When I was a young man just starting out in bodybuilding, I wanted massive arms and a big chest, and of course, I wanted them yesterday-and I know I was not the only young man who felt that way.

Now this in and of itself is not so bad, but it is what I did (and I am sure thousands of other young men and women did) because I wanted to get big so fast that was bad.

I over trained, I did things I had no business doing, like endless sets of barbell curls, and to be brutally honest, I have the injuries to prove it.

So for my money, the absolute best way to go about building muscle is simple-do not get ahead of yourself.

What I mean by this is, do not do more than you are capable of-because when you load that bench or squat bar with tons more weight than you can do, nothing good is going to come out-of-it.

Stick to working on the basics, squats, dead lifts, overhead presses, power cleans, bent over rows-you know good old fashioned basic lifts.

And when I say stick to them, I mean stick to them.

Oh, you can read the popular muscle magazines (I sure still do) but do not worry about all of the fancy routines, just stick to working on the basics.

Everything time you can do your target reps in good form; add a small amount of weight, but not before.

SOME POINTS

Am I saying that you need to stick to the exact same exercises forever, no, you can substitute front squats for back squats or add in things like farmers walks to shake things up, but always substitute one basic exercise for another-do not swap out the hard stuff and replace it with easier stuff.

Also, if it is your goal to build big arms you must remember that you need to gain the mass first, by working the basic exercises, then you can shift to exercises like curls and press downs to help shape the mass that you built with the big lifts.

I bring this up because you will be tempted to do curls and press downs, don’t fall prey to the trap-if your goal is to be massive stick to the basics and you will get there.

FINAL POINT

Always remember, every pound you add to the squat rack or pound you add to your body adds up, even though it seems like you will never get big-slow and steady will always win.

Think of it this way, five pounds added every year will turn to fifty pounds in ten years.

Yes ten years will pass-and when it does just think of how different you will look.

So the next time you feel like missing a workout or skipping a meal-just remember every pound every ounce, puts you that much closer to your goal.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

NEVER QUIT

Wondering how to get big muscles fast? Well, there are various ways to do it. You can enroll in a gym, get a trainer, or simply do it by yourself. But first, it is important that you must understand your body type. Knowing your body type will guide you on where to start. There are three main body types – namely, endomorph, mesomorph, and ectomorph. An endomorph type has a bigger body frame than the average individual, which is prone to getting weight easily. Thus, having this body type requires you to lose fat before trying to build muscles. Mesomorph type, on one hand, has a fit and athletic body. If you have this type, you just need to train and eat properly since you are already genetically blessed. On the other hand, ectomorph type is naturally thin and skinny. Your metabolism is fast thus burning up most of your calories before the muscles can use it to grow. Still, if you are an ectomorph and want to know how to get big muscles fast, you can do so through your strong desire and understanding to bulk up. Eat more, exercise, and take a rest.

Now, you might already know your body type, but you’re still wondering how to get big muscles fast? There are workouts you can do. As much as possible, you need to try doing exercises that will work not just your specific muscles. You can perform workouts such as squats, dead lifts, and bench presses to build your overall muscle mass. Isolation exercises though, will still work. You just need to learn how to execute each exercise properly. Be particular to your stance, posture, and full extension movements to ensure positive results. Designing your own program which is loaded with lots of routines, repetitions and sets is a good step on how to get big muscles fast. You can have three to five sets of ten to twelve repetitions and a thirty- to ninety-second rest period between sets. Moreover, do not forget that progression is a very significant key to success. Always trigger your muscle building process by adding more weights than before. Do not cheat yourself.

Changing your eating habits is another factor on how to get big muscles fast. You need to eat foods rich in protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats to give your body proper building blocks. It is also advised that you eat five to six small meals a day instead of the usual three large meals. You should not also forget to replenish lost fluids in your body. Allow yourself to take rest for some time. Doing so will give your muscles time to recover and grow.

Men with a skinny appearance don’t usually get much attention from the crowd. Most skinny guys are often ignored and are noted as sickly or weak. If you are among them who feel unwanted, neglected, or bullied, don’t despair. The best idea is to find tried and proven methods on how to build muscle quickly for lean people.

