Overtraining? Why Overtraining in Bodybuilding Is Virtually Impossible

A lot of bodybuilders are way too worried about the idea that they might be in danger of overtraining. Most of them get this idea from the tons of marketers out there who are trying to get rich by telling people they should train less, not more. There's a lot of money to be made by convincing the new or unmotivated that there's an "easy way" to build real muscle mass. The truth is; that's not the truth.

Why Overtraining is a Non-Issue

In my ten years in the business, I've never met anyone who has reached a state of overtraining. Overtraining is something that is more common in endurance athletes, but very rare for bodybuilders. Scientific research shows that for bodybuilders to reach a state of overtraining, they would have to triple their current volume for three weeks.

I tripled my training volume while I attended Charles Poliquin's 5-Day Hypertrophy Bootcamp (15 workouts in five days) and it absolutely kicked my butt. That was five days. I can't even imagine repeating that for an additional two weeks!

The fact is that 99.9% of bodybuilders will never even come close to overtraining. That said, some people confuse the terms "overtraining" and "overreaching', which are two entirely different things.

Overtraining and Overreaching are not the Same Thing

Overreaching is in an intentional, short period of increased work that deliberately exceeds what your body is able to do. That's what I was doing at Poliquin's 5-Day Hypertrophy Boot Camp. Lost appetite, disrupted sleep patterns, and mood changes are common symptoms of overreaching, but you can recover from it with after one or two weeks of undertraining or deloading. It took me about seven days of doing nothing to recover from my week at the boot camp. The purpose of this overreaching/deloading process is that it creates a greater super compensation after-effect. This is something you need to do with the supervision and direction of a professional.

Undertraining is the Real Issue

Overtraining is not your problem. More often than not, guys are undertraining. The most common reason for undertraining is failing to manipulate your duration, frequency, tempo, rest times and loads. Building muscle mass is all about periodization. Every single one of the athletes that competed in the 2016 Olympic Games used some kind of periodization, which is just another word for focused planning. If you're not doing this, you're spinning your wheels. You may make some progress, but you won't make the kind of progress that you could.

Stop worrying about overtraining and give your workouts everything you've got. Constantly demand more from your body and it will deliver.

The Best Carbohydrates For Your Muscle Building Diet Plan

As you go about creating a muscle building diet plan to help you pack on more lean muscle mass than ever before, one nutrient that you definitely cannot do without is the carbohydrate.

Carbohydrates are going to be what supplies your body with all the energy that's required to not only carry out the process of muscle building itself, but also to perform those hard workouts in the gym.

Some people may try to utilize low carb muscle building diets and while they may work for a very select few individuals, about 95% of the population is better off avoiding these. They just don't supply your body with what it needs to complete the protein synthesis process.

This said, not all carbohydrates are created equally.

If you really want to see the best possible results from your muscle building diet plan then you need to be taking the time to select the best varieties. Let's have a quick look right now at your top options.

Oats

First up on the list of muscle building carbohydrates are oats. Oats really can't be beat. They're high in fiber, low in sugar, and will produce a steady energy release that will last for hours.

Now, the thing to remember while on your muscle building diet plan however is that since you are aiming to take in more calories above maintenance, you don't have room in your stomach for a lot of high-volume foods.

Unfortunately, cooked oats are exactly that. So instead, focus on raw oats. Eat these cold like you would any other cereal or start adding them to your protein shakes for added calories. That will get you the nutrients you need.

Brown Rice

Second on the list of carbs for building muscle mass is brown rice. Brown rice is easy to prepare and works well with just about any meal. It's also a good source of fiber and will not spike insulin levels quite like regular rice would so you'll see better overall results because of it.

Aim to eat it with at least three meals each day.

Dried Fruit

Finally, the last muscle building carbohydrate that you should definitely consider adding to your muscle building diet plan is dried fruit. Dried fruit is a bit better in fresh in this case because of the fact it is so calorie dense.

Trying to eat three apples would very likely leave you feeling rather bloated and full, but in a simple handful of dried fruit you can easily get those calories in without worry.

Combine some dried fruit, nuts, and whole grain cereal for a quick trail mix to take wherever you go.

So don't shun carbohydrates. If you want to see success with your program they must be included but that said, you also need to be adding the right sources.

