More and more women are getting into bodybuilding and like men, they, too, wish to get the strongest and toughest looking bodies possible. Unfortunately, many women avoid bodybuilding because they’re afraid that they’ll start looking manlier. These women are victims of the loads of myths out there of the effects of bodybuilding on the female body. We’ve busted some of the most known myths that are inhibiting women from getting the bodies that they really want.

Myth No. 1: I’ll Look Like a Man

Bodybuilding does develop muscle, but certainly will not add the masculinity factor. Women will definitely not look like male bodybuilders. Men produce lots more testosterone than women do, which is the main difference in anatomy of men and women. This chemical is that same component that lets men bulk up a lot. Women will only get muscle to this magnitude if they intentionally take testosterone supplements, so if you don’t take them, you’ve got nothing to worry about. Doing weight training doesn’t, in any way, turn women into men; it simply tones and sculpts the female body to the best possible shape.

Myth No. 2: I’ll Increase Breast Size

This is one of those myths that women would have wished to be reality, but sadly, it isn’t. Just like for men, bodybuilding helps take off the fat from the body while putting muscle in the place. This means that it might actually make the breast size smaller. If you want to avoid this, its important that a specific bodybuilding regimen is made specifically for females, as it will take into account all female characteristics. Women that train properly do not have to worry about losing mass in their breasts in the least.

Myth No. 3: I’ll Get Stiff

This is actually an odd myth if so many women didn’t believe it to be real. Many believe that weight training causes their body to stiffen and become muscle-bound knuckle draggers. This is an outrageous myth because bodybuilding will actually do the opposite: it will give you so much more flexibility and grace; its impossible to realize without witnessing.

Frankly speaking, there are tons of myths about female bodybuilding. Most of them are carried on by people who don’t have the will to keep their body in healthy condition and frankly, don’t know what they’re saying. If you want to develop your body to lead a healthier life while looking amazing, the best advice would be to consult professionals who know what they’re talking about. Do not ever give up a chance to appear and feel better just because of a dumb myth or two.

Most guys are already aware that if they want to get bigger and bulk up you need to do more than just your weightlifting workouts. You need to eat and you need to eat more, a LOT more. You need to have that calorie surplus for the energy to lift and also to build more muscle. But most of these guys probably also feel the pain of having to eat more not just in the body but also in the wallet. It can be quite expensive having to eat a lot more to have that calorie surplus. So if you’re going to have to spend more money on food it might be a good idea to get the best muscle building foods as far as quality but also price.

Every muscle building guide will tell you that protein is the number one thing you need for muscle building and the egg is the king for protein foods. It’s the highest rated protein food out there with a BV 100. Now when eating these eggs don’t forget the yolk as the yolk contains healthy fats and is also filled with protein.

For years many thought eating too many egg yolks is bad for your health but there’s nothing that says having 2 egg yolks a day does any harm to your health. If you eat a yolk for every 2 or 3 egg whites you should be fine. I always eat 2 whole eggs and after that I take the yolk out of every 3rd egg. And the good news is you can find a dozen eggs at some places for as low as a buck or two.

All the bodybuilders you see in the bodybuilding books have chicken breasts high in their list for what they eat. Chicken breasts are high in protein and very low in fat.

Fish is also good because of its protein and is filled with healthy fats. Tuna being the most popular because it seems to have the highest protein content, but salmon is a good alternative to add some variety. It can also be very cheap as you can get a can of tuna for only a dollar or 2 but its packed with a lot of protein.

The tastiest of the best muscle building foods would probably be beef. Beef is also filled with creatine. But it also contains saturated fat and cholesterol but having beef so it should be eaten in moderation, just like anything else.

Whey protein although not a real food is a great source of protein also. It’s best to take whey protein right after your weightlifting workouts. A note about supplements such as whey protein is to take supplements only when you’re short of calories or in the case of whey protein short in protein. Supplements are just that, they should only be used to supplement your diet.

A food many don’t have on their grocery lists is olive oil. The reason olive oil is great is because 1 tbsp is already 120 calories, so even if you’re full but still need some calories olive oil can easily help you hit that calorie goal.

Some other great muscle building foods that give you a lot of bang for your buck would include whole milk, peanut butter, olive oil, potatoes, oats, and bananas. Just remember if you’re not getting bigger from your weightlifting workouts than you need to take a closer look at your diet.