In reality, skinny people are not at all weak and sickly. Most of them have the body system similar to most men with only few key differences. Genetically, their bodies are finding it difficult to build up muscles and their body reacts differently compared to most men. Though this maybe the case, it doesn’t mean that they can’t grow their muscles and continue to remain skinny. There are muscle development methods that can make you see the results fast.

First, let us take a look on the food intake level of most skinny guys. They usually eat a lot but their rate of metabolism is much higher that all the food they eat are being processed quickly by their system until there is only a little or no more nutrients left for the body to sustain muscle growth. Since your metabolic rate is higher, you have to increase the amounts of food that you eat. This way, you can supply your body with much higher food sources to burn and give your body the supply of nutrients that can be used for muscle growth.

Another thing to focus on building muscle for skinny individuals is to plan on the correct sets of exercises. Since you already have the idea on your ideal food intake, it’s now time to seek on the suitable set of exercises for you. It is recommended to all types of men, whether skinny or not, to have the combination of weight lifting exercises and cardiovascular exercises. Weight lifting exercises are grouped in the number of muscles they are trying to develop in one repetition and can either be compound or isolation exercises.

First, you must perform compound exercises as these exercise focuses on development of two or more muscle groups. Due to the fact that it targets multiple muscles at the same time, Compound exercises actually speeds up muscle growth. These types of exercises seek to achieve the development of your ideal muscle mass. Once you have achieved your ideal muscle mass, you can now add isolation exercises on your workout routine. As compound exercises quickens muscle development, isolation exercises typically develops your muscles to become sturdy, bulky and structured.

Moving on to cardio exercises, these exercises are useful to improve the circulation of blood in your body, promote your body’s overall endurance and facilitate immediate fat loss. You can do at least 15-30 minutes of cardio exercises before moving on to working on your muscle building routines.

You should also allow your muscles to rest. It doesn’t mean that you are skinny you have to undergo extensive workout trainings. Doing so might lead to permanent damage to your body. You have to perform the exercises based on a standard schedule and time. Rest well and earn at least 8 hours of sleep daily.

Skinny men have nothing to worry on building their bodies. With the proven tips on how to build muscle fast for skinny guys, you will earn your ultimate desire on muscle development and acquiring a well-built body!

I was flipping through an old muscle magazine last night and spotted a picture of Bill Pettis.

If you don’t recognize the name, Bill Pettis was a bodybuilder who built himself quite possibly the largest arms of his era.

Rumor has it they measured 23 and 1/4 inches. (I say rumor has it because nobody really knows if arm measurements are accurate since most bodybuilders are prone to inflating the truth just a bit.)

But even if you don’t believe the numbers, the pictures don’t lie. Any way you slice it his arms were HUGE.

And strong too. He could curl 225 pounds and could use a whopping 340 pounds in the standing triceps press.

But what really caught my eye was how he ate:

While most bodybuilders still swear by the six meals a day method, Bill ate just two meals per day. He’d eat around 3-4 eggs per day and a hefty portion of bacon, steak, fish, chicken, vegetables and some fruit.

For supplements, he’d have some protein powder, brewer’s yeast and also desiccated liver tablets.

His training was high volume — he’d do dozens of sets of heavy barbell curls, along with plenty of triceps work. In fact, he’d do about twice as much triceps work as he did biceps exercises.

The reason? The triceps contains more muscle than the biceps muscle group so by working the triceps you can increase overall arm size faster.

You might not be able to build 23 inch biceps like Bill Pettis but by following the tips in this article you too can increase your arm size and start stretching out your t-shirt sleeves.

We all have different body types, so it’s obvious that some people may be able to build muscle faster than others, same thing with losing weight. When you are trying to build muscle and burn fat it comes down to your routine, the food you eat, and your body type.

Therefore, it is extremely important to know your type of body, so you can understand and know how workouts will affect you. Will you build muscle quickly or will it take more than you think? Many people quickly give up on trying to lose body fat and gain muscle because they do not see the results they want in a certain amount of time. By knowing your type of body you will understand, why it’s taking so long and you won’t give up.

