WANTS to expend LESS energy. So, if it took you 300 calories to walk a mile (just an example), it will eventually take you 200 calories to walk that same mile, if you move at the same speed.

Metabolism vs. Calories Burned

But if you strive to beat your previous speed, you will be engaging more muscle mass, and increasing your heart rate. Increasing your heart will boost your metabolic rate. Your metabolic rate is a measure of how many calories you burn at rest.

So, lets say your current metabolic rate has you burning 10 calories per minute at rest (just an example). After an intense workout, that metabolic rate may go up to 20 calories per minute. So you'll be burning of DOUBLE the amount of calories then normal.

And research suggests that your metabolic rate is elevated for up to 36 hours after an intense workout. So, for a 36 hour period, instead of burning 360 calories, you're burning 720 calories!

Intensity vs. Length

When planning out their exercise, most individuals will use some online calorie counter figure out how long to exercise. For example, if walking burns 10 calories per minute according to the calculator, and the individual wants to burn 500 calories, he or she will walk on that treadmill at a leisurely pace for 50 minutes.

Now, as the length of a workout increases, the intensity of the workout decreases. But, in order to give your metabolic rate the biggest boost, you need to keep your workouts as intense as possible.

What does that mean? You keep your workouts as short as possible!

So, if you need to lose a lot of body fat, it's time to ditch low intensity cardio, and start performing higher intensity cardio and resistance training. Boost your metabolic rate and burn more fat!

How You Can Build Muscle: 7 Muscle Building Guidelines

When attempting to build muscle, typically the straightforward ideas are the ones that can assist you the most. Here are the 7 muscle building tips that may get you on the right track when making an attempt to build muscle.

1. Eat enough calories

Easy as that! Your body cannot build muscle if you burn extra calories than you consume all through the day. Many weightlifters make this mistake, they eat all the correct meals, however not sufficient amount of them. If you're not gaining weight, try to increase your calorie intake for 300-500 calories a day, until you discover the fitting number of energy that may make you grow.

2. Eat Protein

Muscles are constructed of protein and protein is built of amino acids. Consider it as building a house. You can't construct a home with out the bricks. A very good rule of a thumb is to take 1, 5 to 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight, though some specialists recommend 1 gram or even three grams per pound. Good protein sources include: rooster, beef, eggs, fish, casein and whey.

The most important time for consuming proteins is after the workout.

3. Eat Carbohydrates

Carbs additionally take an important in building muscle. They gas your workouts and on a regular basis activities. One of the best time for consuming carbs is early within the morning and after your workout.

4. Eat Good Fats

A number of lifters make a mistake of limiting the fat in their food regimen when they try to build muscle. Good fat are an incredible supply of energy and they are in direct relation with the testosterone (male hormone liable for bigger muscle mass) within the body.

5. Drink loads of Water

With out water your body will fall into catabolic state. Round 70 % of the physique is water. The physique makes use of water for nearly all its features together with digestion, absorption, circulation, excretion, transporting vitamins, constructing tissues, maintaining blood quantity, and sustaining physique temperature.

6. Rest

Your physique builds muscle while you rest, not within the gym. The muscle gets broken by lifting weights. Then it needs the right vitamins and time to restore itself.

7. Don't Overtrain

That is perhaps probably the most neglected issue on the planet of bodybuilding. Overtraining is a physical, behavioral, and emotional condition that occurs when the volume and intensity of an individual's train exceeds their restoration capacity. Overtraining will cause a cease in progress, loss of strength and in some instances could make you sick. In the on a regular basis life, extra work means larger result. But on the planet of bodybuilding - more just isn't better.

Bodybuilding Workouts - 6 Tips To Keep in Mind

Are you looking for a good bodybuilding program? Most people find it hard to create their own bodybuilding workout plan for faster results. Basically, you have to set a plan as to how many times you should work out each week. Selecting the right exercises is another big task. But the six tips that we have given below may help you with this job.

