MMA Diet and Conditioning

How to Become an MMA fighter

2009-12-02T23:12:00.000-08:00

For those of you that haven't witnessed a mixed martial arts event before, you should. Why? Simply because mixed martial artists are the best conditioned athletes in the world today. Said another way, back in high school you likely remember that high school wrestling team. Maybe you were even on the team. Regardless as to whether you were on the team, were part of another sport that saw them after school, or just plain stayed after for other reasons and came across them, it seems that everyone in the world has the same recollection of what those wrestlers did.

They ran stairs over and over and over again. No doubt you were either impressed with yourself (if you were a part of the team) or were impressed with them (if you weren't on the team). So why did they do all of that stair climbing?

Here's why. Running stairs and/ or uphill improves speed, strength, and explosiveness at the same time. The interesting thing is that as amazing as those wrestlers were, they weren't asked to do nearly as much as mixed martial arts fighters are today. For reference, add in Muay Thai kickboxing, submissions/ jiu- jitsu, and the fact that they need to be able to employ everything while being struck.

In other words, anyone that practices mixed martial arts needs to be in outstanding condition.

Then there is the rest of the world. We'd all love to be in that kind of shape whether we actually want to fight in a cage or not. Along with this, if you want to have the endurance of a professional MMA athlete, which by the way nearly every mixed martial arts fighter will tell you is paramount to success in the sport, here are some guidelines for laymen (non- fighters) to consider.

Disclaimer: Never attempt any workout program without first consulting a professional in the field and physician. No article can suffice for this. Further, it is always important to start small and work up.

Running: Here's the thing: Just jogging leisurely on a treadmill or track won't do it, even if there is a place for that. Running at a steady pace does have some worth in terms of health, for sure. However, mixed martial arts fighters are capable of going from zero to 60 in a small amount of time. In other words, a fight isn't just a gradual thing in its entirety like jogging is. Rather, the speed with which fighters move in a cage must vary. Therefore, so should your running workout.

In other words, jog at a steady pace for several minutes and then move the speed up to three quarters or a sprint. Then after a certain period of time, drop the speed down to what you were doing before you started sprinting. Then repeat. This is similar to what was asked in those Bigger, Faster, Stronger workouts back in the day.

This kind of running workout will improve both general cardio and explosiveness.

By the way, remember that whole running stairs thing? Well, it works. Sprinting up stairs or hills and then jogging down is great for explosiveness and cardio. In fact, Tito Ortiz, former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight Champion, is a big proponent of running uphill with resistance.

Thus, if you want to have mixed martial arts (MMA) endurance your running workouts will likely need to be about more than just a slow jog. Further, you'll have to do this a couple of times per week- but not more than three times- as you don't want to over train.

Building The Core

Basically, this is the stomach and lower back. However, to be even more accurate the core refers to the muscles that run the length of the trunk and torso. When these contract they stabilize the spine, pelvis and shoulder girdle; thus, they are supportive in nature. Interestingly, the powerful movements we generate in the extremities all come from this area, and it is for this reason that many people believe the core is the most important thing for a fighter to focus on when it comes to conditioning. Luckily, focusing on this area in combination with good eating (which would be a whole separate article) and cardio exercises will leave you looking good.

Some exercises used to develop the core include crunches, leg lifts (though many people don't like this exercise due to the way it can wear and tear on your back), bicycles, abdominal bracing (bracing is when someone attempts to pull their navel back toward their spine), work with medicine balls, yoga, and push ups (remember that almost every exercise can work the core, not just the obvious ones). In addition, there are various pieces of equipment out there that help accomplish this task. Just watch some infomercials for a ton of options.

Since the core is so important, many believe that it should be worked almost everyday.

General Weightlifting

Nearly all mixed martial arts fighters lift weights these days. Generally, however, this is only done 2-3 days per week. Is it absolutely necessary? Perhaps not as Fedor Emelianenko, widely considered the greatest MMA fighter on the planet today, doesn't even work out with weights and is still known as one of the most powerful people to ever grace a mixed martial arts stage. Still, most fighters do lift weights to improve strength, explosiveness, and to help avoid injury.

Some weightlifting exercises designed to increase explosiveness can be seen here -- Squatting –To Be Explosive, Train Explosive -- and include dumbbell jerks, finger cleans, and dumbbell squats.

In addition, standard exercises like the bench press, squat, upright rows, curls, bent over rows, military press, leg curls and extensions, and more may also be beneficial. Oftentimes, these exercises are done with low repetitions and several sets to promote power.