Creatine monohydrate is one of the most popular and commonly used sports supplements on the market. Creatine is research proven to be effective at building muscle mass when used in conjunction with proper training and diet.

When muscles are put under a high intensity stimulus adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is broken down into a waste product adenosine diphosphate (ADP). The energy released when the breakdown of ATP occurs powers the muscle contraction.

When ATP has been depleted the muscle can longer contract and must synthesize ATP stores to continue its contraction. The fastest method is by using creatine phosphate (CP). CP is broken down to release a phosphate molecule that bonds to the ADP turning it back into ATP. This allows the muscle to continue its exertion.

Why supplement with creatine?
Supplemented creatine increases the amount of CP within muscle tissue, therefore giving more ability to synthesize ATP. Related to bodybuilding and sports, supplemented creatine allows muscle to continue with a high intensity stimulus for longer periods, meaning more reps and sets performed. This further allows the bodybuilder to overload and create mew muscle growth.

How to supplement with creatine:
There are many different opinions as to the best way to supplement with creatine.

1) Taking creatine with simple sugars such as dextrose/maltodextrin will increase its uptake.

This is true, as taking simple sugars will create a spike in insulin levels when digested. As the creatine is consumed at the same time it is transported more quickly into muscle cells. However it must be noted than muscle cells can only store a limited amount of creatine and once saturated the body will excrete any surplus. Therefore taking creatine with simple sugars is not completely necessary. Taking pure creatine monohydrate (without sugars) will saturate muscle cells, albeit at a marginally slower rate.

Taking creatine with simple sugars is effective pre and post workout to enhance your performance and recovery, as this is when muscle cells are at their most responsive to ingested nutrients. Taking simple carbs will allow the creatine to be absorbed when needed most.

At other periods such as rest days there should be no need to consume creatine with simple sugars, as a continued supplementation programme of creatine should keep stores at their peak. Furthermore it is not completely necessary to take simple sugars with creatine, as a sustained period of supplementation will create muscle saturation

2) Creatine and loading phases:

Loading usually involves taking large doses of creatine for one week to quickly saturates muscles to their maximum, a typical loading phase would look like this:

20g per day for 7 days (split into 2 10g doses or 4 5g doses separated throughout the day.

5g per day for the remainder of the cycle.

It is not completely necessary to ‘load’ creatine. As mentioned before once creatine levels are at their peak no more can be stored. Taking a does of 5g-10g daily will after a short period saturate the muscle. ‘Loading’ creatine will obviously saturate muscle cells at a quicker rate however be sure to choose your creatine wisely as loading creatine mixed with simple sugars can give you in excess of 600Kcal daily. Taking this amount of simple carbohydrate outside of your training window may create fat storage.

Creatine is one of the popular supplements on the market today. It is attractive to elite athletes and weekend warriors alike for it’s potential muscle and strength-building benefits. But the question remains, does it work?

Open any fitness magazine today and look at the articles and advertisements. You will find advertisements for personal trainer certifications, workout video ads, articles that deal with strength training, and you’ll find tons of advertisements for nutritional supplements. I’d be interested to hear if you find a more popular strength-training supplement than creatine.

Creatine – aka creatine monohydrate – claims that it aids in the production of energy and can possibly stimulate muscle growth. Any supplement that promises to provide more energy and bigger muscles is going to be very popular. Just ask athletes, people who strength train or other denizens of your gym.

The most interesting element of the creatine story is that unlike the vast majority of ergogenic aids (performance enhancing), there is quite a lot of evidence that supports creatine supplementation. An important note is that there are also almost as many studies that present contrasting evidence.

Recently, studies have been published in the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research that present conflicting results. In a study done in 2006, “Creatine Supplementation and Multiple Sprint Running Performance,” the researchers concluded that when it comes to creatine supplementation “the expectations of many athletes are unlikely to be realized.”

Another study from 2006, “Effects of Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation on Body Composition and Strength Indices in Experienced Resistance Trained Women” found that creatine supplementation combined with 10 weeks of strength training may not improve strength or lean body mass any greater than training alone. But back in 2003 the review of existing creatine research titled, “Effects of Creatine Supplementation and Resistance Training on Muscle Strength and Weightlifting Performance” found that subjects increased their 1 rep maximum lift in the bench press exercise anywhere from 3 to 45%. As a result of this and other findings, the response to creatine was “highly variable.” Gee, ya think?