1. Lift More Weight With Time

For bodybuilding, you need to gain muscle. And to gain muscle, you will have to keep adding weight to the bar. The principles you have set won't matter if you don't put more pressure on your muscles as time goes by. When you get stuck, you should go for other strategies like supersets and drop sets, to name a few. This will help you increase the potential of your body.

2. Don't over-exhaust your muscle

Don't fully exhaust your muscle or you will run into serious problems, such as your nervous system fatigue. Some people believe that growing muscle requires you to exhaust them. Of course, you should stretch your muscle by lifting heavier weights. Don't cross the limits or you may cause an injury.

3. Focus On Compound Exercises

The third tip is to choose compound exercises. Remember: you can't spend all day at the gym doing several exercises. You have to choose a set of exercises that will work the right muscle groups. Not doing so will not let you reach your full potential.

Most of your workout plan should include exercises that will stretch a minimum of two muscle groups in your body. For instance, the shoulder press will stretch your triceps and shoulders. On the other hand, squat will build your hamstrings and quads. Another important workout is bench press as it will work your chest, triceps, biceps and shoulders.

4. Feed Your body Before And After Workouts

Eat the right amount of food before and after each workout session. Your muscles need amino acids or carbohydrates to build new muscle tissues. If you don't feed your body prior to doing your workouts, you won't be able to see the results you want.

5. Avoid the Plateau

What would you do if you get in a plateau? At some point during your workout schedule, you may end up with a plateau. In case you don't know, a plateau is a point where you see no progress for over two weeks.

The good news is that you can prevent the plateau. All you have to do is to keep changing something in your workout schedule. For instance, you can change the order of the exercises you do at the gym, or it could be a change in the type of workouts you do. This way you won't get bored and keep seeing the progress you want.

6. Taking Rest is a Must 
You can't build muscles without taking enough rest. Your muscles need time to recover after each training session. Your muscle will gradually break down if you don't let them unwind.

As a general rule, you may want to take 24 hours of rest after each weight lifting session. Aside from this, if you are cardio-minded, the rule doesn't mean you should do an exhaustive cardio exercise for 45 minutes. In fact, this means you should rest your body for reaching its maximum potential.

So, follow these 6 tips and you will get stronger muscles before long.

Free Weights Or Weight Training Machines - Which Is Better For Building Big, Muscular Arms?

I'm often asked whether machines or free weights are better for building big, muscular arms. Well, as the "Master Gunslinger," I can only respond on the basis of 20-plus years of arm-building experience. And based on that experience, there's no question that free weights are best for building big, muscular arms - especially if you're a beginning bodybuilder.

Now, I can already here the "Bowflex" crowd crying foul, but if you really want to build the muscle density, strength and symmetry that it takes to have Truly Awesome Arms(TM), you simply can't get there without using free weights. Ever since weight training machines came on the scene, there's been a tendency among beginning bodybuilders to believe that those stretchy cables and shiny handles must be better than clunky old dumbbells for building impressive arms.

This belief comes partly from slick advertising and partly from inexperience. But the bottom line is that, although arm training machines are very useful for adding shape to your biceps, triceps and forearms, these machines are not particularly efficient for building muscle mass or power. Indeed when it comes to adding size and strength to your arms, free weights are clearly better than machines for the following reasons.

First, have you ever noticed that no matter what exercise you may use for comparison, whether its preacher curls, triceps extensions or parallel bar dips, you can always work with more weight on a machine than you can when using free weights? The reason for this discrepancy is simple - the machine assists you in completing these exercises in a way that free weights do not!

When you train your arms with free weights, your biceps, triceps and forearms must provide all of the power required to complete the exercise motion. Your arms must provide the strength required to overcome gravity, balance the weight and force it to curl upward or extend outward. Unlike the machines, free weights don't have any cables, strings, bolts or shiny handles to ease you through your biceps curls or triceps extensions.

