Human Muscle Anatomy – How Many Muscles Do You Know Of?

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Lactate Threshold – What is it

Everyone wants to ride, run and swim faster. Whilst natural ability still plays a huge role, lactate threshold is highly trainable (as is VO2 MAX). By training properly almost every individual can ramp up their lactate threshold.

What is Lactate Threshold (also known as anaerobic threshold)?

Lactate is a by-product of anaerobic metabolism that, despite common misconception, is produced across all exercise intensities. In fact, even when you stand up from sitting in a chair, lactate acid is produced. The key in sport is the balance between the rate of lactate production and lactate absorption.

During light and moderate-intensity exercise, the blood concentration of lactate remains low. The body is able to absorb lactate faster than the muscle cells are producing it. However, as exercise intensity increases, there comes a point at which lactate removal fails to keep up with the rate of lactate production. This point is referred to as the lactate threshold and spells the beginning of the end of high intensity exercise.

Excessive blood lactate and hydrogen ion concentrations combine to interfere with efficient and proper muscle contraction, and as a result, power output drops, suffering increases and you are forced to slow down.

Lactate threshold represents the highest steady-state exercising intensity an athlete can maintain for prolonged periods of time (> 30 minutes).

Most coaches and sport scientists today recognize lactate threshold, or a derivative thereof, as one of the strongest predictors of endurance performance.  Lactate Threshold also serves as a very useful measure for the determination of training zones and the overall effectiveness of training programs.

How is Lactate Threshold Measured?

Lactate threshold tests typically are performed on a treadmill or bicycle ergometer. After an adequate warm-up period, the test starts at an exercise intensity corresponding to 50-60 percent of the test subject’s VO2 MAX. Each stage lasts 2-6 minutes, allowing sufficient time for the subject to achieve steady-state heart rate, VO2, and lactate production. Blood samples taken towards the end of each stage determine blood lactate concentration (a simple finger prick does the trick). The workload increases in steps and the process is repeated until an obvious spike in lactate concentration occurs. Heart rate, power output or speed, and/or VO2 are recorded at each stage.

We measure blood lactate concentration in millimoles (mM) of lactate per liter of blood (mmol/L). Lactate threshold typically is expressed as a percentage of one’s VO2 MAX or maximal heart rate. With the advent of power meters, various power outputs identify a riders lactate threshold and training zones. By evaluating a rider’s power output at lactate threshold, we can determine the potential for success. To be competitive in a race like the Tour de France, a male professional must be able to maintain 5-6 watts/kg at lactate threshold. This means if the rider weighs 68 kg (150 lbs) he must produce 350-400 watts while riding up even the toughest hills.

If you take two cyclists, one with a high VO2 MAX but a moderate lactate threshold, and the other with a moderate VO2max but a ridiculously high lactate threshold. Being the same size and weight, the cyclist with the highest lactate threshold would likely find himself victorious in a head to head race up a monster hill.

It is possible to find your lactate threshold without going to a laboratory. A majority of cyclists could care less what their actual lactate threshold number is. What is important is how fast and long can they ride at a given workload.

Many applied exercise physiologists believe that finding your lactate threshold in the field is actually more applicable than finding it in the lab. What you can do while on a ride is a pretty good indicator of what you’ll be able to do on a ride. Sounds so simple you may think that last sentence was a mistake. No mistake, just simple common sense. There are a variety of techniques for finding your lactate threshold on the road.

It seems that each coaching system or training book has its own specific method. Although they vary a bit, most will give you an effective idea of your lactate threshold. Some are more complicated than others. For the sake of time and simplicity, one of the easiest techniques for finding your lactate threshold in the field is to use the following approach, using a heart rate monitor or power meter.

Finding Your Lactate Threshold.

• Find a flat or slightly uphill stretch of road (avoid undulations or hills)- you may also use a trainer (but this is mentally tough).
• Warm up for at least 10-15 minutes.
• Ride a thirty-minute time trial with your best possible time.
• If using a heart rate (HR) monitor, record the last twenty minutes of your ride. – Your average heart rate over this period will estimate your HR at lactate threshold.
• If using a power meter, record the last twenty minutes of your ride – Your average power over this period will estimate your power output at lactate threshold.

How Does Your Lactate Threshold Compare?

To put things in perspective, untrained individuals usually reach lactate threshold at about 60 percent of their VO2 MAX.

Moderately trained athletes reach lactate threshold at 65-80 percent VO2MAX.

