Why Supersets Aren’t So Super

I’ll be blunt about this: One of the dumbest things you can do is a superset.

The rather unbelievable point about them is that they are touted as an ADVANCED training technique for ADVANCED trainees!

Take a look around the web and you’ll no doubt come across several websites advising you that supersets will ignite new growth for those who have plateaued. I say they do no such thing.

Before I go any further, let me state that this article is talking about supersetting DIFFERENT body parts, not back-to-back sets of the same muscle group, which I will talk about a little later.

Most web sites that promote this method often do so without any explanation whatsoever. They tell you it’s good, but not WHY it’s good. The sites that do give reasons usually say something like the following:

1) Doing the same workout over and over again leads to plateaus. Supersets break the monotony by SHOCKING the muscle and forcing new growth.

This is total B.S. No-one should ever be doing the same workout anyway because you should always be adding more reps and/or more weight to the bar. This is progressive overload, which underpins all success in bodybuilding.

Changing your routine often in order to shock your muscles is a strategy doomed to failure. Muscles don’t get shocked. Secondly, changing a routine too often leads to a slowing down of REAL strength and size gains for reasons I’ve outlined in this article about so-called “muscle confusion”.

2) You’ll Save Time In The Gym.

What!? Come again!? Pardon me!? Are you kidding me!? Last time I checked the purpose of a bodybuilding workout wasn’t to try and get it over with as soon as possible, but to intelligently impart the precise stimuli that stimulates new muscle growth.

While a workout for a natural trainee should come in at around an hour or less, that’s actually more than enough time when you know what you’re doing. Doing things properly creates MAXIMUM overload. Supersets actually decrease the intensity for reasons I’ll cover a little later.

3) Higher Production of Anabolic Hormones. By not taking breaks between sets the body will release more testosterone.

I doubt it. Firstly, I think the “hormone theory” of bodybuilding has been laid to rest (RIP). The homone theory says that a workout that causes the highest production of anabolic hormones ends up producing the most muscle growth. I talk about this in the “Compound & Isolation” section of THT 4, leaving you in no doubt that compound-only routines are INFERIOR to workouts consisting of both compound and isolation exercises.

Secondly, there’s just no way that a superset workout would end up producing more testosterone. Why not? Because you end up using lighter weights because of the fatigue involved. You’re not going to be able to maximally overload 2 muscles groups when you take no rest between working them. This leads us on nicely to the last nonsensical point…

4) You Can Use Lighter Weights.

Now don’t laugh. This is actually being touted as a benefit, can you believe that? Apparently you can push your body “to the limit” with lighter weights than normal because of the higher fatigue involved in back-to-back sets.

Isn’t that a good reason why a bodybuilder should never dream of doing supersets? You need adequate rest between sets to allow for both localized recovery of the muscle (flushing out lactate) and systemic recovery (getting your breath, getting your heart rate down, feeling energized and motivated for the next set).

This is a bodybuilding workout after all. You need to be at your best in each set. You need to have the capability to push the heaviest weight you can for the maximum number of reps possible. Supersets just don’t allow you to do that. And some bozos see this as a benefit!?

The Goal of a Bodybuilding Workout

As we’ve seen in point 4, supersets lead to a DECREASE in intensity because of the negative impact on both local and systemic recovery.

Since the goal of a bodybuiliding workout is to perpetually increase the overload and intensity placed on our muscles over time, straight sets achieve this much better than supersets.

Pre-Fatigue/Extended Sets

Now I need to be 100% clear about this. Supersetting 2 different bodyparts is totally different from performing a pre-fatigue set on the same muscle e.g. my shoulder pre-fatigue set, which involves back-to-back sets of overhead press and lateral raises.

A pre-fatigue set will INCREASE intensity by forcing a muscle beyond positive failure e.g. if you take the lateral deltoid head to failure with a set of lateral raises, then perform the compound movement Overhead Presses, the lateral head will be pushed beyond its normal levels of intensity as more deltoid muscle fibers, and even the triceps, are called into play to perform the 2nd exercise.

However, even in workouts where I recommend this method, (shoulders, chest, biceps in Volume Cycle 1) you’ll note that there is always a straight set prior to the pre-fatigue sets so you can still establish new bests in the big lifts. The pre-fatigue will more than likely cause you to use a lighter load in the overhead press for example, so you should always begin the workout with a straight set or 2 before beginning the pre-fatigue technique.

