fitness Tutorials

1. The Importance Of Sets In Your Muscle Building Program

By Rick Mitchell Posted: 11/21/2004 In an earlier article we looked at how repetitions contribute to the muscle building process, but is the position regarding sets just as clear cut? Unfortunately, the answer to this is no as some experts feel one set to failure is sufficient, whereas others argue that multiple sets are needed to ensure maximum muscle gains. Research to date suggests that, when using six to e... read more

2. Brink's Unified Theory of Nutrition For Weight Loss and Muscle Gain

By Will Brink Posted: 06/07/2005 When people hear the term Unified Theory, some times called the Grand Unified Theory, or even "Theory of Everything," they probably think of it in terms of physics, where a Unified Theory, or single theory capable of defining the nature of the interrelationships among nuclear, electromagnetic, and gravitational forces, would reconcile seemingly incompatible aspects of various f... read more

3. What Causes Muscle Growth?

By Rick Mitchell Posted: 11/21/2004 In order for muscles to grow, three things are required: 1. Stimulus - exercise is needed to make the muscles work, use energy and cause microscopic damage to the fibers. 2. Nutrition - after intense exercise the muscles need to replenish their stores of fuel. 3. Rest - it is during the rest or recovery phase that the muscles repair the microscopic damage and g... read more

4. Muscle and Fitness -- The First Key To Achieving Your Goals

By Tony Farrell Posted: 05/09/2005 Lets discuss what I term as 'Muscle and Fitness -- The First Key' In a previous article, I went through the 'Three Keys To Success' in any muscle and fitness regime that you use. Remember -- 'BE - DO - HAVE'? If you missed this article, you can get it here... F... read more

5. The Role Of L-Glutamine In Building Muscle

By Rick Mitchell Posted: 11/21/2004 L-glutamine remains the supplement of choice for many bodybuilders. It is a free form amino acid that can be found naturally in beans, meat, fish, poultry and dairy products. It is also an important component of protein powders and is one of the twenty non-essential amino acids found in the body. It is widespread throughout the body and plays an important role in protein met... read more

6. The Role Of Whey Protein In Achieving Significant Muscle Gain

By Hamoon Arbabi Posted: 08/05/2005 Most bodybuilders would agree that supplementing with whey protein is an important element in achieving serious muscle gains. This article will examine the facts relating to whey protein as a supplement and help you decide whether you need to follow this particular strategy. Whey protein is produced during the process that sees milk turned into cheese. It is al... read more

7. The Role Of Whey Protein In Achieving Significant Muscle Gain

By Rick Mitchell Posted: 11/21/2004 Most bodybuilders would agree that supplementing with whey protein is an important element in achieving serious muscle gains. This article will examine the facts relating to whey protein as a supplement and help you decide whether you need to follow this particular strategy. Whey protein is produced during the process that sees milk turned into cheese. It is also found natur... read more

8. Yoga For a Beginner

By Della Menechella Posted: 05/19/2005 Yoga for a beginner is an exciting time when you start to discover all of the wonderful benefits that yoga has to offer. When you first begin yoga, there are several things you can do to make your experience positive. The following are ideas you might want to consider as you begin your yoga journey. Types of Yoga It is a good idea when you are doing yoga as ... read more

9. Can Growth Hormone Boosters Enhance Muscle Growth?

By Rick Mitchell Posted: 11/21/2004 Many experts feel that supplementation with growth hormones offers exciting possibilities to adult bodybuilders, especially those aged over thirty. They should not be taken by anyone aged under twenty. In the past growth hormone was available only in injectable form but recent years have seen the development of HGH precursors and more advanced delivery systems. The most popular mea... read more

10. Exercise ? More is NOT better!

By Greg Ryan Posted: 07/12/2005 Making progress in your exercise program comes down to; working smart not hard, listening to your body, and understanding more exercise is bad for you in the long run. The magic is in this formula: Consistency + variety + efficiency = results! Years ago when I was a professional bodybuilder, I fell into the mindset that the more I exercised, the less fat... read more

11. Know Your Bodybuilding Supplement - NO Nitric Oxide

By Rick Mitchell Posted: 11/21/2004 Nitric oxide is a free form gas produced by the body in order to communicate with other cells. It is created when enzymes break down the amino acid arginine. The main benefit of nitric oxide is its role in controlling the circulation of blood and regulating activities of the brain, lungs, liver, stomach and other organs. It also helps in the control of blood pressure, dilates blood... read more

12. Know Your Muscles - The Lower Body

By Rick Mitchell Posted: 11/21/2004 Becoming familiar with the muscles that make up your body has more benefits than simply allowing you to talk shop with your training partners. The more familiar you are with the muscles you're working, the better you'll be able to judge what's needed to make improvements. In this article we'll get to know the muscles that make up the lower body. This is where you'll find the... read more

