This is a sample meal plan for a person who is looking to build better abs and perhaps add a bit of muscle mass. The calories and meal times can vary based on your schedule and nourishment needs, but try to eat something every 2.5 to 3 hours.

Many of us have wild schedules and feel as if we are destined to simply be out of shape forever, but my friend this is not the situation. It is actually very easy to attain a dream body, provided you stick to the correct steps.

The opening step is preparation. In order to win the meal plan game you must prepare for everything, so I constantly advise people to spend a few hours on a lazy Sunday afternoon and plan all of their food for the workweek, set it into tupperware containers as individual meals and freeze it.

Then you would simply take a days worth of food with you to work and you will not have to be anxious about being tempted to go to the Burger King Thru and ruin all of the hard labor that you just put in the night before at the fitness center!

Here is a sample diet that I have used with some success to decrease my body fat, get ripped fast, and keep my six pack abs on point. You may modify it to suit your needs.

MEAL 1

• 6 Egg Whites
• 1tbsp Flax Oil
• 1/2 Grapefruit
• 1 cup peppers
• 1/2 cup onions
• 1/2 cup mushrooms
• 1/2 cup Oatmeal

Protein 35, Carbs 40, Fat 14, (in grams) Calories 456

MEAL 2

• 30 Grams whey protein
• 1/2 cup plain low fat yogurt
• 1/2 cup strawberries
• 2 tbsp raw almond butter
• Celery sticks

Protein 37, Carbs 18, Fat 17, (in grams) Calories 415

MEAL 3

• 6 oz lean chopped steak
• 1/2 cup Grilled onions
• 1 cup Grilled Peppers
• 1/2 Sweet Potato
• 1 Cup Spinach

Protein 36, Carbs 37, Fat 6, (in grams) Calories 354

MEAL 4

• 30 grams whey protein
• 1 cup boysenberries
• 12 almonds

Protein 30, Carbs 20, Fat 15, (in grams) Calories 330

MEAL 5

• 6 oz Grilled Skinless Chicken Breast
• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 1/2 cup yellow pepper
• 1 cup zucchini
• 1/2 cup red pepper
• 1/4 cup diced onions
• 2 tsp Olive or Flax oil

Protein 42, Carbs 43, Fat 14, (in grams) Calories 516

MEAL 6

• 30 grams Protein powder
• 2 tsp Olive or Flax oil
• 1 Plum

Protein 30, Carbs 8, Fat 14, (in grams) Calories 265

Remember to include these whole, natural foods in their unprocessed states into your diet. You can manipulate the macronutrient (protein, carbs, and fats) ratios to suit your individual needs.

Following the dietary and nutrition principles outlined here can be overwhelming initially, especially if you are just starting out and have been eating the improper way for years.

This can without doubt be an extreme shift in lifestyle, but eating this way will help you achieve a better body and remain healthy and strong for life.

Jamin Thompson is an internationally recognized fat loss expert, fitness model, motivational speaker, and author of The 6 Pack Secret www.the6packsecret.com

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Crossing-training is an effective way to exercise all of the muscle groups in you body and achieve weight loss goals. Muscles respond better when challenged differently. Doing the same routine day after day allows the body to become very efficient at the exercise. Muscle is the core of your metabolism and the more you have, the more fat you can burn. On the other hand, losing muscle slows your metabolism and contributes to weight gain. Muscle biopsies done the day after a person exercises vigorously show bleeding into the muscles and disruption of the Z-bands that hold muscle filaments together. You are not supposed to exercise vigorously again until the muscle soreness disappears.

Aerobic cross-training is effective for weight loss because your are toning and training the fat-burning systems of more of your muscles. It turns more of your muscles into 24-hour fat-burning machines! Aerobic cross-training refers to using two to three different types of aerobic exercise during an exercise session. For example, if you plan to exercise for 60 minutes, you might start with 20 minutes of walking or jogging, followed by 20 minutes of biking, and finish with 20 minutes of rowing. Aerobic refers to the energy created using the oxygen system, and base building refers to building a base from which one can later advance from. To build an aerobic base, you must exercise in the aerobic range, gradually adding more duration to absorb the training effectively.

