Natural Bodybuilding - Top 5 Tips To Gain Muscle Mass

Many new bodybuilders have failed to put on large muscle mass because they have been led to believe that in order to look like a professional bodybuilder they must find some secret workout routine, or take some super pill or miracle muscle milk powder.

While there is no secret to building massive muscles, there are many important things you need to know, many of which you just can't get from reading a book. Let's take a look at some of the reasons why you may be struggling putting on muscle.

Top 5 tips to gain muscle mass:

1. You can't do it alone - Try to find a successful bodybuilder who is willing to mentor you. One way to do that is to join a gym and just start meeting people and building relationships with them. Just remember to be polite and don't get in the way. Most bodybuilders are more than willing to share how they got so big as long as it doesn't interfere with their workout.

2. Knowing your body type - If you don't know your body type you can be at a huge disadvantage. Naturally skinny people can have trouble gaining any significant weight no matter what they eat. In the 1940's Dr. William H. Sheldon developed the theory that our human bodies are divided into three main categories. He referred to them as the ectomorph, the endomorph and the mesomorph. Basically the ectomorph is a naturally skinny person who has trouble gaining weight, whether in the form of muscle or fat and the endomorph has just the opposite problem. The mesomorph is the naturally muscular person. They have a higher metabolism and make excellent bodybuilders.

3. The Wining Attitude - Most bodybuilders I know are dedicated to their sport and spend considerable amount time learning about the human body, health and nutrition. They stay abreast of modern advances in Technology and scientific research that have changed the face of bodybuilding nutrition. It's a healthy, balance approach that produces results.

4. The benefits of puberty - Puberty is the easiest period to gain muscle. During puberty the anabolic hormone production is at its highest. After that, gaining muscle becomes progressively harder as we get older. In fact, hormonal production starts declining between the ages of 25 and 30. So, I guess that means you are better off starting before you turn 30.

5. Diet not dieting - Like I said earlier, the pros know the human body and they know nutrition. Many of them are experts at gaining and losing weight, because they know their bodies and they know how to eat. This was a huge lesson for me, when I came to realization that in order to lose weight, I had to eat. Your metabolism is greatly affected by how often you eat.

 If you starve yourself and go without your body will go into survival mode a start storing fat. We don't want that! Start changing your eating habits; the times you eat, what you eat and how often you eat. Remember you don't have to go hungry.

I have one more high value tip for you... The best bodybuilding workout routine is the one that your body is not used to.

Remember that what works for one person who gains weight easily will may not work for you. And what works for someone who's overweight will may not work for someone trying to gain weight.

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Natural Bodybuilding Tips for Great Results

- Lift Big: No, I don't mean lifting to failure every single time you pickup a weight (more on that later). When I say lift big I am referring to the amount of muscles you work on any particular lift. Your workouts should be firmly based around a series of compound lifts (lifts that work at least two muscles).

 Doing this will give you much better results for your time spent at the gym. Squats, Bench Press, and the Shoulder Press are a much better decision than curls or triceps push downs.

- Eat Well: This one can be a bit tricky. But if you are doing this naturally then what you put in to your body is what you put out. It's obvious the making the right meal choices is crucial, but there is a lot more to it than that. You want the freshest food possible.

Buy organic whenever you can. You are steering clear of "juicing", so why would you put unnecessary toxins into your system? Look at the difference between an organic chicken breast and a non-organic one. It's shocking, the foods that help you see the best results (chicken, eggs, fish, produce, and milk) are the ones that you should really try to buy organic. Sure, they may not have the shelf life that its non-organic brother has, but if you are eating like a Bodybuilder you should be then this shouldn't be an issue. This leads me to my next tip.

- Eat Often: Whoever came up with the whole 3 square meals a day was crazy. Waiting this long in between meals can actually promote weight gain in a very bad way.

Blood sugar is not just something that diabetics need to be conscientious of. When looking to make changes to your body it is crucial to keep your blood sugar regulated as much as possible. It's as simple as eating often. Eating small meals throughout the day is much better than 3 large meals a day.