Second, while free weights allow you to control the resistance angle and range of motion during a given exercise, machines provide no such freedom of movement. For example, I've done preacher curls with a machine and with free weights and there is absolutely no comparison between these exercises in terms of resistance angle and range of motion. The free weights are far superior, whether using an EZ Curl bar or dumbbells, for building biceps mass and power with preacher curls. The same applies to doing triceps extensions with dumbbells or an EZ Curl bar versus doing them on a triceps extension machine. The free weights put much more resistance on the triceps and allow a greater range of motion to complete this exercise. This increased resistance and range of motion recruits more muscle fibers during each extension of the weight, which in turn forces the triceps to work harder and grow faster than they will with machine extensions.

Again, I'm not saying that arm training machines are completely useless when it comes to workout variety or shaping movements. Machines are also very useful for high repetition workouts or advanced training with descending sets, super sets and giant sets. But for building mass and power in your biceps, triceps and forearms in the early stages of your training, you must focus these efforts on working primarily with free weights. So when trying to decide whether to use machines or free weights in your next arm building workout, even though they don't look as fancy as those shiny machines, you're better off working with the clunky old dumbbells.

Get Flat Abs - 7 Tips to Burning Belly Fat and Getting Six Pack Abs

Everybody wants to know the secrets of how to get flat abs. But not many are willing to do the work involved. So if you thought that getting six pack abs was only about taking a magic pill that will guarantee you results then keep looking. For those who are serious read this article to learn how to do it through diet and exercise.

1) Eat clean foods. Starting with diet is always the smart way to go. Your body will need fuel for your workouts. So start eating healthy natural foods like fruits, veggies, lean meats, and nuts. These are the kinds of foods that will teach your body to burn fat and build abs fast.

2) Get more protein. For building muscle protein is needed. Don't stress over getting a gram of protein per pound of body weight. Just getting about 80% of that is perfectly fine.

3) Limit your starchy carbs. Breads, pasta, rice, and even oats all fall under this category. They are loaded with calories and complex carbs that will turn into fat if not burnt off.

The best times to have them are for breakfast because it is early in the day and after a workout because your muscles need to recovery properly.

4) Get fruits or veggies with each meal. For maximuam fat loss around your midsection get your carbs from fruits and veggies since they are low in calories. Vegetables are known to have "negative calories".

5) Drink water after each meal. Eight glasses of water each day is fine. But if you want to really help wash away your gut try drinking twelve cups to a gallon a day. If you eat 6 meals a day then get two cups with each meal.

6) Do effective ab exercises. The kinds of exercises that help your body burn belly fat and build abs include reverse crunches and crunches on an exercise ball. Regular crunches are not effective and should be replaced by one of these.

7) Compound exercises are effective too. Exercises like squats, chest presses, deadlifts, rows, and chin ups are all powerful for working your core. After a while this will really add to the depth of your six pack.

The most efficient way to get abs I believe is having 3 full body workouts a week like on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for example. With each workout include 4-6 compound exercises and then two ab exercises at the end to hit them hard. That is how to get flat abs.

Healthy Eating - Not All Fats Are Bad, You Need Some Fats to Stay Healthy

In today's world, many people are cautioned against including too much fatty food in their eating plan. Unfortunately, just as many people consider carbs the enemy, others are under the impression all fats are bad and must be avoided at any cost. They are told they should focus on a low-fat, high-fiber diet to maximize health. Too much fat in people's diets has traditionally been saturated fat, which raises cholesterol levels and may help to promote cardiovascular disease.

This said, not all fats are bad. In fact, you need some fats to stay healthy. What are some signs you are deficient? Check out the list below to see if this could be an issue for you...

1. You Are Hungry All The Time. While carbohydrates may instantly make you feel full, they do not provide the satiety dietary fats do. When you eat a meal containing sufficient fat, you will get a "stick to your ribs" feeling, which puts the brakes on hunger.

Aim to eat 5 to 10 grams of fat at each meal to get this effect.

2. Your Hair, Skin, And Nails Are Dull. Another sign you may not be getting enough dietary fat is if your hair, skin, or nails are looking a little dull and brittle. Healthy fats nourish these cells in your body thanks to the high amount of vitamin E they contain..