Aerobic conditioning will improve your cardiovascular system, but strength training can keep your muscles from weakening as a result of diabetes and preserve muscle mass during periods of weight loss. Weight training for people with diabetes should begin with light weights until your cardiovascular fitness increases. Aerobic exercise such as cardio machines or aerobic classes will both stimulate your cardiovascular systems as well as burn body fat while you’re doing it. Aerobics involve using the large muscles incessantly while moving the body in rhythmically motion. The routines enhance beats of the heart and smoothes the breathing repetitions.

Runners can also use cross-training to rehabilitate injuries, improve fitness, promote recovery, enhance motivation, rejuvenate the mind and body during breaks from formal training, enjoy competing in other endurance sports, and even stay fit through pregnancy. Related to the benefit of injury prevention, cross-training can also prolong your running career. Runners could use a kickboard to improve ankle flexibility while swimming laps, or a runner could lift weights in order to build muscle and increase upper body strength, things that running does not provide.

Diet and exercise are lifestyle changes and it is a step by step plan. Do not be intimidated by failed prior attempts to reach your fitness goal. Many popular diets advocate the combination of a specific technique (such as eliminating a certain food, or eating only certain combinations of foods) with reduced caloric intake, with the goal being to accelerate weight loss.

Cross-training lets your overused muscles rest, while pushing others into action. It’s a good remedy for over used tendons and ligaments, too. Cross-train too, with the help of a recumbent work out bike that visually prompts you to perform strength exercises, so you get the health benefits of both. If it sounds intense, don’t worry.

Exercisers should make sure they change their routines at least two to three times during a 60 minute workout, that way you maintain workout efficiency and prevent boredom. Ideally, having at least two different activities should be alternated daily or conducted within the same workout.

Exercise scientists believe that, of the five basic components, aerobic endurance is the most important in helping improve overall health and reducing the risk of disease. Guidelines by the ACSM for maintaining cardiovascular-respiratory fitness suggest activities that raise the heart rate to its training zone (between 60 to 90 percent of the maximum heart rate) for at least 20 minutes, three times a week. Exercise has so many health benefits that I think all of us should make an effort to keep in mind these forgotten benefits. As an unintended side effect, we’ll still achieve that weight loss we want so bad. So now is the time to put down that bowl of ice cream, put on your sweats and move out.

After a couple of weeks of cross-training you will begin to see the benefits of your effort and the inches and pounds will start to disappear, and you will have a whole new perspective on life.

learn more about how cross-training can benefit yor weight loss program visit
http://www.fatlossdietsreviewed.com/

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MYTH: What muscle you work determines where you lose fat (spot reduction)

FACT: Genetics determine where you lose fat

Let’s get right to the point: a muscle has no control over the fat between it and your skin. At some point everyone has tried to spot reduce. Pli squats for the inner thigh? Every ab device ever invented? Butt and gut classes? Fitness professionals are often asked questions such as

a) What is the best way to tone your legs, stomach and back?

It’s the word "tone" that confuses people. What does it mean? People think it means something like "create muscle definition", but what they really want is less fat, and what is often overlooked is the fact that muscles become more visible by reducing the layer of fat that conceals them. No specific exercise will create muscle definition by removing fat from an area. So what’s the solution? Lose body fat, and your muscles, that are as hard and toned as any bodybuilder (however smaller), will be revealed. In other words, simply consume fewer calories than you burn until your fat levels are reduced to your satisfaction. However, weight training adds muscle as you lose weight, so once you’ve reached your goal, you’ll have a much more defined look. Larger muscles may help accentuate the body’s natural contours.

b) How can I get rid of the excess fat around my thighs specifically?

You can’t. Consider this: even though your thighs are one of the most active parts of your body, it’s still where fat seems to end up. As you maintain a calorie deficit (eat less than you burn), body fat will leave from whatever area your body was genetically programmed to draw it from at that point in time. As a rule of thumb, the last place on is the first place off, but this can change as you age. And again, if you keep burning off more calories than you take in, those areas on your thighs will disappear; but they might be the last things that do.

A word of caution – many exercisers, in an attempt to accelerate the loss of fat from a trouble area, will launch an all out exercise attack on that area. Performing a high volume of resistance training for an area that is viewed as fat or bigger than one likes may have the undesired affect of increasing muscle size (called hypertrophy) in that area. If caloric intake is sufficient (and it often is), and body fat is not being lost systemically, then the area of focus can increase, pushing the fat over it farther out.

