Having healthy, firm and well-contoured muscles communicates to others that you are healthy, successful and able-bodied. Not only does having stronger muscles help you to look more powerful to other men and sexier to women, but it also confers a number of health benefits. The bodies of physically stronger men are able to heal more quickly after an illness, and they generally have better bone density.

For various reasons, the average man has more natural muscle mass on his body when he is younger than when he gets older. Still, that fact does not mean that men of 60 years of age and beyond cannot attain very healthy, strong-looking physiques: they can.

In order to build muscles after the age of 60, it is important to know how what to do. Just diving in and starting to lift weights will likely be not only less successful, but even potentially much more dangerous, than if you take a measured approach under the guidance of a body-training expert.

If you are interested in muscle-building after 60, here are 7 tips on how to build muscle faster:

1. Muscle begins to atrophy after age 25:

Understand that you will need to work a bit harder than you did when were in your 20s in order to achieve that sleek, muscular physique you want. That is because, by the age of 60, the average man has lost about 50% of his natural muscle (as compared to before age 25). This is due to the fact that muscle naturally starts to atrophy after age 25 or so – and the process continues steadily each year.

2. You can slow or stop muscle atrophy through weight training and diet:

Fortunately, you have the power to stop muscle atrophy. Weight training and the proper diet can put you back on the path to looking great in the nude or in your swimsuit again – even well after the age of 60.

3. It is never too late to start weight training:

The most powerful and effective way to build muscle mass is through weight training. Free weights such as barbells and dumbbells offer you an amazing opportunity to start adding attractive firmness and shape to the muscles in your chest, shoulders, arms, back, legs and stomach.

4. Consult with your doctor:

Before embarking upon any exercise routine, be sure to check with your doctor first.

5. Always start with light warm-up stretches:

Begin every workout with a set of light warm-up stretches. While stretching before a workout is important at any age, it is particularly important as our bodies age.

6. Start with chest workouts using barbells or dumbbells:

There are a number of exercises you can use to build up your muscles all over your body. Here, we’ll start with two types: one that focuses on building up your chest and another that focuses on building your shoulders.

For your chest, try the bench press. Here’s how:

1. Lie flat on your back on a workout bench while keeping your feet flat on the floor.

2. Start with just the bar (which weighs 45 pounds by itself). Lift the bar up off the rack and hold it at arm’s length above you.

3. Next, slowly lower the bar until it touches just above your chest.

4. Finally, raise the bar back up until your arms are completely straight (almost to a “locked” position).

5. Repeat for 5-10 reps, rest, and do 2-3 sets total.

7. Try the shoulder press deltoid exercise:

To start bulking up your shoulders, try the shoulder press deltoid exercise. Here’s how:

1. Sit up straight on a shoulder press exercise bench and place your hands on the barbell.

2. Now press the weight up above your head, holding it there briefly.

3. Finally, lower the bar (under controlled motion) until it is returned to the starting position.

4. Repeat for 5-10 reps, rest, and do 2-3 sets total.

Try these 7 steps to muscle-building after age 60 and you will start seeing noticeable results after a week or two.

First things first. You may well believe that exercise is the key to a solid flat six pack but, think again. No matter how many hours you spend in the gym your six pack will still be hidden under any excess body fat. So first you need to diet and get your body fat to under 10%. Failing this means that you are never ever going to be able to see your six-pack! You have to focus on the big picture and focus on exercising your legs, back and chest. Training your large muscle groups will help to stimulate your metabolism and the fat burning hormones that will turn you into a lean machine. This will help develop your six pack and put it on show. Maximum definition comes from losing body fat, not exercising your abs.

You need to live a healthy lifestyle that includes eating the right nutritional foods. Living a healthy and fit lifestyle will help to make you confident, energetic, strong and youthful. Making this commitment will keep help you to beat the obesity epidemic and help to minimise the risks such as, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, depression, etc.

There is so much information out there on how to easily achieve a six pack, yet a lot of the information is misleading and will not work. In fact some of the information is dangerous. So please always apply common sense before following what the self proclaimed experts are saying.

The three key points that you should address if you want a solid six pack are;

1. Your diet. You must get this well under control. The media gives out conflicting advice that only serves to confuse people. You must follow a diet that promotes fat loss. You have to get your fat levels under 10% if you want to succeed.

