How To Build A Solid Muscle Base

In order to get that ripped, strong look, you first need to have a good muscle base to build on. In order to get that base, you need to focus on doing heavy compound exercises. Rather than doing isolation exercises, you can save these for later. Here's how to build a solid muscle base.

Deadlift


The first thing on your agenda should be the good ol' deadlift. This is one of the best ways to build a good base. It activates a lot of muscle fibers, stimulating maximum muscle growth. Which is exactly what you want.

How To Do It:
Choose a weight that you think you can handle. Place it on the bar. Stand with your feet a little more than shoulder width apart. Bend over and get a firm grip on the bar. Bend you knees as well. Start the lift with your legs, and finish it with your lower back. Drop or set the weight back down. Repeat for desired amount of reps.

Squat

The squat is another excellent way to build up your base. It activates a lot of muscle fibers and uses many muscle groups.

How To Do It:
Choose a weight that you think you can handle. Place it on the bar. If you want, you can put on the safety rack as well. Stand under the bar, with your feet a little farther than shoulder width apart, and toes pointing forward. Get a firm grip on the bar. Lift the bar up off the rack, and rest it on your traps (they are behind your neck). Lower the weight down until your thighs are parallel with the floor. Never go lower than parallel, or you risk serious injury. Go back up. Repeat for desired amount of reps.

Bench Press


The always faithful bench press. By far the best known exercise there is. And for a good reason, it works. As long as you have proper form.

How To Do It:
Choose a weight that you think you can handle. Place it on the bar. Lye down on the bench. Make sure that you feet are on the floor, not on the bench. Keep a slight arch in your upper back. You should be able to fit your arm through it. Get a firm grip on the bar. Lift it off the rack. You must have a spotter for this exercise. Lower the weight down until it's about an inch above your chest. Press it back up. Repeat for desired amount of reps.

With these exercises in your program, you will be seeing results in no time. And you'll have plenty of time to stare at yourself in the mirror.

Dedication is Everything.

Read more »

What Are The Dangers Of Supplements?

The dangers are there, you just have to find them...

Almost half of Americans use some kind of dietary supplement. Whether it be to build muscle, lose weight, or just a multivitamin. But a common assumption leads these people to think that these supplements are always safe, simply because they are "all natural". Well this is a gross overstatement, and supplements can be quite dangerous. Take this event for example:

That's what Caroll Radford thought. She'd just gotten a clean bill of health from doctors. But hoping to ward off winter colds, she tried a natural supplement touted as an amazing immune booster -- Yew Tree Tea. She drank a cup every day for two weeks and then had a seizure. Four weeks later, she was dead. 

Still think they are always safe? I didn't think so. Now I am not going to talk about any specific products, and cut down the companies name. Cause it may not have even been the companies fault, it could have been caused by and outside event. Completely out of the companies control.


But everything in life has risks, and all you need to do is a little research before you go out and buy that supplement that makes you invincible to a cold. Read about it on the companies website. Find some stuff on other websites, such as forums and blogs. See what other people say, and then decide if it's really worth buying. 


If you do start to encounter any symptoms from the products, be sure to discontinue use, and contact the company immediately. Or see your doctor if the symptoms are severe. Just remember to be safe, and do your research. 


Dedication is Everything.


Source For Quote:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/10/29/eveningnews/main527399.shtml

Read more »

How To Run, The Right Way

Now that's a challenge.

Running is great. But isn't very effective, whether you are trying to lose weight, or just get fit. If you don't do it right. You must use proper form to get the results that you are trying to get. Also, to avoid injury and common running conditions such as runners knee and shin splints. This article will tell you what. Here is how to run, the right way.

Warm Up


Warming up is very important to any type of workout. Whether it be lifting or running. You need to get the blood and nutrients flowing to the muscles to help them perform at their best. Do some quick sprints, or some drills. Just don't warm up to hard. Save your energy for the actual workout

Run To The Side


What run to the side means, is to run on soft ground, like the side of the road or a dirt trail. Instead of running on a concrete trail or the sidewalk. This will help for you to avoid getting shin splints, and reduce the possibility of runners knee.

Hands Free


This doesn't mean run without hands, cause that would be hard. It means to not run with your hands in a fist, or clenched. What you should do instead is run with them slightly open. Open as if you were holding something relatively small, like a phone.

In And Out


This simply means to breath in through your nose, and out through your mouth. If you breath in through your mouth, it takes more energy than if you inhale through your nose. Therefore wasting valuable energy.

Just follow these simple tips to help run properly and more efficiently, to get the most out of your workout.

There you go, how to run, the right way.

Dedication is Everything.

Read more »

It's Time To Run And Bike

A beautiful example of fall.

The temperatures are starting to drop, the winds are starting to blow, and the leaves are starting to change. This can only mean one thing, it's fall again! And fall is one of the best times to do some running and biking. Why? For many reasons. Here is why it's time to run and bike. 

Reason number one, the temperatures are nice. It's not a 100 degrees outside, and it's not 5 either. Odds are, it's going to be in the 50's to the 80's, depending on where you live. This makes it comfortable weather for running and biking. Run can go farther, without having to worry about carrying a gallon of water with you, or hot chocolate. Either one.