MYTH: If your goal is body fat reduction, you’ll burn more fat in your target heart rate zone; if you go over it you will burn muscle

FACT: If you’re maintaining a calorie deficit, then the harder you work the more calories you’ll burn and the faster you’ll lose fat

Let’s look at the evolution of this myth. Tracking intensity and heart rates are measurements which are used by endurance athletes in their training. This was to ensure that an athlete did not work at a rate that would cause them to prematurely fatigue. If the athlete worked at too high an intensity, they would deplete their muscular CHO stores and "hit the wall" which impedes performance. Training in the proper "zone" ensured that muscular carbohydrate would not be depleted and that activity could continue for the required time or distance.

At rest, our bodies are primarily burning fat. As the intensity of activity begins to increase, so does the contribution of muscular and systemic carbohydrate. At about 20% VO2 max, fat contributes 60% and CHO 40% of the energy used. This contribution equalizes (50/50) at about 35% VO2 max. By 70% of VO2 max, CHO makes up 80% and fat 20% of the energy used to fuel activity . So, while it is true that fat makes up a bigger contribution of calories burned at a lower intensity, this has no application to a weight loss client. Fat or weight loss is ensured by being in a caloric deficit. The practical goal for the typical exerciser is how to maximize their time working out, so as not to "live in the gym". At a higher intensity of exercise, more calories, and usually even more fat, are burned; period. Additionally, there is a phenomenon called EPOC (excessive post oxygen consumption) that indicates a higher rate of fat usage for many hours after the exercise session, BECAUSE of the exercise session. EPOC is directly correlated with higher intensity exercise , . Ultimately, you would have to exercise for twice as long at a lower intensity as you would at a higher intensity to get the same degree of calorie burn. As for muscle being burned, that is influenced by total caloric intake, availability of glucose and duration of activity1. When muscle tissue becomes an energy source for the body, it’s beneficial since this activity stimulates the growth of new muscle, just like weight training does. In both instances, exercise served a stimulus to "damage" muscle, leading to a rebuilding response.

In summary, exercise itself does not burn a significant amount of fat. Overall loss of fat is determined by your total energy expenditure over the course of the day ‘ and the intensity of your physical activity matters a great deal . In other words, exercise simply adds to your daily calorie needs, so do all you can during your workout time because the longer and more intensely you move, the greater the amount of calories you burn, leading to a greater fat loss. And the less fuel you put back in, the more must be drawn from your fat stores during the non-workout portions of your day.

References:

Copyright (c) 2009 Neal Spruce

Neal Spruce is chairman of the board for the prestigious National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and founder dotFIT, LLC. Neal is a fitness specialist, author, licensed teacher, researcher, bodybuilding champion, personal fitness consultant and speaker. dotFIT is the leader in online fitness and weight loss programs.

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You might be dedicated to good health by working out, but that doesn’t mean you have to stick to the same old exercises over and over again. Why not try to do some interesting variations on a mainstay of the super-fit, the pull-up? You might as well, right?

Before we go into the types of pull-ups, first keep in mind that if you can’t do very many pull-ups, it is a good idea to start with a lat pull-down machine so that you can build up your back muscles. While the different variations will work different muscles, a strong back is the key to being successful at pull-ups.

Now, let’s move on to the different types of pull-ups. First, consider the "palms-up" grip. In this pull-up, your hands are facing you. Keep your body firm and pull yourself up until your chin is just over the bar. Exhale, and then lower yourself with control while inhaling. This is considered the easy pull-up, especially if you keep your hands close together on the bar. This one relies more on your biceps than your back muscles, and you’re more likely to have developed biceps than back muscles unless you have been deliberately trying to strengthen your back through workouts.

Next, there is the "palms-down" grip. You’ll want to have your hands facing away from you, and for a greater challenge you’ll want to spread your hands out farther across the bar. This is the standard pull-up, but that doesn’t mean that you will be able to do even one unless you have been hitting the weight room regularly. Pull-ups are not easy. However, they are one of the most effective ways to build up the muscles in your upper body and back.

