Bodybuilding Foods

When you think of bodybuilding, your first thought is probably exercise and weight lifting. Although that is an important part of building muscle, it is not the only reason. The food that you put into your body is also a big factor to give your body the fuel it needs to grow and get bigger. Also, with the right nutrition, your body and mind will be able to last longer and give you more energy.

The correct foods for bodybuilding would be foods that are high in protein and carbohydrates and low in fat. Here are a few examples of foods that are great to help you reach your fitness goals.

Egg whites are great for breakfast. Only the egg white though because the yolk is the part of the egg that contains fat.

Oatmeal is great for a carbohydrate source because it's complex carbohydrates will boost your energy for the day. It is low in fat and high in fiber. The energy you get from the oats will last a while, which helps later in the day.

Tuna is one of the best sources of protein that bodybuilders can have. It is rich in protein, it requires little or no effort to fix depending on how you like to eat it and it is very affordable. You can get tuna for less than 75 cents a can in most places.

Chicken is very popular among bodybuilders. It provides protein, and it tastes good.

Almonds are a good source of Vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, fiber and a good source of monounsaturated fat which is healthy. They have a lot of calcium also.

Beets have nitrates which increases Vasodilation (dilatation of your blood vessels) and improves your performance. In the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics it says eating two medium beets 75 minutes before exercising will improve your performance, decrease the amount of oxygen, and reduce the perceived level of exertion (the physical and mental effort) needed to exercise.

Chocolate Milk (when you are out of your protein powder). The added sugars boost the carbohydrates giving more muscle-building calories ad recovery-boosting carbs. Studies show when comparing a traditional sport drink that contains carbohydrates and electrolytes, chocolate milk higher in rank at re-synthesizing muscle glycogen, stops muscle break down and kicks muscle growth into action.

Raspberries improve digestive heath so your body is able to extract all the nutrients. They are the berry that has the most fiber in them with 8 grams per cup.

We have over 200 bodybuilding recipes and unique meal plans to keep your diet interesting and your taste buds happy in this awesome bodybuilding cookbook.

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Lifting Weights For That Perfect V-Taper Back

When lifting weights for bodybuilding or fitness athletes, male or female, one of the main goals is building that perfect body image. And while men and women usually differ in their desired final look, both want that sexy v-taper to their back...

Achieving that look isn't just the result of building a bigger back though. Three different sets of muscles play a role in building a v-taper appearance - your obliques, your latissimus dorsi (lats) and your medial deltoid muscles. In other words you want a narrow waist, wider shoulders and a nice sweep to your back to join the two.

Keeping Your Obliques Narrow 
Your obliques are the muscles that run down the outside of your waist just above the hips. Working the obliques is done with twists, either seated with a bar across your shoulders or with kettlebells. The problem here is that they respond just like any other muscle - the heavier the weight you use the bigger the muscle grows. Normally that's what you want from your workouts, but with obliques the bigger they get the wider your waist is and the blockier your appearance.

Widening your waist will detract heavily from the appearance of a v-taper and lessen the impact of your overall figure. That doesn't mean you can't work your obliques though - just stick to either indirect training for them from the other exercises you do or do your seated twists using a broom handle instead of a weighted bar.

Building Your Lat Sweep 
Your lats provide that nice sweep from your waist to your shoulders, and the more you work them the better and wider your v-taper will look. To build their width, pick exercises that stretch them fully and force you to pull your arms back down towards your side. Using an overhead pulley to do seated lat pulldowns is the most obvious - after all, that's why it's called LAT pulldowns.

You can also add to the width of your lats with one-arm rows done on a weight bench. Instead of using a straight up-and-down movement for your reps, start at the bottom with the weight further forward, in line with your head. As you pull the weight up use a sweep to bring it up beside your hip then lower it back down as low and as far forward as you can safely stretch. As always, keep your torso parallel to the bench throughout the exercise and avoid the tendency to let the back roll side to side.

Wider Shoulders To Complete The Look 
OK, obviously you can't actually widen your shoulder joint or safely move the shoulder joints further apart, but you sure can pack a lot more muscle onto your shoulders to give them a wider appearance. Anyone serious about lifting weights will want to build all 3 shoulder muscles - front, medial and rear deltoids - evenly, but for building a v-taper it's the medial or outside head that makes the most difference.