Another reason, it's just beautiful time of year. All of the leaves on the trees are starting to change colors. Bright oranges, dark reds, vibrant yellows, and tantalizing purples. This is a lot of motivation in itself. So get outside and enjoy the scenery and get a great workout as well.

There are a lot of reasons to run in the fall. Get some friends and organize a ride on the weekend. Or maybe participate in a local run. But whatever you do, have fun, and remember, it's time to run and bike!

Dedication is Everything.

Read more »

Sprint Your Way To Victory (Beginners Workout)

Lets get sprinting!
Link to original

When it comes to weight loss, or just gaining speed for your sport, sprinting is the way to go. But not just any sprints will do, you need to do High Intensity Interval Training. Commonly abbreviated as HIIT. This type of sprinting induces maximum effort, and therefore maximum results. Grab you shoes, and hit the track.

The Routine:


Start off with a brisk 3 min jog. Go at about 50% of your max, you don't want to burn yourself out yet, the worst is yet to come. Remember to execute proper form when running, this will be in a post soon if you don't know the proper form.

After you have warmed up good, now you must stretch. Stretching is absolutely crucial to any sport. Whether it be football, wrestling, track, etc. It increases your flexibility, giving you a greater range of motion. You can have a farther stride when you run, kick higher, jump higher, and a lot more. Be sure to stretch each muscle for at least 10 seconds, but not more than a minute.

Now for the actual workout. Brace yourself, cause after you're done, your sides will hurt, your legs will be sore, and your chest will be on fire.

Ready, Set, Drop.


Run at your max speed for 30 seconds. Don't sacrifice form. If you can't maintain good form, then slow down a bit.
Take a 30 second break. This doesn't mean stop, just take it down to a light jog.
Repeat. You heard me.
Continue this for 20 minutes to start, and as you progress you can increase difficulty.

This may not look very hard in writing, but once you get outside and actually try to do it, then you will be complaining that it's too hard.

Dedication is Everything.

Read more »

Get Fit, Stay Fit, and Stay In Touch

Soon to be a main cause of obesity.
Link to original

Get fit, stay fit, and stay in touch. Now that's a challenge. With all of the technology in the world today. Laptops, iPods, cell phones, internet, Facebook, video games, and so much more. A lot of times it can be very difficult to get the motivation to get up and workout out to stay in shape. But with these few tips, you can stay in shape, and still stay in touch friends. 

Limit Yourself


Facebook has became so popular that there is actually a syndrome just for being addicted to it. This says something, and it's not good. People use it so much that it has become a constant thing, and they are always on it. Along with the other 400 million members of Facebook. So it's fine to use it, to stay in touch, talk to old friends, and just spend some time. Just make sure that you limit yourself and don't get carried away.

Prioritize


Working out should always be at the top of your to do list. No matter what else you have going on in your life, there is absolutely no excuse, what so ever, for why you can't workout. You must schedule things around working out, not the other way around. Just get your priorities straight.

Get Some Hobbies


Instead of spending your weekends and days off indoors on Facebook, Xbox, and on the phone. Try spending time outside on a nice bike ride. Maybe do some wood working, or work on your car. Join a local sports team, a swim class, a fighting class, or any other sports related class. Most rec centers have classes like this available to the public, and it usually doesn't cost much. There are infinite things that you can do instead of being a coach potato.

There you have it, a few simple things to allow you to get fit, stay fit, and stay in touch.

Dedication is Everything.

Read more »

Run Long, and Run Fast

Run long, and run fast.
Link to original

Sprinting is an excellent way to help boost your bodies fat burning ability, and increase your short term speed. But running long distance can be very useful. Especially if you run track, cross country, or compete in an endurance sport such as wrestling. This article will tell you a little bit about how to run long, and run fast, to help increase speed, endurance, and still burn fat.

First, you need to choose a set distance to do every time you go out for a run. This can be one mile, two miles, or ten miles. As long as it's the same distance each time, it doesn't matter. The reason you need to keep it the same is so you can work on increasing speed for distance running. Along with still burning fat during this process.

After you have decided how far you want to run, go out and do a test run. The test run will be to determine what your time is when you first start running, and to see how your progress is going. Before you run, make sure you warm up, but do not stretch. Maybe a few light, very brief stretches, but not an in depth session. The reason being is that research has shown that stretching before you run can cause you to tear muscles and ligaments. Which will greatly hinder your workout. After you warm up, use something to time yourself. A watch, iPod, or phone maybe. See how long it takes you to run your chosen distance.

Now that you have your base time, decide how often you want to run. It should be at least two times a week, but no more than five. You don't want to damage your knees or get shin splints. Also, when you are running, try and run on dirt or soft ground if you can.

Time for improvement. Now that you have your time, figure out how much time you want to shave off of that each run. Make it something reasonable, and that you know you can attain. Try something like 5 or 10 seconds to start, and go to bigger increments as you progress.

This pattern of running will help you to run far, but will allow you to run fast as well. Making you a lethal weapon when it comes time to competing. You will leave the competition in the dust, literally.

Thank you for reading run long, and run fast.

Dedication is Everything.

Read more »