Now if you don't want to lift weights, you'll have to get imaginative in order to build strength. Some ideas are chopping wood (or using a large hammer to drill down on a tire-see Paulo Filho), push ups, and chin ups.

Stand Up Training

You've heard it before. Cardio kickboxing can really boost one's cardio and fitness level. For non- fighters that want to be in great shape, this will do the trick. The next step up could be several five- minute rounds of bag work (make sure that you know how to punch and kick before engaging in this). At most do this a couple of times per week.

Of course, if you're really into fighting and not just getting in shape like a fighter, try live sparring under the supervision of an appropriate professional.

Speaking of real fighting. . .

Real fighting/ sparring

This is the problem for people that want to have the endurance of a mixed martial arts fighter but don't want to fight. It really can't happen. You can come close for sure. But the thing that works to get people in MMA shape best is submission grappling and sparring in a cage or on a mat. There's simply nothing like it. Bas Rutten, former UFC Champion and current MMA commentator, has indicated in the past that even marathon runners have gassed before when they've come into his gym. Simply put, wrestling is like a tuggle war that never ends. Stand up fighting is a different kind of cardio, more explosion and speed. To be able to do both 100% requires that you practice using the muscles involved.

And that means training to be a fighter.

Search Google for Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) gyms in your area, and then give them a call. Take a class on beginner's kickboxing. Don't worry -- it's for beginners. The training is likely to be the light and include a mitt-work (punching / kicking mitts) and foot work (how you move on your feet).

After you've taken a few kickboxing classes and gotten to know the trainers and feel good about the gym, attend classes on beginner's grappling. Sure, you'll most likely be grappling with other students, but it's likely to be light, with most of the focus on technique, while developing endurance.

Muay Thai and MMA Fighting Instruction with Razor Rob Mccullough

2009-11-26T02:14:00.000-08:00

VITAL STATISTICS
Name Rob McCullough
Nick Name Razor
Record 17 - 6 - 0 (Win - Loss - Draw)
Wins 9 (T)KOs ( 52.94 %)
3 Submissions ( 17.65 %)
5 Decisions ( 29.41 %)

Losses 1 (T)KOs ( 16.67 %)
5 Decisions ( 83.33 %)

Association Team Oyama
Height 5'8" (173cm)
Weight 155lbs (71kg)
Style Muay Thai
Birth Date 1977-05-26
City Huntington Beach, California
Country United States

Tito Ortiz the Huntington Beach Bad Boy interview

2009-11-22T10:21:00.000-08:00

Follow the link to hear how the huntington beach bad boy gets in to the condition that has made him an MMA legand.http://bodybuilding.com/fun/drobson277.htm

Gain Muscle Mass | Weight Fast: Gain Muscle Mass Fast for Skinny Men

2009-11-19T07:22:00.000-08:00

Gain Muscle Mass | Weight Fast: Gain Muscle Mass Fast for Skinny Men

Razor Rob McCullough

2009-11-19T03:10:00.000-08:00

Caveman Training Extreme MMA Workout

2009-11-16T10:34:00.000-08:00

Ever wondered how the worlds toughest athletes get into jaw dropping condition?and how they manage to go round after round at full intensity?bellow is just part of an MMA fighters training.Caveman training is extreme and will hurt the weak,but if you can see through a whole session of this i give my word you`ll be looking forward to a hard tough day of cardio.

A calculated mix of traditional and novel strength and conditioning exercises, Caveman Training is prided on its specificity as much as its difficulty. It produces fast and measurable results whether you're seeking muscle mass and definition or looking to boost performance in a particular sport or activity. "It takes the best of all training methods and puts them into a truly comprehensive routine that's goal-specific."

So says Scott Ramsdell, creator of Caveman Training and owner of Minnesota-based Athletic Performance Inc. (API), where Sherk and a handful of other top-tier mixed martial artists endure the frenzied and relentless pace of this system before heading to the Octagon. Ramsdell conceived of Caveman Training with athletes in mind but has expanded it to include more than 80 detailed routines that anyone can do, depending on their goals and experience levels.

"Caveman Training originated here at API," he says. "I was tired of the play-it-safe attitude with athletes. I was tired of seeing them coddled as if they were going to get injured or die if they were pushed too hard. I've heard from every one of my fighters that their training with me is harder than their fights. I believe this should be true of every sport. The training and preparation for the competition should be harder than the competition itself."

