Let’s face it, we want it all. We want great taste and less filling, we want more pay with less work, burn fat and grow muscle, you get the picture. Rarely do we ever find such a thing, but the Tabata interval protocol may be an exception. With Tabata training it’s possible to get full benefit of traditional aerobic training in 4 minutes.

The Tabata protocol is a specific method of high intensity interval training named after Dr. Izume Tabata as a result of a study done in 1996. Dr Tabata got the idea for the study from olympic speed skaters who used the intervals in their training.

The Tabata protocol calls for all out, as much as you can do, exercise for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest. Then repeat 7 more times for 8 sets total. I know it may sound easy but the key is pushing your self as hard as you can for 20 seconds. Done in this manner, Tabatas are seriously grueling. In fact,  when the olympic skaters that inspired the study started their interval regimen, even though they were in olympic level condition, most couldn’t finish 7 sets.

During the study Dr. Tabata found that both aerobic and anaerobic capacity greatly improved. At the end of the  6 weeks VO2 max, aerobic capacity, increased by 14%, while anaerobic capacity increased by 28%. To put this in perspective the traditional cardio only group that was tested for the study increased VO2 max by 10% but with no increase in anaerobic capacity.

Now If that doesn’t impress you this should. The traditional group’s total workout time averaged 60 minutes per session while the group that performed the Tabata intervals only took about 15 minutes (10 minutes of warm up and 4 minutes of Tabata intervals),…. Yeah, that’s right, basically a 4 minute workout is all it takes for a kickin’ cardio workout. Even if you factor in the warm up time you still save 45 minutes. Talk about bang for the buck!

“Okay, cool, but how do I start using Tabata intervals to get in better shape”? Easy, just start slow, always warm up first. If you are a beginner get clearance from your doctor and start by doing something easy like jumping jacks as many as you can, in twenty seconds, break for ten and repeat until you finish 8 sets or you can’t go on. Give yourself at least a day to recuperate before another workout. Keep working at it until you can do the full 8 sets.

Cardio machines like the treadmill, stationary bike, eliptical trainer or just running sprints can work to. As you progress try deep knee bends, dumb bell thrusters or dumb bell clean and presses using light weight. Pick exercises that recruit as many muscle groups as possible.

More advanced trainers, you know who you are, squats or thrusters using light to moderate weight are good choices. Experiment and use your instincts to figure out how much weight you should be using. Try to find a startng weight so you can do between 10-15 reps and average 6-8 reps per set through the complete protocol.

Remember the key is to go all out get as many reps as possible each set then break for 10 seconds. It’s not the same as 8 sets of 10. You’ll know if you done them correctly if you feel like you’re gonna collapse and/or your lungs are burning and/or you need to vomit at the end 8 sets.

Technorati Tags: Burn Fat, Tabata intervals

Mr Olympia 2008 Results, Dexter Jackson defeats Jay Cutler and wins his first Sandler. While Jay is incredibly massive Dexter had a quality and elegant advantage. What ever your opinion the results are in, the judges agree Dexter is the new Mr O.

Check out the Mr Olympia site for the weekends events

Bodybuilding .com has the most up to date and detailed coverage I’ve seen. Check it out here

Technorati Tags: bodybuilding news

Bodybuilding techniques to gain muscle, build endurance, get strong, etc are really pretty straight forward. Lifting weights is basic, sure proper technique is important, but it’s not to hard to master. Recovery is very easy just don’t workout for about 48 hours, catch a nap, be lazy and you’re good. But the mistake I see most people make is nutrition and I don’t mean micro analyzing your diet either. No, what I mean is most people have no idea how much to eat to grow bigger muscles.

The most recent data I’ve seen says you need to consume about 0.6-0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight for optimal muscle growth. So a 200 pound man using typical body building techniques needs to eat 120-160 grams of protein daily. How much food does that equal? Well 4 ounces of chicken breast has about 22 grams of protein or 3 ounces of sirloin steak about 28 grams. So getting enough protein is possible but often takes a little focus.

Simple rule of thumb is to eat 5 times a day instead of just 3. Maybe break it up into 3 meals and 2 snacks. In addition to breakfast, lunch and dinner, work in a couple of between meal snacks. Something like a protein shake, a fitness bar or even real food. Do some homework to find out what you like. Learn how many calories you need to maintain your weight. About.com has a pretty good page on calculating your calorie requirements, click here to see it.

Lately Ive been eating these prepared meals made by Hormel. I know, “processed food bad”, but sometimes it’s all I can manage, and the ones I’ve eaten have around 20 grams of protein. Which makes them a perfect snack or light meal for me. They keep at room temperature so I can carry them around in the car and have a snack on the go. Canned food works good to and if you get pop top cans you don’t need to pack a can opener.

Also, don’t shy away from carbs but do avoid too many sugary drinks and foods. Body building techniques burn calories so you need some carbs, because they are a more efficient fuel source than protein. If you don’t get enough carbohydrates your body will convert protein from other sources within your body to fuel. Sources like your undigested food or worse your growing muscles. Your body also converts fat to fuel but, at the same time, you’ll lose muscle.

Bottom line: make sure you eat enough to maintain your weight and grow muscle.

I found this awesome chest muscle workout video. It’s a good routine to Body building technique for endurance and definition in your pectorals and triceps not my first pick to gain muscle fast but I don’t think it would hurt too much either. This would also be great for sports training like wrestling or MMA. I’m an advocate of mixing up your training and this is a good fit for the mix.