So that should clear up any confusion between supersets of different body parts and pre-fatigue sets, which some people refer to as supersets. There is a world of difference. One is effective, the other is counter-productive.

Bodybuilding gains are essentially caused by progressive overload and have nothing to do with attempting to increase the volume of work done per unit of time.

Other forms of training with completely different goals may utilize this strategy, but it is NOT something to be carried out by those wishing to increase the strength and size of their muscles.

Train With Passion!

Mark

image credit: Em Bhoo

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Weight Loss With Body Building Routine - Tips and Strategies

If you've seen a body builder before either in real life or in a magazine or tv, you can see that these athletes have lean muscular bodies and practically no fat. Usually, you can see their six pack abs quite well. Their abs themselves show that their amount of body fat is very low because the more your muscles are visible, the less fat you have. Body fat is measured in percentage and a 2-4% range is usually the norm for most body builders.

The topic of this article is about weight loss and how to use body building to achieve your goal and why I've given you the previous illustration of body fat is because the less fat you have in your body, the lighter you'll weigh. Fats are excess calories in your body and fats have more calories than protein and carbohydrate. So if you consume more fats, you'll get more calories and you can end up storing excess calories as fat deposits in your body.

A body building routine for weight loss is an ideal weight loss plan since a body builder regularly exercises and pays strict attention to nutrition. If a weight loss achiever wants to attain his objectives, body building is a highly recommended sport. With body building, the weight loss individual will adopt a different mindset. He will be more disciplined, patient, determined just like a body builder's qualities. And naturally, he will have a better health and less prone to diseases like cardiovascular, diabetes, high blood pressure amongst others.

So what consists exactly a body building routine? A body builder typically trains several times a week with weights and perform body weight exercises as well and eat several quality meals daily. He also does cardio training multiple times a week. Since a body builder usually competes in contests, he needs to adhere to his routine very closely and this is what you should do too even though you're not competing. Why? The simple reason is that if you follow such a strict routine, your weight loss success will become a reality sooner than you initially thought of. Here are some tips and strategies.

When you work out with weights or do body weight exercises alone, you are basically toning and strengthening your muscles. And you know what? Muscles speed metabolism which will benefit you because your body will be more inclined to burn fat rather than store them. Also, when you do strength training, you are also burning fat since you will be sweating. Sweating is a key factor to burning fat and excess weight. Then, you also need to do some cardio training like running and cycling. You can do these activities in the gym with the machines or in nature. The frequency of your weight loss routine is fundamental too. You can do weight training 4 times per week training different body parts per day and perform cardio training 3 times per week for about 45-60 minutes per session. Do your cardio training on the days you don't do strength training. Basically it's preferable that you don't mix your cardio in your weight training. If you do cardio first, you might be a bit exhausted to do weight training after. And vice versa.

Since you'll be training hard, you should pay strict attention to your nutrition because if not, all your hard work will be wasted. Avoid foods high in saturated fats and soft drinks which are filled with sugars. Don't snack on just anything. If you don't know what to eat, here is a sample nutrition for your weight loss goals. Eat more quality protein and opt for complex carbohydrates but be moderate though. Some valuable protein sources are skinless chicken breast/turkey breast, egg whites, white fish, lean red meat, tuna, salmon, cottage cheese and skim milk. Some valuable complex carbohydrates are wholegrain cereals, porridge oats, oatcakes, wheetabix, shredded wheat, brown rice, corn, yam, lentils, potato, sweet potato, bagel, brown bread, wholemeal breads, spaghetti and macaroni.

Don't forget your vegetables intake like broccoli, green beans, asparagus, tomatoes, lettuce, garlic(garlic has been proven to be great for weight loss) and eat fruits like banana, orange, kiwi, papaya and grape. Opt for healthy fats like canola oil and olive oil. Go for healthy cooking techniques like boiling, baking or steaming. Drink lots of water at least 8 glasses or bring at least a 1.5 litre bottle with you. Go for 4-6 small meals per day instead of 3 big meals. And eat every 2-3 hours. Eating regularly in small quantity will boost your metabolism which will put your body in a fat burning mode rather than fat storing. Get adequate amount of sleep everyday.

If you follow a body building routine with determination, discipline and patience, I guarantee that you will shed the pounds away like you never did before. Give it a few weeks before you start noticing changes in your body fat and weight and sooner than you realize, you're on your way to get the body of your dreams. Good luck.

This article can be freely published on a website as long as it's not modified in any way including the author bylines, plus the hyperlink must be made active just like below.

