focus on posture and balance, you help align both your posture and your body in general. Before you begin your bodybuilding exercise program, you\’ll need to have proper posture. Because most professional bodybuilders have good posture, their programs may not concentrate on this particular feature. However, if your posture is good, you can look more fit simply because of the way you hold yourself.

When you are engaging in a bodybuilding exercise program, you also need to make sure that your shoulders are stable. If they\’re not, you could injure yourself. If you injure your shoulders, you could find yourself in pain because you did things wrong. This is something you don\’t want, of course, and assuming the proper techniques will assure that you don\’t have this problem.

Another thing you\’ll need for proper bodybuilding exercise is core stability. Core stability helps protect your lower back by strengthening your core muscles. Doing things wrong could cause you a lifetime of lower back pain. Therefore, if you\’ve been engaging in bodybuilding workouts and you find you have lower back pain, stop. Those workouts are designed for people who already have core stability. Stabilize your core before you begin a weight-training program to help you gain weight. If you don\’t, you\’ll only risk injuring yourself.

The right bodybuilding exercise program will also help make you flexible and focus on the training that\’s right for your particular body type. You are going to need both your lower and upper body flexible. You cannot be stiff before you begin to work out or you can injure yourself. Therefore, you\’ll need to stretch and warm up, again with exercises perfect for your body type, to give you maximum flexibility and therefore lower your risk of injury.

You might also find that you have parts of your body that are more developed than others. This is normal, but it will need to be corrected. You\’ll need to have a bodybuilding exercise program that focuses on all muscles of your body equally so that none are more developed than others. Having parts of your body overdeveloped while the parts are underdeveloped can make the overdeveloped parts work harder and can cause injury. This also slows you down when it comes to getting in your best shape.

In addition to building muscle mass, you\’re also going to need to work on cardiovascular conditioning. Muscle mass is great because it can make you look toned and healthy, but conditioning your heart and lungs is just as important. Cardiovascular exercise is going to help keep you from injury and help keep you healthy while you gain the weight you need by engaging in the rest of your bodybuilding exercise program, where you add muscle. Remember that cardiovascular conditioning is just as important as building visible muscle, though.

Before you begin any bodybuilding exercise program, make sure you do your homework and choose just the right program for you. You\’ll need exercises that will help you work of posture, core stability, stabilizing shoulders, increasing flexibility, and focusing on overall conditioning, too. If you do things right, you can have lean, sexy muscles, or you can have bulky muscles, as long as you learn the right techniques based upon your body type.

Muscle Building Aminos – An Overview

The amino acids found in food make up proteins and are absolutely vital for life. When digested they are used to build and form new tissue and cells that are essential for all living things. In humans these proteins are used to build and maintain the skin, eyes, heart, muscles, bones etc.

As amino acids are so important for life itself it is beneficial to know a little bit more about how amino acids work and how they affect muscle building.

There are 20 standard amino acids, of which 8 are known as essential amino acids. These aminos cannot be synthesised by the body and must therefore be consumed as part of our diet. The other 12 amino acids are known as non-essential as they can be synthesised if not consumed in a regular diet.

As 8 amino acids are essential it is important to know exactly what these are and what foods contain them if you want to get the most out of your diet and supplement regime.

Eating a balanced diet is always the first step to being generally healthy and reaching your specific goals of building muscle or losing fat and this is no different to attaining your amino acids. However the following 8 amino acids are of particular importance:

Branched Chain Amino Acids

The three branched chain aminos are Leucine, Valine and Isoleucine. Branch chain aminos make up roughly 1/3rd of skeletal muscle and are the most important amino acids in the manufacture and maintenance of muscle tissue.

Leucine

Leucine has been shown to increase protein synthesis when taken as an individual supplement post workout. Research has studied the effects of carbohydrate, carbohydrate & protein and carbohydrate, protein & leucine post workout. It was shown that the carbohydrate/protein/leucine supplement increased protein synthesis and reduced muscle breakdown to a greater extent than either of the other two supplements.

