Top Bodybuilding Myths You Should Know

A lot of people are going crazy over bodybuilding for the many benefits it gives: a healthier outlook in life, a leaner body, a feeling of well being, improved muscular strength, and many others.  However, not everything you hear from the gym is true when it comes to bodybuilding tips.  Here are some of the more common myths about bodybuilding that you should know and therefore, avoid.

1. There are certain exercises for specific muscle parts.

You always hear trainers say, “Do decline presses to enlarge your lower pecs.”  They actually insinuate that by doing decline presses, you only enlarge your lower chest and not the chest as a whole.  The truth is, when you hit the muscles of your chest, you will get a larger chest, not a larger lower part of the chest or upper part of the chest.

Your muscle shape is affected by your genes, and you cannot change that no matter how hard you train a specific area.  The best way to enlarge your muscle is to mimic the way it primarily works.  So for chest muscles, choose an exercise that looks like you are pulling your arms across and down your chest.

2. To grow muscles, you should exercise more.

A lot of beginners actually believe that more exercise can lead to bigger muscles, sometimes training for more than twenty sets per body part for more than five days a week.

Or as beginners, you have been told that you should start doing a limited number of reps and fewer sets then increase these as you get stronger.

Both lines of thinking are definitely wrong, and have been the reason why most people see very little improvement in their physiques.  What is more, with more work being put into bodybuilding and little improvement to show for it, you get frustrated, and you would feel that your efforts are not worth it.  Either that or you are driven to exercise more and more, without really seeing any significant improvements at all!

As you grow stronger, you should allow your body more time to rest and recover.  This means that you should decrease the number of sets and reps you perform for each exercise.  As a general rule, you should do three, four or five sets for major muscle areas and up to four sets for minor ones.

3. You can do exercises that shape you and do exercises that build mass.

Bodybuilders often think that there are different sets of exercises that are designed to build mass or tone your muscles.  This thinking holds that exercises like cable crossovers, dumbbell fly and others will only tone your muscles.  The truth is, these toning exercises are actually exercises that isolate a certain area.  And that both toning and mass building exercises function the same.

The thing is, for people on the go, or those who have little time, doing a lot of isolation exercises can become detrimental to their bodybuilding aims.  Why?  Because your muscles in particular and your body in general need time to recover.  Unlike compound exercises wherein you get to hit a lot of muscle groups, isolation exercises hit only a specified area.  So you waste more time in building your body.

4. More reps for cuts, fewer reps for mass.

Another repeated bodybuilding myth is that to lose fat, you should aim for more repetitions; and to gain mass, you should exercise with fewer repetitions.

The truth is, there is only a slight difference between the amount of fats being burned with a 5-rep exercise and the amount burned with 20-rep exercise.  To lose body fat, then go on a disciplined diet or hit the treadmill, or jog or do other aerobic exercises.

High repetition leads to more muscle mass.  Though high reps are not recommended for most people, it will grow your muscles.  The only downside is, it will not build your strength.

5. One week of rest will cause atrophy in your muscles.

This myth varies.  Others would tell you to wait for two days or 48 hours before you train a muscle area again.  Remember that it is important for you to give your body time to rest to allow for maximum muscle and strength gain, and the optimum recovery period varies from person to person.

To make sure that you give your muscles enough time to recover, you would have to figure it out for yourself.  The general rule would be to try and determine if you feel stronger during your next workout and if this is true, then your recovery time is sufficient.  What’s more, be aware that your training routine, strength level, genetics and outside factors like stress can either lengthen or shorten your recovery time.

Keeping the Body Healthy and Fit

Our body is a treasure that we need to take care of because it is our weapon that keeps us going and helps us to continue living the best way we can. People are always on the go and every now and then there are unexpected circumstances wherein we get too busy and preoccupied about a lot of tasks and the body is the one that suffers most from these situations. With the increasing number of work needed to be accomplished and the pressure of finishing on time, it induces stress to the body, and if it does not receive the adequate treatment it needs to continue functioning, then illness is more likely to occur. In a stressful world such as ours, a weak body can never sustain such harsh factors.   Everyday, people report to their offices or go to school, and it is expected that there will be a lot of things to do so it would be best to equip the body with the right nutrition and treatment that it needs. A very simple way in keeping the body healthy is by eating a heavy breakfast. This should be a balanced meal to provide the body with the energy and the nutrients it needs for the long day ahead. Most often, when one misses out the morning meal because of poor time management, the body is forced to work. When the body is unable to bear the stress, then its processes are altered. This is then manifested in the person through headaches, stomach pains and body malaise. With the presence of such, the concentration needed for the job becomes disrupted prompting the person to stop and decrease productivity. People should also know that depriving the body of sleep because of a hectic schedule is a bad habit since it will only make the body inevitable to develop illness. It should be best to sleep for about 6 to 8 hours a day to allow the body to replenish and restore tired cells.