Want to lose weight and gain lean muscle mass? Check out Body Building Resource for articles about muscle building, fat loss, diet and fitness. Also available are a muscle building eBook, DVDs, gym equipment and supplements. Go to http://www.body-building-resource.com

What Exactly Is Testosterone and Tips on How to Increase Your Testosterone Levels Naturally

To raise ones testosterone levels the natural way being an natural bodybuilder. You need to ask just what exactly will cause ones testosterone levels to boost up along with just what will cause them to go straight down as well as the testosterone that's bio-available. As a result of the following content you will see just what circulating testosterone is in addition to what amount of it really is readily available for ones receptors inside the cellular walls.

Testosterone and the Science of it

Testosterone is the primary man sex hormone in addition to an anabolic steroid. With men, it has a vital function in the development of male reproductive tissues for example the testis plus prostate in addition to promoting secondary sexual features like amplified muscle mass, bone mass as well as new hair growth. Testosterone induces alterations in form, size and even can certainly transform the particular physical appearance and also the amount of lean muscle fibers.

Circulating Testosterone

Testosterone influences are generally indexed by age and are typically relying on the amount in addition to duration involving circulating free testosterone. The amount of circulating testosterone within men range in between 350 and 1, 000 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dl). Following the age of 40 these types of standard levels commence going down by approximately 1 per cent a year.

Precisely How Testosterone is Made

Just like various other anabolic steroid human hormones, testosterone comes from cholesterol that is the 1st step within the bio-synthesis. In the last phase involving androstenedione it's minimized to produce anabolic testosterone.

Just how Testosterone Stimulates Muscle Development

Anabolic testosterone is really a anabolic steroid hormone from your androgen group. Androgens encourage protein synthesis to get development with racking up bone density, strength and muscle tissue by using androgen receptors. Anabolic testosterone helps bring about nitrogen retention within the lean muscle the more nitrogen the actual muscle tissues retains the more protein your muscle stores. Anabolic testosterone may also improve the levels regarding yet another anabolic hormone, IGF-1, within muscle tissues.

Anabolic testosterone also offers the particular remarkable capacity to improve your activity regarding satellite cells. These kinds of cells perform an extremely productive purpose with restoring destroyed muscle tissue. Anabolic testosterone furthermore binds on the androgen receptor in promoting A. R dependent mechanisms with regard to muscular gain in addition to fat reduction, this also drastically improves the concentrations on the A. R within cells essential regarding muscle tissue repair in addition to growth and A. R within muscle tissue.

The best way Anabolic Hormone Testosterone Raises Red Blood Cell Production

Androgens such as anabolic testosterone can certainly defend your hard earned lean muscle from the catabolic (muscle losing) glucocorticoid hormones, therefore inhibiting the particular behavior of them. Moreover, Anabolic testosterone possesses the capacity to raise red blood cell production, including a increased Rbc count number may possibly boost stamina by way of much better oxygenated bloodstream. More Red blood cells may also enhance recuperation out of physically demanding exercise. The bigger the actual bioavailability within free form Anabolic testosterone the more your muscle mass building result.

Glycogen as well as Synthesis Contraction

Anabolic testosterone elevates muscle tissue contraction simply by raising the amount of continuous motor neutrons within muscle tissue enhancing neuromuscular transmission. This also encourages glycogen synthesis giving additional energy regarding powerful workout routines as a result raising stamina and speed. whenever compressed when lifting weights.

Anabolic Testosterone Advances Weight-Loss Along With Aggressiveness

Anabolic testosterone helps bring aggressiveness in addition to dominating tendencies. This could make clear the supercharge involving self-confidence that gives bodybuilders the psychological advantage they need to lif some serious weight. Anabolic testosterone can also be great at endorsing fat reduction obtaining a good anti-estrogenic impact it generates a perfect weight-loss atmosphere. Anabolic testosterone binds into the A. R on body fat cells contributing to body fat break-down plus stops new body fat development. It's really worth bringing up an indirect activity of weight loss, that test demonstrated a source of nourishment portioning effect on lean muscle in addition to body fat. Because the human body is definitely developing muscle tissue in an more rapid rate on the more protein and carbs you eat, nutriments will be shuttled to muscle tissue, in addition to away from body fat.

In conclusion by simply knowing the development of anabolic testosterone you will see just how your training workout can be benefited through it.

