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Cardio is an important part of any fitness regiment. Cardio can increase strength in your heart and lungs, reduce daily stress and anxiety, reduce your risk of heart disease, cause you to sleep better, give you more energy throughout the day. In addition to these, there are numerous other benefits to doing cardio.

Despite all the benefits of cardio, when it comes to gaining weight, it can actually prevent you from reaching your goals. All forms of cardio burns calories. Some burn more than others. When you are trying to build muscle it is necessary to take in more calories than you are burning. This can be hard if you are spending much time burning up calories doing cardio.

Jogging burns around 500-1000 calories per hour depending on how fast your run and how much you weigh. Using a stationary bike you could burn 300-1100 calories. Walking will burn between 200-700.

If you are some one who has a very hard time gaining weight I recommend stopping your cardio all together or at least keeping it to a minimum during your bulking phase. Once you have reached your weight gain goal then you can resume your cardio training. If you do choose to continue doing cardio during your mass building follow these techniques to continue your weight gain progress:

Keep the intensity level at low to moderate. If you use the treadmill jog rather than run, if you use a stationary bike, ease up on the tension a little.
Only do 1-2 cardio sessions per week. No need to over do it. The goal is to maintain your current level of cardiovascular health.

Keep your cardio sessions to 20 minutes or less. We want to keep the total calories burned to a minimum.

Consume calories before and after your cardio. This will not only help you get more calories in but also prevent you from going into a catabolic state.

Eat an additional 250-500 calories on the days you do cardio. This will make up for the extra calories you burn.

As I stated above there are many many benefits to doing cardio so you shouldn’t stop doing it for long. In fact if you focus only on gaining weight and never do any cardio you will actually hurt your progress. Because your heart pumps blood to your muscles and provides them with the nutrients that they need in order to grow it is important that your heart is strong and healthy.

Like everybody, when I first started bodybuilding I made mistakes-to be honest I made so many that it was a joke.

So in this article I am going to list the one crucial that you may be making-a mistake that can be holding you back in the gym, and what to do about it.

GOING HEAVY AT ALL COSTS

Yep, this is one of the biggest mistakes beginning and even advanced bodybuilders make.

They feel that by simply adding more and more weight to the bar-or dumbbells-they will get massive.

And while it is true that getting stronger is one way to get bigger, it is also true that if you are simply adding weight to add weight you are on the fast track to injury.

For example, people always complain that they cannot seem to get the old biceps to grow, then you watch them train and you figure out why.

When these lifters curl, they are using every muscle EXCEPT the biceps to lift the weight.

And then the wonder why they are not seeing any increase in arm size.

WHAT DO TO

If this sounds like you-do not sweat it.

Swallow your ego (yes I know it is hard) and take some weight off the bar and do each rep slowly and in control.

Please do not confuse this with doing super slow reps where you take thirty seconds to lift the weight and thirty seconds to lower it.

NO!

But take the time to feel the biceps working with each rep-and do not be afraid to take even more weight off the bar if you have to.

Remember this is bodybuilding not power lifting.

When you get up on stage or are at the beach, no one is going to care about how much weight you can lift-you will either look good or you will not.

ONE MORE POINT

Along with this, try doing slightly higher reps per set-like sets of twelve to fifteen reps.

I say this because when people start adding massive amounts of weight to the bar they tend to drop the reps (if you want to call them that) down to doing singles, doubles and triples.

So by going up in reps, this will be a new stimulus to the biceps which can lead to new gains.

CONCLUSION

I know taking weight off the bar is tough, but just remember, by using less weight you will actually be helping yourself gain.

And chances are those gains will be in the form of new muscle.

Not a bad trade-off if you ask me!

GO FOR IT

Seeing all those models or athletes posing on the covers of magazines or on a contest stage exposing their perfectly sculptured abdominal you might believe that it is impossible to accomplish the same thing. Well, the good news is that anybody who can train and follow some nutritional guidelines can form perfect abs. The bad news is that very hard work and even personal sacrifices are required.

In most of the cases, crucial training or nutritional mistakes are involved. First of all, you have to understand that if you really want to get ripped you will have to start treating your abs like any other body part. As you already know, in order to develop your chest, arms or back the best training method is weight-resistance.

I never really understood why people are trying to form their abs just by using gravity. It is time to start working with weights. For example, try doing sit-ups and hold a weight-plate in the same time. You will instantly notice that you won’t be able to perform more than 8 to 10 reps. However, you will feel your abs pumped and burning. By using this weight resistance method you will add volume and size to your abdominal, which is your primary target. You should also remember that abdominal like any other body part need resting periods in order to regenerate and develop. So, do not over train them. Three to four times a week is fine.