Exercise is an important aspect of healthy living. It keeps the body in shape, and it improves muscle tone and bone strength. Those individuals that do not engage in exercise usually develop problems with posture since their bones become too weak. Osteoporosis is commonly experienced by aging individuals and a contributory factor for this is that the person is on a sedentary lifestyle that fails to divulge in a regular exercise. They also experience more health related problems because their body’s circulation is not that good. It is very vital to spare a few minutes in the morning to exercise. One can engage in jogging, running, stretching and other vigorous exercises to keep the blood from properly circulating the body. It will give the person a sense of alertness and improve cardiovascular and respiratory functions. Those people that exercise are usually more productive in comparison to those who don’t. Exercise actually enhances the totality of the person and decreases the possibility of developing health problems. It also increases the protective mechanism of the body’s immune system which is very vital in fighting against costly infections. Exercise would also increase the self-esteem of the person most especially if the desired body weight and look are achieved. Increasing one’s ego also improves other aspects of the totality of the person. The person can also engage in other extra-curricular activities such as sports or other therapies that will be beneficial to the body. Just like exercise, hydration should also be given importance. Water helps in many processes within our body and one should drink as much as possible.

In keeping the body healthy, it is very important to go on a regular check-up. This will increase the awareness level of the person about his health. The doctors know best what’s good for a certain patient. It will be a good practice because if a person is experiencing certain abnormalities, it will be immediately detected and intervened. This is somewhat a preventive measure that will prevent people from experiencing an illness at its terminal stages thus preventing mortality. In having a regular check-up, one can identify the appropriate things that are supposed to be done and keep the body healthy.

Those individuals that go in and out of hospitals are usually those who fail to nourish their body with what it needs. People should also learn to have good coping skills to be able to keep up with the stress around. It is therefore, important to put an emphasis on the importance of keeping the body fit to maintain stability in function. It’s difficult to get sick nowadays and one should start living a life that is appropriate and healthy.

Aerobics and Fitness

In not so recent past, physical exercises are mostly reserved and prescribed to people in the armed profession, sports, and physically-demanding jobs. However, with a fast changing society of rapid economic and technological development, arises from the havoc of increasing number of people categorized as obese, along side with the awareness of the health hazards it could cause to the human body.

With the heightened awareness of people towards fitness and its benefits, an array of products is emerging in the market like mushrooms. From fitness apparels and clothing, fitness gears and instruments, gym and yoga centers, to slimming pills and teas, especial formulated drinks and shakes, diet regimens, and miracle formulas, all these are aimed to cater for the needs and seemingly vain fantasies of the people to achieve a slim and fit body in an instant. These products can be effective or otherwise, but is there an alternative way to achieve fitness? There is aerobics.

Aerobics has been known since 1968, it was Dr. Kenneth Cooper, who coined the word “Aerobics” to his book on regimen of exercises. Aerobics is an exercise characterized by a gradual increase of oxygen consumption in a continuous and rhythmic manner. Aerobics is proven by research to be the healthiest and surest way to weight control, especially when paired with good eating habits.

Benefits of Aerobics

• Promotes weight control. Aerobic exercise aids in burning fats and unused calories in the body resulting to a weight loss and maintenance of proper weight in the later part of life.
• A healthy heart. Aerobics exercises the heart resulting to better blood circulation, lesser resting heart rate. The heart is enlarged thus increasing the volume of blood per stroke.
• Promotes an efficient use of oxygen in the body. Constant aerobic exercises improve breathing and respiratory processes.
• Endurance. Habitual aerobic exercises increase endurance, faster recovery from tiring, and increases strength.
• Reduces risks of high blood pressure, diabetes, and other known diseases.
• Helps lower bad cholesterol count while increasing good cholesterol.
• Helps fight muscle and bone diseases in later life.
• Improves metabolism. Aerobic exercises consume calories and improve eating habits.
• Good alternative for relieving stress, emotional anxieties, and promotes mind relaxation.

Aerobic Tips

• Enroll in an aerobic class. Having a professional instructor is advisable, supervision could be important, especially to beginners. Aerobic classes also provide a carefully structured exercise program.

