video

Your body is a machine with many working parts — an understatement if there ever was one. To say that your various systems, cells, genetics, and chemical makeup are merely “working parts” is like saying the sun is a little warm. Still, it’s incredible what your body is capable of with only the most minimal of hormone management. They tell your body what to do and how your hormones perform dictates how well your body behaves its damn self. So whip that puppy into shape! While diet  and exercise are obviously important, these are the hormones you need to pay attention to the most, what they do for you, and how you can Darth Vader force grip your body into submission. 1. Ghrelin and Leptin Ever wonder what makes you feel hungry or full? No, it’s not just your stomach being empty or stuffed to the gills, it’s hormones released by your stomach walls and fat cells called  ghrelin and leptin . If you’re trying to keep your hunger in check, you need to make sure these guys are under ...

Primarily considered a male hormone, testosterone is actually common to both male and female.  However, testosterone is the principal  male  hormone, which not only affects your libido and penile erection frequency but also your whole body.  This hormone gives men larger hearts, lungs and other organs, builds muscle mass and controls stomach fat, while regulating mood, aggression and mental focus.  Therefore, steady and adequate levels of this hormone are essential for your overall well being. Since testosterone levels start to drop in mid-to-late 20s, at a yearly rate of 0.3%, a man can experience a significant decline in his testosterone levels by age 40.  By age 50, most men will have substantially lower levels causing a series of sexual difficulties.  Therefore, it is imperative that men do everything they can to build and sustain balanced levels of this hormone.  And you can raise your testosterone with these superfoods. Essential Prote...

Part of being able to build your body is knowing how to  eat to gain muscle . Lets face it, if you don't eat right then you are killing a huge part of the process of gaining muscle. The reason that many of us don't eat right is because we don't want to give up some of those foods that we love so much that are really counter-productive to what we are trying to achieve. That's right, all that junk we love to eat so much are keeping us from building the body that we work so hard for in the gym. You need to consume a lot of the foods that are good clean sources of protein, vitamins, minerals, and yes, even carbs! You must also consume calories than the normal amount it would take you to maintain the weight you are right now. You should probably take in about 500 more per day. Just be sure to stay consistent with your weight lifting regimen and you will build muscle mass and ultimately gain weight. Following a diet where you eat 5 - 6 times per day is a great way to eat to ...

Building more muscle is smart for a lot of reasons. First, it just looks good to have a well-muscled, toned body. Also, having stronger muscles reduces your chances of incurring serious injuries. And, there is an added health benefit: the more muscular you are, the faster your body will burn fat naturally. That is because your resting metabolism rate - the rate at which you burn calories while at rest - actually increases when you have a lower body fat percentage. People who have experience with working out with both weights and with cardio techniques (e.g., walking, jogging, swimming, biking, etc.) know that it can be hard to balance both within a regular workout routine. In other words: to really "go intense" with a cardio workout can take away from the energy and muscle strength you need for an intense bodybuilding workout - and vice versa. Even if your primary goal is to build muscle while staying at least in fairly good shape from a cardio perspective, you still may be...

Listening to someone who doesn't know what he/she's doing will not get you anywhere. Worse, it can even get you into trouble. And things aren't any different when it comes to muscle building. So, I'm exposing here 6 muscle myths to lead you down the path to muscle building success. Myth #1 - Stretching prevents injuries. Contrary to popular belief, there is not enough proof to indicate or conclude that stretching before a workout reduces the chance of injuries. This is what the researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found after reviewing more than 350 studies and articles examining the relationship between stretching and injuries. What really prevents injury is doing warm up exercises as they slowly increase your blood flow and prepare your muscles for the more intense activities. But then again, if you want to keep your body's flexibility within the normal range, by all means do those stretches. But do then when you're already warmed up....

People have been searching for the best way to build lean, muscular physiques for thousands of years. Some people think that the bodybuilding phenomenon is something that began only a hundred years ago, or so. The truth is that men and women have been exercising, experimenting with different foods, and trying various other techniques to improve their physiques for as long as written history goes back. From the athletes of ancient Greece to the modern day bodybuilder, there have always been people who want to get bigger, stronger, and leaner. Athletes and bodybuilders have it a lot better today than those ancient athletes did. Today we have a lot of science to point us in the right direction when it comes to exercise physiology and cutting edge nutrition. Athletes today have top quality protein - casein, whey and other types to choose from to help develop their muscles. No longer do people have to search around in the dark or use superstitious concoctions to grow bigger, stronger muscle...