While API's Scott Ramsdell recommends performing Caveman Training under a certified trainer's supervision, particularly if you're new to it, he offers up these three routines as a broad sample of what he puts his athletes through. He also has a rating system - gold, silver or bronze - depending on how long it takes you to finish each workout.
WORKOUT 1 THE 10% RULE

In this workout, the reps are few and the weights are fairly heavy. Pace is the ultimate controlling factor in how effective this routine can be.

EXERCISE TIME/REPS
Treadmill (10% incline/10 mph) 20 seconds
Slosh Pipe Overhead Squat 5 rep
Wide-Grip Pull-Up 5 reps
Double-Under Jump (jump rope) 20 reps
Heavy Bag Twirl (60-pound bag) 5 reps
Box Jump (24" platform) 10 reps
Double-Under Jump (jump rope) 20 reps
Sandbag Clean and Press 5 reps

Going Caveman: Start from the top of the list and work your way down as fast as possible while maintaining good form on each exercise. There's no scheduled rest. Perform the sequence 10 times total, noting your time after the final sandbag clean and press.

Score Gold: 20 minutes or less; silver: 20:01-25:00; bronze: 25:01+
WORKOUT 2 MED-BALL HELL

Routines like this can give medicine balls a nasty reputation. This simple-looking workout, which should be performed using a 20-30-pound medicine ball, attacks your core and stabilizer muscles. If you're looking to make this one more interesting, do it interval style, alternating your pace from circuit to circuit.

EXERCISE Reps 3
Overhead Squat1 11-20
Close-Grip Push-Up2 11-20
Sit-Up1 11-20
Close-Grip Push-Up2 11-20
Overhead Squat1 11-20
200-yard sprint4 11-20

1 ball above your head; 2 both hands on the ball; 3 start by doing 11 reps per exercise, then add one rep each time through until you reach 20; 4 don't use medicine ball

Going Caveman: Complete each exercise in sequence in circuit fashion. Immediately dive back into the next set, and continue until you've reached 20 reps per exercise. Again, there's no scheduled rest. Don't forget to score your total time.

Score Gold: 18 minutes or less; silver: 18:01-22:00; bronze: 22:01+
WORKOUT 3 SHORT BUT NOT SWEET

Looking for a trial by fire? This power-focused routine amounts to 7-10 minutes of total work for most athletes but provides a healthy dose of muscle-building benefits in the process. "This must be done at sprint speed for it to be effective," Ramsdell says. "The weights must be moved as fast as possible:
Think short bursts of 100% effort with enough rest to allow for complete recovery."

CIRCUIT 1
EXERCISE Reps
Box Jump (24" platform) 10
Deadlift (185 pounds) 10
Thruster (40-pound dumbbells) 10
Pull-Up 10
Close-Grip Push-Up 10

CIRCUIT 2
EXERCISE Reps
Pull-Up 10
Bent-Over Row 10
Upright Row 10
Shoulder Press 10
Renegade Row 10

Note: Use 40-pound dumbbells for all exercises in Circuit 2 except the pull-up. Weights can be scaled down on any exercise to meet your experience level.

Going Caveman: Complete each exercise in Circuit 1, moving quickly from one exercise to the next without rest. At the end of Circuit 1, rest 3-4 minutes. Perform this circuit five times, recording your total work time for each run-through. Start Circuit 2, completing it in the same fashion as the first: five times through with 3-4 minutes of rest between circuits. Add your workout times from both circuits to get your score.

Score Gold: 6:30 minutes or less; silver: 6:31-8:00; bronze: 8:01+

best MMA strength training

2009-11-16T05:56:00.000-08:00

mma diet and fitness

2009-11-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Diet is an important component in the physical preparation equation. You are what you eat! If you do not eat correctly you seriously undermine the effort you make in training for MMA.

Under-eating and overeating both have to be avoided, the ideal is to have a balanced nutritious diet that gives you the energy you need to train. Unfortunately this is not an ideal everyone is able to attain, although it should be an easy matter if you understand what goes to make up a balanced diet. All food has a calorific value. A calorie in physics is the amount of energy needed to raise one gram of water through one degree centigrade.

However, a food calorie is the equivalent of 1000 'physics' calories. The number of food calories you consume together with the number of calories you burn up in daily activity determines your body weight. Water has no calories, but is vital for the proper functioning of the body, especially when training hard or living in hot climates.

The human thirst mechanism is generally regarded as being inefficient and to prevent dehydration it is advisable to drink up to three liters of water per day. Water helps the kidneys to flush toxins out of the body. Attempting to reduce body weight by dehydrating the body is foolish and potentially harmful. Weight lost by sweating in training must be replaced by drinking sufficient fresh water.