So what’s a consumer to do? How do you make up your mind about whether or not you use creatine?

That’s where I come in. Your friendly online personal fitness trainer and overall fountain of useful fitness tips! A little professional perspective along with a dash of anecdotal evidence might be useful in situations like this.

Here’s my position on creatine. Actually before my position on creatine, here’ s my general position on supplementation of all kinds. Regardless of what research indicates and/or what is claimed in advertisements, if you are not following a reasonably healthful lifestyle that includes proper, supportive eating habits, regular exercise and plenty of rest you will not get any real benefits from any supplements.

Regardless of if it’s Omega-3 oils, creatine, a multi-vitamin, whey protein, green tea or any other supplement you can shove down your gullet, if you aren’t making an effort in the areas of nutrition, exercise, and recovery you won’t derive any benefits from a pill, powder or herb.

Now back to creatine. I used creatine at least 3 different times over the past 10-12 years. One time I followed the loading program to the “T,” and the other times I winged it without regard to schedule and took it if I remembered, and sometimes if I forgot.

Creatine worked for me on all of these occasions. I definitely added size and strength in a relatively short period of time – say a couple of months – and did not suffer from any apparent side effects. In some circles there was the thought that creatine supplementation contributed to dehydration and cramps. I never experienced this and don’t know anyone who did.

When you saturate your muscles with creatine the muscles hold more water and become “volumized.” That’s fancy talk for “bigger.” Without getting into the boring details, there’s a lot of good stuff that muscles can do when they are volumized, most of which boils down to allowing the muscles to grow.

If you refer back to the review of creatine studies that I mentioned above, you’ll see where there is a mention that the creatine response is “highly variable.” One of the ways that you’ll know if you’re one of these “highly variable” types is if you gain about 8-12 pounds without making any other real changes to your diet. When I used the creatine, during the first month or so I added 8-10 pounds of what I felt was “good” weight, in that I was still able to wear a size 32 pair of pants.

Chances are if you’re not a highly variable type you won’t see this kind of weight gain, and the concomitant increase in strength.

Since late 2008, I have been following a creatine regimen again. By fine-tuning my training and loading/maintenance schedule, I feel the benefits from creatine without the weight gain I experienced in the past. If anything, I’m leaner than ever at a body weight of 205-pounds.

The bottom line here is to do your homework so that you know what you are putting into your body, and educate yourself as to the proper way to administer any of these supplements. Consult with your physician, an athletic trainer or the appropriate strength and conditioning professional before using any kind of ergogenic aid.

You may have tried to lose weight through many ways, but the Fat Burning Furnace system, designed by Rob Poulos, may be one that you haven’t tried and that you’re missing out on. And yet it works.

Rob investigated metabolic rates, and discovered that in some certain states, the body will burn fat, whether you’re on a treadmill or asleep in bed. What he calls it is the Resting Metabolic Rate. You have to raise it to burn fat – maybe thus the name Fat Burning.

There is no starvation, no pills, no low-carb or low-fat diets; you can eat all you want so long as at the end of the day you know how to burn it off.

This is the way the system works:

1. The main principle behind it is exercise and nutrition. You don’t have to spend hours and hours doing crunches in front of the TV or running the treadmill. All you need is a set of rapid exercises that you repeat on a daily basis at a certain speed to burn off extra calories that your body doesn’t need. You have to target the area that has the fat – if its belly fat, you need to find a way of exercising the belly for 30-35 minutes rapidly so that you work up your RMR to the point where you’re burning fat. Fortunately, because of the interconnectivity of muscles, exercising one part will often lead to inadvertently exercising another. The system outlines specific exercises that you should use.

2. The more rapidly you work a muscle, the higher you raise your RMR. The higher your RMR, the more fat you’re burning. On the first day, it might hurt after a little while and you’ll want to stop. But because with muscles, the more you work them the more they adapt, you’ll soon find that the rapid exercises are a breeze. And you’ll get even faster, getting to your RMR sooner and having more fat burnt off before your 35 minutes of exercise are up.