Isoleucine

Isoleucine is very similar to leucine. Isoleucine promotes muscle recovery, regulates blood-sugar levels and stimulates HGH release.

Valine

Valine works in conjunction with the other BCAAs to help build and preserve muscle tissue.

Lysine

L-Lysine is a necessary building block for all protein in the body. L-Lysine plays a major role in calcium absorption, building muscle protein, recovering from surgery and the body’s production of hormones, enzymes, and antibodies. Lysine maintains a positive nitrogen balance in the body creating an anabolic (muscle building) environment. Lysine can be found in spinach, eggs, meat and poultry.

Histidine

Histidine is a precursor to histamine, a compound released by the immune system when an allergic reaction occurs. Histidine also protects nerve health and is essential for the growth and repair of tissue. Most normal individuals attain enough Histidine through their normal diet.

Histidine is also a precursor to carnosine biosynthesis; the only other amino acid is for this is beta-alanine. Histidine is therefore very important for carnosine production. An increase in carnosine levels can boost the buffering capacity of muscle by 20%, which in turn dramatically increases muscular performance and work capacity because of the delay of muscular fatigue.

Histidine can be found in dairy, meat, poultry, fish and wheat amongst others.

Phenylalanine

Phenylalanine improves mood, memory and general motivation. Phenylalanine also eventually increases levels of dopamine, norepinephrine (noradrenaline), and epinephrine (adrenaline) through its convertion to L-Tyrosine in the body. These are powerful neurotransmitters needed for normal operation of the nerve system.

Phenylalanine also helps manufacture glutamine; important for muscle growth. Phenylalanine can be found naturally in dairy, almonds, seeds and avocados amongst others.

Methionine

Methionine is an important amino acid to bodybuilders. Methionine aids in the breakdown of fats and can lead to increased testosterone production. Methionine also decreases levels of fat in the bloodstream potentially decreasing adipose tissue (fat tissue). Methionine is also one of three (with arginine and glycine the other two) amino acids that make up creatine in the body.

Methionine can be found in eggs, meat, fish and lentils

Threonine

Threonine is used in the function of the immune system and the production of antibodies. Threonine is also used to form collagen and elastin; two very important binding substances.

Threonine can be found in dairy, meat and eggs

The non-essential amino acids

Not all the non-essential amino acids will be mentioned but simply an overview of the most important for bodybuilding purposes.

Glutamine

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acids in the body and as such is involved in more metabolic processes than any other amino. As glutamine is involved in metabolic processes (the rate at which building or wasting processes occur) it is of particular importance to bodybuilders.

Here are some of the benefits of glutamine:

A substrate for DNA synthesis Major role in protein synthesis Primary source of fuel for enterocytes (cells lining the inside of the small intestine) Precursor for rapidly dividing immune cells, thus aiding in immune function Regulation of acid-base balance in the kidney by producing ammonium Alternative source of fuel for the brain and helps to block cortisol-induced protein catabolism

Glutamine therefore is very important for overall health and the preservation of muscle tissue. But glutamine is non-essential so do we need to supplement with it?

Glutamine Pros & Cons

Glutamine is non-essential so it is already produced in the body when needed – so why supplement with extra glutamine? Further to this, glutamine is also used as a fuel source around the body, in fact sometimes more readily than some simple sugar carbohydrates. Therefore the body will just use supplemented glutamine as energy rather than storing it or using it for the processes named above.

Do we need to supplement with glutamine at all? During a bulking phase probably, well let’s say more than probably, not. During a bulk excesses of food are eaten so there is a more than plentiful supply of glutamine in the body.

However during a phase of dieting glutamine may be beneficial. During a diet carbohydrates will be low and glutamine can be used as a source of fuel therefore sparing muscle protein to be used as energy. The result is prevention of muscle breakdown whilst losing bodyfat.

To summarise, glutamine can be a beneficial supplement when used correctly and wisely, just like all other supplements.