There are six classes of nutrients: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins and water. Carbohydrates such as fruit, vegetables, pasta, rice, potatoes and grain products like bread should provide about 50-60 per cent of your calories and provide easily assimilated energy for your training efforts. If carbohydrates are the fuel for the engine, proteins are the oil. Protein is what the body uses to replenish and repair its tissues, and to build up muscle after it has been broken down in training; it should provide 20 per cent of the calories in an athlete's diet.

Meats, particularly fish and poultry, along with eggs and dairy products provide complete proteins. Fats should provide the other 30 per cent of the calories in a balanced diet, but wide variations in the amount of dietary fat seem to be compatible with good health. Animal fat should be avoided, while vegetable oils such as sunflower oil or olive oil are good sources of essential fatty acids which must be consumed on a regular basis. Because fat is easy for the body to store, excess calories, particularly if consumed in the form of fats, will increase your body fat levels.

Cutting down on calories consumed in the form of fats will, if combined with daily aerobic exercise to raise the body's base metabolic rate and burn up excess calories, lead to a reduction in body fat levels. Losing fat is the right way to lose weight and a much better approach than crash dieting which is potentially dangerous and leads to a loss of lean muscle tissue mass that weakens the athlete. If the athlete has a balanced diet it will contain the necessary vitamins and minerals and supplements should not be needed.

Heres a quick tip for those looking for a new way to get ripped.2weeks 2/3 times a week weight training focusing on strength so low reps few sets heavy compound exercises(squats,deadlifts,cleans,bench,row).Now your diet on these days carbs high,protien high and fat low. For the rest of your week whether its a cardio day rest day keep protien high bring fat up healthy fats obviously no sugers and reduce carbs.For the next 2weeks all that changes is the reps and sets for the weight training looking at high reps high sets a good example is Rich Franklins workout which is on my blog.The reason for the quick switch up is to mix it up hit your muscle at different intensities this will increase muscle growth and reduce some fat.

Sports Supplements for Bodybuilders

2009-11-13T04:16:00.000-08:00

Bodybuilding competitions are held for both men and women. There are television body fitness shows that target bodybuilders. Even the very popular magazine Sports Illustrated is now having female bodybuilders as their cover models.

Lifting weights is the perfect routine for bodybuilders in order to achieve hypertrophy or muscle growth. These strenuous and high intensity activities promote the strengthening of muscles. The suitable weight-lifting program is accompanied by a specialize nutrition with high amounts of protein. Rest is also an important aspect of bodybuilding.

Because bodybuilders undergo high intensity trainings, their bodies have special needs. The bodys special nutritional requirement must be met, not only to optimize the bodybuilding workout, but also to prevent serious accidents.

Due to the high levels of muscle growth and repair, bodybuilders require between 500 to 1000 calories (roughly 2000 to 4000 kilojoules) more than their recommended daily amount while at the same time attempting to increase lean body mass.

This is achieved by taking in 5 to 7 full meals daily at regular intervals of 2 to 3 hours. This split of food intake allows for greater availability of nutrients in addition to assisting in fat loss.

In addition to a well-planned diet, bodybuilders can choose from a wide array of bodybuilding supplements on the market, depending on their needs. These bodybuilding products are referred to as diet supplements.

Keep note that in gaining muscles, it is really not necessary to take in supplements. However, these supplements will aid in hastening muscle development. The various types of bodybuilding products are classified as diet supplements.

Some bodybuilders would be stacking or combining the different bodybuilding supplements for faster results. Some of these products may prove harmful on their own or when stacked. The most popular bodybuilding supplements would be the following:

· Glutamine- Glutamine, which is the most abundant amino acids found in muscles, inhibits muscle wasting and helps muscles improve faster.

· Creatine- Creatine is good for muscle development because it increases the bodys ATP that is the main source of muscle energy. This increase in energy enables the bodybuilder to perform longer and endure more strenuous workouts. The different types of creatine are micronized creatine, creatine monohydrate and creatine formulas, which are mixed with other stuffs like dextrose and amino acids.

· Multivitamins- Deficiencies in minerals and vitamins can hamper the gains of workouts. Sufficient intake of multivitamins is essential in gaining muscle mass. Vitamins aid in converting food into energy while minerals ensure that the brain receives the correct signals from the body.

· HMB- The HMB supplement is a metabolite of leucine, an essential amino acid, which has a positive effect on muscle gain and even fat loss.