I have been bodybuilding for over 20 years now. It all started when my dad bought me my first weight set when I was 16. You can say that I am a certified fitness fanatic, diet and nutrition consultant, freelance entrepreneur, and a motivated trainee/trainer. My goal here is to give you the best researched information and my absolute sound advice. I will give you the bodybuilding tips you need from muscle mass and strength, bicep training, weight lifting, power lifting, completion, abs workout, fitness and exercise tips, as well as diet and nutrition top tips to setting new goals. For your workout needs come and visit me at... [http://goldstar-bodybuilding.net].

What is the Best Routine to Gain Weight and Muscle? Revealed!

To find the best routine to gain weight and muscle one needs to make sure that it has a few consistent elements. These elements are what makes or breaks a weight lifting routine. For a program to claim that it is the best routine to gain weight and muscle it NEEDS to have the following elements.

Effective Stimulation

Lifting weights alone is not good enough. You need to know how to lift to optimize muscle fiber stimulation and you need to know the superior exercises for each target muscle group. As a rule of thumb, the best routine to gain weight and muscle will attack the type one fast twitch fibers AND the type two slow twitch fibers.

Mind Integration

Believe it or not, the mind is what ends up building the muscle. It is the source that sends the muscle building signals and hormones to build the muscle quickly and effectively. So clearly, the best routine to gain weight and muscle MUST address the importance of the power of the mind and how to manipulate this power to aid in weight training.

Calendar Schedule

What good is a workout program if you can't handle the demands? A low intensity easy program will be much more effective than a "hardcore let's kill ourselves at the gym" type of program if you are not the most motivated person in the world. The best routine to gain weight and muscle for you must be one that fits with your schedule and one that you can easily continue to workout with months at a time.

So what is the best routine to gain weight and muscle? It's simply the one that works best for you and that has a proven track record with plenty of testimonials and credibility.

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Women's Health and Fitness - 10 Tips On How To Look Younger

Appearance is very important, it is the first thing you notice when you meet someone. As you grow older the body starts to let you down, but there are a few things that you can do. Some ideas are very simple, while others need a bit of work but they can all help to turn back the clock and make you look younger.

1. Standing up straight is one of the best ways to look younger and more confident. Standing straight, with shoulders back and down with your tummy pulled in. At first you will need to practice and check yourself that you are standing up straight but soon it will become second nature. Doing exercises to strengthen your tummy muscles will also help.

2. Having enough sleep, at least 7 to 8 hours a night will make you feel healthier and younger. Your body needs sleep so that it can repair your body cells and refresh you mind.

3. Smiling makes you look radiant and younger. Smiling also distracts from areas that show your age. A smile just changes your whole face, try standing in front of a mirror and see what smile can do for your face.

4. Just because you are older does not necessarily mean that you have to have a short haircut. It all depends on the shape of your face, a short hairstyle can be cut to flatter and frame your face. This can be great to draw attention away from signs of ageing. Though longer hairstyles can be just as flattering as long as you have a good haircut that is shaped and maybe layered. A good hairdresser should be able to advise on the best way to cut your hair, as it does not just depend on the shape of your face but also on the texture and volume of your hair.

5. Colouring your hair is also a great way to hide the tale tell grey hairs. It is best to choose a colour that is close to your original colour so that it naturally compliments your facial tones. Otherwise you can have high lights or low lights put into your hair, and these do not require re-doing as frequently as an all over colour.

6. Choose the right clothes to compliment your body and hide the areas that you do not like. For example if you have flabby arms you can wear three quarter length sleeves to hide them. Soft colours will help you look younger because your skin tones become greyer as you get older.

7. Keep your teeth clean, with brushing and flossing, and with regular visits to the dentist to have your teeth checked. Getting teeth cleaned to prevent plague build up can also save you losing teeth unnecessarily. If your teeth are discoloured, the dentist might suggest whitening them, so that you will be happy to smile and show off your teeth.

8. Losing weight can also help you look younger. Make sure that as you lose weight that you tone your body with aerobic and resistance exercises.

9. Make-up can also help as long as you do not cake it on. Use a light foundation that does not sink into the wrinkles and emphasis them is better than a heavier one that does. Be careful about which eyeshadows to use, cream ones will sink into your wrinkles.

10. Look after your skin. Do not clean your face with soap and water but with a proper cleanser so that it dissolves all the make-up on the face and cleanses it properly. Always make sure that you remove your make-up every night as one night leaving it on can age your skin eight days. After cleaning your skin make sure that you moisture it so that it keeps your skin hydrated and younger looking.