Arginine

Arginine is the immediate precursor of nitric oxide, urea, ornithine and agmatine and is necessary for the synthesis of creatine. For being a precursor of NO, (relaxes blood vessels), arginine is used in many conditions where vasodilation is required. An increase in nitric oxide levels has become widely known as ‘the pump’, where blood flow is substantially increased to muscle tissue creating muscle fullness and a pumped feeling.

Supplemental L-arginine in high doses is used to increase blood flow to muscles, which in turn can boost nutrient uptake, decreasing recovery times.

Arginine also plays an important role in hormone production including growth hormone (GH).

Arginine can be found in cottage cheese, milk, beef, poultry, salmon, shrimp, tuna, wheat, oats, nuts and seeds. However to attain the extreme effects of vasodilation arginine supplements must be taken due to the highly concentrated dose.

HMB

Beta-Hydroxy beta-methylbutyric acid (HMB), or beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate, is a metabolite of the amino acid leucine and is synthesized in the human body. It plays a part in protein synthesis. Similar to all of the non-essential amino acids, HMB does increase protein synthesis and can be used to spare muscle protein from being degregated in a glycogen depriced state (diet). Therefore HMB supplements would only be recommended in a cutting phase.

Conclusion

As you can see, the essential amino acids are just that, essential. These need to be consumed on a regular basis in both a bulking and cutting phase. For everyone that eats meat on a regular basis you will be eating ‘complete proteins’ but for all you vegetarians be sure to rotate your sources of food as plant sources never contain complete proteins and therefore not all amino acids.

In respect to some specific aminos such as L-arginine, L-glutamine and HMB there is some evidence that they will prevent muscle breakdown during a cutting phase, however their effectiveness during a bulk and the subsequent overeating of protein that occurs is somewhat unproven.

The benefits of BCAAs are undoubted. Taking BCAAs post workout has been shown to stop muscle breakdown from activity and start muscle building quicker than not taking them.

In respect to building muscle and keeping it the main point you have to remember time and time again is that amino acids come from eating protein. Eat enough protein and the aminos will do their job; even though this is a blunt statement it holds true. Where supplemental amino acids excel is the extra few percent that can build slightly more muscle mass during a bulk and preserve slightly more muscle mass during a diet. In the long term this may add up to significant gains.

Starting a fitness program with the right fitness equipment is a wise decision. This is one of the steps in attaining a lifestyle that is fit and healthy. The first thing you have to concern yourself with is the selection of the type of training you want. This basically boils down into home based training versus gym based training.

If you want to keep up with the trend, you should go with home based training. These days, more people prefer to have their very own gym as opposed to enlisting membership in commercial gyms, spas, or workout clubs. This is because home gyms provide more convenience; you can workout anytime you want and without any fee. What’s more, you can assure that with a home gym, you can use the equipment without having to wait for your turn – and in private. On the other hand, commercial gyms, spas, and workout clubs can be a source of social interaction. You can meet various kinds of people and perhaps create solid and lasting relationships. They are also a great option if you want to leave your home for a change of scenery and atmosphere or just to get the feel of proper training.

Whatever type of training you choose, whether home based or gym based, the type of fitness equipment you will purchase should depend on the goal of your training. This time, your choices boil down to three: bodybuilding, weight loss, and cardiovascular training. For bodybuilding, which includes muscle building, the fitness equipment you need include weight lifting equipment, free weights sets, dumbbells, crunch machines, abdominal machines, abdominal straps, abdominal boards and rockers, and different kinds of benches. You can also use lat machines, leg press machines, calf machines, chest toners, inversion tables, arm equipment, and gym racks. For weight loss, you can use fitness equipment such as waist trimmers, support belts, thermal suits, yoga mats, and other yoga products.