· Zinc and Magnesium Aspartate (ZMA)- This combination of vitamins and minerals has been reported to increase testosterone levels and improve sleep and recovery.

· Prohormones- Prohormones work like anabolic steroids- they increase anabolic hormones but with less risks for side effects.

· Protein-rich products or meal replacement products are available such as protein bars and protein shakes. Both are consumed in replacement of whole meals. These products are low in fat, rich in vitamins and minerals, have moderate amounts of carbohydrates and packed with high quality protein. Protein is made up of amino acids, which are the basic building blocks of muscles. Other forms of protein would be whey, egg or albumen, casein and soy.

How to Build Muscle and Lose Fat

2009-11-13T04:08:00.000-08:00

Every bodybuilder at one point or another has tried in vain to pack on muscle and reduce fat to a level where they look ripped.Reason being is simply in order to pack on muscle you have to feed your body with a surplus of calories which everyone will know is the complete opposite to cutting down.In some case yes there are people who have achieved both even myself but not to such an extent that i was overwhelmed with the results.As long as you maintain a balanced diet with healthy foods train like a machine and mix it up and keep up the consistancy then there is no reason why you cant achieve your goal of a jaw dropping body.

Here is some advice i think you will find gives you a kick in the ass and gets you up off your butt and to the gym.

Anyone who's ever truly been on a real bulking phase or a cutting phase will know exactly what extremes I'm talking about. In order to gain muscle the body needs food and lots of it coupled with a reduction of all extraneous activities. In order to shed fat after building this muscle the body needs much few calories and lots more tedious cardiovascular type exercise. To try and embark on a mutual compromise between bulking and cutting typically brings compromising results in either direction.

However, with science, information, and understanding on how the various systems of the body function, we can better understand and apply correct exercise and nutritional timing to better enable us to achieve the goal of increasing muscle mass and losing fat simultaneously. The plan I am about to unfold here is, as only a bodybuilder would have it, a bit extreme. However, if dedicated to and followed, it will enable you to achieve these 2 mutually exclusive goals simultaneously by taking advantage of nutrient and exercise timing.

What we are going to do is take advantage of the body's hormonal state as it pertains to day to day circadian rhythms, exercise, and nutrient timing. The plan involves periods of both rather extreme underfeeding for fat loss, and rather extreme overfeeding for muscle gain coupled with both training for fat loss (cardio, HIT) and training for muscle gain (heavy weights). Basically what will be happening is you'll be in a fat burning mode the majority of the time eating lower carbs and calories and performing fat burning activities like regular cardio and HIT cardio to help in this aspect.

The rest of the time you'll either be sleeping, hitting the iron heavy and hard, or eating like a madman to drive protein synthesis, build muscle, and take advantage of the anabolic hormones induced by the weight training and feeding schedule. So let's take a look at the nuts and bolts of the program.

Cardio

Some form of cardio should be done 3-6 days per and alternated between longer, slow duration cardio, and HIT cardio. Walking on a slightly inclined treadmill for 45 minutes is an ideal form of the longer duration cardio which should be performed on weight training days (up to 3x per week) and sprinting outdoors, on a treadmill and/or cycling is an ideal form of HIT cardio which should be done on weight training off days (2-3x per week). For the HIT portion there are many different methods of implementing this.

I like to keep the work:rest intervals a little longer than most at 1:2. As an example, after a 4 minute slow jog/cycle warm up perform 20 seconds of all out sprints followed by 40 seconds of jogging repeated for 8-12 sets with a 4 minute cooldown of slow jogging at the end. If there is one key to HIT cardio it is to keep it creative. Basically, the more you struggle with fat gain and/or loss, the more cardio and HIT sessions you'll need to perform with 3 cardio and 3 HIT cardio sessions being the max. Those somewhere in the middle of the metabolic continuum should perform 3 HIT sessions and ditch the regular cardio sessions. Those with excellent metabolisms might find they need only 1 or 2 HIT sessions per week.

Weight Training

The actual content of your weight training sessions is not nearly as important as the timing. It is important for this program that your weight training sessions be done sometime in the late afternoon/early evening to allow you to burn fat throughout the day as this is the time when you'll be eating a lower calorie/low carb diet. Also make sure you schedule the weight training early enough in the evening so that you are allowed a minimum of 6 hours between your weight training session and bedtime as this is the time you will be overfeeding to drive protein synthesis and replenish glycogen stores. Doing so too early in the day would halt fat burning for the rest of the day and put a damper on our training and fat burning economy.