If you are experiencing a high degree of hair breakage, for instance, check the fat content in your diet.

3. You Are Feeling Cold. Feel as though you are often shivering? It could be your lack of fat intake. Fats help to insulate your body and keep you feeling warm, so you will want to ensure you are getting enough of them.

Of course, if you are very lean, you will likely feel cold regardless of how much fat you consume, so note this must be taken into account as well.

4. You Are Struggling To Stay Focused. Finally, the last sign you are not taking in enough dietary fat is if you are struggling to stay focused during the day. Fats are key for enhancing brain health and memory, so if you are running deficient, you may be noticing your signs and symptoms relate to this.

Omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon and flaxseed are particularly important for overall brain health.

Check your diet. Are you getting enough healthy fats? You should be aiming to take in no less than 0.7 grams each kilogram of bodyweight as a reference point. If you are above this, you are doing just fine.

Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.

Masturbation and Muscle Gain: Is There a Connection?

Among serious bodybuilders, there has long been a debate over whether there is any connection between masturbation and muscle gain. Even among those who rarely lift a dumbbell, there are plenty of jokes about a disproportionate muscle size on the arm with which one masturbates. But is there really a correlation between pumping the penis and developing muscles? And if so, how might this connection affect one's penis health routine?

The testosterone connection

Why should masturbation have any effect on muscle growth in men? It's all related to testosterone.

Many bodybuilders use steroids in order to boost their testosterone levels because testosterone is usually associated with greater gain in muscle. However, it should be noted that there is a great deal of disagreement over whether there is truly a cause-and-effect relationship between more testosterone and muscle gain.

Some studies have indicated that boosting the T-levels does indeed promote more massive muscle; however, other studies have shown that the difference is fairly insignificant, while others have indicated that there really is no benefit.

In other words, there is no definitive answer. And until there is, many men will work under the assumption that the studies showing a connection are correct.

The masturbation effect.

But assuming testosterone affects muscle growth doesn't answer the question of whether penis play impacts a guy's quest for a great body. Why? Because there are two trains of thought here:

- Masturbation decreases testosterone levels and has a negative impact on muscle growth.

- Masturbation increases testosterone levels and has a positive impact on muscle growth.

The abstinence argument

Those who believe that masturbation decreases testosterone think that refraining from masturbation is necessary. This theory argues that ejaculating produces an immediate decrease in testosterone levels and that men do not regain their pre-release levels for almost a week.

Again, there are some studies the results of which back up this theory. At the least, it does seem true that there is a dip in testosterone following release, although there is some debate as to how long that dip lasts.

The go-for-it argument

On the other hand, there are also some who believe that masturbation aids in building muscle. The basis for this argument is essentially a "use it or lose it" one: The more of a workout that the penis gets, the greater a man's overall sexual health. Allowing the penis to orgasm several times a week may produce some slight dips, but it makes for a healthier penis and an overall higher level of testosterone. Again, there are studies that support this view as well.

Another argument in favor of savoring one's sex organs is that the release of tension accompanying masturbation helps to relax the muscles and aid in the "downtime" between workouts during which muscles grow.

Different strokes

With no definitive answer, each man will decide what he believes where muscle and masturbation are concerned. But whether or not a man discerns a connection, it is imperative that he not sacrifice penis health in pursuit of total body health.

One way to keep the rod healthy is simply to add regular use of a quality penis health creme (health professionals recommend Man1 Man Oil) to one's routine. Working out creates sweat all over the body, and that can cause issues with the penis, including persistent odor and skin irritation. A crème that includes vitamin A is well-positioned to fight the bacteria that causes rank manhood odor. At the same time, if the crème contains a high-end emollient (think Shea butter) plus a natural hydrator (vitamin E is excellent), it can help maintain proper penis skin moisturization and ward off nasty dermatological issues. Let's face it: A ripped torso is an amazing asset, but it won't compensate for an unappealing package when the jock comes off.

All About Protein - A Beginner's Guide to Protein

Counting calories, exercising regularly, and still not seeing success?