• Use proper clothing during aerobics. The key is to choose a comfortable set of shorts, jogging pants, shirt, and footwear. Improper clothing may cause limited or restricted movement and sometimes injuries during exercises. It is also advisable to bring extra clothing and towels.
• Always bring a bottle of water during exercise. Drinking a small amount of water before exercise and drinking throughout the exercise are recommended to prevent over heating and dehydration.
• Always perform some stretching or warm up before doing the aerobic exercise and do some cool downs after the exercise. It will prepare your body for the exercise and helps prevent intense muscle pains and sores afterwards.
• Keep a comfortable pacing. Do not exercise too hard; gradually increase your exercise pace or period only if you are ready. Difficulty in breathing, fainting, disorientation, and intense muscle pains means you are going too fast. Fitness cannot be achieved by force.
• As much as possible, aerobic exercises should be done regularly or in correct intervals to achieve desired effects while maintaining interest and anticipation to the exercises.
• Set long and short term goals. Knowing that your goals are achieved gradually or an improvement is felt are good motivators to continue the exercise. Reward yourself when a short term goal is achieved, this is to encourage yourself to maintain interest.
• For any injuries or lingering discomfort, it is highly advised to seek advice from a physician. If the discomfort continues, stop and restructure the exercise program as advised by the physician.

Aerobics is perhaps the easiest and safest alternative towards fitness, aside from the fact that it is less costly. It can also be done at home through many aerobic instructional videos of your liking. Aerobics paired with healthy eating habit guarantees a longer and healthier life ahead.

SPORTS & FITNESS: Top 4

A sport is a physical entertainment for humans coming from all walks of life. It is considered to be social in nature. This is very true because as we join any sport we tend to socialize with other players. Sport is created by the early people for us humans to enjoy life. It is not only the social aspect that has the chance to improve when we get into any form of sport but also our physical and emotional aspect. Experts said that when you are into any sport you will have the higher chance of having a positive attitude in life. Sport is the unlimited form of a challenge that stimulates us humans to succeed. There is no such person that is considered to be perfect in any form of sport. They may be the best, but they still need to attain some degree of skills to advance from one level into another and so on.

Fitness, just like performing any form of exercise, is one of the desired outcomes of sports. There are different types of sports that can bring fitness into the different aspect of a man. Let us bring out the top four examples. First is the most famous game worldwide which is basketball. This game is composed of five players in each team (two teams per game). The team gains a score by shooting a ball through the ten foot (standard height) ring. The team that owns the highest score at the last round of the game wins. This game started around the year 1891 by a Canadian physical educator. His idea about the game basketball popped out into his mind when he cannot think of any outdoor activities for his students during winter. One day he got the idea of this indoor game (basketball) which is a good way of making his students occupied during the cold season. This was also a good sport to have a good level of fitness. During the early times, the majority among basketball players were males. Few years later (around the year 1892) the women’s basketball team began. In the women’s game same rules are still followed.

Basketball is indeed the most accepted sport around the globe because it is easy to learn, and you only need few types of equipment to play the game (players outfit, a ball, and a ring). When you are playing basketball it will make most of your muscles move. The common parts of our body involve in this game is our arms, hands, legs, feet, and of course our mind. Body mechanics are also evident in this sport to have a proper body alignment to prevent muscle strains.

The next game is tennis. This is also common to young and mid adults. This sport may really require a bigger area for you to play. Aside from the actual court size, you also need to add some little free space for the players to run. Before you play you need to have racket, three tennis balls, and a good court. Points are earned through wining shots. Hitting the ball harder is an advantage for the player. Tennis is played in different ways. You can play it in a single game or in doubles. In a game of doubles you need to pick your partner for the game. There are several muscles involved in this game. This includes the arm and forearm muscles, the thigh muscles, and the abdominal muscles. This game is considered to be a moderate type of sport because you can play this game with less effort unlike basketball.

The next sport is soccer. This is common to European and African people. In this game, you also need a larger space. Common forms of a football arena are made of grass. Soccer players gain points by kicking a ball and targeting it into the opponent’s goal. This is really a tough game because it will require a lot of effort for you to win points. This is just like basketball in which it has two teams per game. The team who has the highest score at the end of the game wins.

The next sport is badminton. This is an indoor game. This game is common in places with a winter season. This game was invented by the early soldiers. This was a form of entertainment for German soldiers during the old war. Just like tennis this game is considered to be a moderate sport. This can be played in a minimal effort. This is an appropriate game for those mid adults. To play badminton it requires several muscles like the forearm, arms, and leg, foot, and shoulder muscles for you to play.