Define your goals. Every individual has different set of goals.

Before you start, spend a few minutes thinking about what you would like to gain from your weight training program. Here are some of the common goals: Toning and firming the body Increasing strength Building muscle Losing fat General conditioning Improving performance in a particular sport

Write down your goals and be sure they are realistic. Keep a log of your progress. You will need some basic equipment including a flat or adjustable bench and some dumbbells. Evaluate your daily routine and set aside three 30 minute time blocks per week if you are a beginner and four 30 minute time blocks per week if you in intermediate. Schedule the times in advance and stick with the schedule. Should I follow the beginning or intermediate program? If you have been weight training for less than six months you are definitely a beginner. If you've taken a break from a weight training program for over a month you should also follow the beginning program for several weeks to a month before advancing to the intermediate level. What is Bodypart Training? Weight trainers group exercises or movements by body part and work one body part at a time. Each body part is worked with one to three or four exercises depending on your level of experience. Every body part should be strengthened to promote muscular balance and prevent injury. What's a "rep"? "Rep", short for repetition, is a single execution of 1 exercise. Beginners will want to perform 12 to 20 reps of each exercise. Intermediate weight trainers typically perform 8 to 12 reps of each exercise but this will vary depending on your goals because different numbers of reps achieve different results: For increased endurance or to tone and firm, perform 12-20 reps. For increased muscularity, perform 8-12 reps. For increased strength, perform 6-8 reps.

What's a "set"? A "set" is a combination of any number of repetitions of a single exercise performed without resting. How long should I rest? In general, you should rest about 45 to 90 seconds between sets. Larger muscle groups, like quadriceps will take longer to recover than a small muscle group like the biceps.

How much weight should I use? During the first 2 or 3 sessions you will want to use light weights to get a feel for the exercise and learn the proper form. As you become more comfortable with the movement, begin adding small amounts of weight until it is difficult to complete one set of 15 or 20 reps using the proper form. After you can do 3 sets of 15-20 reps, it is time to increase the weight so that, once again it is difficult to complete one set of 15 or 20 reps using good form. Continue to increase sets up to a total of three and then add more weight and so on. How will I know if I'm using proper form? We have included photographs and instructions of each exercise in the beginner and intermediate programs. Read and follow the instructions carefully and completely. Proper execution of each movement is extremely important because it ensures the exercise is effective and guards against injury. In general, make sure you: Maintain good standing or seated posture during each exercise. If standing, place you feet about shoulder width apart to establish a firm base. Perform the movements slowly, during both the lifting and lowering parts of the exercise. Use the proper amount of weight. You should be able to control the weight throughout the movement. When should I stretch? Stretching should be performed either immediately after your 5-10 minute cardio warmup or immediately after you complete your weight training session. Be sure to stretch at each workout. This will help prevent injuries and increase your flexibility. How can I tell if I'm training too hard or not hard enough? Your body will tell you the day after your workout if you have trained with enough intensity. It is normal to feel a slight degree of muscle soreness for about 24 hours beginning the day after a workout. If you feel extremely stiff and sore or if the soreness lasts for 2-3 days after your workout, you overdid it. Back off a little. If you feel absolutely no soreness, you probably didn't push yourself quite hard enough. How frequently should I workout? Generally, beginners work out 3 times each week with at least 48 hours between sessions to allow the muscles to recover. Intermediates workout 4 times per week with at least 48 hours between workouts for the same body parts. How long should my workout last? A weight training session should typically take 30 minutes to an hour to complete. If it take longer than an hour you are either resting too long between sets or you are doing too many sets or exercises. What about warming up? Always warm up prior to beginning your session. This will help you to prevent injury. To warm up properly, perform 5 to 10 minutes of cardiovascular exercise such as cycling, walking, jogging or calisthenics. You will know you are sufficiently warm

when you are beginning to sweat. Be sure you always do a light warmup set for each bodypart before you begin.

The Major Body Parts: The Chest

The primary muscle of the chest is the pectoralis major (or pecs). The movements performed by the pectoralis major include pushing with the arms as in bench press and pushups, and bringing the arms together as in a dumbbell flye. The pecs can be further divided into upper, middle and lower pecs. More emphasis is placed on the upper pecs by performing movements on an incline such as dumbbell incline press or incline flyes. The middle pec is emphasized with movements performed on a flat bench while the lower pec is worked using a decline bench.

The Major Body Parts: The Back

The back is comprised of a number of different muscles. The major muscles of the back include the latissimus dorsi (lats), rhomboids, middle and lower trapezius and erector spinae muscles. The lats are mainly involved in pulling motions such as rowing and chinning movements. The lats are also worked with dumbbell pullovers. The rhomboids and middle and lower trapezius muscles function to rotate and pull the shoulder blades together. They are primarily used in rowing and chinning movements. The erector spinae muscles extend the spine. They are heavily used in stiff-legged dead lifts and dead lifts.

The Major Body Parts: The Arms

The arms are comprised of the triceps, brachialis, biceps, and forearm muscles (wrist flexors and extensors). The triceps function to straighten or extend the arm at the elbow. The brachialis flexes or bends the arm at the elbow with the hand in pronation (facing in or forward) as when performing a hammer curl or a reverse curl. The biceps flex or bend the arm at the elbow with the hand in supination (facing backward) as when performing a barbell or dumbbell curl.

The Major Body Parts: The Abdominals

The abdominal muscles include the rectus abdominus located centrally between the lower ribs and the pubic bone and the oblique muscles located on either side of the rectus abdominus The rectus abdominus performs flexion of the spine (a crunching type of movement that brings the chest toward the pelvis). The obliques also perform flexion of the spine when contracted bilaterally. When contracted unilaterally, they laterally flex the spine (bend the spine to the side) and rotate or twist the trunk as when performing an oblique crunch.

The Major Body Parts: The Legs

The main muscle groups of the legs or lower body include the quadriceps

(quads), hamstrings (hams), the gastrocnemius (gastrocs), and soleus muscles. The quads are comprised of 3 smaller muscles whose primary function is to straighten or extend the leg at the knee and are worked in leg extensions and squats. One of the quad muscles also assists in hip flexion or bringing the knee toward the chest. The hamstrings perform 2 major movements: bending the leg at the knee or knee flexion and they also assist in hip extension or pulling the knee away from the chest. The hams are worked with leg curls and assist the glutes and erector spinae muscles in the stiff-legged dead lift and in squats. The gastrocs point the toe with the knee straight and are worked in calf raises. The soleus points the toe with the knee bent and is the main muscle involved in seated calf raises.

Muscles/Introduction
The muscles are the active part of the apparatus of locomotion. Their task is to move the body. The muscles comprise 40% of the body's weight. The body has 300 individual muscles (musculi) in different shapes and sizes. The basis of the muscles are muscle cells, capable of contracting longitudinally in response to {nervous_system} nervous stimulation. The muscle cells contain small contractile strands of protein (so-called myofibrils). They contract when stimulated, returning to their original state as soon as the stimulation ceases. Muscle fibers and muscle cells are distinguished according to their construction: Striped muscle Smooth muscles Cardiac muscle (myocardium)

The smooth muscles consist of smooth muscle fibers. Their myofibrils (muscle fibers) run through the muscle fibers longitudinally and are of equal length. Consequently, the muscle fibers look smooth and not striated. These cells are 40-500m long and 4-20m thick. The smooth muscles carry out the involuntary movements of the inner organs, e.g. the (peristaltic) {large_intestine} bowel movement. The nerves are supplied exclusively by the vegetative (autonomous) nervous system. The striped muscles are composed of different kinds of tissue: most of them striped muscle fibers. They make up all the {musculoskeletal_system} skeletal muscles, facilitating our voluntary movements and {nervous_system} reflexes. These voluntary movements are driven by stimuli within the {brain} cerebral cortex (cortex cerebri) and reach the muscles via nerve paths in the {nervous_spinal_cord} spinal cord (medulla spinalis) and myokinetic nerves. In contrast, involuntary movements stem from myokinetic centers in the {brain} brain stem (truncus cerebri) and take place automatically through a voluntary impulse within the cerebral cortex. The muscle fibers of the striped muscles are multinuclear, cylindrical cells, which can be up to 12 cm (4,68 in) long and 100m thick. Their striations are due to myofibrils

within the cells. The cells and their nuclei are directly under the surface, with their longitudinal axes running in the same direction as the fibers. A microscopic view reveals alternating double and single light-refracting sections. Here it is clear that the myofibrils are made up of thick and thin myosin filaments. Thicker filaments are categorized as double-refracting, thinner filaments as single-refracting sections.

