10 Exercises To Unleash Your Muscles:
Total-Body Muscle In No Time
A lean body looks good. The body is
firm and the muscles are well developed. The abs are chiseled, and
the shoulders are round. The chest is wide, the shoulders are
broad, the hard-earned quad muscles are strong – your fellow
bodybuilders give you a nod on the work of art you have perfected
through the years, and the women by the sides give you those stares
that only real men can get.
One with a lean body is confident and
has a nice bounce in his walk. One with a lean body is cool, and
there is that certain smoothness in his moves that sweeps women of
their feet – or so they say.
Are you one with a lean body? Then
perhaps you know the feeling shared by many bodybuilders – their
confidence and their appeal. The current state of health you are in
now also gives you the energy to carry out your day-to-day tasks
with fervor, and gives you the liveliness to meet life head on
together with your family and friends.
So, if you don’t have that lean and
muscular body you want yet, then maybe you need to know some tips on
how to get there a little faster than your pace now. Below are some
valuable ideas that will help you in your quest for that sculpted
body.
General Guidelines
-
Refer to your doctor any exercise, diet & supplementation you
would like to use. Always follow your doctor’s recommendations.
-
Ask for the guidance of a professional trainer to teach you the
techniques for the proper execution of exercises. Ask advice on
the appropriate load you should be lifting for your current
level of conditioning.
Eating And Supplementation for A
Lean Body
The Diet For You
There are many diet fads around.
They come and go. And some emerge back with a new name but
basically of the same concept than the previous one, and if there
should be some difference, it would only be a minor variation.
With all the many diets that claim to
be the best are many. But one must understand that there is no one
size fits all for this case. What may have worked for one, may not
work for you. So for you, it would be an ongoing experiment, and
would require that you try out variations to uncover what diet suits
you best.
One may opt for a high protein,
moderate carbohydrates, and less fat. More protein so that you can
build muscles effectively, enough carbohydrates to give you energy,
and some fats for healthy hair & nails, & for your hormones.
Supplementation For
Bodybuilders
Amino acids, multi-vitamins and
minerals will help. Being a bodybuilder would create more demand
from your body for more nutrients – especially to aid for quicker
recuperation. It will also give you more energy for your workouts.
Protein powders will be good for
supplementing your daily protein intake from food. These powders
contain quality proteins that are easily made use of by the body to
build muscles. These protein powders have also been enriched with
multivitamins, specifically designed for bodybuilders like you.
Small Servings of Meals 4 to 5
times A Day
It would be good to have your meals
in small servings, 4 to 5 times in a day. This ensures one will not
be overeating, at the same time, your muscles will be constantly fed
with the necessary nutrients to make them grow. Your body will be
better able to process the foods that you eat if you do so in small
servings.
10 Exercises To Sculpt Your Body –
Unleashing Your Muscles
1.)
For Your Shoulders
Ø
Military Press
- This is considered to be the granddaddy
of shoulder exercises. Do this in a seated position for a stricter
movement.
Execution:
Sit firmly on an exercise bench. Grasp the barbell
using an overhand grip and hold it at your shoulder level. Your
palms should be underneath and hands should be outside your
shoulders with elbows tucked in. Lift the barbell straight up,
keeping the weight balanced. Then lower the barbell back to the
initial position.
2.)
For Your Biceps
Ø
EZ-Bar Biceps Curl
- This will develop the biceps.
Execution:
While standing, hold the EZ-curl bar with an
underhand grip and shoulder-width apart. Then curl the bar upward by
bending your elbows, pause at the top, and then lower back the bar
to starting position.
3.)
For Your Triceps
Ø
Seated Triceps Press
- This will target all three triceps
heads.
Execution:
In a seating position, grasp the barbell using an
overhand grip, and hands closer. Bring the barbell overhead. Lower
the weight down in an arc behind the head until the triceps are
stretched. Then, using your triceps, bring the barbell back to full
extension.
4.)
For Your Forearms
Ø
Dumbbell Wrist Curl
- This exercise works the forearms.
Execution:
Take a pair of dumbbells and kneel alongside a
bench. Lay your forearms on the bench with your palms facing up.
Curl the dumbbells as high as you can, using your wrists only. Then
lower the weights.
5.)
For Your Chest
Ø
Barbell Incline Bench Press
- This will develop the mass and strength
of your pectoral muscles.
Execution:
Lie on your back on an incline exercise bench.
Grasp the barbell with a medium-wide grip. Lift it off the rack.
Hold it straight up, then lower the barbell down to the upper
chest. Pause for a moment, then press it back up again. Make sure
you don’t drift too far forward.
6.)
For Your Abs
Ø
The V-Sit
- This will target the lower and upper
abdominals.
Execution:
Lie with your back on the floor. Your legs should
be straight and together, with arms on your sides. Lift your arms,
trunk and legs at the same time. Your trunk and legs will form a
“V” (with the legs straight).
7.)
For Your Back
Ø
Seated Cable Rows
- This exercise will develop the
thickness of the back. It will also work your lower lats.