Once you’ve mastered the first two types, you might try the commando grip. In this one, have one palm facing one way and your other palm facing the other, so that your body is parallel to the bar instead of perpendicular. Then, pull yourself straight up and have your head move to one side, then do the same maneuver for the other side. These aren’t necessarily more difficult, but they are different and work different muscles, so it’s good to mix them in to your rotation when you feel ready.

The staggered pull-up is starting point to one-arm pull-ups, because it has you putting one hand a shoulder-width apart, while the other is two shoulder-widths or positioned with alternative grip style. This overload on one side can help correct for one arm being stronger than the other. Also, in preparing to do one-armed pull-ups, having extra weight placed on one arm is a good way to get used to doing that.

If you want a strong grip, try towel or sponge pull-ups. For this, take two large sponges or roll two towels over the bar a shoulder-width apart, and then grab a towel with each hand. Instead of pulling up from the bar directly, you will pull up while gripping the towels. You’ll feel it. Your forearms will improve in strength in response due to the increased demand of the difficulty of the grip.

Finally, there is the one-arm pull-up. In order to prepare to do a one-arm pull-up, you should use all the other types of pull-ups to maximize the strength of the different muscle types. Because of the amount of strain you’re putting on one arm, if you develop tendonitis in your elbow, you should listen to your body and rest. Good luck on your new pull-up routines!

http://www.M2FitnessPros.com , aka, Emile Jarreau is 31 year veteran fitness professional and co-owner of MrFatloss.com in Long Beach, California. Also having 19 years of bodybuilding and figure coaching experience, he specializes in fat loss and all its aspects and freely shares online resources to the world.

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Developing a strong functional core should be the goal of any serious athlete. Oftentimes people just want a ripped midsection simply for the aesthetic aspect of it but because just about every movement we make requires the muscles of the core some degree, focusing on this area of the body is extremely important for the overall functioning and health of your entire body. With the multitude of products on the market for working out the core it can be easy to forget that the only thing you need to strengthen this area of the body is, your body.

Using only your body weight to stretch and strengthen your core may not seem as exciting as getting hooked up to the latest exercise gadget that promises you a ripped six-pack in no time at all, but the results are often much more impressive. Simply grabbing a space on the floor and using your body weight for some specific exercises can give you all the core workout you’ll ever need.

One of the simplest and most effective body weight exercises for the core is the basic crunch. Just grab an empty space on the floor and lie down to knock out a few sets of this powerfully effective abdominal workout. By utilizing slight variations while doing crunches, you can twist or position your upper body to be able to hit all aspects of your abdominal muscles.

Another effective body weight exercise for your core is planks. The basic plank requires you to support yourself using your forearms while keeping your back straight all the way down to your toes which are also used to support your body as you stabilize yourself and stay rigid, just like a plank. Holding a plank position for even as little as a minute can make even the most hardened body builder begin to shake uncontrollably. Stabilizing your core muscles and keeping your spine rigid while continuing to breathe throughout this exercise provides an incredibly intense core workout. Variations of planks exist so that there will always be something new to help train your core as you progress and become stronger.

Lying leg lifts or scissors are another popular core exercise. These help to target the area of the upper thighs as well as the abdominals helping to strengthen a larger section of your core. These muscles will help to support your body through all types of functional movements and will give you increased strength in just about every exercise you perform.
The core is not just about your abdominals of course so let’s not forget body weight exercises for your lower back like back extensions. One simple way to hit this area of your core is to lay down flat on your stomach with your legs extended and your fingers behind your head. Then, simply raise your shoulders and chest you inches above the ground and hold for a few seconds. This simple movement will work wonders for strengthening your lower back also tying in your glutes along with hamstrings and again help to develop a much stronger core using only your body weight.

The examples above make up just a few of the multitude of exercises that you can do using only your body weight to stretch and strengthen your core muscles. Take some time to investigate some of the other ones out there that will complete theses few and make sure to add them into your regular core training regimen for a more complete core blast!

http://www.MrFatLoss.com , aka, Emile Jarreau is 31 year veteran fitness professional and co-owner of M2FitnessPros.com in Long Beach, California. Also having 19 years of bodybuilding and figure coaching experience, he specializes in fat loss and all its aspects and freely shares online resources to the world.

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When it comes to weight training there are generally 2 schools of thought when it comes to exercise form. You have the typical personal trainers who say you should use slow and controlled movements. Then you have the power and strength athletes who like to use more explosive movements and looser training form. Which one is right and which one should you use in your training?