Muscle Function
On entering the muscle, the myokinetic nerves split up into individual fibers and make contact with every single muscle cell. An electric impulse from the {brain} brain (cerebrum) runs down the {nerves} nerve to the motor end-plate (synapse), forming the transition between nerve and muscle. This stimulus is transferred from the nerve to the muscle by acetylcholine, triggering the contracting of the muscle. This process occurs as follows: In each muscle fiber (filament) there are two different proteins (actin & myosin). They are connected by transverse bridges. At rest, the pattern is loosely meshed, with few bridges. If the filaments move across each other, the muscle shortens. Myosin and actin filaments join up, form additional trans- verse bridges and create a much more closely meshed pattern. Once enough muscle fibers have contracted, the entire muscle shortens and the {bones} bone (os) is moved. The strength of the muscle contraction depends on the strength and frequency of the stimulation which reaches it. If the link between nerve and muscle is interrupted, the muscle movement is out of order or paralysed. Muscular activity generates lactic acid (organic hydroxy acid which forms when carbohydrates divide) within the muscle. If too much acid is generated, the muscle becomes harder, its contractions and therefore its movements become smaller, the muscles ache. Some muscles are always contracted at any point in time. They are in a state of tension (tonus), giving the body posture. The assumption of a particular posture (e.g. standing or lying down) is also a result of muscular tension, a force which can only be maintained through a high consumption of energy. This force without movement is also known as isometric contraction. When the body moves, the muscular tension must be increased and the muscle shortened (isotonic contraction). Muscles working in unison during a movement are termed synergists and the muscles working against them are called antagonists. Depending on the movement, the combination of synergists and antagonists changes. When the hand (manus) is flexed, for example, several muscles work together as synergists, yet when the lower arm (antebrachium) is moved outwards, the same muscles function as antagonists. Synergists and antagonists must cooperate correctly for specific movements to be carried out. Our natural movements usually involve not only the activity of a few muscles, but the use of numerous muscles one after the other. The muscles may be divided up according to their main movements: Flexors and extensors

 Adductors and abductors External rotators (exorotators) and internal rotators (endorotators) The origin (origio) and insertion (sertio) of the striped muscles are constructed from high-tensile connective tissue. Loose connective tissue (endomysium) may be found between the individual muscle fibers, facilitating their movements during contractions. Stronger connective tissue (perimysium) holds several bundles (fasciae) of muscle fibers together, connecting them to each other. They can be recognized as fleshy fibers with the naked eye. The myocardium reveals cell features of the striped and the smooth muscles. It consists of muscle fibers which form a cell bond without fixed borders between the cells. Cardiacmuscle (myocardial) fibers are 20-30m thick. The myofibrils of one fiber run into the other fibers in a marked longitudinal direction, giving the myocardial fiber a clear longitudinal striation. The myofibrils of the cardiac muscles are striped, albeit more finely than those of the skeletal muscles. The myocardium is controlled by the 10th cranial nerve (nervus cranialis). The myocardium has a high energy requirement, supplied by numerous blood vessels. Larger vessels run through the strong connective tissue, whereas capillaries branch off to form a network in the epimysium (moving layer). Each muscle contraction is driven by a myokinetic nerve, leading to the motor end-plate (synapse). This is the point of contact between nerve fiber and muscle fibers, in which stimuli (from nerves within the spinal cord or the brain) are transferred. Anything from one muscle fiber up to 100 (through branching) can be supplied simultaneously.

Auxilliary Organs of the Muscles

The auxiliary organs of the skeletal muscles include tendons (tendo), fasciae, tendon sheaths (vagina tendinis), synovial sacs (bursa synovialis), sesamoid bones (os sesamoideum) and tendinous cartilage. Muscular traction is transferred to the bones by tendons. At the muscle origin (origo) and the muscle insertion (insertio), they run into the collagen fibers of the bone. Tendons are composed of highly tensile collagen fiber bundles, holding the ends of the muscle fiber bundles together in a fixed structure in the manner of a rope. Short tendons form the insertion of a muscle, as can be seen in the large pectoral muscle (musculus pectoralis major), for example. In contrast, the tendons within the hand and foot muscles, for example, are very narrow and long. Surface tendons (aponeuroses) are to be found in oblique abdominal muscles. The tendons can be additionally divided up into pressure (push) and traction (pull) tendons. Pressure tendons change their course of direction by running around bones, and are strained by pressure on the side facing the bone. One example of this is the insertion

tendon of the long calf muscle (musculus peronaeus longus). It runs around the side of the cuboid bone and then inserts on the underneath side of the foot. Traction tendons run in the main direction of the muscle and are only strained by traction. Fasciae are connective tissue covers surrounding individual muscles or muscle groups. This enables several muscles to glide over each other without any friction. Tendon sheaths are lubricated covers improving the gliding abilities of tendons. A tendon sheath is constructed similarly to an articular capsule. The outer layer (stratum fibro- sum) consists of connective tissue, the inner layer (stratum synoviale) excretes a kind of synovia to improve lubrication. Synovial sacs (bursae syno- viales) have the task of protecting muscles which run directly around bones. Sesamoid bones can be found wherever tendons are subjected to particular pressure. They are embedded at the deflection point of a tendon. There they form a synovial joint with the bone below, in order to reduce friction. The largest sesamoid bone is the knee cap (patella). Sesamoid cartilage serves to cartilage over a tendon without bone deposits. The individual muscles are separated by adipoids (corpora adiposa). These fatty bodies also serve to improve lubrication.

What Should You Eat After a Workout

A popular exercising myth, is to starve oneself after working out. It is believed that if you eat after exercising, you gain all the weight you lost and pile on even more pounds. But the exact opposite is true. To aid your weight loss or workout, one must eat something after a workout. Eating after a workout is like filling petrol in your car, after a long drive. It re-energizes you and strengthens you for the day or night ahead. But what should you eat after a workout? Eating chocolate or drinking coke sounds very tempting, but your body takes that sort of food and immediately turns it into fat. So what you can eat after a workout and when, is very important. What Food to Eat, Post Exercise? To learn what should you eat after a workout, here are the food groups involved: Water: You workout, you sweat, and you need to make up for the loss of water from your body. Keep yourself hydrated, during and after your workout. Try to drink 16 - 20 ounces of water, immediately after your workout.