13. Know Your Muscle Building Exercises - The Legs

By Rick Mitchell Posted: 11/21/2004 Every bodybuilder and weight trainer will have his or her favorite exercises for each body part. That's how it should be - as you progress through the various stages of learning you'll understand what works best for you. It is useful, however, to take stock of your progress every so often and carry out an analysis of where you are and what changes, if any, are needed to move onward... read more

14. Know Your Bodybuilding Supplement - Ecdysterone

By Rick Mitchell Posted: 11/21/2004 Ecdysterone is a powerful compound that can help to maximise your genetic potential to build muscle. It exists in the herbs Rhaponticium and Cyanatis Vaga. Although it has been known about for many years the expense associated with its extraction meant it was not viable for commercial production. Recent advancements in extraction technology, through in-vitrio cultivation, have made... read more

15. Abdominal Exercises For Beginning Bodybuilders.

By Rick Mitchell Posted: 11/21/2004 The abdomen contains the muscles that most beginners struggle with because they take a long time to develop and need a low level of body fat to be seen. The abdominal muscle group consists of three main muscles: 1. Rectus abdominis - commonly known as the abs, this is a large flat muscle wall that runs from the lower chest to the pubic bone. 2. Obliquus abdominis - co... read more

16. Shoulder Exercises For Beginning Bodybuilders

By Rick Mitchell Posted: 11/21/2004 The main shoulder muscles that concern bodybuilders are the deltoids and although they work closely with the arms and chest muscles, it is possible to isolate the delts in a training session. Unlike other body parts though, the shoulder is not designed for heavy lifting in all directions so beginners need to take care and use lighter weights than usual for shoulder-isolating exerci... read more

17. Know Your Bodybuilding Supplement - ZMA

By Rick Mitchell Posted: 11/21/2004 ZMA is a scientifically designed anabolic mineral formula containing zinc monomethionine aspartate, magnesium aspartate and vitamin B-6. Studies have shown that it has a clinical effect on testosterone levels when taken in a combination containing 30 mg of zinc and 450 mg of magnesium per day. The most famous study conducted by Lorrie Brilla at Western Washington University indicat... read more

18. Know Your Bodybuilding Supplement - Methoxyisoflavone

By Rick Mitchell Posted: 11/21/2004 Flavones are the latest big supplement to hit the market. Methoxyisoflavone is a non-hormonal anabolic compound that has been shown to reduce cortisol levels, increase protein synthesis and improve recovery from exercise. During tests that led to the issuing of a patent for methoxyisoflavone the following findings were noted: 1. It was found to be more anabolic than a... read more

19. Exercise The Right Way - The Seated Calf Raise

By Rick Mitchell Posted: 11/21/2004 Other articles in this series looked at a number of exercises, mainly from the perspective of developing a comprehensive muscle building program. Sometimes we take things for granted, especially when it comes to performing the basic exercises that constitute the core of most bodybuiders' training regimes. It is useful, therefore, to describe in detail the processes involved ... read more

20. The Role Of Repetitions In Your Muscle Building Program

By Rick Mitchell Posted: 11/21/2004 Repetitions are the basic building blocks of any strength or muscle building program but it is something that many lifters take for granted. How often do you see people at the gym speed through their reps, breathe haphazardly or fail to complete each rep correctly from a technical perspective? There is much more to the simple rep than meets the eye. The first thing to note i... read more

21. Know Your Muscle Building Exercises - The Shoulders

By Rick Mitchell Posted: 11/21/2004 Every bodybuilder and weight trainer will have his or her favorite exercises for each body part. That's how it should be - as you progress through the various stages of learning you'll understand what works best for you. It is useful, however, to take stock of your progress every so often and carry out an analysis of where you are and what changes, if any, are needed to move onward... read more

22. Exercise The Right Way - The Flat Bench Press

By Rick Mitchell Posted: 11/21/2004 Other articles in this series looked at a number of exercises, mainly from the perspective of developing a comprehensive muscle building program. Sometimes we take things for granted, especially when it comes to performing the basic exercises that constitute the core of most bodybuiders' training regimes. It is useful, therefore, to describe in detail the processes involved ... read more

23. The Importance Of Creatine In Building Lean Muscle

By Rick Mitchell Posted: 11/21/2004 Creatine monohydrate can rightly lay claim to being the most popular and arguably most effective bodybuilding supplement currently available. The beauty of creatine is that it is 100% natural and occurs in many foods so it's unlikely to be banned from any sports or competitions. Let's first establish what creatine actually is. In brief, creatine is produced naturally in our ... read more

24. The Facts About Anabolic Steroids

By Rick Mitchell Posted: 11/21/2004 Anyone involved in the world of bodybuilding, and competitive sport generally, will understand the pressures that go with striving to achieve optimal performance. Sometimes athletes feel they cannot reach their peak without artificially enhancing their powers of recovery from intensive training. One way to speed up this process is through the use of anabolic steroids. In this artic... read more