2. Once you have your diet sorted you need to focus on the intensity of your workouts. Do not just exercise your mid region as this is another mistake that many people make. Focus on working your whole body. This will help to get the best metabolic response. This will help you to burn fat. High intensity workouts with short rest periods, working the largest muscle groups of the body, instead of trying to isolate specific small muscles like the biceps, triceps, or calves

3. I have found that too many people make the classic mistake of concentrating on sit ups and crunches. Unless the person is really out of condition this really is a waste of time. Crunches actually provide the least amount of resistance and it is resistance exercises that we want if we are to succeed as this develops and tones the muscles. Probably one of the most resistant exercises that will work your abs are ‘Hanging Leg Raises’, when performed correctly. Most people do these wrong when they are trying to concentrate the resistance on their six pack. The key to working on your abs is to curl your pelvis up as you raise your legs. I have not seen many people exercise like this. Admittedly this type of hanging leg raise is not for the beginner. A certain amount of practice is called for if you want to do this type of exercise correctly.

Any kind of hanging abs exercises will help, as well as some good floor exercises. The most effective exercises are various forms of swings and snatches, squats, deadlifts, lunges, step-ups, clean & presses, mountain climbers, sprinting, and other full body exercises. If you want great looking abs, focus on those instead of focusing so much on training the abs directly!

Your diet should be natural avoiding processed food that make a diet unhealthy. Processed foods also wreck your metabolism and hormone balance in your body. Whole grain foods are better for you than refined grains. Nuts, avocados, eggs, fish and similar foods. Natural healthy foods are best. Foods that promote lean muscle and not fat.

Do you experience jealousy and frustration when you see another guy showing off his shapely chest and his set of killer abs? It’s natural. Everyone would like to have highly muscular chest, well developed arms, broad shoulders, and pair of legs like Mr. America’s. You can find loads of body-building sites online with pictures of award-winning body-builders.

Have you ever been curious as to why only a few people have the ability to transform the desire for a good body into reality? It’s because most of us only daydream about having a good body. There’s just no escaping the fact that if you want a good body or 16-inch biceps, you need to spend several months of hard work and sweat in a gym.

What’s their secret to a great body? It lies in these 5 important factors:

1. A bodybuilding routine that works

2. Great nutrition and diet

3. Use of supplements (optional only)

4. Adequate rest and sleep

5. No alcohol, smoking or other bad habits

Let’s have a closer look at the first point: the muscle building workout.

See, the importance of body-building can never be neglected. It is said that a good body houses a great soul. If you do not have a good body, you cannot look good wearing a body-hugging shirt ever. This article is not for those who want to develop huge muscles overnight; it is for those who are ready to train hard.

No matter what anyone says, you need a great bodybuilding program and good nutrition plan to build the perfect body. A great diet is not enough to build large muscles; you also need proper physical training. The opposite is also true; you need adequate nutrition to reinforce muscle training. Celebrity body builders eat healthily in order to add bulk to their frames.

If you are serious about muscle building, then you need to cultivate the habit of working out at the gym for at least three days a week. Follow a weight lifting and bodybuilding program which is realistic and which suits you. Imitating world famous muscle-men as far as their exercise-regimen is concerned, would never help you.

The most effective way to start off a muscle building regimen is to work out with free weights on a daily basis. Schedule your work out sessions such that no more than two muscle groups are worked on in a single session. Don’t overdo the training either – no session should last more than forty minutes.

Rotate through the various muscle groups : chest, back, biceps, shoulders, legs, abdominals, and triceps. You also should pay close attention to your diet to make your muscle building program into a success. Diet and workout go hand in hand in helping to build muscle growth.

So there you go.

You now know what it takes to get that great body, and some tips on how to spot a good bodybuilding workout. So take your time and commit to a good workout, and reap the benefits for a great looking body. When you find yourself enjoying the workouts and seeing great results, it will not feel like hard work at all.

 The main aim of muscle builders is to increase their muscle mass and defination. Mass gain cannot be defined as weight gain as fats also increase your weight. Muscle building is not only a sport, you will need to change your lifestyle a little for fast results. Below, you can find 6 muscle building tips that can help you build muscle mass fast.

• Stimulate more muscle tension during your Muscle Building Workout.

Your workout is what brings about your muscle stimulations. Increase your efficiency by lifting heavier or by increasing your muscle’s time under tension. (Use longer times to complete a repetition)

• Avoiding aerobic exercise on the same day as your workout.