According to Alison Gosby, PhD, paying attention to the amount of calories of protein you consume may play a crucial role in your ability to lose weight.

"Any dietary intervention that results in dilution or restriction of protein in the diet will promote overeating in the environment where food is abundant," she explains, when protein in the diet goes too low "we keep eating in an attempt to attain our target level of protein."

But why exactly is protein so important and how much do you really need to stay healthy? Let's take a step back to learn all about protein and how to get the most benefits out of your diet.

Why Protein is Important
"Protein is one of the body's main building blocks for muscle, bone, skin, and other tissues," says experts at WebMD, and according to Donald Layman, PhD, "protein dulls hunger and can help prevent obesity, diabetes, and heart disease."

Additionally, according to George Bray, MD, "very low protein diets are clearly detrimental. You lose lean body mass."

How Much Protein Do You Need?
In the past, the RDA for protein was about 56 grams for the average adult, but new studies and experts suggest that the necessary protein intake may be much higher than that depending on your current weight and level of activity.

Highly trained athletes may need as much as.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, or about 140 grams for a 180 pound man.

However, that's at the higher end of the scale. Men who work out 5 or more days a week for an hour or longer may only need.55 grams per pound, and if you only work out 3 to 5 days a week for 45 minutes, you may need just.45 grams per pound.

Trying to lose weight? Protein is still crucial for your results. The fewer total calories you consume throughout the day, the more protein you need to compensate for the loss, says Layman. You may need to bump up your protein intake to about.45 or.68 grams per pound in order to preserve lean muscle mass.

When's the Best Time to Consume Protein?
Some experts claim that the human body can only digest about 30 to 40 grams in a single sitting and any more than that may put stress on the kidneys, but despite the fact that a lot of research has been done on the effects of protein, not a lot has been done on the digestibility of protein - and this limit may be more fiction than fact.

However, when you consume your protein may have a significant impact on your physical performance. "At any given moment, even at rest, your body is breaking down and building protein," says Jeffry Volek, PhD, and studies have shown that 30 grams of protein can be enough to trigger protein synthesis for up to 3 hours.

Consequently, you'll need to ensure that you consume enough protein to sustain yourself throughout the day rather than simply scarfing down some chicken wings for dinner, otherwise protein synthesis will only be stimulated for that brief time during dinner rather than spread evenly throughout the day.

Including Protein In Your Diet
Now that you know all about protein and why it's important, it's the perfect time to figure out how to boost your protein intake!

Although protein can be found in a wide variety of foods, not all protein sources are equal. Animal products such as milk, eggs, meat, and fish are typically the best sources for protein as they offer the right proportions of essential amino acids that your body can't synthesize on its own.

However, if you're vegetarian, these sources of protein might not be an option, so you'll have to turn to nuts, legumes, grains, and soy in order to get the necessary amount.

Unfortunately, you'll have to consume approximately 20 to 25% more plant-based proteins in order to obtain the same amount of benefits that animal proteins have to offer, which may make it difficult to lose weight since you have to consume the extra carbs.

What About Protein Shakes?
According to Jose Antonio, Chief executive officer at the International Society of Sports Nutrition, "Most people can't make a meal immediately after post-workout, so these ready-to-drink shakes are really your best alternative."

Although research hasn't exactly proven the role of protein shakes in sports performance and muscle building, increasing your protein intake does offer a wide variety of health benefits even if it does come pre-packaged.

Vegetarian and Vegan Bodybuilding

Just because you want to take up Bodybuilding, doesn't mean that you need to eat lots of meat, or in fact, any meat. If you are a vegetarian or vegan then chances are you have taken the decision to not eat meat, fish and maybe eggs or any other animal products. Whether your choice is down to ethics or you just do not like the taste or the idea of meat and fish, do not let anyone tell you that you need to give up and eat meat in order to build your body.

Here are some of the things to consider if you are a vegetarian or vegan and have decided to take up bodybuilding.