Well like a lot of things when it comes to working out there is no right or wrong answer. It all depends on the individual, the training situation, the level of training, and the fitness goals.

Obviously for beginners and people who are new to the gym, they need to learn how to perform the exercises with proper form using light weights. At this stage they need to get used to the whole working out process and learn how it feels to work their muscles with weight training.

But gradually as you get stronger and start lifting heavier weights in your workouts with the progressive overload principle. You’ll find that your technique will have to change as well. The technique needed to bench press 100 lbs. is totally different then the technique needed to bench press 300+ lbs. As you get stronger different muscles come into play, you need to pay a lot more attention to your set up, how you actually contract the muscles to lift, the mental preparation, etc.

If you have the opportunity to watch advanced lifters train you’ll notice that they are NOT going to be using an exaggerated slow and controlled type of exercise form. In fact lifting slow and controlled is not really natural. It doesn’t carry over into real world strength and it is not how our muscles are meant to work.

Now I realize what I’m saying here is going to piss some people off. There are those die hard "fitness experts" out there who insist that slow and controlled is the only way and that if you use any speed or momentum in your lifting that you are cheating and that you are going to hurt yourself. But the fact is our bodies are designed for fast and explosive movements.

Real World Strength

Before we move on let’s just look at some activities from real world examples. Things such as running, jumping, throwing, etc. all require speed, momentum, and explosiveness. To prove my point, just stand up right now and try to jump as high as you can, but do it in a slow and controlled fashion… you won’t even be able to lift off the ground.

And for a few examples from outside of sports, think of trying to pull start a lawn mower or kick start a dirt bike. You have to do both very fast and explosive or else the engine won’t get enough RPM’s to turn over and start. Bottom line is that real world stuff requires strength, speed, explosiveness, and even momentum. So why are so many people dead set against training this way in the gym?

Now I know some folks (usually young ego driven guys who are full of piss and vinegar) like to go overboard and use too much weight with absolutely crappy form. You can see examples of this when barbell curls become reverse grip power cleans. And bench presses become a team effort push / pull exercise as the lifter drops the bar to his chest and his trusty spotter deadlifts it back up.

But there is that grey zone in the middle of the 2 extremes whereby you are training on the edge, pushing it hard, and also keeping relatively good exercise form at the same time. To see some examples of this type of training just go to YouTube and watch some videos of top bodybuilders like Ronnie Coleman, Branch Warren, and Johnny Jackson.

In these videos you’ll see that the guys are powering up big weights and they are also using a bit of "Body English" to handle such poundages, but the form is still pretty good. Even through they are not lifting "slow and controlled", they are certainly placing maximum workload on the targeted muscle groups. This type of training will stimulate muscle growth in ways that endless slow and controlled reps with the pink dumbbells will never achieve.

Even in the great Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Encyclopaedia Of Bodybuilding he refers to this as "Power Reps". Joe Weider calls it the "cheating principle". Basically it’s just using a bit of umph in your movements in order to handle maximum workloads.

Power Reps For More Muscle & Strength

The use of any weight training technique will depend on the level of the trainee. So to keep it simple I’m going to cover all levels from beginners to advanced and outline how you can incorporate "Power Reps" into your own workouts.

Beginners (less then a year of training)

Beginners should focus on simply learning proper exercise form. The easiest way to do this is to use light to moderate weights and really focus on feeling the muscles flexing and contracting with each rep. The best way to do this, especially at the beginner stage is by using slow and controlled form all the time.

Intermediates (more then a year of training)

As you progress with your training you will notice the naturally tendency to use more force and momentum to try and complete your reps as the weights get heavier. This is something you want to pay careful attention to. Used in the right way this can help you work the muscles harder. Used in the wrong way it will take stress off the targeted muscles.

My advice here is to start with a weight that allows you to maintain strict control for at least 6-8 reps Then you can use a bit of "Body English" to power out a few more reps at the end. This will allow you to perform extra reps that you normally wouldn’t have been able to do if you were "too strict" with your form.

Advanced (several years of progressive training)

Advanced lifters already know what works best for their body by the time they make it to this level of training. After all that’s what it means to be advanced. However for the purpose of this article I’ll outline some "Power Rep" guidelines here.