Execution:
Hold the handles firmly. Knees slightly bent with
your feet braced on the crossbar, extend your arms and slightly bend
forward. With this beginning position, pull the handles back toward
your abdomen using the muscles of your back. Feel your back arch
and your chest sticking out. You should find yourself sitting
upright as the handles are touching your abdomen. Then release the
handles back in a controlled manner to the original position.
8.)
For Your Thigh
Ø
Squats
- This exercise will develop your legs,
especially the thighs. All four heads of the quadriceps will be
targeted. This exercise will also help you firm your butt.
Execution:
Step under the barbell (placed on a rack), making
sure that it rests evenly across the back of your shoulders. Hold
on to the barbell to balance it, then raise it up to lift it off the
rack, then step backwards. Keep your head up, and your back should
be straight while bending your knees, lowering down until your
thighs are parallel to the floor. From this position, straighten
your knees back up to the starting position.
9.)
For Your Hamstrings
Ø
Leg Curls
- This exercise will develop the
hamstrings.
Execution:
Lie facing down on the leg curl machine. Hold on to
the handles of the bench. Hook your heels under the lever mechanism
of the exercise equipment. Your legs should be straight. Curl your
legs up until the leg biceps are fully contracted. Slowly lower the
weight back to the initial position.
10.) For Your Calves
Ø
Standing Calf Raises
- This exercise will affect the overall
mass of the calves.
Execution:
Stand with your toes on the block of the standing
calf raise exercise equipment, and with your heels out. Settle your
shoulders under the pads. Then straighten your legs, lifting the
weight. Lower your heels toward the floor with knees slightly bent
throughout the movement. From the bottom point, raise your toes up
and then back down.
Some More Valuable Tips:
·
Nature of exercise program:
o
Initial stage - Concentrate on proper
execution, intensify exercise by increasing the load as you would
want to gain muscle mass and density first before you want to
provide for muscle definition and separation.
o
Next stage - Intensify exercise by
increasing the no. of repetitions per set with moderate load.
Assuming you already have the muscle mass aimed upon, these
high-repetition exercises will give you the muscle definition
aspired upon.
o
Succeeding stage (Advanced Stage):
Employ other means of intensifying workout as circuit training,
supersets, flushing method, stripping method, forced negatives, etc.
·
Frequency of exercise -
3 to 4 times a week at one hour to 1.5 hours at
most.
Aerobic Exercises To Show Muscle
Definition
The less fat you have in your body,
the more evident your muscles will be. You will have more
definition and more separation between muscles. With less fat, your
hard work in the gym and strict diet will show.
One can vary the aerobic routine
depending on one’s preference. It is preferable not to combine both
aerobic and weight training in one session, as one may not be able
to effectively carry out the other. But if you should decide to do
both in one setting, then perform the aerobic exercise last. You
don’t want to lift weights while you are out of breath or have been
exhausted by the aerobic workout.
A good way to burn calories would be
by exercycling or with the use of a stationary bike – this will take
out the stress placed on your knee joints with repeated movement and
bouncing. This would be a good exercise especially if you want to
do it more than 30 minutes.
If you believe your knees can sustain
well, and if it has not incurred injuries in the past, then you may
opt for jogging or skipping rope. This will be high-intensity
aerobic exercises, especially with the increase in speed that can be
employed.
Detox (detoxification) and
Cleansing
§
Cleansing the system
The value of detoxification is
sometimes understated. It is important that the body clears itself
from the harmful substances and toxins inside. Not only will these
toxins contribute to more risks for illness, it impairs the body to
do its other functions well.
§
Increased metabolism
With your body free of toxins and
substances, one’s metabolism will be given new life. Your
metabolism gets fired up to effectively burn more calories, feeding
efficiently on the foods that you eat.
§
Proper absorption of nutrients in
the system
With detoxification and a clean
system, the body will be able to absorb better the nutrients from
the foods that you take. Nutrients that would have otherwise gone
to waste, will now be made good use of, by your body.
v
Detox for the bodybuilder
What this means for the serious
bodybuilder and health buff, is that the use of detoxification will
result to the efficient functioning of the body and in burning those
unwanted fats effectively. Less fats after all would mean a leaner
you, and more muscle definition that really shows.
Sculpting Your Body - Get Into
Your Best Shape
It’s quite simple really, but the way
to get there is not. One needs the discipline and the dedication to
really reach one’s bodybuilding goal.
And if ever one should miss on an
exercise session, be on the gym on the next scheduled date. If ever
one binged on one particular meal, eat right the next time.
Don’t let your mistakes and failures
get the best of you. The power is inside you – you have the power
to make things right – there is always a next time. The bottom line
is to get back on track even if at times you lose your way – even in
life this holds true, and so with your bodybuilding pursuit.
Bodybuilding is a process - you will
definitely reach milestones along the way, and at each level one
usually aims for more – more proportion & symmetry, bigger biceps,
chiseled abs, massive chest, V-tapered torso, etc.
It is best to enjoy your quest
towards a healthier and muscular body – don’t be too hard on
yourself, but reward yourself every once in a while for sticking to
your strict exercise regimen. Eat right, sleep well, live clean and
get a sculpted body. Unleash your muscles, then you can walk like
real men do.
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