Make sure that you are getting enough calories. If you have eaten a vegetarian or vegan diet for some time then chances are you will not have any problems eating, but you may well need to increase your calorie intake. A deficit in calories when training hard will only leave you feeling tired and drained and will cause you to breakdown any muscle that you are trying to build.

One easy way to increase your calorific intake in a safe way would be to eat small snacks spread throughout the day. Eating a banana or an apple or even a couple of whole wheat biscuits with a spoonful of peanut butter for instance and if you eat dairy, consider natural yoghurt with some fruit.

Like with all forms of exercise, you must keep your body's fluid levels up by drinking plenty of water as becoming dehydrated can not only be dangerous but also will lower your body's efficiency when using all of the nutrients that you have eaten. One fact that not a lot of people know is that a water molecule is required to break down the bond between two fat molecules.

Eating plenty of protein is also very important for bodybuilding. Some will claim that the best way to eat protein is to eat meat, but this argument is scientifically floored as gram for gram, many vegetables contain more protein than meat as many meats contain a high water content. Free range eggs are of course a great source of proteins, especially the white part called the albumin. If you do not eat eggs then whey protein is also very good, although you must make sure that the whey that you use comes from a vegetarian source.

For Vegans there are also some great alternatives to eggs and whey and these include refined protein isolates such as Soya protein, Rice protein and Hemp protein powders. All of these are very easy for the body to digest and can be mixed to make the most of all of their nutrients. Of the 3, Soya is the most complete protein powder as it contains all of the essential amino acids required by the human body. Of course, any Soya protein powder that you choose to use should ideally be from an organic source.

Ensure that the bodybuilding supplements that you use are suitable for vegetarian and/or vegan diets. Just because a supplement contains all vegetarian or vegan products doesn't mean that it is not wrapped in a gelatine capsule. Choose a bodybuilding supplement such as BodyCheck, which is suitable for Vegetarian, Vegan, Halal and Kosher diets, and has the added benefit of not only helping to increase your endurance but to help aid recovery also with a selection of natural anti-inflammatory herbal extracts.

How to Get a Bigger Chest - 7 Easy Chest Exercises to Get Your Pecs Noticed

Aside from building up biceps and abs, one of the main concerns of men is how to get a bigger chest. Having a well defined chest can give you a more confident posture. Here are some exercises that will help you increase the volume, size and definition of your pecs.

To avoid injuries and to get the most out of these chest exercises, each of the chest exercises should be performed with proper form. For lifting exercises, if you are to lift heavy, be sure to have a spotter to supervise and to help you out.

Do push ups. For beginners, push ups tend to be hard but, when you keep on doing them, they will soon be easy for you to perform. Have your hands about shoulder width apart when doing push ups.

Bench Press. It is the most popular chest building exercise of all time on how to get a bigger chest. It requires a large number of muscle fibers to perform, which triggers the body's natural growth hormone response. It is best to perform 8-12 reps and 1-3 sets to build muscle mass and hypertrophy. Don't let the bar touch your chest for it causes some pressure to your shoulders.

Inclined and Declined Bench Press. They are the same with the bench press but the bench is inclined upwards and declined downwards. These two work more on the upper and lower pectoral muscles.

Bar Dips. This is a chest and triceps exercise that works your chest and triceps muscles. At first, you can start dips with just your own body weight and then later on use a weight belt. This is done by holding yourself at arm's length on the parallel dip bar and slowly lowering yourself. At the bottom of the rep, push yourself back at the starting position. When doing bar dips, the more forward you lean, the more chest muscle gets involved in the movement.

Dumbbell Fly. This exercise isolates the movement to your chest muscles. You do this by lying flat on a bench, and hold dumbbells at arm's length with your palms facing each other. Start to lower the weights by opening your arms in a wide arc as far down as you can. While doing this, you should feel your pecs stretch. Then lift them again back to the starting position in the same arcing motion.