Calories: Ok, this sounds confusing, working out means losing calories right? The idea here, is to have enough calorie intake, to equal 50% of what you lost during your exercise. For eg. If you lose 300 calories, make up by eating 150 calories later. This does not affect your weight burning efforts. Carbohydrates: Now when you workout, your muscles lose whatever energy they have stored up. So yes, you do lose weight, but you need some energy for the next exercise session as well. If you don't fill up on energy, then the muscles remain tired, and you have less vigor and zest for your next workout. So stock up on carbohydrates, to restore your energy levels. Proteins: These are necessary to start the muscle rebuilding and repairing process. So to sum up, foods high in carbohydrates, moderate proteins, no fats and plenty of water are what you should eat after a workout! Here are some post workout snack ideas:

Lean turkey, chicken, ham, tuna or roast beef sandwich Low fat yogurt and fruit High fiber cereal with skim milk Dried fruits and nuts Omelet with veggies Energy bars Reduced fat cheese and crackers Rice cakes Stir-Fry veggies with chicken/shrimp/tofu Pancakes (not laden with syrup or butter) and eggs Fruit smoothies or juice Bread, bagel or muffin with peanut butter or cheese slice Non-fat chocolate milk Hummus and pita Cottage cheese with fruit

What Should You Eat After a Workout - Weight Gain? If you are weight training for mass gain, then your post workout food is of special importance to your workout. During weight training, the muscles break down and then rebuild into new ones. To rebuild, they need food as raw materials for building. What food and how fast you give them the food, makes for better muscles. Sports drinks and good

protein sources are best for immediate muscle gain. Carbohydrates are also necessary here. The post workout period is the best time to feed your muscles, as they will absorb anything and turn it into nutrition, rather than fat. Carb Food Oatmeal, Sweetened White Rice White Bread Mashed Potatoes Bananas Pineapple Protein Food Lean Red Meat Eggs Fish Chicken Cottage Cheese Whey Protein Shake

How Soon Should You Eat After a Workout? There's a time frame after your workout, that your body is most receptive to absorbing nutrition. The maximum limit is within 2 hours of your workout session. Minimum varies from person to person. Some can eat 5 minutes after exercising, while others feel sick. So, to be safe, eat something around 20 - 30 minutes after exercising. It's important to understand how much should you eat after a workout as well. You might suddenly feel extra hungry and overeat, then end up feeling bloated and sluggish. Eat in moderation, especially if you are eating a meal later. Pack small snacks, so that they are at hand and you will eat only that amount. Avoid sitting down at a restaurant, you''ll feel like hogging. Instead, pack it up and eat it at home. Don't crib either, your body might be trying to tell you it's feeling low, so don't ignore your hunger pangs. Later, you could end up overeating at dinner, to appease your ignored appetite. So a combination of exercise, and post and pre-workout food, is necessary to get the maximum benefit out of your workout. Stay fit!

Weight Training for Weight Loss

Weight loss has become the need of the day for many of us. Weight loss and metabolism are closely related to each other. Your metabolism is responsible for putting on weight and keeping it out. The human body has a resting metabolic rate, which is the rate at which your body burns calories to fuel up your body. Thus, this resting metabolic rate is responsible for maintaining the weight. However, with the increased pace of lifestyle and increased sedentary lifestyle, not enough calories are burned by the human body. This results into obesity. Weight training is a way to increase the resting metabolic rate. Weight training is also called resistant training or simply lifting weights. No doubt, cardiovascular exercises like running and jogging can help in weight loss. However, weight training in combination with cardiovascular exercises is very beneficial to increase the metabolism of the body as well. The cardio exercises increase the metabolism for a very small amount of time after the exercise. This is not the case with the weight training. To help your body burn calories all throughout the day, you must opt for weight training. Let us discuss in detail about strength training exercises weight loss. Read more on weight loss programs. Weight Training Workouts for Weight Loss There are certain weight training exercises which can help in weight loss. You can add these exercises to your cardio workouts. Here is a list of weight training exercises which help in quick weight loss. Read more on weight training to lose weight.

Squats Lunges Wall sit Dead lift Leg curls Push ups Leg Press Calf raises Leg extension Hip abduction

These exercises help to maintain the lean body mass and result in fat loss. Weight training causes a great difference in the fat loss, as compared to the cardio exercises. Weight training can get you leaner bodies. Many trainers suggest weight training over fad diets. Long term weight loss is helped with the weight training and weight lifting.

However, for women, weight training is not for making their muscles bulky. Instead, women who are taking weight training along with the cardio exercises are more leaner and in shape, than those without weight training. A good weight training regime can get you good health and prevent injuries during the exercise routine. There is a tremendous increase in the energy levels of your body. When you go on crash diet, you loose the muscles in your body. This results in flabby and soft body. However, weight training gets you firm body. In addition, weight training reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke, arthritis, cancer and osteoporosis. Weight Training Diet Let us get to know some of the weight loss nutrition tips to follow, while you are doing weight training exercises.

Salt and alcohol must be strictly avoided. Foods high in saturated fats and sugar must be strictly avoided. Lastly, drink at least 8 glasses of water and keep your body hydrated. Whole grains, nuts and beans are the foods which increase the metabolism. High protein foods like eggs, fish, lean meat and low fat dairy products must be consumed. Fresh fruits and vegetables are the saviors in case of weight loss. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can give you the required nutrition and fiber required.

In short, you must have a healthy and balanced diet. This was all about weight training for weight loss. There are many benefits of weight training, however, you must remember to get a proper trainer for weight training. Improper weight training can lead to serious injuries, so be careful. Now, hit the gym and start losing weight! Best of luck!

Shoulder Exercises for Women

The shoulder is often the site for many injuries, in men as well as women. The worst part is that women have a weaker upper body as compared to their male counterparts. To gain strength in the upper body, these shoulder exercises for women will be of great help. The following workout can be performed in the gym as well as at home, as the basic requirement as regards exercise equipment to aid in these exercises, is either a pair of dumbells or a barbell. Best Shoulder Exercises for Women

Read on further to find some simple shoulder exercises for women. These exercises are one of the simplest exercise routines for women, as most of them can also be performed at home. Shoulder Rotation: This is one of the easiest shoulder workouts at home exercise. If you workout regularly, get two water bottles filled with water. The bottles should not be big ones. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Hold the bottles in both your hands. Your hands should touch the sides of your thighs. Now rotate your shoulders clockwise without bending your elbows, or moving your hands. Do 15 repetitions clockwise and 15 anticlockwise. If you are working out at the gym you can use dumbbell weights. Read more on exercises to do at home. Lateral Raises: Either use dumbbells or bottles filled with water. Similar to the shoulder rotation, stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Hold the dumbbells in both your hands. Now slowly lift your hands side ways without bending your elbows. Your hands should come up to shoulder level. Make sure your wrists are facing the ground and your body resembles a T. Slowly bring your hands down. Perform 1 set of 15 repetitions. After you are comfortable you can increase the number of sets. Shoulder Press: Similar to shoulder presses with the machine, you can also do shoulder presses with free weights as well. You will need dumbbells for this exercise as well. At the same time, like the other two mentioned above, this is also one of the shoulder workouts at home. Stand with your legs shoulder width apart. Hold the dumbbells in your hands. Bend your arms at the elbows, so that the dumbbells are at shoulder height. Straighten your hands up in the air, but do not lock your elbows. Come back to your original position. 1 set should comprise of 15 repetitions. Read more on shoulder exercises. Dumbbell Shrugs: Hold a pair of dumbbells in each hand. Maintain a shoulder width distance between both legs. Your hands should face each other. Now raise your shoulders so that your ears touch your shoulders. Make sure your hands are straight. Hold this position for a few seconds. Repeat this exercise 15 times. As this exercise also includes the neck muscles, you can also refer to neck exercises for neck muscles. Upright Rowing: This exercise can be done using dumbbells or a barbell. The method of performing the exercise is the same for both of them. Stand with shoulder width distance between your feet. Hold the

dumbbells or the barbell in your hands. Let your fists face your thighs. Lift your hands to your chest level and bend your elbows. Now go back to the starting position. You can start with 1 set of 15 repetitions and then increase the number of sets. Barbell Press I: This exercise is similar to the shoulder press, however, you will use a barbell to perform this exercise. Sit at the edge of a bench with a barbell in your hand. Lift the barbell to your chest level. Remember to keep your chest high. The back should also be straight. Now slowly raise the barbell above your head. Hold this position for a couple of seconds. Then slowly get your hands to your original position. This shoulder exercise for girls can be also be performed standing, using a dumbbell. Barbell Press II: This barbell press should be performed behind the neck. This exercise is one of the best shoulder workouts for women. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Now place the barbell on your shoulders. Hold the barbell at least 4-6 inches wider than your shoulders. Raise the barbell up in the air. Slowly lower the barbell and get it back to its original position. A set should consist of 15 repetitions. Sometimes, doctors prescribe exercises to get rid of shoulder pain, that may arise either out of stressful activity or due to clinical reasons. It will do you well to perform them for pain relief. To get information on the same, you can refer to exercises for shoulder pain. I hope these shoulder exercises for women, help you to attain your goal of well toned shoulders and an upright posture. These exercises have the added advantage of being very convenient to perform as they do not require a lot of equipment. They are a great help to people who want to correct a stooping posture as well as being moderately fit.

