October 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. October's tips are listed below:

October Training & Workout Tips

1. Symmetry tip: Always exercise the weaker side first. Then complete only as many repetitions on the stronger side as performed on the weaker side.
   Tip by: Mark Smith (aka Saurus)
2. In tricep kickbacks, the hold at the top is probably more important than in any other exercise.
   Tip by: Mark Smith (aka Saurus)
3. Never hold your breath during weight training - it can cause your blood pressure to rise dangerously. Instead, exhale as you lift the weight and inhale as you bring the weight down.
   Tip by: Mark Smith (aka Saurus)
4. A warmup should be a rehearsal of the actual exercise, but with much less weight.
   Tip by: Mark Smith (aka Saurus)
5. Don’t roll on shrugs! There is no actual advantage in rolling your shoulders, and you’re likely to end up with a rotator cuff injury. Just shrug your shoulders as high as possible then lower the weight to a full stretch.
   Tip by: Forum Member
6. To prevent knee problems with lunges, it is critical that you take a big enough step forwards, so that you knee never moves in front of your toes.
   Tip by: Mark Smith (aka Saurus)

October Fitness & Weight Loss Tips

1. 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
2. The simple way to count your calories: Every gram of Carbs has 4 calories, every gram of protein has 4 calories, every gram of fat has 9 calories, and every gram of alcohol has 7 calories.
   Tip by: Mark Smith (aka Saurus)
3. 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

October Supplements Tips

1. When buying supplements, always do your own research before going to the shop or making an online purchase. Read users reviews (not the ones conducted by the company itself in magazines etc!), check out forums, ask around at the gym. It could save you a lot of money and help you get the right combination to help you reach your goals.
   Tip by: Damien
2. Take your supplements on rest days! Even though you’re not working out, your muscles are still repairing and growing from the previous workout. It can take up to one week for your muscles to full repair after an intense workout so you need to keep your diet and supplementation up all week.
   Tip by: Damien
3. Take your creatine monohydrate supplement with a high GI, non-acidic fruit juice such as grape juice. This will increase the effect of the creatine monohydrate due to insulin release, which assists in transporting the creatine to the muscle cells.
   Tip by: Forum Member

October Diet & Nutrition Tips

1. Avoid alcohol after training. Alcohol interferes with the release of Growth Hormone (a hormone which ensures that protein is transported to your muscles) by the pituitary gland. Most Growth hormone is released while you are sleeping, so make sure there's not too much alcohol in your system when you sleep.
   Tip by: Mark Smith (aka Saurus)
2. Always make sure you're hydrated before you start your workout. If you start your workout dehydrated it doesn't matter how much water you drink throughout you will not get properly hydrated. Also, dehydration can cause a significant drop in energy levels.
   Tip by: Damien
3. If you want to increase your calorie intake, do it gradually over 7 to 10 days. This way, you are using the extra calories as fuel as rather than storing it as fat.
   Tip by: Mark Smith (aka Saurus)

October Women's Fitness Tips

1. Stair climbing is a low-impact alternative to running.
   Tip by: Doug
2. Include some type of strength training in your weekly exercise regimen no matter what your fitness goals are. Resistance training provides many health benefits. Read articles that discuss the benefits further.
   Tip by: Doug
3. Train your abs only once or twice per week as you want to keep the abdominals small, which gives a smaller waist. Also remember that any high amount of crunches and knee raises is not going to give a flat stomach. It is the diet and overall training that gets rid of the body fat surrounding the abdominals.
   Tip by: Doug

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!

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