Another exercise that will help you on how to get bigger chest is the Cable Crossover. This exercise is somewhat similar to the dumbbell flys. It targets the inner chest and also works to bring out the impressive striations in your chest muscle. From a standing position, hold the cable handles attached to the overhead pulleys. Bend your upper body slightly forward, with arms extended out on the sides, but keep your arms slightly bent. Bring your arms and hands together toward the center of your body as if you're hugging someone. Make sure your arms crossed each other.

How to Get Shredded for a Bodybuilding or Physique Competition

One of the most common questions people ask me is, "How do I get shredded for a bodybuilding or physique competition?" This is especially common with people who are planning on entering their very first event.

The answer to that question is somewhat subjective. There is no set formula that will work exactly the same way in exactly the same time-frame for every single person. Having said that, there are some guidelines for figuring out the best way for you to get shredded for a bodybuilding or physique competition and you can use them to make a plan that works for you.

One thing you should understand, though, is that getting shredded is an art as well as a science. Knowing how and why and when the human body burns fat, what causes insulin and cortisol spikes and what makes the body retain or excrete water are all part of the science. Knowing how your specific body will react to certain steps is where the art comes in. Some guys take several years and several competitions to figure out what works best for their particular bodies.

That said, there are three key areas that you need to focus on in order to get shredded for a bodybuilding or physique competition: water intake, caloric deficit, and carb intake.

If you're wondering why I didn't mention ramping up your weight training routine, it's because the whole purpose of weight training when you're cutting is to preserve and protect the muscle you already have while you're trying to lose fat. When you're doing the things you need to do to burn those last few percentage points of fat, you're not going to have the surplus for building new muscle. You just want to keep what you have. The purpose of shredding is to show what you have and really make that definition pop.

First, Decide Where you are Right Now

I've said many times that you have to have set, measurable goals. This means definite deadlines and actual numbers. Without these, you have dreams, not goals. You have the deadline; the deadline is the date of your event. What you need now is a number. What body fat percentage are you going for?

My rule of thumb when cutting or working to get shredded for a competition or a photo shoot is to lose 1% of my body fat per week. So, if you're at 12% body fat right now, you need to get started on your fat loss about six weeks out. It won't hurt you to add another week in there just in case something gets you off track.

Get Some Intense Cardio into Your Program

During this time, you should be doing some high intensity interval training for your cardio to create some of that calorie deficit. Not all of it, because burning 3500 calories (which equals a pound of fat) per week is a heck of a lot more difficult than cutting 3500 calories a week. Ideally, your calorie deficit should come from a combination of cutting calories and burning them. So for instance, you can burn an extra 250 calories a day and cut 250 calories a day to lose one pound of fat per week.

Start Cutting Back the Carbs

One of the best ways to do this is to replace some of the carbs you're eating in the mornings with a high protein, no carb breakfast instead. I recently posted about the meat and nut breakfast rotation and the incredible results that I've gotten from it. In fact, I got to my lowest body fat percentage (4%) in part by doing this myself.

Then about six days out from your event, you want to cut your carbs back even more. Depending on your particular body and how often you're working out, that could be an intake of anywhere from 0g to 150g of carbs per day. Do this for two days, then go back to your normal low-carb intake. About two days before your competition, you want to actually increase your carbs from there for two days.

The Formula for Water Intake

This is another area that I get asked about a lot. Guys will ask me, "How much water should I drink when I'm trying to get shredded for a competition?" But the fact is that the number depends on the amount of water you normally need to take in. So what I actually give these guys is a formula to work with.

About eight days out from the competition, I increase my water intake by 50%. I normally drink about four liters of water a day, so eight days out I increase that to six liters a day for another two days. This gets your body excreting more water.

You don't start cutting back on the water until about two days before your competition and you cut it down to 50% of your normal intake, not what you've been drinking that week. So in my case, since I normally drink four liters per day, I'll cut down to two liters two days out. Then the day of the event, you cut that by another 50%, which in my case would be one liter.
If you do all of these things, you'll be well on your way to getting totally shredded for that bodybuilding competition. You'll probably have quite a lot of trial and error on exact numbers and exact methods, and the best ones will change from one competition to the next as your body changes, but these guidelines will help you to get the results you need.