Chest Exercises for Women

Nothing stresses a woman more than wrinkles and a sagging bust line. While anti-wrinkle creams can take care of the wrinkles, the chest is often neglected. Most women have false notions about performing chest exercises, they think that they will develop a muscular flatchested, unappealing look associated with female body builders. This could not be further from the truth. Female bodybuilders exercises are different and excessive in repetitions. These best chest exercises for women are great exercises to improve posture, and will also strengthen shoulder muscles and uplift sagging breasts. One can do most of these chest exercises for women at home as well.

Chest Toning Exercises for Women Incline Push Ups: The incline push up requires one to work using an inclined workout bench or a table and dumbbells. Lie down on the inclined bench. Keep the feet firmly on the table and legs spread at arms length. In each hand hold a dumbbell, lift them up by extending the arms, keep the arms straight, don't lock in or fold the elbows. Hold the position for a minute, and slowly lower the dumbbells down on your sides. Repeat the whole process six times. Push Ups: Lie flat on the stomach with legs extended straight and arms folded and palms facing down, close to the chest. Raise yourself above the ground, with feet pressed together and hands are directly under your shoulders. While in the raised position, keep back flat and contract stomach muscles. Slowly lower self to the ground by bending the elbows. Pause for a couple of seconds, and repeat eight times. Chest Press with Resistance Bands: Wrap the resistance band around a pole and stand in front of it. Stretch the band and position self a little ahead of the pole, until slight tension is felt on the band. Extend both arms and pull the band forward, palms facing down, contract the chest muscles and make sure the elbows do not bend. Slowly let hands go back to release the band tension. Repeat ten times. One can do this exercise band workout one hand at a time as well. Push Ups with a Medicine Ball: Lie flat on the stomach and get into the push up position. Bend the knees. The body should be in a straight line with the abdomen muscles contracted. Place one hand on the ball and the other on the floor and raise yourself. Push the ball with the hand holding it to the other hand, and lower yourself. Get the ball back following the same process using the other hand. Keep the ball rolling, and repeat the whole thing at least six times. Ball Chest Fly: Sit comfortably on a stability ball. Slowly roll down (lie back), relax head on the wall. Only the upper body should be placed on the stability ball. Bend the legs such that ankles are directly under the knees. Lift the hips and keep it straight in line with the body. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other, lift them. Bring both arms straight up. Hold the position for a minute, and lower the dumbbells gently. Repeat six times. For any good chest exercises for women to be effective, they need to

be done correctly and regularly. Also, before starting these exercises for chest muscles, it is very important to do some simple stretches. Stretching exercises are easy to perform. Stand straight with arms to your sides. Push them back slowly until you can feel a tug in the chest muscles. Repeat eight or ten times and then start the above exercises

Back Strengthening Exercises for Men

Slumping into the chair at the work place, obesity, poor posture and to add to all this, inactivity, are the perfect ingredients to a weak or painful back. A painful back can be fixed with various treatments like regular massage, physical therapy, traction, chiropractic treatments and so on. But, in order to strengthen your back and build up solid back muscles for a long lasting relief, you need to indulge yourself into doing some back strengthening exercises every day. These back strengthening exercises will help in stretching your spine and release a lot of built up tension in there. Listed below are a few back strengthening exercises for men that will help prevent and improve back pain in men. These exercises do not require special equipments and can be comfortably done at home. List of Back Strengthening Exercises for Men #1 Pull Ups This is not as simple as it sounds, but is one of the best back strengthening exercises for men. You will need an overhead bar, to allow your body to hang below. Once you grip the bar with your hands, you have to slowly draw your body upwards, until the chin touches the bar. Do not be surprised if you don't get the exercise right in the first attempt, gradually with practice you will be able to master the exercise. Initially repeat the exercise some 10 times and gradually increase the count. #2 Side Bridge Lie on your side and push yourself up with the lower arm rested on the floor. Make sure your body is held like a plank with hips, pelvis and chest in a straight alignment. Hold this posture for a few seconds and slowly relax your body. Repeat on the other side. Initially it would be difficult to hold the posture for a few seconds also, but gradually try increasing your time. #3 Dumbbell Shrugs This back strengthening exercise will require you to have dumbbells. The weight of the dumbbells could be anything that you can sustain. Stand upright with dumbbells in your hands, at the sides of your body.

Now, raise both your shoulders simultaneously as high as possible. Make sure you do not bend them at the elbows. To start with, use dumbbells with less weight and then gradually increase the weight. Dumbbell shrugs are considered to be one of the best upper back strengthening exercises for men. #4 Plank Plank not only focuses on strengthening your back muscles but, rather all the muscle groups in your core. Firstly, lie on your stomach with your forearms and palms flat on the floor. Now, prop yourself up resting your toes and elbows on the floor. Make sure that your back, head and heels are in a straight line. Hold this posture for one minute and gradually increase the timing to about 3-5 minutes. This exercise is a fantastic way to strengthen your abs as well. #5 Yoga: Dhanurasana There are a few asanas in yoga that aim at strengthening and improving flexibility in the back muscles. Dhanurasana (bow pose) is the best in reinforcing strength and health in the weak back muscles. All you have to do is lie on your stomach with the hands along the side of your body. Now, bring your heels close to your buttocks, so that your hands are able to hold the ankles. Arch you body as much as you can, until you feel the pulling effect in your upper torso. Stay in this pose for a few seconds and release. Repeat 3-5 times. The above back strengthening exercises for men will ensure protective strength and vitality in your back muscles, provided you follow the exercise circuit everyday religiously. Stay fit! Stay healthy!

