March 2007 Muscle Building & Fitness Tips
Each month Mark Smith (aka Suarus) puts together a list muscle building and fitness tips to help you pack on more muscle, strip fat and make the most of your time in the gym. Most of the tips you see here have been contributed by our forum members. March's tips are listed below:
March Training & Workout Tips
- When stretching before a workout, it's best to stretch after you've warmed-up for about 5 minutes (your muscles will be looser).
Tip by: Doug Lawrenson - Be sure you are training with the proper resistance weight. Ideally, you should choose a weight that fatigues you after 6-12 reps.
Tip by: Doug Lawrenson - Measure your exercise intensity. There are several methods: heart rate, rating of perceived exertion, talk test.
Tip by: Doug Lawrenson - Concentrate on the muscle(s) you are working during a specific exercise and don't allow your other muscle groups to assist with the exercise.
Tip by: Doug Lawrenson - The frequency of your strength training depends on whether your goals are to get bigger and stronger (less often) or whether you want to get leaner and more defined muscles (more often).
Tip by: Doug Lawrenson - Change your fitness routine every 4-6 weeks to prevent a workout plateau.
Tip by: Doug Lawrenson - Give your muscles reason to grow, Keep a log book for your workouts, write down your progress, try to lift heavier each workout. Your muscles don't grow if you are always staying at same weight!
Tip by: LeMiuX - Make a list of all the benefits regular exercise provides you. Everything from feeling healthier, sleeping better, preventing depression, feeling stronger, etc. Post this list somewhere that you will easily see it everyday so that it can serve as a reminder why you should workout.
Tip by: Doug Lawrenson - Choose exercises that you enjoy doing. You'll be more inclined to stick with a fitness regimen when it includes things you like to do.
Tip by: Doug Lawrenson - Don't take the all or nothing approach. It's better to do a little training than none at all. So, even if you can only fit one strength training routine in a week, you'll still benefit from it.
Tip by: Doug Lawrenson - A lot of the time you hear the word "heavy" mentioned - remember to leave your ego at home and lift your "heavy" and not the person's next to you.
Tip by: Russ
March Fitness & Weight Loss Tips
- When working out on cardio equipment (e.g. elliptical trainers), don't lean heavily on the handrails. This will reduce the amount of calories you burn.
Tip by: Doug Lawrenson - Remember that every gram of alcohol has 7 calories, so if your aim is to lose weight, cut back on your alcohol intake.
Tip by: Forum Member - Performing cardiovascular type activities (i.e. running, cycling, swimming, etc.) five times a week decreases your risk of type II diabetes by 45%.
Tip by: Forum Member
March Supplements Tips
- The addition of a supplement called Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) with creatine and dextrose increases insulin sensitivity. ALA will also give an increase in muscle cell volume.
Tip by: Doug Lawrenson - The best carbs to use with the creatine are simple carbs like glucose & fructose. Glucose is better and is found in grape juice. Fructose is in most fruits like apple and so on. Just do not use it with orange juice or an acidic fruit juice.
Tip by: Doug Lawrenson - Get your diet and nutrition right, before taking any supplements, or the effect of the supplements will be totally wasted.
Tip by: Doug Lawrenson
March Diet & Nutrition Tips
- Use a lot of spices and seasonings when cooking low-fat/low-calorie meals. They can make your meal taste so much better and therefore make you feel more satisfied.
Tip by: Doug Lawrenson - Each day fill a container(s) with your daily water supply so you'll always know how much you've drank and ensure you drink the required daily amount.
Tip by: Doug Lawrenson - Protein shakes are an important part of any weight gain, weight loss, plan, the drinks are of high quality protein, easy to prepare, and can work out cheaper than most quality protein foods.
Tip by: Doug Lawrenson - If you feel tired just after eating lunch, you are probably eating too much refined/processed carbohydrates, and your body has become carbohydrate sensitive. Try and eat more complex carbs, and add more protein and fibre to your meals.
Tip by: Forum Member
March Women's Fitness Tips
- Give yourself an incentive; buy some new gear so even if you are unfit you'll begin to look better. You’ll instantly be more motivated and more likely to succeed in your fitness goals.
Tip by: Forum Member - Breasts cancer studies have shown that essential fatty acids keep breasts healthier. Buy an essential oil supplement rich in Omega’s 3, 6 and 9 and use it as an oily dressing over a salad.
Tip by: Forum Member - Remember when exercising for weight loss that muscle tissue is denser and heavier than fat tissue, which means it takes up less space, so you lose inches and look a lot leaner and fitter, but it weighs quite a bit more, so you don't lose as many pounds as you would expect. Don’t focus on the weight! Focus on how you look in the mirror.
Tip by: Mark Smith (Saurus)
These tips are put together every month by Mark Smith (aka Saurus). If you want to chat to Mark you can catch him over at our muscle building forum. Come an join the webs fastest growing community of muscle building and fitness enthusiasts!