Elite endurance athletes have a very high lactate threshold relative to their VO2MAX. They are able to ride at 85-95 percent VO2MAX, and it is this ability that allows them to make a living riding bikes, running or both.

Your numbers can change. Lactate threshold is not as fixed as VO2max. Through proper training and commitment, an athlete can increase the percentage of VO2 MAXat which their lactate threshold occurs. What fantastic news! Finally, something an individual can control. Through years of hard work and training, a person can become an athlete who is able to perform at near maximum for extended periods of time.

Factors That Affect The Rate Of Lactate Accumulation

There are numerous factors that change the rate at which lactate is produced.

• Exercise intensity. The harder you work, the more lactate your active muscles produce.
• Diet. If you don’t have good stores of glycogen, your high intensity training will be short lived.
• Training status. Proper training develops four primary mechanisms to slow the rate of lactate accumulation:
1. Higher mitochondrial density allows for greater lactate resynthesis.
2. Superior fatty acid oxidation prevents lactate production at submaximal exercise intensities. Your body will preferably burn fat over glycogen and this will preserve your glycogen as a fuel source for continued exercise.
3. Greater capillary density improves both oxygen delivery to and lactate removal from the active muscles.
4. Muscle fiber type composition. Slow twitch (Type I) muscle fibers produce less lactate at a given workload than fast twitch (Type II) muscle fibers. Although there is a big genetic component, proper training can influence the proportion of slow vs. fast twitch muscle fibers.
• Distribution of workload. A large muscle mass working at a moderate intensity will produce less excess lactate than a small muscle mass working at a high intensity. Certain cycling techniques will slow the overall accumulation of lactate by using different muscles.

What Does It All Mean?

 

We have said that lactate threshold is one of the strongest predictors of endurance performance. So, if you increase your lactate threshold, you will be able to swim/bike/run faster and put the hurt on your friends and fellow competitors. To quote an analogy from a well known endurance coach, “It’s not only the size of your magic wand (VO2 MAX), but how your wield it (lactate threshold).” If you train properly, you can have dramatic increases in you lactate threshold.

So, how do we train properly to increase lactate threshold? Well, that’s a whole other story…

Thankyou to http://www.marathon-training-program.com for supplying this information.

Bench Press – How To And How Not To Bench Press

What’s The Bench Press? Lie on an upright support bench or a bench inside a Power Rack. Unrack the weight & lower it to your chest. Press it back up until your arms are locked. You’ve done a Bench Press.

You have several ways to Bench Press by varying grip, grip width, bench angle, etc. Some Bench Press variations are:

• Close Grip Bench Press. Shoulder width grip. Emphasis triceps.
• Reverse Grip Bench Press. Palms facing you. Also emphasis triceps.
• Incline Bench Press. From an incline bench. Emphasis shoulders.
• Decline Bench Press. From a decline bench. Allows more weight.
• Floor Press. Bench Press while lying on the floor. More triceps.

Benefits of The Bench Press. Why should you Bench Press? Here are two reasons to do the exercise.

• Builds Muscle. Bench Press if you want a big chest, as popularized by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 70s. Front Shoulders & triceps work too.
• Builds Strength. The Bench Press is the strength training exercise that lets you lift the most weight using your upper-body muscles.

Bench Press Safety. Most injuries in the gym happen when doing The Bench Press. One reason is of course because it’s the exercise done the most. Other reasons are not using the following tips.

• No Thumbless Grip. Use your thumbs when doing the Bench Press. You don’t want the bar to slip out of your hands.
• Start Light. Add weight gradually. You’ll get a feeling of what you can & can’t handle while learning proper Bench Press technique.
• Ask Someone to Spot. Spotters will help you if you get stuck with the bar on your chest. If you don’t have a spotter, read the guide on how to Bench Press safely when you’re alone.

Bench Press & Shoulders Pain. Shoulder pain from doing the Bench Press is common. Switching to dumbbells or quiting the Bench Press avoids pain, but doesn’t solve your shoulder problem. What you should do:

• Improve Technique. If you don’t Bench Press with proper technique you’ll injure yourself sooner or later. Read on.
• Fix Posture. You can’t Bench Press with proper technique if you have slouching shoulders. Start doing shoulder dislocations. Focus on bringing your chest forward & squeezing your shoulder-blades.
• Avoid Muscle Imbalances. The Bench Press works your front shoulders more than the back ones. If you don’t strengthen these by doing the Barbell Row & Overhead Press, you’ll get a muscle imbalance. Causing bad posture & thus bad Bench Press technique. Get on StrongLifts 5×5, it’s a balanced program.