The reason is because aerobics burn glycogen and calories. These are two important things that will help you gain muscle mass. Also, aerobic exercise combined with muscle building workouts on the same day will tire your body out and you will need a longer time for recovery.

• Include supplements into your diet.

Supplements stimulate muscle growth in different ways. If you have a lack of protein, no amount of workout will get you building muscle masses. Try to keep your protein intake high for 2 days after your workout. However, if you are already on a high protein diet, supplements are not necessary.

• Eat food that are naturally high in protein.

If you are not taking in protein supplements, you can eat food that are naturally high in protein. Such food provides for the protein your muscles require to grow. Examples of food with high protein would be fish and red meat.

• Working out intensively but not making any muscle growth? Increase the amount of calories in your diet for a few days before returning to your usual diet.

Extra calories help build muscles. Also, the extra carbohydrates assist glycogen storage which will help you gain muscle mass. Try increasing your calorie intake by fifty per-cent for a week. Remember to keep the high fat food away during the week. You would not want a body with huge muscles if it stacks with fats.

• Allow your muscles to recover from workouts.

For those with high intensity workouts, try staying away from the gym for a few days to allow your muscles to recover. Muscles grow while recovering from being damaged not during your workout. Over-training is often one of the best yet unknown muscle building tips. Workout hard in the gym then allow yourself some time to rest and recover.

Building more muscle mass does not mean working out many more times a week or keeping your diet really strict. Reward yourself once a week with your favourite junk foods and always allow your body to recover from previous workouts. A better body will bring about better ego and looks. Good luck!

Eating sugar, aka carbohydrates, even during a muscle building / weight gain phase, has become downright taboo lately. With all of the unfounded hysteria surrounding “low – no carb diets” many bodybuilders and weight lifters are so paranoid now a days that they think that even sucking on a tic-tac is going to sabotage their physique enhancing goals, even naturally skinny weight trainers. Well, this article is here to tell you that not only should you not avoid carbs / sugars in your muscle building diet, but in fact it is healthy if eaten properly within a diet plan.

As a matter of fact, I’d like to directly quote Nick Delgado in a recent magazine article. He says, “Getting enough nutrients and calories, without stressing the kidneys, may actually include balanced sugars. Sugar has virtually no protein and does not overload the kidneys, of most patients. In fact, a patient with failing kidneys can survive and improve on a diet with less than 6 percent of calories from protein, about 10 to 20 percent fat and believe it or not, as much as 75 percent as balanced carbohydrates. In one medical study, diabetic patients, who otherwise were scheduled for kidney dialysis, consumed an additional pound of white sugar (added to their daily diets), and dramatically improved!”.

Did you catch what was said there? First, it demonstrates that sugars do not place the type of digestive stress on the kidneys as would a macronutrient like protein does. Second, individuals that would be at most risk of being in an unhealthy situation actually benefited from a diet that was high in carbs and low in protein!

Now, you might be thinking, “Hey, sure it works for patients with certain medical conditions. But my only condition is that I’m naturally skinny and I’m desperately trying to build muscle and gain weight on my bony frame.”. Well, let me tell you that if something is going to overstress in a negative way vital organs, such as the kidneys, which also play a role in your digestive and endocrine system, how far do you think you’ll get in your muscle building efforts?

For anyone that feels that eating sugar is detrimental to their muscle weight gain goals, just take a quick look at individuals in the real world that have built tremendous bodies while eating foods that contain a good amount of carbohydrates: prisoners. They eat what could be the equivalent of cafeteria food, yet they have more muscle mass than most gym rats and dietary supplement junkies. Learn to not get caught up in all of the hype. Realize that much of what you read regarding ways to eat to gain weight fast in bodybuilding magazines, books, and websites is nothing more than rewritten material, or repeated / second hand information. Like I’ve said in other articles, it’s a “monkey see, monkey do” type of industry.

So if you are looking for ways to get your muscle building efforts on, be sure to include plenty of sugars / carbohydrates in your diet to gain muscular weight!

So you have been spending countless hours at the gym and lifting weights like a chimpanzee on crack but no matter how hard or how long you workout you just aren’t seeing the gains you thought you would. Don’t be discouraged many of us make mistakes when bodybuilding and that it why I have put together this short guide on how to build muscle faster.

First off if you want to learn how to build muscle faster you need to learn some things about your body. your body needs certain building blocks in order to keep up with the constant breakdown of muscles whenever you work out.