At the advanced stage you’ll have developed your own unique exercise groove from years of lifting. You’ll instinctively know if a little swing here, or a little leg drive there, will provide more muscle stimulation and deliver the maximum workload to the muscles. You’ll also know if you are over doing it and using too much momentum.

Some common things that advanced lifters do to handle maximum poundages include:

Bench Press: A slight bounce off the chest at the bottom to help rebound the weight up and not fully locking out the elbows at the top. This tends to allow for more weight and / or more reps to be lifted and also provide maximum muscle stimulation.

Squats: A slight rebound out of the bottom will help you get the weight back up. Again sometimes advanced lifters will not fully lock out the knees at the top and keep going, almost like a piston type of up and down motion.

Standing Presses: A slight leg drive will help move maximum poundages while actually cushioning the impact from the exercise. This absorbs some of the stress from the spine down through your legs.

Bent Over Rows: Like with the standing press a bit of leg drive will allow for heavier weights and can help move more weight and / or more reps.

Curls: A little swing at the start and even a slight back arch at the half way mark can help get past the sticky point in the middle of the exercise.

Lateral Raises: A little leg drive at the start and a slight swing in the middle will help you get more weight up. Also holding the dumbbells in the front vs. to the sides will help you lift more weight.

Lat Pull Downs: Arching your back will help you move more weight and actually help you fully contract your lats. Trying to keep your back totally flat when doing any pull down or rowing exercise actually prevents you from getting a peak contraction in the back muscles.

These are some common exercises that work well for "Power Reps". However, your own discretion is advised. This isn’t a free for all to go out and use crappy form. It’s just another tool in your tool box that can help you take your strength and muscular development to a higher level.

If you are going to use "Power Reps" in your training save them for the final all out work sets. Do your warm up sets using perfect form. Then as you work up to your top weight for a particular exercise you can give it that extra push to maximize the weights lifted and the stimulation to the muscles.

Lee Hayward is a Muscle Building Coach who is dedicated to helping aspiring bodybuilding and fitness enthusiasts build lean muscle, burn off stubborn bodyfat, and get a ripped athletic physique. Be sure to visit Lee’s website at: http://www.LeeHayward.com and sign up for his FREE 10 Part Muscle Building E-Mail Course!

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Do you feel like you never have time to do anything, let alone exercise? This article will show you how you can get in plenty of muscle toning exercise that you can do right at work and all you’ll need is a desk (or table) and a chair.

Ok, so your one of those people who just has the worst kind of schedule known to mankind. You get up at 5am so you can get to the office by 7am to start your day. You have to go to a parent-teachers meeting at your kids school right after work, then you have to take your kid to soccer practice after that. You seem to have days like this almost all the time. You never seem to have much time for yourself between all of the things you have to do every day, so how can you possibly find the time to incorporate exercise into your day? Exercise takes time, and time is one luxury you just dont have.

Well, there is a way to get some exercise into your day and that way is to simply exercise at your desk. No, that was not a typo. Here is a little routine that you can do right at your desk. It doesnt take up much time and while it will not make you a candidate for the next fitness competition, it will give your muscles enough work to stay firm.

Complete one set of each exercise in order. Do 10 to 20 repetitions of each exercise, and follow with 1 to 2 more sets in order if time permits it.

Chair crunch:

Sit tall in your chair with your feet flat on the floor. Begin to slowly round your upper back downward until you feel your abdominal muscles tighten. Hold for 3-5 seconds, and then return to the start position.

Squats:

Stand up in front of your chair. Sit back into a squat like you are sitting back down in your chair, keeping your weight on your heels and your knees behind your toes. When you are almost touching your chair with your butt, push yourself back to the standing position using your leg muscles.

Calf raises:

Stand in front of your desk and put your hands on the desk for balance. Lift yourself up onto the balls of your feet. Hold for 3 to 5 seconds, and then lower yourself back down to the floor.

Desk pushup:

Stand 4 to 5 feet away from your desk and put of your hands on the edge of the desk. Relax your lower body and using just your arms, lower your chest down toward the desk and stop when your chest is about 3 to 6 inches away from it. Then push yourself back up to the starting position again using only your arms.