 You know that tired feeling you have when you eat too much after not eating for a long time? That is your body's natural way of balancing out your system. Your blood sugar was low so it released insulin, then you ate a bunch of food and your blood sugar was too high and you got tired. Eating small, regular meals will keep your body running at prime Bodybuilding mode.

- Be a Mental Juggernaut: This one does not get enough credit. This journey is an emotional one. Busting your butt at the gym and seeing little gains isn't easy. Seeing other people getting massive gains by doing this unnaturally can be difficult as well.

The mental aspect of staying positive with yourself is crucial to seeing results. A lot of Bodybuilding experts ignore the benefits of yoga. Don't do this. Not only will it help with your flexibility, something that many bodybuilders could use more of, but it is a great meditation practice. I know many people that find it to be incredibly relaxing and I could not agree more.

Bodybuilding the natural way is a great choice. The gains might not come as quick as the alternative route, but this is a long term goal. You aren't supposed to go from a stringbean to a beefcake overnight. And trust me, in the long run your body will thank you.

I do hope you enjoy my articles and will visit my website at http://bodybuilding2012.net

My Name is Mike Nunnery. I am a 62 year young retiree that loves bodybuilding. I recently retired from Emergency Management in the great state of Texas.

I helped people that were affected by the results and aftermath of fires, floods and Hurricanes. Much of my time was spent in the out of doors either getting people out of harms way or helping them to restore their losses thru the insurance companies.

I do hope you enjoy my articles and will visit my website at [http://bodybuilding2012.net]



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Bodybuilding And Blood Pressure - Vital Tips You Need To Know!

Blood pressure is defined as the force that blood exerts upon the walls of the blood vessels within your body. It's used as a measurement tool for determining cardiovascular and circulatory health. High blood pressure can lead to heart disease and other conditions. High blood pressure is caused by a variety of factors, including diet, weight, genetics, daily stressors, and level of physical activity.
Bodybuilders and powerlifters are especially susceptible to high blood pressure, or hypertension. The heart and blood vessels cannot tell the difference between a 300-pound muscle man and a 300-pound obese man when it comes to pumping blood - it's a great deal of extra work no matter what. Diet also comes into play. 
Bodybuilders consume a great deal of calories each day, including a high level of fats, which do contribute to higher blood pressure. Lifting extremely heavy weights also contributes to higher blood pressure.
Ready to take the plunge into improving about your own blood pressure? First off, you should have your blood pressure tested. As far as specific numbers: 120/80 used to be considered normal, but recently some doctors have lowered that a bit. People who are in top physical shape will have lower heart beats a minute rate, something between the low 40's and 50's. Some take this as a sign of good blood pressure, but this is not always the case. 
Some people think that by working out often will make the heart stronger, thus lowering blood pressure. But this also is not always the case either. A strong heart does not always mean there is no danger from high blood pressure. Many bodybuilders have high readings and do not know it. Take a look at some of the top pro and amateur bodybuilders. Their faces are often beet red, even when at rest.
Suppose you test higher. That 160/80 would be considered in the "red zone" with regards to high blood pressure - with a greater pressure/force the passing blood extends against the blood vessel walls. The top reading would be of more concern to a doctor.
 There is no perfect reading, as each of us differs. Family history, mental stress, drinking/drug use, weight, and other factors all have a bearing. High blood pressure is pretty easy to control these days with medication. Whatever your reading, keeping an eye on your blood pressure is a way to ensure you have a long, healthy life. Don't wait - get tested today!
Dane Fletcher is the world's most prolific bodybuilding and fitness expert and is currently the executive editor for http://www.BodybuildingToday.com 

If you are looking for more bodybuilding tips or information on weight training, or supplementation, please visit www.BodybuildingToday.com, the bodybuilding and fitness authority site with hundreds of articles available FREE to help you meet your goals.


