VisiOnBody&Fitness

Protein, carbohydrates and fat

2012-07-20T03:04:00.002-07:00

Your muscles don't grow in the gym, they grow during recovery, while you rest and eat. One of the biggest bodybuilding issues people don't know about is having a diet that is conducive to building muscle.
A proper bodybuilding diet requires a different ratio of nutrients than normal, everyday diets. A good rule of thumb is 40-40-20. this means that 40 percent of your diet should consist of protein, 40 percent of carbohydrates, and 20 percent of fat. Of course, every person will have a different optimum ratio, so tweak this ratio from week to week to find out what works for you. Do not neglect fruits and vegetables while on this diet, as they contain nutrients vital to maintaining energy levels.
Also, make a conscious effort to increase your water intake. Consume at least 0.6 oz of water per pound of body weight every day. Growing muscles require water, and not getting enough will hamper your gains.

2012-07-20T03:00:00.000-07:00

Here are a few choice exercises that no bodybuilding routine should be without.
Bench press: An oldie but goodie, there is really no substitute for the bench press. Touch your chest with the bar and extend your arms to their full length. The barbell press is one of the only exercises where a spotter is required every time. Mix up this classic with incline/decline benches.
Crunches: Another classic, the crunch is nonetheless as effective as it is simple. Lying on your back with your knees raised, raise your shoulders off the floor toward your knees. You only need to raise your shoulders about four inches with the crunch.
Cuban press: A great exercise for shoulders. Keep your shoulders and back straight. Hold the dumbbells in each hand and rotate your arms forward until the dumbbells are above your head, even with your shoulders. Lower the dumbbells once again to complete the rep.

2012-07-20T02:54:00.002-07:00

Exercise strategy*
- Keep the following in mind to make sure you get the most out of every workout.
  When working out to add bulk during a bodybuilding routine, do low numbers of reps each set and high numbers of sets per workout. Do this with high weight, high enough that you can only do about six reps every set. This will make sure you are tearing muscle fiber as opposed to simply toning it.
  Think about the area of your body and the muscle you are trying to work out when performing a rep. This is called recruiting, and targets your workout to optimal areas and areas where you actually want to build muscle. This will raise the effectiveness of an exercise by as much as 25 percent.
  Keep your range of motion controlled and constant. Never strain your muscles, as this could lead to injury. When you start to feel your muscles straining, that's the signal to reverse motion and complete the rep.

*source: ehow.com