Building the muscles is an endeavor that must not be taken lightly. Some people use only bodybuilding equipment, but the truth is that better results await those who use cardiovascular training equipment, which both serve bodybuilding and weight loss purposes. Thus, if what you want is to build your muscles, you should buy fitness equipment that are usually used in cardiovascular training, apart from those used primarily for bodybuilding, such as treadmills, trampolines, elliptical trainers, rowing machines, exercise bikes (and teracycles, if you wish), and steppers. These pieces of equipment can be used for a wide array of cardiovascular training exercises, including walking, jogging, running, cycling, swimming, rowing, step aerobics, and a whole lot more. With cardiovascular training equipment, you can train not just your cardiovascular system but enhance the results of your bodybuilding training as well; your muscles will become more defined and noticeable.

Now you know what you have to purchase. Start building your muscles and trek the road to a fit and healthy lifestyle now by buying the fitness equipment you need. You can browse through a number of sites here on the Internet and get discounts for bulk or combo orders.

The absolute number one most important factor to building muscle is to have the correct bodybuilding diet plan.  It does not matter if you are now a 98 pounder just starting out, or an experienced, ripped expert – your diet contributes is at least 60% to your success or failure when building a lean body.

You may think you understand nutrition the way you should, and you may think that a bodybuilding diet plan should be radically different that a plan that a normal person would use- nothing could be further from the truth.

Good nutrition is good nutrition, no matter what your level of physical activity.  Don’t fall into the trap that many who are working at building muscle fall into – you need a balanced diet and slow, steady progress regardless if you are working at building muscle or not.

Over use of supplements can be hard on your kidneys and liver – also be careful about your protein intake as a percentage of your total calories.  You need carbs, protein and fats in the right balance to build healthy muscle tissue.

The right bodybuilding diet plan is really the same as any good diet plan – balanced, safe and focused on long-term, steady progress.  Follow this common-sense advice and you’ll see the ultimate results you are looking for.

Disclaimer: This article is based on information freely available in the popular press and medical journals that deal with health. Nothing herein is intended to be or should be construed to be any sort of medical advice. For medical advice the reader should consult with his or her physician or other medical specialist.

talks hypertrophy in this extract from his textbook Supertraining, as taken from health.groups.yahoo.com/group/supertraining – of which the best posts are listed at melsiff.com

HYPERTROPHY & STRENGTH

OPTIMUM, NOT MAXIMUM, HYPERTROPHY

In both Olympic lifting and powerlifting, optimal and not maximal hypertrophy

is a central feature of the game, unlike bodybuilding where it does not

matter whether one is relatively weak or strong with reference to one\’s

bodymass. All that matters is well-defined, symmetrical muscle bulk in

bodybuilding, but in the lifting sports, your size and impressiveness of

appearance earn you scant respect – all that counts is what you lift.

Optimal hypertrophy means continuing to develop building muscle only as long

as that extra bulk continues to provide you with significant increases in

strength and power. If you add 10kg to your bodymass and your total

increases by only 5kg in a higher bodymass division, then your relative

strength has decreased and that added hypertrophy is wasted on you.

This is a serious problem in contact sports such as football where the common

belief is that virtually any form of added mass is good for the game

(especially defensive players), whereas in reality it would be a lot better

if the added bulk was mainly solid, functional muscle which added strength,

power, speed and agility.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF HYPERTROPHY

Research from Russia even suggests that there are two different types of

muscle hypertrophy: sarcomere hypertrophy (of the actual contractile

components) and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy (of non-contractile proteins and

semifluid plasma between the muscle fibres), with the latter type of

hypertrophy being more in evidence in bodybuilding (Siff M C “Supertraining”,

2000, Ch 1.13).

MUSCLE GROWTH & PERFORMANCE

To provide some more relevant information on this important and controversial

topic, I have included this fairly lengthy extract from “Supertraining” (pp

67-69) for those who may be interested:

Other research has found that hypertrophied muscle fibres need a

significantly larger tissue volume to perform a given amount of work. With

the development of non-functional muscle bulk (sarcoplasmic hypertrophy), the

increase in muscle mass outstrips the development of the circulatory system,

resulting in decreased nutrition and oxygenation of the muscle, slowing down

the metabolic processes in the muscle and less efficient disposal of

metabolic waste products from the musculoskeletal system (Zalessky &

Burkhanov Legkaya Atletika 1981: 1-7).