Women's Bodybuilding: Controversial Fad or Life Changing Sport

One of the biggest changes in the world of bodybuilding has been the growing proportion of women in the sport. Increasingly more and more women are choosing bodybuilding as a method to improve their health, fitness and strength, which is hardly surprising given how successful this sport can be in achieving these goals.
One of the pioneers of female bodybuilding was Lisa Lyon, who developed many of the dance-like muscle poses that are still popular today. 
She also sought out a variety of photographers that took the photos that introduced the sculpted female body to the world. The stunning Rachel McLish, who won the very first female Ms. Olympia title then set the standards that many female bodybuilders still try to achieve today. 
She managed to combine her sexy looks with muscularity and body tone and in doing so created a benchmark that many people still aspire to.
The world of women's bodybuilding however had to travel a relatively rocky road to reach the point of relative acceptance that it enjoys today. Women had never built their muscles for aesthetic purposes before, although they have always used other forms of exercise to keep fit and attractive.
 In any case, bodybuilding for women was not widely approved of at first and was criticized by both men and women. These days however, women's bodybuilding, while not nearly as popular as men's bodybuilding is a much more accepted form of fitness.
 Whether this is simply the sport itself maturing, changing personal beliefs or the growing equality between the sexes, female bodybuilding is enjoying a much higher profile these days.
The most of obvious benefit of female bodybuilding is its effect on health and fitness. As has been written before, bodybuilding provides a very effective way to manage weight, health and body shape that many other general exercises and sports simply can't offer. This statement holds true whether the participant is male or female. 
Many women suffer from strength deficits, body weight issues and a loss of physical capacity, especially after childbirth, and bodybuilding is a great way to manage these issues. Unfortunately many women concentrate exclusively on aerobic exercise and never perform any form of resistance training as they have been told they will look like a man if they lift weights, which is of course a myth.
It is very common for women to try a variety of dieting programs, some of which are extremely unhealthy and misleading. These kinds of diets can cause a loss of general health, bone mass, and lean muscle mass. Bodybuilding can help avoid all of these issues as participants learn to integrate exercise and nutrition using well-developed and well-understood scientific principles into their daily lives and routines, which has obvious health benefits.
Many of these bodybuilding workouts that can be easily found online are as relevant for women as they are for men. Although the goal might be to develop muscle tone as opposed to developing muscle size this is easily accommodated by varying the sets, repetitions, and weights that are used when performing the exercises. Women who want to undertake bodybuilding should therefore learn the common exercises that are performed in the gym the same way as a man would, and incorporate them into a training program that uses higher repetition and lower weights in order to achieve the goal of increased body tone.
Alexi has studied and worked in the health and fitness industry for over 10 years and specializes in health, lifestyle and fitness topics. Alexi has a number of websites that provide valuable information on equipment that helps you get the most out of your training sessions. You can read all about workout gloves for women at his website about Harbinger Gloves.


Bodybuilding Nutrients: The Key to Building a Great Body

Aside from the exercise routines that a bodybuilder does daily, he needs to make sure the proper bodybuilding nutrition is also maintained. 
Bodybuilding workouts are nothing when it is not done together with the consumption of the right kinds of foods. The two - proper nutrition and regular exercise - must always come hand in hand to come up with the most desirable results. This article will tell you the right amount of nutrition that a bodybuilder must consume in a daily basis.
Workout Is Not Everything
Many people tend to think that bodybuilding is just about staying all day in the gym and putting all your effort into doing your exercise routines. No, bodybuilding is not just about these things. As a matter of fact, it is something beyond our expectations. It is an activity that does not just dwell from physical routines. It also nurtures the overall wellness of the person because bodybuilding requires what we call "bodybuilding nutrition".
How Important Is Nutrition?
No one can deny that nutrition is very important to all of us, even to bodybuilders. As what is stated above, there is bodybuilding nutrition.
 It is the nutrition that bodybuilders keep up to grow and repair their muscles easier and faster than the usual. Nutrition is very important to bodybuilders as missing a single essential nutrient, might cause them to slow down the growth of their muscles. That is the reason it is very important to strictly follow a bodybuilder's diet when you are into bodybuilding training.
The Nutrition Needed by a Bodybuilder
The nutrients needed by each bodybuilder differ from one person to another. This is because every one of us has different nutrient requirements due to different body mass index and different activities we are doing.
 One thing that is common among all bodybuilders is that protein is the number one need for their meal plan, to support the development of body muscles. 
A high-protein diet is very effective in reducing unwanted fats in your body, making it easier for bodybuilders to build a great body structure.
 Despite that a high protein diet is the number one preferred meal for bodybuilders, carbs and fats are still needed for bodybuilding nutrition. Carbs and fats are what complete the meal plan of a bodybuilder. These are the ones which will complete the needed nutrients in the muscle growing phase.
Following these guideline will have you on the way to your new well-built body.
Bodybuilding done correctly can transform your body to the one you have always dreamed of. For more information please visit http://www.hulk.org