Eating lots of protein is crucial to building muscle mass. In order for the muscle tissue to repair itself after your weight training it needs an abundance of protein from different sources. Drink protein shakes, eat dairy and meat products, fish and proteins from grains as well.

Another important building block is fat. A low fat diet is not going to work if you are trying to build your body. Eating fat increases the amount of anabolic (muscle building) hormones like testosterone in your body. This is why some resort to taking anabolic steroids but you can get similar results just from eating a diet high in fats.

Aside from what you are eating make sure that you eat often. 5 to 6 meals a day if you can. Also drink plenty of water. Water is vital for carrying out all of the body’s cellular functions including rebuilding muscles. 8 to 12 eight ounce glasses a day should suffice.

Aside from giving your body what it needs there are some things you should be doing in the gym that can contribute to building muscle faster. When you lift weights you should be lifting enough weight that it is difficult to do more then 8 – 10 reps. Remember more weight and less reps equals bigger muscles, where as less weight and more reps equals leaner muscles.

You also want to avoid too many cardio workouts. The reason that too much cardio isn’t desirable when your goal is to build muscle is that too much cardio releases catabolic hormones in the body, breaking down your muscle tissue; obviously this is counter-productive. It also expends a lot more of your body’s resources that would other wise be used to help rebuild muscles.

I hope that I have given you some valuable ideas on how to build muscle faster [http://www.7-minute-muscle.info]. The most important thing to remember is that it takes dedication and commitment to implement these tactics into your workout and your lifestyle.

If you want to know how to gain muscle fast, then you need to understand and be aware, that there is more to it than just lifting weights and going to the gym everyday. In fact If you was to follow this process then you could actually slow down your muscle building development, and that is why you need to pay attention to the advice I am about to share with you in this article.

• How much training should you do? – This is a very important aspect of building muscle that needs your attention, although a lot of this depends on your age and fitness, you should be aiming to train at least 3 days per week. You should try to work on each muscle group at least once per week (chest, back, legs, biceps).

• Is there a certain amount of reps to do? – High intensity training should be your aim here, try to lift weights that you are comfortable with and bear in mind that the heavier the better. You should be aiming for muscular failure in your training, so reps of about 4-6 should be enough.

• What the hell is muscular failure? – Let me explain what muscular failure is, “If you are in the gym and are doing three sets of bar-bell curls, then the following will occur: You do the first set of 6 reps with no problems, the second set pretty much the same, but on your third set you get to the second rep and can not do it, however much you try, this is when you have reached muscular failure”.

• Why you need to rest up – It is very important that your body gets the required amount of time to rest after a workout. If you want to gain muscle fast, then the muscles need time to heal after the stress it receives from working-out in the gym, aim to have at least a days rest after each session, and try to remember, not getting enough rest in between work-outs can cause injury and slow down the muscle development stage.

• Fuel the muscle – Without eating the best muscle building food, your muscles will struggle to develop, (this is a fact by the way!), try to include foods that are high in protein, red meat, chicken and tuna are just a couple of protein rich foods that are very popular with bodybuilders.

By following and taking notice to what has been covered in this article, you will have set you muscle building regime of to the best possible start. As long as you stay committed, disciplined and sensible, then there is no reason why you should not be able to gain muscle fast.

Every man, soon or later in their lifetime, fell the need of putting up some muscle for the most different reasons: becoming more attractive for the opposite sex, having more strength to use in sports, and so on. The goal is inspiring, but the way is hard and impervious: gaining muscle has no shortcuts, unfortunately. You get out of it what you put in, hard work and sweat.

This is of course true, if you are searching for the magic pill you better spend the money and time for the gym in something more useful. But you can actually know how to become more efficient in your muscle building process, getting extremely good results in a relatively short timespan (6 months to one year). You just need to stick to a few principles.

Eat a lot

It does not matter what other people tell you. You can not build muscle and at the same time lose weight. To build muscle you need to eat a LOT. To lose weight you need to get in the strictly necessary calories. So, it is either black or white. If you feel like you need to lose some weight first, go on a diet first.

This is because first, muscle is a tissue that consumes energy. If you do not eat enough during your muscle building process, muscle will simply tear down. And second, you need to put in a great quantity of proteins in your body (around 2 grams per pound of weight every day) to get your muscles. Do not worry about getting fat, you will not if you keep lifting hard and do not skip the gym.