Compound exercises like upright rows and overhead presses will build the medial head, and be sure to use side dumbbell raises as the isolation exercise to build your shoulder width. Often referred to as lateral raises, these are the only exercise that focus almost entirely on the medial delts - just be careful not to raise your arms above parallel at the top of each rep as this can damage your shoulders' rotator cuffs. Don't overdo the weight, either - be sure you can finish each rep in strict form and opt for more reps, at least 12 - 15 reps per set.

Beyond training those 3 areas, be sure you're not carrying extra bodyfat around your middle as that will also detract from your v-taper. While that should go without saying, it's not unusual to see novice bodybuilders and fitness athletes still sporting those tell-tale 'muffin tops', so be sure you're not letting a few extra pounds of fat diminish your hard-won physique.

Hit the weights hard every time you're in the gym and enjoy the impact of your great v-taper back on the beach next summer!

D. Champigny is well known in the fitness world - he's a published fitness photographer, certified personal trainer, fitness author and publisher of the popular Flirting With Fitness website. For more help from Champigny, add him to your circles on Google+ today!

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Muscle Building Nutrition - Protein, Carbs, and Fat

Protein, carbs, and fat. You know you have to eat them, but what the hell do they do exactly? Here is an analogy to help you learn more about muscle building nutrition. Think of food like fuel for your car. There are many types of qualities, brands, and prices. The food you eat is your body's fuel. The better grade of fuel you give your body, the better your body will look. It will also run more efficiently and effectively. You can control your mood swings and hunger levels by eating high quality foods such as lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats.

Muscle Building Nutrition

All foods can be broken down into 3 categories; protein, carbohydrates, and fats. It is important to know why you do everything, and in this case, why you eat each macronutrient. Here is a simple breakdown of each macronutrient and what they do.

Protein

Muscle building nutrition starts with protein. It simply builds and repairs muscle. It is a necessity to your muscle building goals and you aren't going to grow without an ample amount of protein. "How much protein should I eat?" That is a question often debated but here is my take on it. Some sources of protein include chicken breast, turkey breast, ham, steak, tuna, salmon, and whey protein powders.

Carbohydrates

The 2nd ingredient of muscle building nutrition, carbohydrates are the body's main source of fuel and they simply give you energy. They can be broken down into 2 groups; complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates like vegetables, sweet potatoes, and oatmeal, are full of nutrients and are slower digesting. Simple carbohydrates like fruit and white potatoes are faster digesting. You should eat simple carbohydrates with a high-quality protein source before and after every weight training and cardiovascular training sessions in order to preserve and build as much muscle as humanly possible.

Carbohydrates play an important role in muscle building nutrition. What does that mean? You should never try to eliminate carbohydrates from your diet altogether. Instead, strive to eat the right types of carbohydrates at the right times of day. There aren't too many diets that I don't approve of but when it comes to completely dropping off carbs, that is something I would never recommend.

I did that once and it wasn't fun. I remember going on a walk with one of girlfriends and throughout that walk I felt like I was going to pass out. It's a good thing I didn't because we were a long ways away from home and she would have had to carry my ass all the way back LOL.

Anyway...

Carbohydrates have often been thought of as the "evil" macronutrient. So many people believe that eating carbohydrates after a certain time at night will make you gain fat because your body doesn't process them as well when you are sleeping.

On the other hand, many smart people (like you and me) believe that it doesn't matter when you eat carbohydrates because your body can handle them efficiently at any time of the day. So go ahead. Eat your carbs in the morning, afternoon, and any time in between. Consuming more calories than you burn is how you gain fat, not just by eating carbohydrates later at night. Check out the best way to lose body fat.

Eliminating carbohydrates after a certain time at night is an effective strategy, but not for the reason why many people believe so. If someone is conscious about their diet and eating habits, those excess calories tend to come from carbohydrates, and not from protein and fats. Let's say you stopped eating carbohydrates after 7 PM, and you didn't start eating them again until 7 AM the next day. That means there will only be 12 hours in the day to eat carbohydrates. By not eating carbohydrates later at night, you are limiting the total amount of time available to eat the one macronutrient that tends to be overeaten.