After following the previous procedure for a couple of months you will notice that your abs have grown dramatically. Now it is time to make your work visible. So, how do we expose our well-trained abs? The answer is minimum fat and protein-rich nutrition combined with lots of cardio.

Reduce your carbs intake and if needed replace your protein shake with one that contains minimum carbs and a high-protein percentage. I know that this will not be easy for some of you, but you must avoid sugars, fried food and fat. In the same time, increase your protein intake by consuming lean beef, chicken-breast, fish, etc.

Cardiovascular exercise is very important in this phase. At least, half an hour every day is obligatory in order to trigger the fat loss procedure around the abdominal.

As a conclusion, we might say that sculpturing a perfect six pack is realistic for every one of us who is determined to work hard in the gym and follow the guidelines listed above.

Keep those muscles pumping!

Protein is used by our bodies for repair and growth following any type of activity that causes muscle tissue to break down. In this case we are particularly looking at how the body uses protein for bodybuilding. Bodybuilding is a form of progressive overload resistance where we challenge our body to exceed any prior demand made on it. When done correctly this will always result in the existing muscle tissue in the body being broken down and needing repair.

Protein is available from a wide variety of foods that most of us will eat every day. These include things like Chicken, Eggs, Milk, Beef, Fish and a lot more. You will also find protein in other foods in smaller quantities but these are not as beneficial for bodybuilding as their bio-availability is much lower. Your body is able to use the lower quality protein but you would have to consume large quantities often leading to high calorie intake and unwanted weight gain.

As a bodybuilder you will want to eat between 1.5g and 2g of protein per lb of bodyweight. A 200lb bodybuilder would need between 300g and 400g of protein daily spready between 5 and 6 servings during your waking hours. Trust me, this is quite a lot of food to eat and that is where a good protein powder offers an alternate way of consuming enough protein.

As far as your body is concerned protein is no different once broken down into amino acids whether it came from solid food or protein powder. Drinking shakes reduces the quantity of food you have to stomach and is very convienient and fast to prepare and drink. The powder is also easily digested which is ideal following a weight training session where your body is trying to repair as quickly as possible.

There are so many different types of protein available along with a huge number of different brands it makes it difficult to pick a good protein powder without spending a fortune. I will try to help you make a good choice with the information below.

Types Of Protein For Bodybuilding

The most common type of protein used in the bodybuilding community is whey protein. For those of you who are interested in where it comes from you may be surprised to learn that it is a by-product of making cheese from cow’s milk

Whey protein can be categorised further depending on the process used to extract and purify it. Whey concentrate is the cheapest form and typically consists of up to 89% protein with the rest being made up of carbohydrates and fats. This type of whey has the highest amount of fat and cholesterol so that may be a consideration for some. It’s bio-availability is very high and it is digested quickly in the body, suitable for post workout use.

Whey isolate could be considered the next step up in terms of quality when it comes to whey protein. The whey is processed to remove a lot of the fat content and lactose and generally whey isolate is lower in carbohydrates. It is common to see protein content upwards of 90%. The whey has a slightly lower bio-availability than whey concentrate but is preferred by some due to the carbohydrate content being suited to dieting and fat loss. The whey is still digested quickly in the body, suitable for post workout use.

Whey hydrolysate is a partially digested, partially hydrolysed form of protein processed for optimum digestion in the body. This processing normally results in the price being considerably higher than the other two forms of whey protein and you should question whether this extra cost is worth it for you.

There is another type of protein worth mentioning at this stage with a particular use normally associated to it. Casein is another protein derived from cow’s milk. It is important as a bodybuilder to not go for long periods of time without ingesting a protein source. Casein is used for bodybuilding to fill this need. Most people drink casein prior to sleeping where the protein forms a gel in the stomach and binds together. This results in the digestion taking a lot longer and a constant supply of protein being drip fed into your blood stream while sleeping. You can also use casein between meals to bridge the gap and maintain high levels of protein in the body.

So What Protein Should I Use For Bodybuilding?