Whey protein is usually the first choice for those involved in rigorous workouts. However, whey has a larger role to play in terms of health benefits. These uses go easily unnoticed as whey is enshrouded with its fame to assist in muscle mass. In this article, let us uncover the 7 other health benefits of whey protein. Weight Management Whey protein is often used as a meal replacement. It takes a little longer while to digest than other proteins. The more it stays in the stomach, better it helps reduce food cravings. Stomach does not empty easily. This prompts you to lower your calorie intake. Whey also speeds up the metabolic activity. Storehouse of Amino Acids Even though proteins are known to contain amino acids, every protein may not be as efficient as whey. Whey protein is made up of all the 9 essential amino acids. These are the amino acids that cannot be obtained from dietary sources. This is why whey may even be considered as the best amino acid provider. The Power of BCAAs...

I’ve written countless articles about how to gain muscle, and countless articles about how to lose fat. But, if there is one question I still get asked more than anything else, it’s definitely this… How do I gain muscle and lose fat at the same time? I must get this question emailed to me at least 10 x a day by someone who wants to not only gain muscle or lose fat, but instead do BOTH. And not only that, they want to do both at the exact same time, and they want to know what diet and workout will best make it happen. If you’re reading this, then you probably have the same goal in mind. You’re not interested in how to do one or the other, you want to know how to do both as quickly and effectively as possible. So, let’s get it all figured out right now, starting with the biggest question of all… Is It Possible To Do Both At The Same Time? The honest answer to this question is both yes and no. Why? Because some people can do both simultaneously, and some people can’t. Here’s what I mean....

But is protein powder really necessary? Could you do without it? If that's what you're wondering as you go about learning all the must-haves for how to gain weight, you need to know the following pieces of information. *Protein Mix And Speed Of Digestion There's no question that you need protein to gain weight, but when it comes to deciding whether or not to use a protein powder, the first thing to think about is the speed of digestion. This is one thing that some people do typically overlook. When you purchase the right type of protein powder, it's specially designed to be digested far faster in the body, thus it will get to the muscle tissues at top speed. This does provide some important benefits in terms of helping you recover from an intense workout session. The protein mix to look for in this case would be a whey isolate, which is formulated to help you gain weight quickly and replenish those tired muscles. On the flip side of the coin, if you want a protein pow...

Build muscle is half about training hard and creating muscle stimulation through your workouts. The other half is rest and nutrition. For your body to build muscle it needs protein. Protein is the only macro nutrient it can use as building blocks for muscle tissue. Consuming whey protein is a great way to boost your protein intake, but how much should you take? Whey is only a supplement Whey protein is a supplement, so you should use it as one. It should supplement your current diet and protein intake. Whey protein should never replace high quality solid protein sources. It should be used to boost and ease the intake of protein throughout the day. Whey is pure protein extracted from milk. It contains a good amino acid profile, but doesn't have much else to offer. Eat solid sources of protein that contain vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and creatine. Use it in between meals Most people eat 3 solid meals a day. This isn't enough for someone training intensely and trying to g...

Lots of people are health conscious now and strive to maximize their health via correct diet and exercise. One of the most used tools in the goal to become as healthy as possible are protein shakes, especially with bodybuilders and athletes. However many people wonder exactly what they are doing to their body by drinking many grams of highly processed protein every day. Fortunately most people will not experience any side effects when consuming a typical amount of protein on a daily basis. By usual I mean around 1 or 2 shakes. This will result in around 50 to 70 grams of protein consumed from protein powder which your body can easily handle. Although there are athletes out there that ingest hundreds of grams of protein powder in protein shakes on a daily basis. Will these people experience any side effects? Well to start we have to realize the possible side effects of protein. Most protein is made from egg, milk or soy sources with milk being the main ingredient found in whey protein...