Female Bodybuilding Diet: Tips to Make It Work

A female bodybuilding diet is an important element of bodybuilding. For women who want to get fit, going to the gym and spending hours running on the treadmill or lifting weights will never be enough if they do not follow a particular bodybuilding diet. Such diet will ensure that your efforts are not done in vain as it will help maximize your bodybuilding training.
Women normally face challenges throughout their bodybuilding training and career that are different from that of men. One of the apparent reasons why some of them face these challenges is the lack of sufficient information about the subject female bodybuilding.
 This is because almost all of the information available over the Web is pertained to men. When I first started out i felt very frustrated with it all. Can't women also have healthy defined bodies? Without enough information, it would be too risky to go on with this activity as one's physical health may be compromised in case a mistake in the training is done. 
Although some of the advices directed to men can also be applied to a woman's bodybuilding regime, this is not always the case. A specific female bodybuilding diet, for instance, should be clearly laid down and followed.
Tips for Women Bodybuilding Diet
Female bodybuilding diet is an important element of any efficient bodybuilding program for women. Here are some tips that you can follow to make your venture surely work.
Changing your eating habits - If you are serious about building your body healthily, you should begin by changing your everyday eating habits.
 Basically, you need to quit the three-full-meal system. Eating big meals three times a day is not really healthy although it may seem energizing - especially if you've been used to it. What you should do instead is to eat small meals several times a day (about seven times a day or every three hours).
You see, your body needs a constant flow of nutrients especially if you are burning a lot of calories through working out. Eating three big meals will leave long gaps in between. The lack of constant flow of nutrients may be more harmful to women than men, so make sure that you follow this new routine.
Eating balanced meals - Following a proper and balanced female bodybuilding diet is very crucial if you want to gain optimal results. There are a lot of women who vigorously work out and train to achieve their goals. Unfortunately, some of them complain of insufficient results. This is normally due to improper and imbalanced diet.
Basically, protein is very important when trying to lose fat and gain muscles. Protein is basically the building blocks of the body and muscles. You should consume more lean meat and products that are high in protein such as chicken, fish, lean red meat parts and protein shakes. You should also consume much of these proteins during breakfast for maximum effect.
Employing the right trainer or coach - Bodybuilding can be a daunting activity especially for a woman. The assistance of an expert trainer or coach who can lead you all the way towards the achievement of your bodybuilding goals is important especially if you are just starting out. 
The coach or trainer can provide you with good advices and tips on the female bodybuilding diet and in my opinion is it paramount for someone who is serious about getting toned and lean to consult in the right expert advice and training. 
They can take you to your perfect body goal quickly, saving you time and effort that you might have spent trying things that have no hope in getting you to your dream body. It is also necessary to get into a programme that understands you and your requirements. It took me a long time before I got to where I wanted to be because I was seeking advice from the wrong people and programs!
Linda S Barker takes pride in all the women she has helped achieved their dream physique by giving them a firm foundation of what is required in the workout programs, their diet and their mentality. Her mission is to bring fresh and upto date information about how all the things one needs to get them closer to the results they want to achieve.
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All Natural (Drug Free) Bodybuilding Secrets