Upper Back Strengthening Exercises

Back pain is the most common issue that leads to many other health problems. So taking apt care of the back and strengthening it is important. These upper back strengthening exercises are your guide for a healthy, well toned and a strong back. Read on

With increase in age, the number of health issues increases too. Joint and bone issues are the most common in the list of common health and most painful health problems. We all agree, that the back is the part of the body, which hosts, the spinal cord - the back bone. One of the two major nervous systems emerge in this column of bones. A healthy back, indirectly means a healthy spinal cord. So taking care of the back is a vital step to ensure strong bones, and health too. Well, it is not only age that can degenerate the back bones, but a number of other factors affecting young age, like sports, injury or poor posture, etc., that can cause a weak back. Just like the lower back the upper back too is an important part, but most of us will not pay special attention to strengthen this part of the back. A strong upper back will not only help a strong spine but it will also give you a perfect and strong posture. To strengthen the upper back muscles, we have a set of exercises that you can follow. Follow the instructions, while you train your back to a well toned and strong upper back. Exercises for Strengthening Upper Back We have compiled some upper back strengthening exercises, that can be done at home and at the gym too. So if you are hitting the gym, make sure you include these in your workout. For those working out at home, follow a simple warm up routine, followed with these exercises. These are to support your back, while some of these exercises are rehabilitation exercises for your upper back pain or injury. Rehabilitation Butterfly Shoulder Keep both hands on the shoulder, like you

would hold the sleeve, with palms facing down. Now move the elbows towards each other, try to get them as close, while still keeping your shoulders in same position. Once you feel the stretch in the back, release slowly. Repeat 2 sets of 12-15 reps. Shoulder Roll As the name suggests, roll the shoulders in a circular motion. Start with one direction, stop and them start in the opposite direction. Follow 2 sets of 10-12 reps. Shoulder Shrug Move your shoulder upwards, like when you shrug. Try to place them as close to the ears. Hold for a moment and release slowly. Follow 2 sets of 10-12 reps. Shoulder Stretch Sit straight on a chair and hold on to one side of the chair with your arm with your hand. Now bend on the opposite side as much as you can. Keep your body straight, bend in the shoulder only. Get back in position, and repeat on the other side. Follow 10-12 reps for 2 sets. While on the chair, hold on to one side and stretch your shoulder with a twist in you waist, touching the opposite side. Release once you feel a stretch in the back. Repeat with the other side, follow 10-12 reps with 2 sets. Neck Tilt Simply tilt your neck to either sides of the shoulder. Try to get your ear as close to the shoulder as possible. Then get back in position. Repeat 10-12 times with 2 sets. At the Gym Lat Pull Down Exercise Sit upright at the lat pull down bar cable. Hold the bar, keep your grip wider than your shoulder distance. Drag the bar down leading it with the elbows and feel the tension in the back muscles. Stop at the chest and slowly release while fully extending your arms. Repeat with proper breathing like inhaling as you release the bar and exhale as you drag it. Pullover Dumb Bell Lie back down on the work bench, supporting the back and neck. The head should lean over from one end. Stretch your arms vertically and lift the dumb bells over your face. Now lower them till, above your head and hold for a moment. Then get back to position. This makes one of the effective upper back strengthening exercises for men. Reverse Fly Dumb Bell Lie chest down on the inclined bench, hold

the dumb bells away from the chest, slightly bent in the elbows. Pull the arms backwards, while trying to squeeze the shoulder blades in wards, towards the spine. The dumb bells should be stretched out, in line with the shoulder. Hold for a moment and slowly release, back to position. At Home Shoulder Blade Stand or sight straight, tuck the chin inside slightly, position the shoulders a little on the back side. Now stretch in the backward direction, so as to squeeze the shoulder blades to touch each other. Try to squeeze them to the maximum. Hold for a few seconds and then release slowly. 10-12 reps are advised. Chin Drop Stand with your legs apart (shoulder width), now simply lower your chin inwards to touch the upper chest. Try to stretch, but stop when it gets painful. Hold for a few seconds and release. Repeat 10-12 times. Arm Stretch You can be seated or standing for this stretch, now raise your arms vertically over your head. Do so inter locking your fingers, with your palms facing the ceiling. Now try to pull the hands away, feel the tension in the upper back and slowly release after a few seconds. Get back to position and repeat 10 times. Arms and Legs Stretch Lie down, on your stomach and stretch your arms forward. Now slowly lift your left arm and right leg upwards, feel the tension in your arm, back and the bottom. Release after a few seconds and return to position and repeat with right arm and left leg. Follow 10 reps. These were some of the upper back strengthening exercises at home and for your gym workout too. With these and proper nutrition, upper back will no longer be a painful region. For those with major injuries or joint issues in the upper back, it is strongly recommended to consult a doctor first for any exercises. You may also include yoga postures for upper back pain. Do not avoid upper back and its problems as well. A wise step to health is timely prevention and cure. So take apt care and workout for a healthy back.

How to Do a Barbell Row

To strengthen the back, one of the best exercises is the barbell row. However, it is important to know how to do a barbell row, so that one does not hurt oneself while doing the exercise...

Most of us suffer from weak backs due to various reasons. The most common of the reasons is bad posture. For a strong back and to build strength both in the upper as well as the lower back, the best exercise is the barbell row. It not only helps in building strength, but it also helps the body to stabilize. We will see the importance of doing the barbell row exercise before we focus our attention on how to do a barbell row. Importance of Barbell Row Exercise How often has it happened that your barbell exercise routine consists of different bench press variations? These exercises are horizontal pressing exercises, but there are hardly any exercises for horizontal pulling motions. This is one of the primary reason that the barbell row exercise has to be included in your exercise routine. Doing the barbell row proves to be of great help in playing combat sports, due to the pulling motion involved in the exercise. The look of the back muscles also changes, as the barbell rows help in adding muscle to the upper back. Doing barbell row exercises helps in working the latissismus dorsi, trapezius, upper arm and also the posterior deltoid muscles. In other words, it is a great exercise for mass building. How to Do Barbell Rows Correctly

Stand with shoulder width distance between your feet. Place the bar in front of you on the floor. Bend down at a 45 degree angle from your waist, with your knees bent slightly. Hold the barbell with your palms facing down. Grip the bar such that your hands are a little more than shoulder width wide. Now slowly lift the barbell in front of your knees. As you try to lift the barbell closer to your bellybutton, bend your elbows. Lift the barbell till it comes closer to your chest as you squeeze the back muscles. Lower the barbell slowly and place the barbell on the floor and repeat the exercise again. Some Tips on Doing the Barbell Rows Along with how to do a bent over barbell row, there are a few tips you will want to follow when you are doing the barbell row. It is recommended that you place the barbell on the floor after every repetition. Never hold the barbell with an underhand grip when you do barbell rows. When you are doing the exercise, make sure you use the upper back muscles to do the exercise. Never use the lower back muscles to do this exercise, as you will not only 'NOT' work the upper back muscles, for which the exercise is aimed at, but there are chances that the exercise will cause injuries to the lower back muscles as well. When your elbows are bent, they should point to the ceiling and not behind you. During each of the repetition, you will have to ensure that your upper back is parallel to the ceiling. Your back should not be slanting or your arms should not be hanging with dead weight. When you are doing this exercise, make sure you are looking at the floor and not at the mirror in front of you, lest it causes neck pain. When you are doing an upright barbell row, make sure your abs are engaged. The barbell should be lifted using muscle power only. If you try to yank up the weights, there are chances that you will end up hurting yourself. One can also do reverse grip barbell rows, however, it is best to practice the exercise with a trainer. I hope with this write up, you now know how to do a barbell row. When you are new to the exercise, it is best to have a spotter around when you do the exercise, so that you do not make any mistake while doing the exercise and hurt yourself.

While weight training, your coach or fitness instructor will ask you to do bent over dumbbell rows. To know how to do bent over dumbbell rows by yourself and learn about its benefits, read the following article...

