Building Muscle Mass

Some people just go in the gym and play around with the weights. Others go in there to "strut their stuff" and socialize. For those of you who are truly interested in breaking a sweat and building muscle mass, then here are five simple tips to help you obtain you goal.

1. Use free weights. Free weights provide for a tougher work out. They make sure you are doing all of the work, not being assisted by a cable or guiding frame.

2. Have a work out partner. You can push each other to accomplish new goals. I understand it is sometimes difficult to organize a workout schedule around two peoples' busy daily schedules. If this is the case, make sure you have a spotter when working with heavy free weights. It is crucial to force yourself to pump out those last few reps when your muscles are already exhausted at the end of each set.

3. Implement a workout routine where you use heavier weights. How do you know how much is "heavy"? Select a weight where you are struggling to complete your set on the tenth repetition. Any weight where you can get more than ten repetitions per set is too light.

4. Increase your weight with each set. With each progressive set, you should choose a weight where you are only able to get 8-10 reps on the second set and 6-8 on the third set. Some people do four sets. If you choose to do four, you should not be doing more than 6 reps on this set.

5. Make sure to give your body the rest it needs to recover and rebuild. When working with heavy weights it is necessary to give your body an adequate rest period between sets. I would recommend somewhere between a minute to a minute and a half. You cannot work at a fast pace when dealing with heavier weights. At the same time, your body needs resting days in between workouts. I would say that four, maybe five days at the most, of training per week. When your routine involves heavy weights, it is imperative to give your body resting days to recover. If you were to work out every day your body and muscles would be constantly broken down.

Supplements

Supplements propose a topic for discussion. Should you take them or avoid them? It all depends on what your goal is. If you are looking to build muscle, then protein will sufficiently help you obtain your goal. Muscles are comprised of proteins. Therefore, a supplementation of protein into your diet would be a wise decision.

Amino acid pills are another supplement that is available to take. These provide a similar effect that protein does. Long chains of amino acids make up proteins. Since these are the building blocks for protein, they also promote muscle growth.

Creatine and other forms of supplements are also available on the market. Should these be consumed to help enhance performance and/or physical appearance? Creatine provides the body with muscular endurance, lean muscle growth, and energy. With all of these benefits, why would you not take this supplement to help with your workouts? Although it provides many positives to enhance your workout, creatine has many side effects that can result for its consumption. Creatine can give you acne on your back, chest, and face. If one takes creatine and doesn't work out to "use up the dose consumed," then creatine can actually be detrimental. It can cause in an increase in weight. While taking creating you must consume high amounts of water daily. Creatine dehydrates the body, so you must keep yourself well hydrated to avoid the harmful effects that creatine can cause.

There are supplements geared for weight loss or burning fat. These products such as Hydroxycut I would consider on the high risk end for possible detrimental side effects. These, along with creatine, require keeping well hydrated. If these products are consumed without following the directions, you can suffer severe side effects.

Then there are the illegal supplements for rapid muscle growth. Steroids and human growth hormone (HGH) fall into this category. I strongly agree to steer clear of these supplements. They have a higher risk for serious side effects. Steroids can cause hair loss, acne, and can even affect a male's reproductive parts. These are serious effects that I personally do not think are worth the risk. Besides, they are illegal!

Supplements are everywhere. Well not everywhere, but they are quickly growing in supply and popularity. If you are considering trying a supplement, my best advice is to research a product before purchasing it, and even more importantly, putting it into your body. Ask a knowledgeable person any and all questions you may have. Obtain as much information as you can about the product before consuming it.

Have You Kept Your New Year's Resolution?

Many people make it their New Year's resolution to get into better shape. However, after about a month or two of the day to day grind of exercising they slowly give up on their resolutions. Perhaps it is because they are too busy and can't find time to accomodate for the change in schedule that they have proposed. Possibly this failure to keep an ongoing resolution is due to their old habits: laziness. Well this is a call out for those of you who both have and have not kept your resolutions. If you have kept your resolution, keep going to the gym and participating in exercises that will help you reach your ultimate goal. And for those of you who have let the pain of hard work and determination defeat your resolution, it is not too late to get back in the swing of things. After all, there are still almost ten and a half months left for the year. A minor slip up by taking a break for a couple of weeks will be overlooked if you get back on the right path. Better than overlooked, it will be self-rewarding in the end if you continue to have a regular work out routine each week!

Eating Habits

If you are trying to get into shape, one of the most important aspects of helping transform your body is your eating habits. Eating foods that are too high in fat (especially saturated) and sugar are not good sources of energy. These foods can nearly erase the hard work that you have just expended during your workout. Eating healthy foods in combination with having good work outs is a good recipe to live a healthier lifestyle. Carbohydrates and proteins are good sources of energy that you should look to refeul your body with after a strenuous exercise.

Spring Break.......Quickly Approaching

Everyone who has plans on migrating to a warm climate scene for one week during spring break is interested in looking their best. It all starts with the mad rush to the gym. Of all the people who pack the gym this time of year, there are a good amount that are simply trying to get that last minute 6 pack before they head off for their break. Just like studying for finals, cramming to mold your body to get those perfect abs isn't the best way to obtain your goal. While cramming for finals allows you to retain some information, making yout way to the gym a large amount of times right before spring break doesn't always provide the best results. This "exercise cramming" can show some slight changes. However, the best way to get in shape for spring break, is to already have had a consistent exercise routine running and to continue with your normal routine. I know this takes dedication, but dedication is one of the most important ingredients in forming that "holy grail" 6 pack. So, if you are one of those people who are trying to cram exercising in before the vacationing starts, it is a good idea to keep in mind that results are hard to see in just a months time or less. This isn't to discourage anyone from starting an ongoing routing from here, but it is just to let you know that a 6 pack is much harder to come by than in one month.

Recreational Center here at Purdue

I have to admit myself, that the cold weather is discouraging to perform any type of physical activity outside this time of year. The Recreational Center located on Purdue's campus provides an escape from the frigid temperatures. So there is no reason, except being lazy, that you can't help to stay in shape during the winter months. There are many ways that students here at Purdue University can get involved and stay active to help keep those unwanted college pounds off. The Co-Rec offers a variety of activities for people to get involved in. They offer a swimming pool, weight area, machine area, cardio theater, racquetball courts, basketball courts, ping pong tables, and an indoor track. This is a list of equipment that the recreational center offers. There are a wide range of classes that are offered. These classes range from kick boxing, to fencing, to boxing. If you need assistance in your workout the staff there would gladly assist you to help you accomplish your desired goal.

Welcome to Feeling Fit!

This is an introduction to feeling fit! This blog pertains to people in their teens and twenties. It will benefit you in many ways. My blog is designed to help people who have many different goals. There are many different ways of being fit. There are many different levels and intensities people can go to in order to stay fit. This blog is also designed to inspire people to become physically active. It is intended to change the "couch potato" into a more active, healthy person.