These are the 3 body types

Ectomorph Body

The people who have an Ectomorph body are those who are skinny with narrow shoulders, small body all around (hips and waist), and a low amount of muscle mass. These are people who have a high metabolism and to build muscle you will find it difficult because your metabolism is very strong naturally.

Endomoph Body

The people who have an Endomoph body are those who are build big, naturally. The “big boned” people, ones with a large frame, big hips, waist, etc. This is becomes their metabolism is slow compared to the Ectomorph. Endomoph bodies tend to put on muscle much more quickly than Ectomorph, however they won’t be as visible because of the layer of fat. Build up your muscle first and then burn the fat is best.

Mesomorph Body

The people who have an Mesomorph body are those who look naturally athletic. They have that natural muscular look with small waist and wide shoulders. They also have a high metabolism, usually. This body type will find it very easy to put on muscle.

With the proper routine and nutrition, no matter what body type you are can build muscle. Just for some may take a bit longer than others, but that is absolutely no reason to quit.

I walked out of the locker room at the gym yesterday only to hear a gym regular telling one of her cronies that she was going to train biceps and triceps that day.

I couldn’t help but feel sorry for this wannabe.

Every day, she, along with her parakeet-legged hubby and his overflowing love handles, slop their way through some inept combination of a body part workout, marked by isolation movements and their ongoing love affair with the cable machine.

This day was bound to be no different. I mean, don’t you have to actually have a set of triceps before you devote an entire workout to upper arm mass?

I was willing to give her one last shot, though.

Maybe she and that lug of hers were finally going to prove me wrong and open up with some weighted dips or close-grip bench presses to awaken those feeble, malnourished pea shooters.

How about some close-grip chin-ups to really stimulate those biceps that appear to have been on a ten-year slumber from countless sets of cable curls?

Not a chance.

A brutal set of lying triceps extensions, followed by a gut-wrenching set of French presses must have set those babies on fire.

Oh no, they weren’t done yet. They proceeded to pump out some heavy duty concentration curls, and they really hit a grand slam with some dynamite preacher curls.

Sadly, like many around them, this delusional duo actually considers themselves hardcore.

Nice Try, Wet Wolf!

“That looks like a very good arm routine to me. In fact, my current arm workout looks a lot like that!”

First of all, rose petal, you have no business devoting an entire workout solely to arms. You haven’t earned that privilege yet. That’s for seasoned Figure vixens with a very solid foundation of muscle.

Second of all, every exercise listed in that pitiful workout is performed sitting or lying down. Seriously, would you like me to get you a pillow and a blankey so you can take a nap between sets?

It’s no wonder you look like a cross between a Hawaiian Tropic bikini model and a yoga instructor.

“Not so fast, Wet Wolf! I lift weights five days a week!”

What are you doing at the gym all five of those days, may I ask?

I don’t know what you’re doing, but I do know what you aren’t doing – physique transforming compound movements that’ll illicit a profound body composition shift.

And yes, that’s something you’re sorely in need of. In one of my previous articles, I told you that unless you were under 18% body fat you had no business counting macronutrients or calories. All you needed to be focused on was eating clean, whole foods and exercising.

Well, I’ve got some news for you: The same rule applies here.

Unless you can do at least five chin-ups and fifteen push-ups, you have absolutely no business doing cable flies.

If you can’t do twenty below parallel single-leg squats, then you’re banned from the leg press. (Well, you shouldn’t be doing the leg press anyway.)

You see my point, though. Far too many antsy females follow a ridiculous workout from some women’s fitness magazine they snatched off the shelf at the local grocery store as they ran in to grab a plate of Santa cookies with sprinkles and jimmies for the office Christmas party.

Then we have the ladies who think they’re advanced after nearly three months of consistent weight training who do a body part split like your typical clueless gym rat. You’ve seen it (or maybe even done it); the one that goes something like biceps and calves, abs and back, shoulders and triceps.

So, how come body part splits are so wrong for females, anyway?

I’ll tell you why.

Females have a dramatically lower strength ceiling than males.