How to Do Bent Over Dumbbell Rows

When you need to work your back and core muscles, bent over dumbbell rows can be performed. Apart from the middle and lower back muscles being worked on, bent over rows work biceps and shoulders. Usually, bent over rows are done by standard barbells which can, at times, restrict the movement. However, when dumbbells are used in this exercise, you give your muscles a chance to work on a more effective level. Used mostly during weight training, bent over rows assist in increasing your size and develop strength. But holding a proper form throughout the exercise is essential as it decreases the risk of injury. Hence, follow the exact steps mentioned in this article and for any queries, seek advice from your coach or fitness trainer. Different Bent Over Dumbbell Rows Exercises Before beginning the workout, it is crucial to do cardio exercises as it helps you warm up. Also, don't forget to stretch before starting bent over dumbbell rows, during the workout, and after you are finished. When you take all the precautions before and while doing a particular exercise, you ensure that the workout you're doing is effective, challenging, and it will benefit you. One Arm Bent Over Dumbbell Rows While performing this exercise, keep in mind that your back

should be straight at all times. Try not hunch your back or lean forward too much. Your eyes should face forward with your head held up (not looking down). Whichever arm is pulling the dumbbell, that arm's shoulder needs to be parallel to the floor. Don't move your torso during the entire exercise and keep the elbows properly tucked close to the side. 1. To work on the right hand side, place your left knee on a flat bench; left leg behind (from the knee). 2. Keep right leg slightly away from the bench and grab the dumbbell with right hand. 3. Place left hand on the bench, bend from the waist, and keep back straight. 4. Rest the dumbbell on the bench and relax your shoulders; this is the starting position. 5. Inhale and slowly pull the dumbbell with right hand up; bring it as far up as you can. 6. Hold this position for couple seconds as the shoulder blades squeeze in together. 7. Exhale, release, and bring the dumbbell back down to the starting position, but don't rest it on the bench now. 8. Repeat the steps on the left arm as well. Do 3 sets of 15 reps on each arm. Two Arm Bent Over Dumbbell Rows This exercise is similar to the one arm dumbbell rows. The only difference is that here, you will use two dumbbells at the same time during the workout. Now if you have never done weight training or haven't done bent over dumbbells before, you should begin with lighter weights. This way, you won't be putting a lot of pressure on your muscles. 1. Hold dumbbells in each hand and keep them close to your torso; elbows bent. 2. Stand with feet hip width apart and knees slightly bent. 3. Also, slightly bend from your waist and lean from torso a bit ahead; head stays up with eyes facing forward. 4. Hands will be perpendicular to the floor; this is your starting position. 5. Inhale and slowly lower dumbbells towards the floor and hold the position. 6. After couple of seconds, exhale and bring dumbbells back

to starting position. 7. Repeat the steps for doing more repetitions. Do 3 sets of 15 reps total. After you have learned how to do bent over dumbbell rows, you can move on to the barbell rows and dead lifts. When all these exercises are combined together, men can see a difference in their size (the V shape in their backs). As for women, they develop toned lateral muscles which makes the waist look smaller and the back slightly wider.

Weight Lifting Workouts

A good body is every individuals dream. Read on for some weightlifting exercises that can help you attain a toned look

It is important to remember that weightlifting exercise can cause permanent damage to the body if not performed correctly. Consult a physical trainer if you are performing these exercises for the first time who will be able to guide you with the quantity of the weights that you can use depending on your body weight and physical structure. Weight Lifting Workouts Chest & Back The weight lifting exercises for the chest and back are probably the most common across the world the bench press taking the cup. The back muscles contribute as much to a good physique as the chest muscles and their importance should not be under estimated.

Bench Press: This exercise is done lying face up on bench. Grab the bar from rack with a wide grip and lower the bar to the middle of the chest and then raise until the arms are nearly locked. Remember not to let the momentum do any of the work

for you and youre your feet firmly on the ground. Do not youre your back under any circumstance. This exercise should be the focal point of all routines. Dumbbell Flyes: This exercise is an excellent superset of the bench press. While lying face up on a bench, hold a dumbbell in each hand with the arms stretched but slightly bent above the chest with the palms facing each other. Lower the weight to the sides by rotating the shoulders and stretching the pec muscles. Push the chest out slightly, when lowering the dumbbells to aid in the stretch. Bring the weight back to the staring position tracing the path of giving a bear hug. Dumbbell Pullovers: In this for of exercise, position the upper back on the bench that is sideways on the bench and grasp the dumbbell with both the hands. Gripping it by the closest side, raise the dumbbell in an arc over the head until it is above the chest and then lower it back down until it is behind the head. Your hips will move up and down to keep balance and this is normal.

Weight Lifting Workouts Arms, Shoulders & Abs The weightlifting exercises for the arms and shoulders produce the most pleasing visible effects. Also, remember that the outward appearance of the abdomen is more determined by diet when compared to training.

Military Press: This is a very important exercise for the shoulders. While standing, grasp the barbell at shoulder width and position in front of the neck. Press the bar overhead until the arms are extended then lower them back down to the starting position. While doing this workout, keep the chest out and the back straight. Biceps Curls: This workout is the only way to effectively get the biceps to build. While standing, grasp the barbell with shoulder width grip and with the elbows at the side, raise until the forearms are near the upper arms and then lower the arm until the hand is extended again. Keep the elbow at the same position during the entire workout and do not bend the back to assist lifting. Crunches: Despite everything that you may have heard, crunches is the only form of exercise that helps to strength the abdomen muscles. While lying on your back, bend your kneed so that the soles of your shoes touch the ground. Put your hands slightly at the sides of your head and move your shoulders

forward keeping the small back on the floor and lowering the shoulders back again. Weight Lifting Workouts Legs Legs are a very important part of the body. Too many people work on the biceps and the chests but forget the legs as the body ends up looking disproportionate. Also, before you start working on the heavy weight exercises for the legs, it is recommended that one gets their form corrected with light weight exercises. Also, leg weight exercises can be dangerous if they are not performed correctly and special care is very important.

Deadlift: While standing, hold the barbell at arms length with shoulder width. Lower bar to the floor by bending at the knees and waist. Keep the back straight and slightly arched inwards if possible. The arms should be straight. This exercise can also be conducted with a bar behind the legs for a change. Straight Leg Deadlift: While standing, hold the barbell at arms length with shoulder width. Lower the weight to close to the floor while keeping the knees straight and slightly bent and then return to a standing position. During the exercise look straight ahead focusing on a spot on the wall in front and concentrate on squeezing the hams. Also, stand on a secure platform so that you can get a deeper stretch of the hams.

Workout Routines to Build Muscle

Targeting all the muscle groups equally, is important for a proportionate and proper growth of the body. This article will be helpful for overall muscle building. Read on, for a couple of workout routines to build muscle. Read on...

Many of us crave to have large muscles and a well chiseled physique. However, there are two things to be understood; the first one is, this dream can turn into a reality only when you concentrate on all your muscle groups and give equal justice to their development while planning and performing your workout routines to build muscle. The second one is to do your workouts with enthusiasm and have patience. This is because everything requires time, nothing happens to accomplish overnight or in a day or two! Having understood these things, you must be ready to start your muscle building exercises. But wait! Do you have a proper workout routine, so that you can perform your exercises in a disciplined manner? If no, then you will definitely need it, as a well planned and organized workout routine will direct you to exercise, monitor and evaluate your performance and progress through it. In this article, we will discuss two types of workout routines to build muscles. These long and intense workouts will help you in increasing the strength of your muscles and also promote overall development of your body. Muscle Building Routines for Beginners Some fitness enthusiasts do not wish to increase their body mass and muscle size, but want to stay in a perfect shape by doing exercises for all the muscle groups. For such people, this muscle building routine would be a better option as it will help them to achieve their health goals. Beginners can also follow this workout routine, as it is necessary

to make all the muscle groups habitual to the muscle building exercises and this workout routine will serve the purpose. Before starting any workout, make sure that you give a proper warm up to all your body parts. Warm-up session for about 15-20 minutes should consist of activities such as cycling, walking exercises, running and jogging, push ups, dips, pull ups, jump rope, stretches etc. All these activities would energize your muscles and get them ready for the workout to follow. For all the exercises discussed below, 3 sets with 10-12 intense repetitions are enough for the first few weeks and then you can move ahead for more exercises with free weights. Day 1 Bicep Workout:

Bicep Curls: Stand erect in front of a mirror and hold a barbell with weights attached to it in your hand. Now, lift the barbell till your shoulders and then slowly bring it down. Preacher Curls: Sit on a preacher bench, with hands stretched on the bench and palms facing towards the ceiling. Hold a barbell in your hands, with weights attached to it, and then lift the barbell till your shoulder level. Lower it down slowly. Incline Bicep Curls: Sit on an incline bench and hold one dumbbell each in both your hands. Lift either of the dumbbells, till the shoulders and then bring it down gradually. Repeat for the other hand.