Fats

The last main ingredient of muscle building nutrition. Fats are an essential part of your diet and can be broken down into 2 categories; saturated and unsaturated. Saturated is often referred to as the bad fat while unsaturated is often referred to as the good fat. Compared to protein and carbohydrates, fats are more caloric dense having 9 calories per gram. Just like carbohydrates, never try to eliminate fats from your diet altogether. Fats are required for normal growth and development, they provide energy, they cushion the organs, and absorb vitamins such as A, D, E, and K. Strive to keep your fat intake from 20%-30% of your daily caloric intake.

Whew... that was fun (sarcasm)! Not gonna lie, talking about what each macronutrient does is probably my least favorite topic, but muscle building nutrition is important and you should know why you're eating protein, carbs, and fat. You've got this down, now it's time to move onto the juicy stuff!

Click here to learn all about the 3 worst muscle building mistakes that you are probably making.

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Proven Arm Muscle Building Techniques

Exercises to Build Arm Muscles

Three major muscle groups are the targets for arm muscle building: the biceps, the triceps, and the forearms. There are an abundance of different exercises and techniques that can be used for building arm muscle, but the following are the most frequently recommended arm building exercises.

Biceps

* Bicep Curls: These are great arm muscle building exercises that can be performed either sitting or standing. With one dumbbell held in each hand, and your palms facing toward the front, slowly lift the left hand up into the shoulder and lower it slowly to the start position. Repeat this step using the other hand.

* Preacher Curls: While sitting on a preacher bench with your upper arms resting on the bench, palms facing up toward the ceiling, ask someone to hand you a barbell. Lower it until your arms are straight on the preacher bench. Let your muscles stretch. Raise the barbell up to your shoulders and then lower it down very slowly to the start position.

* Bicep Concentration Curls: While sitting on the edge of a bench with your legs spread. Place a dumbbell between your legs on the floor. Reach toward the dumbbell with your left hand and hold it firmly. Touch your left elbow to the knee of your left leg while holding your right knee with your right hand to support your upper body. Slowly lift the dumbbell up to your chest and then lower it slowly to the start position.

* Bicep Incline Curls: Sit on an incline bench. With dumbbells held in both hands, hands held sideways, lift the weight up to your shoulders and then lower it slowly to the start position.

* Triceps Push Downs: Stand in front of an overhead pulley with a small bar attached to it. Determine what level of weight that you wish to push down. With your elbows bent and your palms facing down, hold the bar firmly in your hands and slowly push the bar down as you squeeze your triceps. Slowly release the force on the bar and let the bar rise up to the start position.

Triceps

* Triceps Dumbbell Extensions: While standing erect, take a dumbbell in your hand and stretch upwards. Bring the dumbbell downward in an arc to a position behind your head until you elbow is bent at a 90 degree angle, and return to the start position.

* Barbell Extensions: These exercises are quite similar to the Triceps Dumbbell Extensions, except you must hold a barbell with both hands, lift it upwards and then bring it back down in an arc behind your head until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle.

Forearms

* Wrist Curls: Nothing works the forearms better than wrist curls. Using a wrist curl machine, select the weight to be lifted. Hold the bar in your hand and lift it by moving the wrist upwards and bringing it back down to the original position. This exercise can be done with free weights, but using the machine is less liable to cause injury.

Arm Muscle Building Tips

* Exercises: Never do an exercise unless you know exactly how to perform it. Get the help of a professional trainer when planning your workout regimen and schedule, and then follow his advice. In the early stages of training for building arm muscles, use lighter weights. If you use weights that are too heavy you may not be able to balance yourself correctly and can cause an injury. Concentrate on high numbers of set with intense repetitions. This may not cause immediate muscle gain, but it will increase your muscle strength.

* Diet: A proper diet is one of the most important components of a good program for building arm muscle. Make sure that your diet includes plenty of protein rich foods, green vegetables, and essential fatty acids. Low calorie foods, low carbs, and salads are great. If possible, get a diet prepared uniquely for you by a registered dietitian.

* Sufficient Rest: Many people think that keeping a proper diet and proper exercise routine is all that is needed for arm muscle building. Not so. Rest is equally important. Your muscles don't grow when you're exercising. They grow, or heal and grow, when your body is resting. Try to get your eight hours of sleep each day, and nap whenever possible.