If a male has several years of weight training under his belt and has attained above average strength levels, then training upper and lower body in the same training session would detract from one another, as opposed to performing training sessions exclusively for each.

Therefore, because of the naturally lower strength ceiling, a female can experience all the positives and none of the drawbacks of a total body training session.

Another reason for females to be pro-total body training is that they’re predisposed to higher body fat levels than males.

When you train your entire body, you create a much greater energy turnover and metabolic disturbance. This leads to a substantial energy deficit, sparking fat loss.

Best of all, this provides females with that coveted elevated heart rate they long for. Brief recovery periods are less taxing on the nervous system when supersetting upper body movements with lower body ones.

However, total body workouts containing supersets are far more taxing on the respiratory system.

Think about it; instead of repping out sets of ten squats with a nickel on each side because you’re only resting thirty seconds between sets, why not really ignite that cardio-pulmonary system by raising the weight on the bar? Add an extra two reps to each set, increase your rest between sets a bit, but do an upper body movement in between each set of squats.

“Hold on, Wet Wolf. I think I heard you say before that it was silly to try to use weight training as the sole purpose of increasing heart rate with brief recovery periods.”

It is, if you do it every time you step on the weight room floor.

That’s the great thing about total body workouts for females; they can be used to build muscle just as easily as they can be used to torch fat.

For the wannabe who needs to build some strength and muscle, or the Figure Athlete who wants to burn off some fat in order to reveal her polished, rock solid, lean physique, the total body workout meets your needs.

Wet Wolf’s Total Body Workout

Let’s take a look at each day of the workout and what it entails.

Monday: Strength

A1) Band-assisted chin-up

Sets: 5

Reps: 5

Rest: 60 seconds

A2) Front squat

Sets: 5

Reps: 5

Rest: 60 seconds

B1) Standing dumbbell shoulder press

Sets: 5

Reps: 5

Rest: 60 seconds

B2) Single-leg dumbbell deadlift

Sets: 5

Reps: 5

Rest: 60 seconds

C) Ab wheel

Sets: 5

Reps: 5

Rest: 60 seconds

Wednesday: Hypertrophy

A1) Low-incline dumbbell bench press

Sets: 3

Reps: 9

Rest: 60 seconds

A2) Sumo deadlift

Sets: 3

Reps: 9

Rest: 60 seconds

B1) Single-arm dumbbell row

Sets: 3

Reps: 9

Rest: 60 seconds

B2) Bulgarian split squat

Sets: 3

Reps: 9

Rest: 60 seconds

C) Crocs

Sets: 3

Reps: 9

Execution: Place a plate wrapped in a shirt or towel under your toes while in a push-up position, internally rotate your humerus, and “paw” yourself across the floor.

Friday: Fat Loss and Endurance

A1) Single-leg squat

Sets: 2

Reps: 20

Rest: 60 seconds

A2) High-incline bodyweight row

Sets: 2

Reps: 20

Rest: 60 seconds

B1) Steep-angle push-up

Sets: 2

Reps: 20

Rest: 60 seconds

Execution: Perform the push-ups on the bar in a Smith machine or squat rack.

B2) Single-leg hip pop-up (with one foot elevated)

Sets: 2

Reps: 20

Rest: 60 seconds

C) Stability ball crunches supersetted with stability ball V-ups

Sets: 2

Reps: 20

Rest: 60 seconds

That’s it.

“But what about my four-times-a-week cardio obsession?!”

Hold on, Skippy! First of all, the Friday workout is going to have you gasping for air worse than when you popped out of the water after your older brother dunked you at the local swimming pool.

If you don’t believe me, just wait and see.

I’ll allow one other day per week for general anaerobic conditioning for the skinny, no-muscle crowd and two additional days per week for the fat loss seekers.

Anaerobic day: jumping jacks for 30 seconds, mountain climbers for 30 seconds, rest for 30 seconds

Perform that five times through and add an extra wave each week. The goal is to eventually survive twelve rounds.

Totally Sexy

I don’t care how hardcore you think you are or how big of a newbie you are, you can, and will, make solid gains if you follow this routine for a good four weeks.

