Often times, men do not realize that there is more to muscle building than just lifting weights. In order to develop that rock-hard six pack abs and keep it around, you have to incorporate all aspects that go into strength training and endurance. By doing this, you ensure that you not only look good on the outside but you also feel good on the inside.
One of the most effective ways improve overall health and well - being is exercise. Yet, in our increasingly sedentary way of life, almost every task can be performed electronically. Exercising and being physical can be something of a challenge to promote.
In reality, everyone should exercise, yet in reality, only 30 % of the United States adult population gets the recommended thirty minutes a day of physical activity, and the remainder are not active at all.
Couch potatoism is thought to be one of the key reasons for the surge of type 2 diabetes in America, because being a couch potato and lugging around too many extra pounds both promote insulin resistance and life-threatening diseases.
The good news is that it is never too late to begin moving. For people who are already candidates for some serious diseases like diabetes and heart disease, exercise and physical fitness can improve the condition of many vital parts of the human body, like insulin sensitivity. It alsos lower the risk of infection and promotes weight stability.
If you are already physically fit or are dead-set on becoming so, you probably want to build muscle density and strength. You also probably have some sort of workout routine or schedule in place. More than likely, that program focuses on old school rules, which have since been determined to be myth. See if any of the following old-school rules (myths) sound familiar.
1. Rule of 12 Repetitions
Most time-honored muscle building programs include the 12 repetitions rule for gaining muscle. The truth is, this approach does not provide muscles with enough tension for adequate muscle gain. High-tension comes from heavy weights that encourage the muscles to grow larger, leading to maximum gains. Having a longer period of tension boosts muscle size by strengthening the structures around the muscle fibers, thus improving endurance.
The standard ratio of eight to twelve repetitions provides a balance, but you do not achieve the greater tension levels that are provided by heavier weights and lesser reps, and the longer tension periods that result from lighter weights and more repetitions. Adjust the number of reps and amounts of weight to stimulate all types of muscle growth.
2. Rule of 3 Sets
The truth is, nothing is wrong with 3 sets, but then again, it isn't anything to brag about either. The number of sets you do should be based on your reaching your goal at a steady pace and not on an idea that just doesn't fit with today's lifestyle. The more repetitions you do, the fewer sets you should do, and the opposite is also true.
3. Groups of Exercises
The old-school rule is to do 3 or 4 exercises that work one group of muscles each day, alternating muscle groups throughout the week. This is a flat-out waste of time. Three sets of 12 reps equals 144 total number of reps. If you are doing this many reps for an entire group of muscles, you're not doing enough. Instead, concentrate on each single exercise by doing 30 to 50 reps. You can break that up into 3 to 5 sets.
The best way to organize the weight lifting part of muscle building is to make a list of exercises and perform each one, down the line. Do as many different exercises as you have time for in a day. Begin the next session where you left off on the list.
4. Knees and Toes Line-up
It is a myth that you should not let your knees go past your toes. It is probably true that leaning forward a little too much is likely to cause an injury of some sort. But, hip stress increases ten-fold when movement of the knee is restricted. Squatters who restrain their knees during a squat, force the strain to transfer to the lower back.
Focus on your upper body position and less on the knee. Keep your torso in an upright position as much as possible when doing squats and lunges. This reduces the stress generated on the hips and back. To help you stay upright, squeeze the shoulder blades together and hold them in that position; and then as you squat, keep the forearms 90-degree angle to the floor.
5. Focus on Abs
Another myth claims that a weight lifter should focus on tightening the abs during all exercises. This is nonsense and dangerous. Muscles automatically work to stabilize the spine, and the important muscle group changes according to the type of motion. Forcing your muscles to work in a way that goes against their natural stabilization can cause serious back injuries.
The transverse abdominal muscles are not always the focal muscle group. Actually, for most exercises, the body automatically activates the muscle group that is needed most for support of the spine. So, if you focus only on the transverse abdominal muscles, you can recruit the wrong muscles and restrict the correct ones. This out-of-date practice increases the chance of injury, and ultimately reduces the amount of weight that you can lift.
Keeping a good focus on your physical state is important but not to the point of obsession. Remember that there is more to being physically fit than your outward appearance. Fitness is having the ability to perform normal, everyday tasks without becoming fatigued. It also means having energy in reserve to use when you need it. Without a doubt, overall fitness should be the primary goal for every human and no one is beyond improvement.
Your overall fitness can be improved by incorporating aerobic exercises with muscle building. In fact, there is three components to overall fitness that every man should focus on. These are cardiovascular workouts, muscle building or strength training and, of course, these should be combined with a healthy diet. This becomes more true as the body ages.
Aging causes a decrease in muscle mass of five to seven pounds of muscle for every ten years of one's age. Fortunately, there is a good anecdote to this. Muscle mass can be increased through muscle building and other strength training exercises.
Flexibility exercises, muscle building and cardiovascular workouts all lend a hand in improving your overall fitness level. But, of the three, cardiovascular exercises are the most vital to muscles and internal organs. So if your time is strictly limited, opt for cardio instead of lifting weights. Another important part of overall fitness is a proper diet.
You should eat whole, natural foods 5 or 6 times per day instead of large amounts in one to three meals. Always keep nutrition in mind when shopping and make a list before going to the store. This will help ensure that you get the right types of nutrients that your body needs. Always keep the three important macronutrients in the proper ratio; these are fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Prioritize proteins, then carbohydrates but never exclude any one of the three like some fad diets suggest.
The Ideal Fitness System shows you how to blast away the fat to reveal defined pecs, nice guns and rock-hard abs - the right way. It is designed especially for those men who don't want to spend all their free-time in a gym. You really will discover the cardio secrets that blast away fat, muscle building tips that get you ripped in less time and the diet secrets you never knew. Go to http://ideal-fitness-system.info today. What have you got to lose, besides man-boobs and a body that women laugh at?
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