3. The exercises are designed to target a specific area of your body – most exercise regimens target more than one set of muscles but with this one, you get to work one the one and only set at a time. The adjoining muscles will benefit, but they are not the focus. The guide comes with pictures to aid you along, and you can continue to upgrade with instructions at your pace of comfort. If you get to the really high level, you get onto the Blowtorch Routine, the very highest and the fastest way to keep your weight in check.

4. Rob had in mind those who haven’t exercised in a long time when he wrote the manual. Don’t worry, you can ease into it. He describes sets of exercises that will let you gently get into the routine without hurting yourself.

5. You learn about nutrition – there are certain foods which are harder to burn than others. If you consume them, be ready to put in a little more effort at the exercise. Rob suggests meal plans and recipes that contain foods that are easy to get rid of.

Don’t give up on that extra tummy fat, or the fat thighs or wherever else you feel you’re packing more weight than you should. Give yourself a chance, and try a system that comes realistic – you don’t have to take any pills or supplements and you don’t have to starve yourself or deny yourself your favorite foods. All you have to master is a set of exercises that you do each day that will burn off extra fat.

The Fat Burning Furnace has been positively reviewed; many people say that it worked for them. Let it work for you too. All you’ll need is a mental commitment to the exercises and to follow the recommendations in the book and you should soon be able to step on the bathroom scales and come off with a happy smile!

For more weight loss tips please check out our website here

You will be able to answer this question yourself after you have read this review.

Fat Burning Furnace was created by Rob Poulos. You may have seen his other work, “Zero to Hero Fitness Program”…it was not too revolutionary, but let’s be honest he shared some very valuable advice.

However, what caught my attention was his attention to detail. He really understands his topic and shares it in such a manner that the non-body builder can grasp and follow.

Fat burning Furnace is a program developed for ever day people whose lifestyle does not permit them to spend hours preparing diet meals or visiting a gym.

Rob’s system is based on two principles:

• Firstly, that any person can lose weight by accelerating your metabolism.
• Secondly, that any individual can build lean muscle and lose fat by performing interval exercises for sixty (60) minutes per week.

Fat Burning Furnace Nutritional Approach

Rob’s fat burning system guides you step-by-step through every aspect of losing weight, explaining every aspect of his fat loss system in extreme detail. Rob deals in-depth with all the types of foods you should consider including in your meal plans to accelerate your metabolism and burn that unwanted fat away.

He provides his readers with a number of superior meal plans without becoming prescriptive. He rather provides you with a variety of alternatives as substitutes for your favorite foods, leaving enough room for individual creative meal plans.

Although Rob does not specifically address the issue of supplements he does promote some products.

Fat Burning Furnace Workouts

Rob explains in his fat burning guide exactly why he believes conventional cardiovascular exercises is not the ideal way to shed weight. He continues by revealing how interval training for twenty minutes, three times per week is an infinitely more efficient way of burning fat.

His guide contains a variety of exercises, both home exercises as well as circuit training. For every exercise, there is a set of instructions along with pictorial evidence, so that even a beginner to fitness can get started right away.

Rob Poulos doesn’t assume that you have any prior knowledge of fat loss strategies, plans or terminologies. He explains fat loss concepts in such a way that the average Joe Soap can understand them fully and utilize the fat loss techniques for years to come.

What’s included in the FBF Program?

Fat Burning Furnace includes:

• The 160-page Fat loss Blueprint in e-book format.
• An email coaching program for twelve months
• Ultimate fat loss Success Tool Kit
• Workout Logs to maximize fat loss
• Metabolic Rate Calculator
• Body Fat Percentage Analyzer
• Nutrient Rich Recipes for enhanced fat loss
• Free updates for 1 year

The Good and Bad of Fat Burning Furnace

After adding some weight during winter, my wife and I decided to try Rob’s Fat burning furnace. We were quite surprised with the results as I personally lost eight kilograms in five weeks, so let me lay out the facts. The fat loss guide consists of three parts.

The first part gives an introduction explaining why he believes in what he does. In the next part he explains his ideas and beliefs about exercising. My wife and I do some of rob’s recommended exercises, twice a week for 30 min. at a time, and found that more than sufficient.

Finally, he shares his knowledge and experience about proper nutrition. Like his other products, you quickly realize that this fat loss system is based on thorough research as he really delivers on the science and facts behind his ideas.