Seated triceps lift backs:

Sit tall in your chair. Put your arms down at your sides with your palms facing forward. With your arms strait and elbows locked, slowly bring your arms up behind you until you feel your triceps muscles tighten. Hold for 3 to 5 seconds, then lower your arms back to the starting position.

Seated bicep curls:

Sit tall in your chair. Start with one arm down at your side, palm facing forward in a fist. Put your other hand over your fist and push against it for resistance while bringing your fist up toward your shoulder. Once your fist is close to your shoulder, lower it back down to the starting position maintaining constant resistance with the other hand throughout the entire movement. Complete all repetitions for that set, then switch sides and repeat.

After you have completed each exercise for the amount of repetitions and sets you can do, sit down and straighten your legs. Now gently reach for your toes until you feel you cant go any further, hold for 10 seconds (do not bounce), then return to the starting position. Next, reach your arms out to your sides as far as you can. Keeping them fully extended, bring them slowly to the front and cross them over each other as far as you can. Hold for 10 seconds, and then return them to your sides. Now, reach your arms over your head as far as you can, hold for 10 seconds, and then return them to your sides.

Taking the time to do this simple but effective exercise routine at the office will help to keep you toned and you can do it even with the worst schedule possible because it can be done during your lunch break and still leave you enough time to eat your lunch. Enjoy your workout.

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This six pack chest building workout will ensure that all of your efforts are targeted to your pectoral muscles giving you a beautifully defined chest. Pectoral muscles can be difficult to develop, this is because many exercises allow your shoulders and triceps to steal the effort you put into developing your chest muscles.

This routine should only be carried out once or twice a week. Leave at least 3 days rest between workouts to allow your pectoral muscles time to fully recover. These muscles can take a long time to heal if you damage them so don’t overdo it.

Dumb-bells on a flat bench

Lie back on the bench holding a weight in each hand with your arms extended out above you. Keep your entire body pressed hard against the bench. Bend your elbows slowly bringing the dumb-bells to either side of your chest, pause for a count of three and slowly extend your arms again. Do not allow your elbows to lock and take the weight of the dumb-bells at the top of the move, use your strength to hold the weight for maximum use of your chest muscles.

To work on both your chest and stomach area, whilst the bench is still flat and your arms are extended out above you, bend your arms into an arc and lower them slowly over and beyond your head until your upper arms are parallel with your torso. Pause for a count of three and return them to your initial position.

Dumb-bells on an inclined bench

Raise the bench to around forty degrees. Lie back on the bench holding a weight in each hand and your arms extended out above you. Slowly lower the weights out to both sides whilst keeping your entire body pressed hard against the bench. Pause for a count of three and slowly raise your arms to the initial position again. Again, do not allow your restricted shoulder movement to take the weight of the dumb-bells during the move.

To increase your muscle definition in both your chest and stomach area, whilst the bench is still raised at a forty degree angle and your arms extended out above you. This time, arc your arms and slowly lower the weights down to the side of your hip area and pause for a count of three before slowly raising your arms to the initial position again.

Perform 8 repetitions on the first exercise, rest for 2 minutes, then move on to 8 repetitions of the next exercise for a maximum of four weeks. After this time your chest muscles will adapt to this routine so you should move onto something else for a month before returning to this exercise.

For more muscle building techniques and reviews on workout guides visit: http://www.MyWebFitness.com

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When you are trying to build muscle, nearly everyone arrives at the same question: where can we find the best muscle building techniques? It’s a regrettable fact however, like any other field, relating to losing weight too, we have different approaches that apply to each individual.

All people have a distinct body composition and it’s virtually impossible to assume certain muscle building techniques will be effective, for everyone. As opposed to focusing on what other individuals may be doing, you could settle on techniques that’ll succeed perfectly, in respect of your physique.

When you’ve devised the perfect training schedule for building muscle you must decide to be earnest and remain consistent.

Working out only once weekly is going to get you nowhere. You must motivate yourself, and be dedicated; you should expect to exercise no less than three to four times per week in the event that you hope to build muscle.

Many diverse muscle building techniques abound for each muscle of the human body, & all of them hinge on whatever you hope to accomplish. Let me list 3 primary upper body muscles which you must work on; the shoulders, biceps and pectorals.