So, now you know a vital component to your success. Take advantage of it and change your physique.

Muscles are essential for the body. All the physical action and work we undertake are controlled by the muscles. There are many ways of gaining muscle but not all of them produce the desired results. The best way to gain muscle is to do what actually works. Here are some tips.

Workouts

Although there are get muscle quick plans, workouts still remain the best way to gain muscle. When you work out, you stimulate the muscles. As you lift the weights, your body realizes that it should strengthen the muscles in order to be able to support those weights without difficulty. The result is bigger muscles.

Train the whole body

There is the notion that you must target particular muscle groups in order to gain muscle. This method is only good for keeping the target muscles in shape. Coaches and pros will tell you that to gain muscle, the best thing to do is to train the whole body. You might want to focus on certain parts of the body at certain times, but this should not last more than a few seconds.

Vary your exercises

You should not let the body get used to one type of exercises or a particular weight. When that happens, the muscles will not receive the right amount of stimulation they need to grow as they reach a plateau. The best way to gain muscle is to frequently change weights and exercises. The rule is once you realize you are very comfortable with a particular weight or exercise, change it.

You must rest

No one can underestimate the role rest plays in muscle growth. When you do the workouts, hitting the right muscles with the appropriate weights, you must give time to the body to react in order to start the growth process. Rest is what enables the body to kick start the growth. Therefore the best way to gain muscle is to include periods of rest in your training schedule. You must make time to rest in between your training sessions. And there should be off days when you rest with no exercise.

Eat well

You cannot take a balanced diet out of your plans to get buff. The foods we eat provide the building blocks for muscle growth. Many people overlook this critical area. If you stimulate your body through exercise, you are just telling it to use the nutrients available to grow. If the nutrient is not available, growth will be zero. The best way to gain muscle should be a combination of diet and exercise.

What Exactly Is Whey Protein All About?

Let us start with a scientific explanation. This  protein is made up of globular-protein, which is isolated in the whey. It is a byproduct of cheese manufactured from a cow’s milk. It is a natural blend of beta-lacto globulin, alpha-lactalbumin and serum albumin, which are all soluble in their original shapes and self-contained in the pH. Its best organic value is called Biological Value or “BV”. In short it is one the very best protein sources that there is for muscle builders!

Whey protein has certainly been a welcome addition in the bodybuilding world. It has helped a lot of bodybuilders achieve their goals. Today, this protein has been included as a necessary part of all muscle building diets. Whey protein powder offers quality protein and is very concentrated compared to other protein sources such as eggs, milk, fish, and beef.

What Makes Whey Protein So Good?

• It can easily be digested in your body. The biological value (BV) is a gauge of efficacy with which protein can be immersed and consumed by body for tissue growth— the greater the value the better will be the efficiency.  Egg protein is the universal standard for “BV”. Egg protein retains a “BV” of 100. Milk (casein as well as whey) emerges at about 85 “BV”, beef protein about 75 “BV”. Whey protein supplements in determined form have a “BV” of about 104, while whey in insolated form has a “BV” around 170.
• It is also a rich form of amino acids which play an important role in building and sustaining new muscle mass. The most effective and perhaps useful way of supplying a sufficient quantity of amino acids is through whey protein supplements.
• Whey has the unique ability of “BCAA” (Branch Chain Amino Acids), which you can never ever find in any of the protein sources. The “BCCA” are called Lucien, valine, and iso-leucine.

In In short, we can say that whey is an instrumental muscle building protein. It helps you in the best ways like improving your immune system, metabolism, body muscle mass, cardiovascular functions, and sheered mental capacity. It is one protein that you must use in your diet if you intend on building muscle mass quickly through a regimented weight lifting program.

We all have our favorite exercises, and for many of us they will tend to be the same ones. On chest day at the gym, when you have to make reservations ahead of time to get in your work at a bench, or the crossover machine, just about everyone does all the popular exercises for any given body part.

Don’t get locked into the same old exercises time and time again. Here are some obscure movements every serious trainer should know.

Some are just variations of tried and true exercises, while others are totally unique. I will continue by going over them with you by body part.