However, nothing worthwhile in life is achieved without effort. You still have to work hard at different aspect of his fat loss program. So, if you are serious about losing weight, and want to kick-start your metabolism and are prepared to follow the blueprint you will find Fat Burning Furnace a revolutionary blueprint for burning away that unwanted fat.

This Fat Burning Furnace system is not for everyone. Your average couch potato is not going to develop a six-pack abs with this. However, if you are really serious about losing weight and are already working out with little success, this rapid fat loss guide will render good results.

Now that you have all the facts at your fingertips, make sure you grab your free e-book on fat loss here.

Creatine has become mainstream back in 90′s and now it’s evolving to even a more potent supplement. It can help you gain lean muscle mass and indirectly help you lose body fat. Here are some commons questions and answers about creatine.

oExactly what is creatine anyway?

Creatine is a compound that occurs naturally in the human body or taken as a dietary supplement. The scientific term for Creatine is methyl guanidine-acetic acid. Creatine is composed of three amino acids – Glycine, Methionine, and Arginine. The human liver has the ability to combine these three amino acids and produce creatine. The other way we get creatine is from our diet/supplements.

oHow does creatine help with exercise?

Human muscles use ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) for anaerobic exercise (short burst exercises such as weight training). During anaerobic exercise ATP is broken down into two simpler chemicals inorganic phosphate and ADP (adenosine di-phosphate). This process of ATP breaking down into ADP releases the energy which gives your muscles the ability to contract. ATP stores only remain adequate for 10-15 seconds of maximum exertion however. After the ATP stores are exhausted the muscle will no longer be able to perform at maximum exertion.

Taking creatine supplements can create more fuel for the body through the following process. Most of the creatine stored in the skeletal muscle bonds with phosphorus (also stored in the muscles) which becomes creatine phosphate. Creatine phosphate then bonds to excess ADP stores (which would be otherwise useless) which creates ATP energy stores. Hence taking creatine will create more fuel for your muscles!

oIs creatine a prohormone/steroid?

No. Creatine will not alter with your testosterone/estrogen levels the way prohormones can.

oWhat Creatine Ethyl Ester HCI?

Creatine Ethyl Ester HCl is an exceptionally soluble creatine resulting in advanced absorption, increased bioavailability, and stability. Creatine ethyl ester directly penetrates the muscle cell resulting in 30 to 40 times more functional creatine.

oChad’s Testimony

I am a mixed martial arts competitor (ultimate fighter) getting ready for my debut fight in November. To aid with my training regimen I have been supplementing Creatine Ethyl Ester. My goal was to pack on some lean muscle mass to increase my metabolism and at the same time become stronger and more powerful.

In late July I weighed in at 175 lbs and my bodyfat was measured at 9.5%. I then spent the next six weeks concentrating to a serious weight resistance regimen and began taking Creatine Ethyl Ester before and after my weight training. I immediately felt the effects of this supplement as I was able to complete more repetitions and lift heavier weight in the gym. Every week I became stronger as I started lifting heavier weight than ever before. I noticed increased muscle mass all over my body, especially in my legs.

After six weeks of intense weight training I decided to take another bodyfat test. I physically felt much bigger and was a little hesitant to hear what my bodyfat % was. However I was pleasantly surprised! I weighed in at 178 lbs. My body fat had actually dropped to 6.3%. The trainer explained that I lost 5lbs of body fat and gained an incredible 8lbs of muscle. He later commented to me “I don’t need to write you a program….because whatever your doing….its definitely working.”

As it turns out my metabolism increased dramatically through weight training. My muscle gains were due to a combination of a solid weight resistance program, plenty of rest, proper dieting and the use of the right bodybuilding supplements. Creatine Ethyl Ester gave me an extra push to help me realize my optimal lean muscle gains.

For anybody looking to lose fat and gain muscle I would recommend focusing on a weight program (cardio is also important but often over emphasized). There is no substitute for hard work in the gym, proper dieting and plenty of rest (this last one is a common problem among hard gainers). If you are training vigorously I would recommend taking supplements for optimal performance. Make sure you research the supplements you are taking and try to find the best price possible. So far the best bodybuilding supplements / weight loss products store I’ve seen is http://www.discountanabolics.com and they offer inexpensive prices for creatine ethyl ester. I found them to be much less expensive than GNC and their customer service is excellent. They also had quick product delivery; it only took a couple days for my order to show up on my doorstep. If you are interested in bodybuilding supplements / weight loss products I would highly recommend check them out.