Obviously, the body contains numerous other muscles to work on, which include your abdominals and triceps. A majority of individuals, when they hit the gym, work out exclusively on chest and upper muscles, simply because that is what others see. It is essential however, that you must, in addition, work on the lower half. You should build your muscles uniformly through the body developing the power that you must have to hold up your upper body uniformly. Your work out regimen has to comprise calf raises, lunges, squats & numerous different leg exercises.

There will always be muscle building techniques that won’t work for all people. Rather than trying to find exercises that are useful for others, spend a moment to assess which muscle building techniques will succeed for you and make them your own. Once you’ve decided which techniques work best for you, it will be easy for you to observe the desired results. Remember, you have an extensive choice of lifts & exercises you could utilize in your training schedule for each muscle in the body.

Also, don’t forget rest, rest is often overlooked by many muscle builders and is a huge factor to gaining more muscles. Without resting you could lose what you’ve worked to hard to build.

For more muscle building techniques and reviews on workout guides visit: http://www.MyWebFitness.com

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I began muscle building with solitary sessions of weight lifting exercises at the local YMCA, initiating a series of events that continues to strengthen the bond I share with my son.

On my 49th birthday I came to a unsettling conclusion. I was totally and hopelessly out of shape. My back was sore every day and tendinitis was attacking my hands and arms. My appearance was horrible and my mood worse. Every day was the same. Antidepressants and talks with a therapist didn’t help. Oh yeah, and libido, forget it.

I had been athletic most of my life, running, playing tennis regularly for years and then taking up golf. But suddenly there I was, going downhill fast. What could I do? I really didn’t know if there was a solution other than admitting that I was getting old. It was for real this time, not like when I was 39.

Somehow I managed to drag myself into the local YMCA in Bellingham, Washington. It was a nice comfy place with average Joe’s like myself. Some of the guys seemed like they were intent on building big muscles, but many, like me, were just there to get into good shape.

At first the going was slow and sometimes painful, but still encouraging. I almost always felt better on the days I worked out. My discipline wasn’t perfect. I would get lazy and skip a week or even a month, but I always managed to drag myself back in.

Like most fathers, I wanted my son to do as I did, so I somewhat forcefully dragged my 13 year old son, Jarryd into the gym with me. He was always a good athlete and naturally tough and strong. I figured he would take to it as I had.

After a few weight lifting exercises his words to me were, "I wouldn’t mind being a little stronger, but I really don’t like lifting weights all that much. It’s pretty boring, Dad." He came a few times, but that was about it. I let it go. Hey, I had a life to save.

A few months later I was home and Jarryd came into my room. I was changing my shirt and saw out of the corner of my eye that he was watching me. I could tell that he noticed ol’ Dad was lookin pretty good. I didn’t say anything and had to turn my head away to hide my self satisfied grin.

The next time I went to the gym, Jarryd came along. He seemed to be a little more into it than before and did a complete workout. Then he came again the next time I went. When I mentioned his newfound interest to him, he said that summer was coming and he wanted to look good at the beach. OK, it wasn’t me that motivated him, but girls. That was even better.

Little by little, Jarryd steadily improved his physique. He had obviously decided to build some muscles. He got frustrated a few times because his muscles weren’t getting big enough fast enough. I reminded him that he wasn’t even a man yet, so big muscle growth wasn’t quite kicking in yet. It wasn’t what he wanted to hear, but he kept working.

A year later, Jarryd started telling me what weight lifting exercises I needed to do. Next he was instructing me on correct form, stretching, cardio and diet. Of course, eventually the hormones kicked in and his muscles started growing. He worked even harder, lifting, running and improving his diet.

I then noticed that guys of all ages would approach him and ask about certain lifts or just share information. He was now a man’s man, with a modest, helpful attitude in the gym. And, oh yeah, the girl thing worked out pretty good.

So, here we are today. I’m now 60 and Jarryd is almost 24. We still work out together every week. We help each other to stay motivated. I’m feeling better than when I was 49 and he is getting even stronger. He can easily outlift me now, although I’m still better looking.

Those solo weight lifting workouts are a distant memory. They have been replaced by a growing friendship. Yes, I can truly state that muscle building has strengthened the bond I share with my son.

William and Jarryd Davidson are partners in a muscle building, weight lifting exercise and fitness site. For a free muscle building newsletter or to leave a comment on their blog go to> http://www.joewarrior.com

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