The weight training should be done 3x per week on alternate days, M/W/F or Tu/Thu/Sat being ideal. The training sessions should consist of heavy, basic compound movements with some overlap. In other words, don't make any sessions arms only as you want workouts that stimulate a lot of anabolic hormones and muscle mass.

Building Muscle - Simplified

2009-11-13T02:54:00.000-08:00

Being from the skinny fat gene i found it was a serious struggle to shift the fat while increasing my muscle until i sat down and thought about it.What was stopping me really i mean i trained like a maniac and i was eating healthy.
Then it hit me my hormones work against me meaning naturally im over anxious,egger and demanding meaning i want that now and damn it im going to fight for it.Wrong way trust me its not an over night thing getting in shape near 2 years it took me to get to the shape im in now.Now the reason i mention hormones is i was causing my body to much stress in the way of overtraining causing muscle breakdown due to lack of sleep and insufficient nutrients but i was still eating.SUM REDUCING MUSCLE MASS + EATING THE SAME = FAT GAIN.So to counter this i did one main thing i stopped everything and asked the question what will increase my pro muscle building hormone testosterone.Well for a start heavy weights low reps moderate sets was a must i cut the cardio for the first month just to allow my body to get to a good anabolic state.Oh yes squats deads cleans bench rows dips were all in my arsenal.Since i was only training 3days a week spaced out a day in between i was sleeping like a baby lifting heavy and eating right.Packed it on well enough for my family and friends jaws to hit the floor.Simplified muscle now fat later if you`ve got the mass do what you can to keep it and gradually add cardio.Then when your at the stage you feel you really want to push your body take a look at my MMA training articles on my blog.

Read on for more info because everyone is different the key is relising what your body type is are you eating right are you training right and are you sleeping right.Basically know your weaknesses and learn from them.

Quick muscle building is the goal of every underweight guy who hits the gym and embarks on a weight training program for the first time. But with all the misinformation available these days, one is eventually led to believe that building muscle is an infinitely complex process involving rocket-science precision and an intimate understanding of human physiology.

However, when it comes to building muscle I like to keep things simple, so I’m going to simplify the process of building muscle for you too.

In order to take advantage of these tips to build muscle, it's important to understand the fundamentals of weight training, which is if you do not challenge your body it will not adjust by building muscle or burning fat.

This is an extremely powerful tip to building muscle mass, not to mention one of the easiest tricks to ensure your body side-steps plateaus forever. Now, this is common knowledge to a lot of people, but it's also where they run into problems because they get the other important factors wrong when tackling a muscle building program.

The best approach for building muscle is to stick with the basic compound exercises such as, bench press, squats, deadlifts, barbell curls etc. Use lower reps and just a few heavy sets with such exercises as they place an enormous demand on the central nervous system and the body needs sufficient time to recover after performing them.

Single reps are great for strength and often used by powerlifters. Even regular weight lifters and bodybuilders can benefit from the muscle building power of single rep training as they can also build lots of muscle mass. However, in order to stimulate growth volume is also needed and a program that combines both types of training periodically will lead to greater overall gains.

Whilst putting together a muscle building program it is important to take into consideration the possibility of overdoing it and burning out i.e. overtraining. Since overtraining varies from person to person, it's extremely important to keep track of everything in your weight lifting program so that you can make appropriate and systematic changes so you reach your muscle building goals.

Another important consideration is diet. It’s not all about hitting the gym. Think of food as the fuel for your body. Without it you won’t have any energy to train. However, you need to get the right type of fuel in the right quantity to ensure optimum development. Too much food and/or the wrong type and you will get fat. Too little food and/or the wrong type and you won’t have the energy needed to make that final rep needed.

One question that I am often asked is: Is it impossible to build muscle and lose fat at the same time?

It’s fair to say that a weight training program is the best way to build muscle mass but it's also one of the best way to lose fat, completely change the shape of your body, and keep the fat off. That's why weight training is arguably the best tool for losing fat and building muscle. However, although building muscle and losing fat at the same time is not impossible, attempting to build muscle and lose fat at the same time is not as efficient as choosing one over the other. This is because you are chasing after two conflicting goals.

Following these principles will ensure a solid foundation of general fitness and muscular endurance and lead to building muscle mass more easily.

Weight training can be a future investment for permanent weight loss and weight maintenance because as you continue to lose stored body fat and gain lean muscle, your muscle will continue to aid in the calorie burning process. Put together a program that includes these tips for building muscle and burning fat and you will be on your way to a body that has more muscles and less fat.