If your goal is to develop good arm muscles, then that should be the focus of your exercise routine, but don't restrict yourself to those muscles only. Exercise to benefit your entire body, but go the extra mile to reach your arm muscle building goals.

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How Muscle-Building Exercises Can Benefit Your Body

As they age, people's muscle tissue diminishes by about 3-4 pounds every ten years. If the person is desk-bound, over the same ten years he will gain as many pounds of fat. The top way to prevent such unwanted processes is regular workout sessions with the "irons." Why? The truth is, a single pound of muscle burns 50 more calories per day than does a pound of fat.

At first glance, fifty calories does not sound like much. Although, thinking about it, having increased five pounds of muscular weight, you would consume 500 calories each day more than usual. Try to envisage 2 men with similar body weight - eighty pounds. One of them - a bodybuilder, and the other - an ordinary man, far removed from sport and other physical endeavor. As regards the weight trainer, twenty kilograms of his body weight is muscle. He can thus burn a couple of thousand calories a day more than his inactive companion. In addition, an extra 500 calories burn out during training.

Some people think that aerobic exercise develops all the muscle groups. However, if you look closely, most cardiovascular methods pay little or no attention to the upper body. In fact, 65-70% of your muscle is concentrated there. And considering that an ordinary man between the ages of 25 and 65 will steadily lose about 40% of his strength, muscle building, again, is the superlative choice.

Another positive point for bodybuilding - energy saving. Scientists have determined that muscle builders burn nine times more fat than people who do cardiovascular exercise. Although aerobic workouts take more energy, strength exercises impart a more durable and long-lasting result. The burning of calories carries on long after the workout is over (even while you sleep), which does not happen after cardio exercise.

The same thing applies for the delivery of oxygen to the body. It turns out that oxygen saturation is directly associated with the intensity and duration of exercise. High-intensity training affords the athlete a long period of oxygen saturation. Furthermore, after such workouts, lipolytic activity dramatically increases fat-burning enzymes. Yet, after aerobic classes, strangely enough, this activity slows down!

Scientists have yet more proof that strength training increases the ability of muscles to take up blood glucose. Therefore, muscle building can help avoid age-related changes that could lead to diabetes.

Do you have a pair of adjustable dumbbells for your home gym workout?

Nothing beats a good adjustable dumbbell set for a full-body home gym workout. You'll find a full dumbbell exercise list at my website.

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Guide to Muscle Building for Beginners

If you are interested in building muscle and really want to tone up your body, then you can give yourself a great start with muscle building for beginners. By doing this you can build up your muscle building technique from the basics. Of course you need to push yourself but at the same time you are going to want to make sure that you don't start off with to advanced exercises and get disheartened early on by the lack of progress.

Motivation is a key part of muscle building, especially for beginners so it is vitally important that you get some early success to build up your motivation and energy towards exercise.

Here are a few steps that you are going to want to take.

Clean Out the Cupboards

The first step if you are looking to get into some muscle building for beginners is to clean out your cupboards, literally. You will probably be surprised at just what you will find as well as just how much of the food you have in there that is unhealthy. You are going to want to get rid of a lot of the salty and sugary foods you have, especially highly processed foods. A good guide to working out what is healthy and what is not, is to look at the ingredients list, if it is really long or has many items you can't pronounce it is best avoided.

Getting Into the Groove of Things

If you want to get into muscle building for beginners, you are going to need to start getting into the groove of things. This means that you are going to have to start exercising routinely on a regular basis; it is no good just doing it once or irregularly. You need to come up with a routine that you can work to and that you will enjoy, the best workouts are the ones you customize for yourself. If you are not used to working out, then you need to get motivated to do it, it doesn't matter what motivates you as long as it keeps motivating you, me and my wife use each other as motivation. Make sure that this is something that you are going to be willing to put the time into, the only way it will happen is if you do it for yourself, it is one of the biggest parts of muscle building for beginners.

The basics are to make sure you get a routine and regime you are comfortable with and you can enjoy. Push yourself as hard as you can without being silly. Sorting your diet out so it is balanced and gives you what you need is key. Finally staying motivated, if you're not motivated you will not be successful. Also don't be afraid to give yourself a pat on the back when you start achieving, success breeds success.

Learn more about Muscle Building using my website 24hr bodybuilding fitness.

Take action now and unlock your physical potential.

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