Focus on low repetition – heavy weights combination

I hear many people that stick to a high repetition cycle with little weights believing that it will build muscles. Then they complain that they get no result. No surprise. An aerobic work like this is the exact opposite of what you need to do to build muscles. Heavy weights stimulate the fibres in the muscle tissue a lot, sending more blood to the area and stimulating the production of testosterone, the hormone that helps you build muscles.

Squat

If you train in a gym and do not squat because you want to focus on the upper body then you do not understand very well how to body works. The legs have the biggest muscles in the body, and working on them helps the production of testosterone that makes muscle grow on the whole body. Also, squat is the most complete exercise you can do in a gym, stimulating all the muscles in the body – and it does not require a $2000 machine, just a barbell and the right weights.

Increase weight every time

Strangely enough, the most useful thing you can do to build muscle faster is to make your body uncomfortable. Sticking with the same weights for too long in the end will decrease the muscle growth to zero because the body starts to get used to them. Add every time you train a little amount of weight, being careful not to overdo it. Also, try doing something to surprise your body, like changing your training schedule once in a while. It will give you extremely good results.

Are you interested in building muscle mass. There is a lot of bogus information out there on body building. It’s put out there by companies trying to push there expensive supplements on anyone who will bite. If you have a good program you can build muscle quickly and efficiently, with out breaking your bank. Here are a few solid tips on building muscle naturally.

When lifting always opt towards free weights and steer away from machines. The advantage of lifting free weights is they force you to balance and control the weight. Machines tend to force you into a fixed unnatural motion that can cause injury and aren’t near as effective. Get some protein with in 30 minutes of finishing your workout. To really pack on some muscle, keep protein in your system every 3-4 hours while your muscles heal.

For those who are just beginning to lift, start slow. Learn proper technique first and then add weight to push your body out of it’s comfort zone. To start I recommend only working out 3 times per week. As you get stronger you can intensify your workout. Start out doing a lot of compound exercises. It’s better to hit several muscles at a time, as opposed to one. As you build muscle mass you can start doing some isolated exercises.

Eating healthy and often is a important factor to capitalize on for optimum results. If you are looking for a fool-proof method to get absolutely ripped without using harmful drugs, check out the link I’ve indicated below.

Muscle building is not just about heaving tons of iron. You also need to eat right. We humans tend to love to complicate things. But there is nothing complicated about muscle building foods. The KISS principle, that is keep it simple stupid (not you) applies well here.

The first thing you need in order to build lean mass is protein. You should consume 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Try to avoid processed meats as much as possible. Some good sources of protein include;

1. Good old eggs. Yes they’ve received a lot of bad press due to the high cholesterol they contain.  Some of these claims have since been refuted, but the bad press continues. If you’re still worried about cholesterol or have a tendency towards high cholesterol then go easy on the yolks and eat more whites. But to get the full benefit of eggs, don’t throw away all the yolks. The yolk contains almost half the protein of the egg and all the vitamins. The best thing is that eggs are easy to prepare; if you can boil a pot of water you’re good to go (simply add the eggs whole into the water).

2. Good old beef: Another one that has been getting some bad press, lean red beef is a good source of protein and also contains zinc, selenium, vitamins, iron, creatine and other “good stuff”. If you’re not vegetarian or don’t have other dietary restrictions, lean beef should a part of your muscle building meal plan.

3. Turkey and chicken: Those birds are good for you and can be delicious. Go for skinless turkey or chicken breast, which are lean contain high levels of protein. You can do the skinning yourself to save some money. Dark turkey and chicken are also good (skin them too) but make sure to drain as much fat as possible.

4. Fish: The top choice is salmon which not only contains high levels of protein but is also rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. Other good choices are tuna, cod, tilapia, and sardines. Generally, fish is good for you whatever the type. Go for wild instead of farmed fish where possible and if your budget allows.

5. Good old milk: If you’re a hard gainer go for whole milk. Others can drink either whole or lower fat varieties. The fats in milk are the short chain variety and can actually help you gain muscle by helping prevent muscle breakdown.

6. Cottage cheese: In the days before whey and casein products, bodybuilders relied heavily on cottage cheese. In fact, many professional bodybuilders today still use it today as it is good and slow-digesting.

7. Nuts and seeds: They contain protein as well as “good” fats; that is unsaturated fats. Some good choices are almonds, peanuts, hazel nuts, flax seeds, pecans, walnuts, and cashew nuts, to name but a few.