One of the most versatile and widely used supplements in the history of the health and fitness industry is creatine. It doesn’t matter if you are on a weight gain diet or you want to lose some fat, creatine monohydrate can aid your gains (and fat losses) in the gym. Creatine monohydrate supplements have been around for years because of one simple reason – creatine works!

Some of the most common benefits of creatine supplements are:

· Increased strength
· Slower onset of fatigue during exercise
· Less recuperation time
· Decreased muscle soreness
· Greater training intensity
· Better muscle pumps during training

Creatine supplements first started to gain serious attention in the early 90′s. Bodybuilders and fitness competitors were using creatine monohydrate supplements with much success to fuel their gains in the gym. Much attention was brought to creatine and nearly all supplement manufacturers quickly began to promote their own creatine supplements. You couldn’t open a bodybuilding or fitness magazine without seeing an ad for creatine.

So what is creatine monohydrate and how does it work?

Creatine is in actuality, an amino acid that is composed of three other amino acids – Arginine, Methionine, and Glycine. Many people do not realize it, but creatine is found in many of the foods we eat, particularly protein rich foods such as red meat, chicken and fish. However, the amounts found in these foods is so small, that you would need to eat large amounts of these foods every day in order to get a benefit from the creatine contained in them.

Creatine plays an essential role in the energy production process. Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is an energy source which plays a pivotal role in all aspects of energy production within the human body. ATP is the fuel source that muscles use to perform any type of work. However, ATP burns very rapidly so this energy doesn’t last long. That is where creatine monohydrate supplements come into play.

When ATP is used as a fuel source, it loses a molecule and becomes Adenosine Diphosphate (ADP). Creatine donates a phosphate molecule to ADP, allowing it to be used again as ATP. Essentially, with creatine you are allowing your muscles to reuse ATP as an energy source.

However, once ingested, pure creatine needs to bind with a phosphate molecule in order to be effective. If your body does not have this molecule available, the excess creatine is excreted and has gone to waste. On the flip side, if you ingest a creatine phosphate molecule, it will be too big to be absorbed by your body and this too will be excreted as waste. So in order to combat this effect, you should try to find a creatine monohydrate supplement that contains both creatine monohydrate with added phosphates. This will help to ensure that the creatine you ingest is used for additional energy and strength gains and not gone to waste.

Creatine monohydrate supplements have withstood the test of time. While it seems that many companies are testing new avenues with variations on creatine powders, liquid creatine and different incarnations of creatine, creatine monohydrate does not seem to be going anywhere. If you want an effective supplement that gets the job done, you can’t go wrong with creatine monohydrate.

When building muscles fast, there are a few things you must understand. Although, working out is a big part of gaining muscles, you also must perform a few other basic steps as well. So, what I’m going to share with you are 5 ways to build muscle fast.

Before I dive into the top 5 ways of building quality muscles, I’ll like to tell you that while trying to put on size, you need to be consistent on your efforts and honest with yourself. Now that I’ve gotten that out the way, let’s go over the top 5 ways.

Exercise

In order to put on muscle, you have to do the right exercises, or lifts, that will allow you to do that. The types of lifts you should focus on doing is compound lifts. These lifts consist of bench press, squats, military press, and deadlifts. These are the “mass building” lifts.

You should also do a few isolation lifts, such as bench flyes, tricep pulldowns, preacher curls, upright rows, and side lateral raises. And don’t forget to work on your abs, too.

Nutrition

In order to build muscle fast, you’ve got to be serious about your nutrition. It’s extremely important. You have to intake a lot of protein and carbohydrates (or carbs). You should consume at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day and at least 1.5 grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight per day.

An example of this would be if you weighed 170 pounds, you should consume at least 170 grams of protein per day and at least 255 grams of carbs per day.

A few foods you should add to your meal plan is steak, chicken breast, turkey, tuna, salmon, and eggs for protein. And for carbs you should eat pasta, oatmeal, fruits, rice, and potatoes.