Triceps Workout:

Triceps Presses: Stand in front of an overhead pulley and attach a bar to it. Fix the weight clip and then hold the bar from above with both your hands. Move the bar downwards completely and then bring it up slowly. Lying Barbell Extensions: Lie down on your back on a flat bench. Hold a barbell in your hands, with your hands facing upwards. Now, slowly bend your elbows in the motion of an arc, to keep the barbell about an inch above your forehead and then come back to the original position. Double Bar Triceps Dips: Hold a double bar with your palms facing each other. Support your body by holding the bar. Now, slowly move downwards, bent a little bit, to support your back.

Remain in this position for sometime (if possible!), or do quick repetitions. Day 2 Chest Workout:

Bench Press: Lie on your back on a chest pressing bench. Keep a barbell with weights attached to it, on the bench rack. Carefully hold the barbell in your palms and bring it to the chest level, till an inch above it. Lift the barbell in that position at the stretch of your hands and then lower it down slowly. Incline Bench Press: This is similar to the bench press exercise. The only difference is that, here you need to do the exercise on an incline bench. Peck Deck: Sit on a peck deck machine with weights adjusted. Hold the handles of the machine and pull it close to each other. Maintain the position for a few seconds. Release the force and let the handles go back to their position.

Shoulder Workout:

Shoulder Press: Sit straight on an upright bench. Hold a barbell in your hand with weights adjusted and palms facing towards the ceiling. Now, lift the barbell at the stretch of your hands and then bring it down slowly, till your shoulder level. Front Lateral Raises: Stand erect with one dumbbell each in both your hands. Hold it in a way, so that your palms face each other. Now, raise the dumbbells in the front till the shoulder level. Keep this position for a second or two and then come back to the original position. Reverse Peck Deck Flyes: Sit facing backwards on the peck deck machine. Adjust the weights. Hold the handles of the machine and pull them in an arc motion to set your hands and shoulders wide apart. Maintain the position for sometime and then come back to your original position slowly.

Day 3 Back Workout:

Seated Pulley Rows: Sit erect on the seat of a low cable pulley machine. Take a small handle and attach it to the hook of the machine. Adjust the weight and pull the bar towards your side

near the stomach. Be in the same position for a couple of seconds and then release the bar slowly. Barbell Shrugs: Stand erect and hold a barbell with weights adjusted in your hands. Now, pull your shoulders down, as far as you can and then lift them up as much as possible. Do not bend your hands in the exercise and do not lift the barbell with your hands. Concentrate completely on the shoulders while pulling them upwards and downwards as well. Lat Pull Downs: Sit in front of a lat machine and fix a long bar to it. Adjust the weight and pull the bar down. Bend your back as you pull the bar towards yourself. Pull it till the chest level without touching the chest. Hold the position for a second and then slowly come back to the original position.

Legs Workout:

Hack Squats: Stand on the machine in such a way that your feet are spread a bit wider than your shoulder width. Adjust the bar on your shoulders. Lift the barbell with the help of your shoulders till your legs straighten completely. Hold the position for a couple of seconds and then go back to the previous position. Box Squats: Take a box from your gymnasium and place it on an even surface. Hold a barbell on your shoulders from behind and sit down slowly on the box with it. Now, stand up and then again sit down. Calf Raises: Hold a barbell on the shoulders from behind. Raise your toes and then again come down slowly. This will exert a pressure on your calves.

End of the Workout Abs Exercises: At the end of the workout, you can perform exercises to develop your abs. Here are a couple of abs exercises.

Crunches: Lie on your back on the floor with your knees spread equally to the width of your shoulders. Keep your feet flat on the surface and support your head with your hands. Now, lift yourself upwards, without pulling your neck. Exhale while coming up. Maintain this position for a second or two and then slowly regain your original position. Reverse Crunches: Be in a position similar to crunches. Keep your legs bent and lift them at a parallel level to your waist. Hold

this position for two seconds and come back to the previous position. Wrist Exercises: Finally you can do some wrist exercises. This exercise is popularly known as wrist curls. For this, you need to stand in front of a wrist curl machine and adjust the weight. Firmly hold the bar in your hands and then lift it slowly. Move your wrist in an up and down direction. See that ample stress is exerted on the wrists while lifting the bar. Wrist curls can also be done with the help of dumbbells or free weights. But, as a beginner prefer doing the exercise with a machine. This reduces the chances of injuries to the wrist muscles. Repeat this workout pattern for the remaining three days of the week. Intermediate Muscle Building Routines Unlike the previous muscle building routine, this one is for people who have already stimulated muscle growth and development in them and are now focusing on one muscle group per day with 5-6 sets, 12-13 repetitions of each exercise and heavier weights. Begin each workout with a good warm up session. Day 1 Bicep Workout: Your biceps workout should consist of exercises such as,

Bicep Curls with a barbell, dumbbells and machine. Bicep Concentration Preacher Curls with barbell and dumbbells. Incline Dumbbell Curls Hammer Curls

Day 2 Triceps Workout: Triceps can be developed with the help of exercises like,

Triceps Dumbbell Extensions Lying Barbell Extensions Triceps Presses Double Bar Triceps Dips

Day 3

Chest Workout: For the growth and development of chest muscles, here are some exercises which will prove useful.

Bench Press Peck Deck Flies Dumbbell Bench Press Decline Bench Press (Barbell bench press on a decline bench) Incline Bench Press (Barbell bench press on an incline bench)

Day 4 Shoulder Workout: For shoulders you can perform exercises such as,

Shoulder Press (Barbell and Dumbbell) Front Lateral Raises Side Lateral Raises Reverse Peck Deck

Day 5 Back Workout: Back should also be given equal importance in the workout routine. Here are some useful back exercises

Deadlifts Pulls Ups Seated Pulley Rows Lat Pull downs

Day 6 Leg Workout: Legs are often overlooked by many fitness lovers. Some leg workouts that can develop your leg and calf muscles are given below.

Hack Squats (Machine) Barbell Hack Squats (Free Weight) Sit Ups Stretches Calf Raises

Towards the end of all the workouts, do some exercises to develop the abs and wrist muscles. Day 7

Exercising on day 7 is optional. You can either not exercise and give some rest to your muscles or you can indulge yourself into aerobic exercises, yoga or long cycling. Tips While Performing Workouts

The most important thing while performing exercises is to have your trainer besides you to support your body. See that your repetitions are intense and slow. Do not hurry up while doing any of the muscle building exercises. Always learn the right technique before doing any exercises. You can do this with empty barbells or light weight in the beginning. Know your limits. Avoid lifting heavy weights that are beyond your strength. If you insist to increase the weights, seek some support from the trainer so that there isn't any imbalance while lifting weights. Concentrate on one particular muscle group at a time. For instance, if you are doing an exercise for biceps, see that you do it in the right way and sufficient stress is exerted on your biceps only. This will promote optimal muscle development. Have a control on your body movements. Do not release the barbell of dumbbell from your hands suddenly, this could prove injurious to you. This is important while lowering down the barbells in exercises such as bench press and shoulder press. Do not let the dumbbell or the barbell touch any of your body parts. Do not let the barbell touch your chest when you lower the barbell. Keep it an inch away from your chest. Adjust the correct weight and machine height for all exercises. Support your back properly in back and shoulder exercises. Do not let your breathing process get interrupted. Breathe while exercising. Keep on sipping little quantities of water to keep your body away from dehydration.