In my opinion it is not a case of picking one source of protein for bodybuilding. You will achieve better results varying the type of food and powder consumed. As always a good overall diet is going to be essential for you to achieve any results and protein powder should be considered a supplement to that diet rather than a staple source of your nutrition. Don’t forget that while protein is protein when digested there are other nutrients essential for your health and bodybuilding goals that would be missing if you just consumed shakes. Spread the different types of powder and food throughout your day to suit you. Protein shakes are convienient and anyone looking to build muscle as a bodybuilder would do better to drink a shake than to skip a meal.

When you think of the Mr. Olympia contest, what usually comes to mind?

Yes, massive physiques crammed with tons of muscle, but something else too.

Massive and complete back development.

And it should, after all four of the most dominant Mr. Olympia winners of all time had serious back development.

From Arnold to Lee to Dorian and to Ronnie, all four of these champions owned backs that were far ahead of their competitors.

O.K.

So how can you go about building a back like these champions-one that is massive and complete from top to bottom?

Read on to find out how.

SIMPLE IS BEST

One of the reasons, I feel people do not make as many gains as they should, is because they complicate things.

Bodybuilders feel they need tons of exercises in order for things to go right in the gym.

Not true.

THE BACK ONE TWO PUNCH

After a good a warm-up bust out as many sets as you can of either chins or pull-ups-you can alternate between the two if you would like.

Then move on over and do five sets of five on either barbell bent over rows with an over hand grip or with an under hand grip.

Again, like with the chins and pull-ups, feel free to alternate between the two at every other workout as each version works the back slightly differently–just what you want.

A COUPLE OF POINTS

I know some people might be saying, what if you cannot do very many chins with an overhand grip.

No problem.

Just work on doing one or two more at every other workout and before you know it you will be able to do sets of ten to twelve reps in good form-and your back will show it.

Also, some might think that with just two exercises-four if you count the different grips-this cannot be enough.

True, but again, I feel most people over-complicate things.

Do yourself a favor give this routine a try for a couple of months, provided you are working it hard, and then if you feel you need more you can start adding in exercises like dead lifts and the like.

Lastly, once you get used to the rows, feel free to mix up the rep ranges at each workout-for example at one you can do the five sets of five and then at another you can do sets of eight to twelve and at yet another you can try sets of twenty reps.

Each rep range will work the muscles a bit differently so it is a good thing to mix it up.

CONCLUSION

I know the above routine looks overly basic, but trust me, if you really put your head down and work the exercises hard your back will start to develop in ways you never thought possible.

GO HARD

Like every young bodybuilder (and not so young) when I started training I wanted to become massive-and I wanted it to happen yesterday!

Of course, I went at it in my usual over-the-top style and was really over trained, but it was O.K because I loved bodybuilding and I could not control myself.

Over the years though, I have learned a few things that will help speed up the get massive process.

Below you will find three of them.

Enjoy!

SECRET # 1 YOU MUST EAT TO GROW

If I had to pick one thing that most bodybuilders who are looking to get massive do wrong-it is this.

They simply do not eat enough to grow.

Beginners especially must understand that muscle does not come simply from training.

Sure you need to train hard, but, you need to supply your body with the necessary calories it needs to repair the damage done in the gym and to grow.

This is where I disagree with most about supplements, yes food is the best way to go, but we need to be realistic-a young man who is looking to grow is also super busy, so I see nothing wrong with having a protein shake (especially if it is high quality) when time is tight.

I would rather see someone who is looking to gain muscular body weight do this than skip a meal.

SECRET# 2 TRYING TO STAY TOO RIPPED

For all but a lucky few, when you are out to gain some muscle, you inevitably will put on some fat.

A lot of beginners get scared-when abs start to vanish-and stop eating enough.

Sure, the abs come back, but gone is almost any chance of gaining muscle.

If you are going to put on some mass you must accept some level of fat gain, no I am not talking about putting on tons of fat, but you must be prepared to lose a little definition.

SECRET# 3 FOCUSING ON SHOW MUSCLES

Yep, most beginners focus too much on the show muscles-the arms and chest.

And not enough on the hips, legs, and back.

All they do is endless sets of curls, triceps work, and benches.

Sorry to say it, but, this approach is not going to get you massive.

What most beginners need is to focus on is heavy squats, dead lifts, overhead presses, and all kinds of rowing movements.

Training this way will not only get you bigger biceps and triceps-but will make you bigger all over.

Of course you must focus on eating enough protein, healthy fats, and carbs when working the above exercises otherwise you will not see as much muscle gains as you could have

CONCLUSION

I know the above three secrets are not fancy, but trust me on this, follow them and you will see muscle growth coming at a rate that you previously thought was out-of-reach.