The Top Muscle Building Vegetables You Should Be Eating

If you're on a plan to help you build muscle, then you must make sure that you're not skipping over the muscle building vegetables that you should be eating. Far too many skinny guy's entirely cut out vegetables due to the fact that they are lower in calories and when you're trying to take in 4000 plus calories per day, it can be quite the feat to try and fit these all in.

You feel stuffed and thinking about a full plate of broccoli is the last thing you want to be doing! But remember, there are plenty of ways to get around this. First, you don't necessarily need to eat huge amounts of the muscle building vegetables to get good results. As long as you have a one cup serving with a few of the meals out of the day, you will be well on your way to meeting your nutrient needs.

Muscle building vegetables do supply many of the essential nutrients that the body needs to properly generate muscle mass, so you cannot overlook their importance. If you're still struggling to get them in, then also consider blending them up into your sauces as that will eliminate much of the 'bulk' that you experience by eating them. Let's have a look at some of the top muscle building vegetables that you should consider.

Broccoli

If there's one vegetable that can't be beat when it comes to good nutrients, broccoli is it. Broccoli is loaded with antioxidants that will help to fight off disease and is an excellent source of potassium that will keep your muscle contractions going strong.

Whether you want to steam it, stir-fry it, or eat it raw, broccoli is definitely something that should be added to your meal plan.

Asparagus

Second on our list of top muscle building vegetables is asparagus. Asparagus is another one that's very easy to prepare and can be eaten with many different meals. Asparagus is relatively low in calories so don't load up on it as it will fill you up, but having three to four spears of it per meal will work perfectly to help you get those nutrients in.

Cabbage

Third up is cabbage. Cabbage is a powerful muscle building vegetable that's also going to really protect against cancer development, something that we all should be somewhat concerned over. Due to the fact that we are constantly exposed to a number of toxins in our system, if you aren't taking steps to protect yourself from these, you're going to be at risk. Eat red cabbage with your stir-fries or chopped into your salad. You'll hardly notice it in there.

Mushrooms

Finally, the last of the best muscle building vegetables that you should consider are mushrooms. Mushrooms are perfect because they're also low in calories but yet at the same time pack a powerful protein punch.

Since getting enough protein your daily diet will be absolutely essential, this cannot be overlooked. Mushrooms work will with almost any dish - stir-fries, eaten raw, added to salads, or added into a wrap or pita. Make sure you start incorporating them in.

So if you want to see maximum results from your muscle building diet plan, be sure that you don't overlook these muscle building vegetables. It pays to take the time to make sure that you get them in your meals each day.

An Abs Work Out - 5 Powerful Methods to Getting Six Pack Abs

You need to start a solid abs work out program and diet regimen to really burn the belly fat and build six pack abdominals. Read on to learn the 5 effective methods to do this.

1) Before we get into your work out. Start with diet. Eat healthy natural foods most of the time. Foods in their most natural state include lean meats, fruit, vegetables, and nuts. These should all be staples of your diet.

2) Eat more. Try to reach 5 or 6 small meals each day. Eat breakfast every morning and then every 3 hours after that. You do not have to hit 3 hours on the dot just try to fill your stomach up with healthy foods every 2 to 3 hours a day.

3) Work on your abs work out. Do not do crunches. They strain your back and neck. They have very little effective on your abdominals. Instead do effective ab exercises that actually target your abdominals like reverse crunches and planks.

4) Compound exercises are effective for fat loss. Even effective ab exercises like reverse crunches are ineffective for losing belly fat.

Which is why your workouts should include exercises like squats, deadlifts, and rows. These types of exercises burn fat and build muscle all over for great effect.

5) Do not give up. After a couple of weeks on your abs work out program you may get frustrated and feel that what you are doing is not effective. But you need to stay motivated. Getting six pack abs will not happen overnight.

Stop Spreading These Bodybuilding Myths and Start Building Muscle Fast

There are lots of bodybuilding myths around today that won't go away. It's time to banish these muscle building untruths and start building muscle fast. This article will hopefully put these myths to rest, starting with one of the most annoying.

Your muscles will turn to fat when you finish training

This is one of the most common bodybuilding myths and also one of the most untrue. Your body cannot 'convert' muscle tissue to fat tissue. When someone puts on weight after they stop working out it is usually due to inactivity and over eating; This is not exactly a secret. But for some reason this rumour started that it was muscle that turned to fat. One common cause for this illusion is that when people stop working out they burn far less calories than they used to, but still keep eating the same. Therefore they are taking in too many calories but not burning as many so naturally put on weight.