Chest: Low cable crossovers are great to use in the development of the lower chest. Rather than fixing the handles at the top of the machine, hook them to the bottom pullies. Slightly leaning, bring the handles in a sweeping arc motion directly in front of the lower chest. Done correctly you will feel this burn your lower pecs.

Back: Lat shrugs are a truly unique exercise you may have never encountered in the gym before. To do this exercise lay face down on an incline bench. Grab 2 dumbbells off the floor. Now, rather than do a typical shrug movement, squeeze your shoulder blades together and hold for a certain amount of time, 3 to 4 seconds usually. The effect is an amazing pump and great fatigue on the lats.

Traps: Armpit rows are a great exercise to superset with any kind of shoulder shrug for an awesome trap burnout. After doing a set of shrugs grab a pair of dumbbells that are about a quarter of the weight heavier than the ones you shrugged with. Now, pull each one straight up, trying to stuff them in your armpits. Armpit rows are superior to upright barbell rows because they put your arms in a much more powerful pulling position.

Give these 3 exercises a try in the next few weeks at the gym and see if you find a new favorite exercise to add to your arsenal. They might be obscure but they are all proven muscle builders. So have fun with them.

If you a stocky, smooth muscled and round in shape; if you are carrying most of your fat in your face (especially your neck and cheeks) around your waist, hips and thighs; you are the classic endomorph. When you are trim and fit, you’re easily mistaken for a mesomorph body type.

The tell-tale fat deposit under the chin and the cheeks begin to show once you slack off from working out and dieting. Since this body type is very efficient at storing calories, they are far less efficient at losing fat. Their metabolic rate is naturally slower than others and makes it that much harder to see results when working out or dieting.

The classic endomorph will have a naturally high degree of body fat, around the midsection. They usually take the shape or pattern of a pear. Overweight endomorphs will have a hard time controlling their weight; (think of Oprah Winfrey or John Goodman). There is a soft smooth look to endomorphs that

The proliferation of fast food restaurants and other convenience foods, make healthy living difficult for you and due to your natural tendency to skip meals when worried or busy, you’re likely to gain weight from eating less!

Classic endomorphs are not always big fans of working out even though they might like to watch sports or play them in a video game. Because this body type is less likely to participate in sports activities, it is essential that they get daily exercise. Unlike the mesomorph or ectomorph who can get away with slacking off for a few days, endomorphs will easily find their bodies slowing down and succumbing to tiredness or fatigue after a few days off.

I belabor this point because although endomorphs tend to be very physically attractive at their optimal bodyweight, they will look and feel drastically different when they let their fat percentage go past 25-30 percent.

The Endomorph Workout

If you hate cardio, sign up right now for a burial plot. High intensity short duration cardio exercise will save your life. Perform cardio routines like jump rope, rebound, boxing, elliptical machine or cycling. Avoid swimming and high impact aerobics. You will love swimming because it’s easy on your body and good for the heart but it will do little to help you lose fat. You’ll hate high impact aerobics if you’re already out of shape. It will leave you feeling tired initially and that alone can discourage most out of shape endomorphs.

Keep the cardio down to 20-30 minutes. The real secret to changing your metabolism will be capitalizing on your asset. Endomorphs build muscle as easily as mesomorphs do.

Muscle Building Workout

The fact is, that many endomorphs try dieting first and lose muscle mass instead of fat. The weight goes down but the metabolism gets slower. Once they switch their diet back to the old way, the fat stores get even bigger and the muscles are still soft. If you are getting back into shape, I recommend compound exercises for at least the first six weeks. The three best compound exercises for you overall body development as an endomorph are squats, deadlifts and chest press. Work with these three exercises for high reps 10-12 and low sets (1-3) to stimulate your muscles for strength training. You must choose a weight that allows you to finish your sets with proper form yet challenge you to progressively increase the weight through the six week training.

Stick to a protein rich lower carb diet that completely removes processed flour, sugar and hydrogenated fats and oils. Take your carbs from fruits and vegetables and omit pasta or other processed starches for now. You goal is to feed your muscles for six weeks and get them burning fat for you 24/7.