Natural bodybuilding refers to bodybuilding without muscle enhancing drugs or anabolic substances. In other words natural athletes who choose to build their body with all-natural have to stick to a regimen of well structured bodybuilding diet along with some performance enhancing supplements like whey protein, creatine & l-glutamine. There are however other natural athletes who go all out ie they don't even use over the counter products to help them supplement their daily diets. Their nutrition consists solely on natural foods!
Natural bodybuilding is a very specific sport. There are national bodybuilding organisations that organize natural bodybuilding contests for men and women. 
For more information or if you are interested in entering a natural bodybuilding show please get yourself a copy of Natural Bodybuilding & Fitness magazine at your local newsagent. Some of these shows are drug tested and some are not. The choice on which one you compete is completely yours.
A natural bodybuilder must learn to build his body in the most precise way possible. Learning as much as possible about natural bodybuilding dieting, training, supplementation is essential if one is to successfully build a natural physique of national caliber.
One of the keys to a great natural body is persistence. I don't care how well you eat or how hard you train! If you do not have the necessary persistence to keep it up for months & years you will just be spinning your wheels with no results to speak of. Building natural muscle mass takes time - sometimes a lot of time! Always be patient and expect success through your nutrition, contest diet and training.
Along with persistence you need to set up some specific, clear cut goals for yourself. If you do not know what your goals are chances are you will not make significant progress in the gym. Short term goals set up every week are great for short term progress in the gym. 
For example you can set a goal of increasing your bench by 2 lbs in your next week's incline bench press session! Take these small goals and add them up over 6 months and they really make a big difference. Long term goals need to be set up as well.
 For example - "12 weeks from now my goal is to have lost 15 lbs or pure body fat and win my upcoming natural bodybuilding contest". You need to constantly remind yourself of your big goals in order to not lose track of the reasons you are training and dieting so hard. 
Reading your goals every day helps you stay on track, train harder and not cheat on your diet. Trust me! When you are carb depleted for 3 days and pizza is calling your name, a reminder of your goals is what puts you back in track.
Nutrition is probably half the battle to getting muscle to grow OR to burn body fat. A general guideline is to eat 12-13 calories per lb of body weight if you are trying to get ripped and 17-19 calories per lb if you are trying to gain muscle. 30% of your calories should come from protein, 50% from natural carbohydrates and 20% from healthy fats (olive oil, canola oil, flaxseed oil etc).
 Try to avoid sugars & processed foods at all costs. Most of all, make sure you get 1 gram of protein per lean pound of body weight per day no matter what! Hardcore weight training breaks down muscle fibers and it is absolutely necessary for our body to be able to recover from these hard workouts with the use of protein.
As far as working out is concerned, forget all you read in the most popular bodybuilding magazines in the market. The routines posted in most magazines by the "pros" will do absolutely nothing for you if you want to grow muscle naturally. Fact of the matter is, most people who start bodybuilding DO follow these routines blindly.
 They do the same thing week after week, expecting results but nothing ever happens. Sure they gain some strength in the beginning but plateaus soon hit them. They then decide to buy the next "magic pill or powder" in the market that will "jump start" their results. 
The result is a very rich supplement company and a very frustrated athlete. There is a large amount of information out there that is totally unsuitable for the majority of people who want to grow muscle naturally. My point is to educate yourself on how the body works before you start training haphazardly just because you read an article in a magazine. 
Stick to the basic exercises that have worked for years for most people and do NOT overtrain. Each muscle needs to be fully trained only once per week for muscle growth to occur. Ovetraining is the biggest single mistake most people do and is the reason why people quite bodybuilding & weight training.
Bottom line? You are either 100% natural or you aren't! There are no shortcuts and there are many obstacles. In the end however, you will be satisfied in knowing that you achieved results that are comparable to those of drug enhanced athletes, 100% naturally. Trust me, it's the best feeling in the world and it IS achievable. All you have to do is set goals, work hard, be consistent and have patience.
Copyright 2005 - Kostas Marangopoulos
Kostas Marangopoulos is a natural bodybuilder, nutrition consultant, freelance writer and editor-in-chief of one of the best natural bodybuilding diet websites on the net, Bodybuilding Applied.com
His educational background includes a Master's degree and he is also a certified personal trainer (CPT) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Kostas' educational and informative bodybuilding diet articles have been featured on hundreds of leading websites including the most complete Natural Muscle Building Diet & Nutrition site online, NaturalMuscleBuilding.com