Supplements

You probably won’t get this information anywhere else, but you should consider taking supplements. One of the supplements you should consider taking is whey protein. It’s essential for building muscles fast. Also, you could take vitamins, amino acids, glutamine (an amino acid), and creatine.

These are great mass building supplements and will help you build muscle fast and safely.

Pre-Workout Meal

Pre-workout meal is important for muscle growth. You don’t want to hit the gym without properly fueling your muscles. So, before you workout, you should consume about 20-40 grams of protein (whey protein shake, tuna, chicken, or turkey) and about 40-60 grams of complex carbohydrates (apples, oatmeal, banana, or brown rice).

Post-Workout Meal

As noted above, supplements are important. So, post-workout is one of the most critical times when it comes to building muscles. Make sure you drink about 40 grams of whey protein (roughly 2 scoops) and about 50-80 grams of simple carbohydrates (baking potato, honey, powerade, or white bread with jelly).

Also, you should add some bcaa (amino acids), glutamine, and creatine to this power drink and consume it immediately after your workout.

These are the top 5 ways to build muscle fast. Make sure you eat, train hard, and rest. When you do, you’ll add on some serious muscle mass.

Although most people have heard that it is important to lift with their legs and avoid lifting while bent forward at the waist in the home or work setting, this advice seems to suddenly be forgotten in the context of weight lifting for exercise. Even some certified personal trainers, who really should know better, sometimes instruct their clients to do exercises that place the low back in jeopardy.

The basic rule for lifting things at work or at home is the same as the rule for lifting weights – avoid lifting while you are bending forward at the waist. To be faithful to this safe lifting rule, some weightlifting exercises should always be avoided. While it is true that exercises like straight legged dead lifts can promote the development of specific muscles, they tend to be extremely damaging to the lumbar intervertebral discs.

Although muscles will become stronger and more developed the more you work them, the spinal discs actually get structurally weaker the more mechanical stress you place on them. It’s not worth developing muscles at the risk of causing a disc herniation. After all, the inactivity that will follow a disc injury is going to wipe out any muscle development you’d get from bad exercise choices anyway.

It’s easy to see how certain weightlifting exercises violate the “don’t bend at the waist” rule. Exercises like the aforementioned straight legged dead lifts and the classic exercise, “Good Mornings” where you bend forward with a weight bar across your shoulders are obviously not good choices if you want to avoid a low back injury, but there are a few exercises that might not be so obvious as to their potential to damage the low back.

One of these is the popular standing bicep curl. Now, there’s actually nothing wrong with this exercise when done with proper form. The trouble is, a large number of weight lifters will often attempt to lift much more weight than they are actually able to (this is an especially common phenomenon among male weight lifters, particularly in settings where they may wish to show off for others who may be watching).

With standing bicep curls, the common “cheat” to lift more than your capabilities is to do what I call the “lean and jerk” (not to be confused with the powerlifting event, the clean and jerk). Basically, the lean and jerk consists of leaning forward with the weight and then quickly jerking backwards with the torso to build up momentum on the weight to be able to complete the curl. Even if you are only bending forward a few degrees, that is all it takes to distribute unbalanced pressure on the intervertebral discs in the lumbar spine of the low back, especially if you are holding a heavy weight. In addition to the pressure placed on the discs, the sudden backward jerk with the torso can easily tear muscles and ligaments along the spine. So, the bottom line here is if you want to do curls, choose an appropriate amount of resistance and do the exercise with proper form.

One popular weightlifting exercise that breaks the safe lifting rule (but without being initially obvious about it) is the seated row machine. Some seated row machines have a support that goes against the chest and reduces stress on the back, but those that don’t have considerable potential for misuse that can easily injure the low back.

As with the “lean and jerk” maneuver to cheat when doing bicep curls, many individuals will try to use too much weight on the row machine and wind up getting pulled forward (bending at the waist), on the eccentric (relaxation) phase of the exercise. So, the exercise winds up being one of the weight pulling the torso forward, and the lifter jerking backwards as he or she performs the row. Once again, there’s nothing wrong with seated rows per se, even on machines without the chest support, but when done with improper form and too much weight, they are a back injury waiting to happen.

In summary, it’s very important to avoid lifting any weight in a way that requires you to bend forward at the waist, and for all other exercises to use a reasonable amount of weight for your level of ability and to use proper lifting form at all times.