Furthermore, adaptation occurs more slowly in connective tissue (such as

tendons and ligaments) than in muscle and any increased tension made possible

in the musculotendinous complexes by the increased muscle mass can cause

damage to these structures (Zalessky & Burkhanov, 1981). Thus, excessive

hypertrophy usually leads to slower muscle recovery after exercise,

deterioration in speed, speed-strength and speed, as well as an increased

incidence of injury.

THE ENERGY COSTS OF TOO MUCH HYPERTROPHY

This might suggest that all muscle fibre hypertrophy lowers work capacity.

Hypertrophy is an adaptive response to physical stress and does offer the

benefit of increased mitochondrial surface area, which provides for more

efficient energy processes than would an increased number of mitochondria.

With a rapid increase in loading, the size of the mitochondria continues to

increase markedly, but their number decreases and the concentration of ATP

drops, thereby diminishing the partial volume of the contractile myofibrils.

The resulting energy deficit soon inhibits the formation of new structures

and the decreased amount of ATP stimulates various destructive processes

associated with decrease in the number of myofibrils. This process is

referred to as irrational adaptation.

Growth of any living structure is related to the balance between its volume

and its surface area. When muscle hypertrophy occurs, the surface of the

fibres grows more slowly than their volume and, this imbalance causes the

fibres to disintegrate and restructure in a way which preserves their

original metabolic state (Nikituk & Samoilov, 1990).

It would appear that light and medium increases in loading require less

energy, facilitate cell repair, minimise the occurrence of destructive

processes and stimulate the synthesis of new, non-hypertrophied cellular

structures. Medium loads applied with a medium rate of increase in loading

produce intense muscular development, the process in this case being referred

to as rational adaptation.

The fact that conventional isometric training improves performance in static,

rather than dynamic, exercise may be due to the different structural effects

of isometric training on the muscle fibres, muscle cells, connective tissues

and blood capillaries.

MORE ON OPTIMAL HYPERTROPHY

This work seems to corroborate the hypothesis referred to earlier that there

may be an optimum size for muscle fibres undergoing hypertrophy (MacDougall

et al, 1982; Tesch & Larsson, 1982). The importance of prescribing

resistance training regimes which produce the optimal balance between

hypertrophy and specific strength then becomes obvious. Thus, it is not only

prolonged cardiovascular training which can be detrimental to the acquisition

of strength, but multiple fairly high repetition sets of heavy bodybuilding

or circuit training routines to the point of failure may also inhibit the

formation of contractile muscle fibres.

Therefore, it is vital to monitor regularly changes in muscular structure and

function alongside changes in size and mass. In most cases the taking of

biopsies is not possible or financially practical, so that indirect

assessment of the adaptive processes is necessary. Increase in hypertrophy

of a given muscle zone may be assessed from muscle girth and skinfold

thicknesses at that site, while factors such as relative strength, maximal

strength and the strength deficit (see “Supertraining”, Ch 1) serve as useful

indicators of functional efficiency.

INDISCRIMINATE WEIGHT TRAINING

Bosco (1982a) cautions against the indiscriminate use of resistance training

that typifies much of the \’cross training\’ prescribed with weights and

circuits by Western personal trainers and coaches. He emphasizes that,

although heavy resistance training serves as a powerful stimulus for the

development and hypertrophy of both ST and FT fibres, the invaluable role

played by FT development can be impaired by the accompanying growth of ST

fibres, because the latter appear to provoke a damping effect on FT

contraction during fast movement.

This is due to the fact that, during high speed shortening of muscle, the

sliding velocity of ST fibres can be too slow and therefore, may exert a

significant damping effect on the overall muscle contraction. He concludes

that the central role played by the storage and release of elastic energy by

the connective tissues of the muscle complex should never be ignored in sport

specific training programmes.