I hope, the aforementioned workout routines to build muscle, will help you. Before signing off, I would like to remind you to follow a balanced diet and getting sufficient rest. Prefer eating foods prescribed by the dietitian and sleep well for 7-8 hours daily. If proper diet and rest are complemented with regular workout, then no one can stop you from achieving your health goals and you'll soon find people appreciating you for your well toned body.

Benefits of Natural Bodybuilding Techniques

Bodybuilding is something that should be done with tremendous care, but people often give priority to quick results over long term health benefits. Natural bodybuilding techniques give you a great body without any health complications.

Everyone dreams of having a great body, but most of us are impatient, this is the reason why people tend to rely on muscle enhancing drugs. Intense workouts, supplemented with such drugs will give you a great physique in no time, but prolonged intake of these drugs will surely take a toll on your body. The term you should focus on is 'prolonged intake'; if you consume the muscle enhancing drugs or steroids for only a short duration of time, your body won't be affected to a greater extent, thus the effect of these drugs is directly proportional to the type of the drug, quantity of intake and the duration of consumption. Natural Bodybuilding Benefits Natural bodybuilding is a great alternative to the drug supplemented workout, and helps in avoiding the post-steroid physical harm. Natural bodybuilding is the type of bodybuilding in which there is no use of human growth hormone (HGH) or any kind of steroid. It is supplemented with a healthy diet, comprising of optimum protein ratio. A 20% fat, 30% protein and 50% carbohydrate diet is recommended when you foray into natural bodybuilding. The benefits of natural bodybuilding can only be stated relative to drug

supplemented bodybuilding, as the exercise routines are almost similar, but may have variations in intensity. Natural bodybuilding techniques have the following advantages over the steroid-supported bodybuilding methods: No Side Effects Drug supplemented bodybuilding will give you a pumped body within a few days, but the prolonged consumption of anabolic steroids or HGH may lead to various ill effects such as stroke, inhibition of liver functioning, impotence and infertility. Natural bodybuilding does not involve the intake of any harmful body enhancing drug, so you do not have to worry about any side effects. Minimizes Injury When steroids or HGH is consumed, they increase your muscle size and your muscle strength, but the strength of your joints is not increased accordingly. The drug supplemented high intensity bodybuilding takes a toll on your joints and makes you injury prone, whereas, natural bodybuilding involves gradual progression in intensity, thereby increasing the strength of your joints proportional to the strength of your muscles. Lasting Effect Steroid based bodybuilding can pump your body at a faster rate, but the size of your body will reduce dramatically once you stop the consumption of such drugs. Thus, a drug supplemented body is not permanent. Natural bodybuilding is supplemented by simple healthy diet, and a naturally built body will not wear off as long as you are consuming your regular meals, thus the muscle size gained by using natural bodybuilding techniques, cannot be termed as temporary. Complete Satisfaction Drug supplemented bodybuilding techniques will give you desired results in no time, but it will make you doubt your potential. You can never be sure, whether the growth in your body is due to your efforts, or the magic of the drugs. In natural bodybuilding, you are certain that the results that you witness are entirely due to your rigorous efforts, and thus you will have a sense of satisfaction and a feeling that you have earned your physique. Greater Confidence Having a good body always boosts confidence. Natural bodybuilding can elevate this confidence to a new high, since you know that you have achieved your physique on the basis of your potential, without

depending on any drug. This confidence drives away the fear of losing your improved musculature with the course of time. The physiological and psychological benefits of natural bodybuilding overshadow the rewards of drug supplemented bodybuilding. Before considering any bodybuilding technique, you should research on its perils. I recommend you to consult an expert before you begin bodybuilding, this will help you realize your limitations and help you avoid damage to your body.

Bicep Exercises with Weights

No ones likes to show off their arm flab or untoned arms. Bicep exercises with weights help in getting well toned arms. Bicep muscles are important, as they are required for a number of upper body activities.

Have you not been able to wear sleeveless tops this summer due to flabby arms? Why not prepare for the next summer and get well toned arms? With bicep exercises with weights, you should be able to reach your goal well before the onset of next summer. Biceps Explained Bicep muscles are the muscles that enable flexibility in the forearm and elbow. These muscles are divided into two parts, namely the biceps brachii and brachialis. Brachii is the muscle on the upper arm. It is actually the muscle that is visible, when the arm is flexed, whereas

brachialis is the muscle that enables elbow movement and is also comparatively smaller to the brachii. To get well toned biceps, here are some best bicep exercises with weights. Know more on exercises and even on bicep exercises without weights. Good Bicep Exercises Bicep exercises for men are higher in intensity as compared to bicep exercises for women. Find below, some bicep workouts that can become a part of your daily workout routine. Push Ups This is one of the oldest exercise for arms, chest and shoulders. Women normally find it difficult to do standard push ups. There are modified versions of push ups, which they can try instead. They need to do a minimum of one set of 15 counts, for results to be seen. Lets see how to do push ups. In the first version of modified push ups, cross your legs and let your weight rest on the knees and hands. Now start doing the push ups with all your weight pushed on the arms and lower part your torso, as you bend your elbows. Make sure that you are constantly looking in front. At the same time, make sure that the pressure is not on the shoulders. The second version of modified push ups, is to do the push ups against the wall. Stand at a distance of about 1 feet away from the wall and place your hands on the walls, at shoulder height. Lift yourself on the toes and now push your torso towards the wall. Bend your elbows as you do that. Bicep Curls This exercise is usually a part of most bicep exercises with dumbbells. It is very easy to do this exercise in the confines of your home as well. A small tip, 'do the curls in a controlled motion'. Place your hands in such a way, that they are sticking to your body. Hold your dumbbells in your hands and without moving your hands, start folding your hands at the elbows and bring the dumbbells near your face. Slowly lower the dumbbell. Repeat this exercise 15 times. Here is more information on bicep and tricep exercises. Cable Bicep Curls This bicep exercise with machines is similar to the regular bicep curls, but is more difficult to do due to the constant pressure on the muscles. A cable tries to pull down the weight constantly, and this has to be

resisted by the arms. Like in the bicep curls, remember to keep your arms sticking to your body, to avoid any injury to your elbows and shoulders. Side Dumbbell Bicep Curls For this exercise you will require a stability ball as this is a stability ball exercise. Sit on the stability ball and hold the dumbbells in your hands, with arms hanging on the sides. Make sure your elbows are tucked into your waist. Now curl the dumbbells towards the shoulders on the sides. As you bring back your arms to the starting position, you notice that this bicep exercise workout targets a different angle of the biceps. Learn more on some other dumbbell exercises. Grip Bench Press You will need a medium size barbell for this exercise. On a flat bench, lie on your back. Now slowly start raising the barbell, so that your elbows are locked. While you return to the starting position, just before the barbell touches the chest, lift up the barbell again, with a bounce. The bounce ensures that your arm muscles are used instead of your chest muscles, which would have been the case if the barbell had to come all the way down. Hammer Curls This is also one of the easiest bicep exercises for women. You can do this exercise either standing or by sitting on a stability ball. Hold dumbbells in both your hands and make sure that your palms are facing each other. Tuck your elbows in your waist. Now slowly curl the dumbbells and get them to your shoulders. Return back to the starting position and repeat this exercise for 15 counts. You can do most of the bicep exercises with weights at home as well. If you are doing these exercises at home, you can make use of bottles filled with water as a substitute for dumbbells. Remember to increase the intensity of your bicep workout by either increasing the number of counts or by increasing the weights that you use. Happy bicep toning!