Bodybuilders Just Look Strong

This muscle myth comes from a very small truism especially when comparing bodybuilding and power lifting. It is true that some power lifters may not be as big or 'toned' as bodybuilders (which gives the impression of greater muscle size). But this is like comparing apples and oranges. Bodybuilders are usually very strong and certainly a lot stronger than the average person. Sadly this myth seems to come from people looking to make themselves feel better, by dismissing someone else's efforts.

Anyone Can Get 'That' Size By Taking Steroids

For the purposes of this article we will not delve into the effectiveness of steroids. Yes they can and do work. They will certainly greatly improve your results and surpass your genetic potential. However to say you could get to the same size as a pro bodybuilder is a mistake.

What many people don't realise is that many top bodybuilders were hugely bigger than average before taking any drugs. They have the natural genetics to build muscle. Exactly like top class sprinters are much faster than the average person. Granted the steroids help pro bodybuilders get to gigantic size. Average people with average genetics could never reach that size no matter how many drugs they took.

I Don't Want To Get To Big

Anyone who has spent any considerable time lifting weights knows that the above title is a complete lie. It takes a lot of hard work to put even a small amount of muscle on. The previous myth probably fueled this myth; People see the the bodybuilders in the media and think that they will become that size if they start working out.

You probably won't even get a quarter of the muscle mass pro bodybuilders have. Even if you do have amazing muscle building genetics; you will not wake up one day huge. Muscle building is a slow and steady process and you are in complete control at every stage.

Hopefully now you will ignore these myths when someone tries to tell you them and start getting into the gym to try and start building muscle fast. You will probably also realise that building muscle is a lot harder than previously thought.

It is important to diversify your routine and find the right workouts to suit your body type and routine.

How Long it Takes to Build Muscle - It Depends on You

Beginner bodybuilders are always anxious to know just how long it would take them to significantly increase their muscle mass, and get those great bodies they constantly dream about. In this article, we would discuss just how long it really takes to build muscle and also get a good insight into the secrets of rapid muscle growth.

The first and most important thing you have to know about building muscle is this: The muscle building program you adopt determines to a great extent the results you get! That's right: those who quickly see significant results in their muscle building efforts are those who use the best bodybuilding programs available.

When you begin your bodybuilding program, the most important thing you must have are:

• A gym membership,
• A sound and effective muscle building program.

You can easily acquire a gym membership by finding one in your neighbourhood and getting a monthly or yearly membership. There's nothing complicated about this, and the gym you register with shouldn't make a difference to the results you get as long as you do the right things.

The more difficult thing to do is to find and adopt an effective bodybuilding program. This would make determine whether you meet the bodybuilding goals you have set for yourself or end up frustrated and hurt. Most people do not pay any enough attention to this vital aspect of bodybuilding and therefore end up not getting any results whatsoever.

With our discussion so far, you are in a good position to determine how long it would take you to meet the bodybuilding goals you have set for yourself.

Why Squats Are Essential to Your Bodybuilding Routine

Several bodybuilders are so enamored with the bench press that they forget to use one of the most effective full body exercise - the squats. The squats is known as the grand daddy of all exercises because of the benefits one can get from it.

First, the squats build strength and initiate muscle growth on the largest muscle in your body - your legs. The legs consist of several muscle parts but are mainly divided in groups such as: the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes/ buttock muscles and calves. During squats the quadriceps is the main muscle group targeted, however, the hamstrings, glutes and calves also participate in the compound movement of the squats.

Secondly, the squats not only involve the leg muscle group but also initiate resistance to your upper muscle group like your trapezius and your back muscles. When the bar sits and digs down into your trapezius, you struggle to lift it up thus creates the aggressive movement we want to develop and gain lean mass.

Third, the squats promotes a good cardio routine. I always prepare myself - in terms of rest and proper nutrition (carbs, protein and fats) before my leg day. It involves a lot of effort to push the bar during the squat routine that it literally burns more calories than most body part exercises. When I do bench press, lat pull downs or barbell rows I don't pant and almost puke just like when I do squats. It's intense and almost insane to do!

As most pro bodybuilders would say, if you're so busy that you could only workout once a week which exercise would you choose and why? The majority of their answers are squats! Because, it's a total body workout that involves almost all of your major muscle group and it burns calories like a furnace.