One variation would be to substitute bench presses for push-ups using a moderate weight. What I like to do is position myself on a set of scales like I’m doing a push-up, hands on the scales. Take that weight and set it up on a barbell for bench presses and do as many reps as I can. Although the weight is close to your push-up work load it works the muscles differently in a greater range of motion. You probably won’t get as many reps as you can with push-ups.

http://www.themuscleheadfitness.info

Duration : 0:1:31

More on Body Building Techniques - Chest Muscle Workouts

Technorati Tags: abdominal, abs, beauty, body, building, exercises, fitness, health, loss, sports, weight

http://www.themuscleheadfitness.info

Duration : 0:5:11

More on Body Building Biceps Techniques

Technorati Tags: beauty, bicep, body, building, exercises, fitness, health, sports

Body building techniques can be made very complicated if you are not careful. The plethora of lifting techniques, the micro nutrition technology, and the fact that one thing seems to contradict another all adds up to confusion. What’s a guy or gal to do? The answer lies in filtering out all the micro-garbage and focusing on the macro techniques. So let’s break it down to 3 keys (nutrition, training, and recovery) within bodybuilding techniques, get these right and success is inevitable.

Let’s take nutrition for example I know there is a lot of buzz about creatine, branch chain amino acids, carbs, etc. the good new is you can ignore just about all of it and focus on eating good quality lean protien sources like chicken, lean beef, and fish and your body will handle the micro nutrients like it has your whole life. Round off your meal with a hearty serving of vegatables, fresh or frozen, and you’re in like Flint.  Oh yeah, please avoid drinking too many sugary drinks they are meant to be a treat not a dietary staple.

Now, nutrition is the first key body building technique but there are two more, training and recovery. When training forget about all the new and old fangled Bulgarian methods to blast you biceps. Just do steady somewhat slow reps, always controlling the weight, ending in momentary muscle failure. That is the most important thing you can do. Any of the sophisticated burn out bodybuilding techniques are secondary. Focus on simple controlled multi-joint exercises first (they build more muscle and burn more calories) and do isolation exercises for refinement last.

Last but not least you need a proper period of recovery so that your muscles can grow. Getting a good nights sleep is most important. Most recovery takes place in the hours of deep sleep. As far as training frequency is concerned evidence suggests that the nominal recovery time between workouts is about 48 hours. So rest your trained body parts at least 48 hours before another workout. Hint: If you are too sore to move after 48 hours decrease your scale back your workout you may be on course for over-training.

Observe and practice bodybuilding techniques in concert with these three keys and you can’t fail. Summarized, eat good quality foods high in protein, train to overload your muscles, and allow yourself to recover at least 48 hours between workouts and we’ll see you at the top!

Technorati Tags: body building techniques

hen training to gain muscle fast its critical to get your testosterone levels up. Your body produces testosterone naturally and you can enhance that production by performing exercises that work large muscle groups. Squats, dead lifts and power cleans are the best exercises to get the juices flowing and gain muscle fast. You’re gonna want to use about 80-90% of your 1 rep max for the maximum benefit.

Squats and dead lifts are mainly slow moving exercises known for developing brute strength. The power clean is a little different in that it is a more explosive type movement. Take some care if you haven’t trained using power cleans previously. Because they require an explosive move they are little more risky but well worth the fast muscle gaining benefits. Click here for a video demonstrating the power clean

Technorati Tags: body building techniques, Gain Muscle Fast, muscle workouts

A good quality protein is the one dietary supplement I feel is absolutely essential when using bodybuilding techniques to gain muscle fast. Look at this way if you are building a brick wall you must have a ready supply of bricks and mortar. The same goes for building your muscles, but in this case protein is the building block needed. As a general rule you need to consume 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. So a 200 lb man should consume 200-300 grams a day. Its also important to monitor your protein intake per meal. According to a study conductucted by the University of Illinios at Urbana-Champaign for bodybuilding techniques to grow muscle effectively you need to consume at least 30 grams of protein per meal. But you should make that number easily by following the 1.5 gram rule.

31 Aug 08 - I Just read a sidebar in the Sep 2008 Men’s Fitness magazine that says several studies show the 1-1.5 gram of protein rule to be wrong. Actually according to the sidebar .6-.8 grams are enough build big muscle. Any more than that will be converted to fuel or stored as fat.

Technorati Tags: body building techniques, Gain Muscle Fast, Nutrition tips

It’s official Michael Phelps now has more gold than Fort Knox and all of us here at the bodybuilding techniques blog would like to congratulate him for a brilliant performance in Beijing (8 gold medals).

Unless you’ve been under a rock fo the past week you know Michael Phelps is an American swimmer of extraordinary ability.  Well he has outdone himself and actually everyone for that matter. By winning 8 gold medals at a single Olympiad event he sets a new standard for those that follow. Michael has joined an elite club of Olympians who’ve won nine career gold medals and raised the ante.

With 14 career Olympic gold medals Michael Phelps is the greatest human swimmer on the planet and the greatest olympian in history.

Technorati Tags: Micheal Phelps

Body building  techniques and fat loss go hand in hand. As a sport body building is all about developing  a symmetrical muscular body. It just follows naturally that fat loss is a major part of the training since fat blocks the clear view and breaks up the aesthetic lines of well a developed muscle build.

It’s not news to most of us who study body building techniques that lean muscle mass burns fat but the rest of the world is catching on. During a study at Boston University researchers activated a gene in obese mice causing type II muscle fibers to grow. The mice immediately began to lose fat even though diet and activity were unchanged. No,.. I don’t know how to activate this gene in humans but this is the same type of muscle growth that occurs when training with heavy weights.

The moral of the story: lift weights, build your muscles, train for growth and fat loss happens naturally.

Technorati Tags: body building techniques, Burn Fat