With the aids that have been shown above on how to look younger, start today by choosing a couple of ideas, implement them and watch the changes in your appearance.

Gill Webster is dedicated to helping women over 40, learn how to live a healthy beautiful life. To learn more, jump to [http://www.feelinggreatafter40.com] and sign up for her free newsletter on health and fitness.

How To Do Chest Dips

Chest Dips are on one of my favorite exercises.

Unfortunately many people do them incorrectly, or at least are not OPTIMIZING their effectiveness.

The major mistake made is doing a combo of both tricep and chest dips in the same movement, which results in working both sub-maximally. These are 2 different movements and need to be treated as such.

If you’ve never incorporated chest dips into your chest training, I suggest you do so A.S.A.P.

However, watch this video and read the notes first to ensure that what you’re doing will end up producing the desired result: bigger, more defined pecs!

I much prefer to use a belt for weighted dipping. It’s more comfortable and allows me to concentrate solely on getting the job done, not trying to hold a dumbbell between my legs. Besides, you’ll soon have to use heavy weights, and a heavy-ass dumbbell is just awkward to hold. Check out the vid first…

Get into position by supporting your body on fully extended arms (elbows locked)

In order to balance the body correctly throughout the exercise, bend the knees about 90 degrees and cross your feet behind you

Lower the body by bending the elbows

To make this a CHEST dip as opposed to a TRICEP dip, lean forward into the movement as you lower your body and allow your elbows to flare out wide

Only by doing so you can get into a very deep position and achieve a good stretch across the chest

Now push up but do NOT return to the starting position i.e. arms fully extended

For a chest dip you want to stop a few inches before the top. Why?

Those last inches of the rep are all taken on the triceps, not the chest. So don’t work in this range. Stop short and start the negative/lowering again

Including those last few inches would ensure that you fatigued the triceps and almost certainly mean that the set would terminate at failure of the triceps, not the chest

So the range of motion for a chest dip is a little smaller than you might think. But ensure that you are dipping as deeply as possible.

Dip in the above manner for MAXIMUM impact! If this form is new to you, be prepared for a sore chest!

Get back to me and let me know how you get on with this one.

And if you want any further clarification on form, let me know below!

Train With Intensity!

Mark

Related posts:

Tricep Dips & Chest Dips. The Big Difference!How To Build Up Your Upper ChestHow To Do Weighted DipsThe THT 2.0 Training Cycle. Chest & Triceps Day (part 10)How To Build Chest Muscle

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How to Build Up Muscle Tips - Learn How to Build Up Muscle at Home with 5 Essential Equipments

Although the gym is almost the perfect place to initiate your muscle-building efforts, there are also many advantages as to why someone would want to learn how to build up muscle at home.

By learning how to build up muscle at home, you can probably start off with the light-weights first so as not to embarrass yourself in front of the hot-looking gym girls. You can also train shirtless and not care what others might think of your huffing and puffing.

Whatever reasons you might have to learn how to build up muscle at home, you will still need a good set of equipments to start with. There are 5 essential equipments you might want to invest in if you are seriously interested in working out at home.

1) An adjustable barbell with free-weight plates -- It might also be a good investment to get a cast iron set. Make it a point to buy enough weights so that you can progressively improve your performance every week.

2) Adjustable dumbbells -- Adjustable dumbbells are definitely more effective and cost-saving than having to buy the whole set of dumbbells. Make sure that you can buy both the barbell and dumbbells in one set.

3) A bench with incline adjustments -- This one is a must-have to perform bench presses and other seated routines. You should buy a good and sturdy inclined bench with safety catches for safety reasons, of course.

4) A chin-up bar -- You can easily get this one for 15 to 20 dollars and can be fixed on the inside of a door frame.

5) A squat rack -- Usually the squat rack is the most expensive equipment to buy, however it is definitely one of the more important pieces of your training equipment. Squats are an irreplaceable movement and should always be part of your muscle-building routine.

If you cannot afford a squat rack, then you have to explore alternative ways to allow safe ways of un-racking a loaded bar, in case your strength gives way during the lift.

So there you go. You can now learn how to build up muscle at the comfort of your own home with these 5 pieces of basic equipment. If you need further guides on how to maximize the full potential of these home gym equipment, feel free to visit the links provided below.

You can also read up more on 'Muscle Building Success from Home, Can It Be Done?' here at How to Build up Muscle [http://rocksolidbody.info/blog/muscle-building-success-from-home-can-it-be-done].

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