Correct Bench Grip on the right: bar in hand palm.
Bench Press Setup. You need a strong base to press the weight from. Tighten your upper-back. Grip the bar hard: try to break it apart like breaking spaghetti.

• Grip Width. Too narrow & you’ll lose strength. Too wide & the distance the bar travels shortens. Grip width should be about 55-71cm/22-28″ depending on your build. Forearms perpendicular to the floor when the bar touches your chest.
• Gripping the Bar. Secure the bar with your thumbs by rotating your hands in. Put the bar in the palm of your hand, close to your wrist. If you put the bar close to your fingers, you’ll get wrist pain.
• Tight Upper-back. Squeeze your shoulder-blades before getting on the bench. Keep your shoulder-blades back & down at all times like on the picture below. This gives your body a solid base to press the bar from.
• Chest Up. Don’t allow your chest to go flat or shoulders to roll forward. You’ll lose upper-back tightness, losing power & increasing risk of shoulder injury. Keep your chest up at all time.
• Feet. Use a wide foot stance to increase stability on the bench. Feet flat on the floor, weight on the heels, lower leg perpendicular to the floor. This prevents extreme arching of your lower back.

Tight upper-back, squeezing the shoulder-blades. Image credit: dehwang.
The Bench Press. Remember to keep the tight position during the Bench Press from start to finish. Squeeze the bar, keep your upper-back tight & your chest up. Unrack the weight with straight arms. Bench.

• Bar to Chest. Touch your chest where your forearms are perpendicular to the floor when looking from the side.
• Press in a Straight Line. Don’t look at the bar. Fix a point at the ceiling. Press the bar in a straight line above your chest, not towards your face. Keep the bar above your elbows during the whole lift.

Common Errors. The following Bench Press errors are either inefficient or potentially dangerous. Avoid them at all costs.

• Unracking with Bent Arms. Don’t risk the bar falling on your face. Your arms are strongest when your elbows are locked. Unrack & bring the bar above your chest with locked elbows.
• Pressing to Your Face. The shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line. Press in a straight line. Fix a point at the ceiling where you want the bar to go. Don’t look at the bar.
• Bending Your Wrists. This will get you wrist pain. Put the bar in the palm of your hand. Close to your wrists, not close to your fingers. Squeeze the bar so it doesn’t move.
• Elbows. Too high is bad for your shoulders. Too low is inefficient. Put your elbows between perpendicular to & parallel with your torso.
• Shoulders Forward. Don’t let your shoulders roll forward. It’s bad posture, bad technique & a guaranteed way to get shoulder injuries. Keep your chest up, shoulder-blades back & down and upper-back tight.
• Glutes off the Bench. This makes the distance the bar travels shorter & thus the Bench Press easier. However it puts pressure on your back, especially when the weight gets heavy. You’re more stable when your glutes are on the bench. Keep them there.
• Pushing Your Head into The Bench. You’ll injure your neck. Tighten your neck muscles, without pushing your head into the bench.

Cross Fit – Do You Have What It Takes?

Cross Fit is starting to creep its way into the Australian Fitness Network and ill tell you now, i dont know why its taken so damn long!! These guys are awesome when it comes to high intensity interval training. If you want something that will make you train hard with minimal time, check out their website at www.crossfit.com

If your unsure of how to mix up your usual routine or want to get video links to exercises your not sure for the technique on then check out their website because they have more than enough information on their database for you to read up on and keep you occupied for hours on end! With a workout every day theres enough workouts there to keep you going forever!!

Muscle Strains And Their Prevention

Muscle Strains And Their Prevention:

In a survey of injuries at a professional football club, it was reported that 26.8% of all injuries involved muscles and tendons. Muscles and their tendon attachments combine to form what are known as musculo-tendinous units. These musculo-tendinous units provide the force which is necessary for movement. Soccer is a dynamic sport which requires explosive movements (such as sprinting, jumping, shooting and heading the ball) with large forces generated by muscles and tendons. It is easy to see why over a quarter of all injuries affect these structures.
How is Muscle Structured?
In order to understand how muscles are injured it is helpful to know how the muscle is made up. The muscle is surrounded by an outer sheath or covering. Inside this outer sheath are bundles of muscle fibres which are known as fasicles and are themselves surrounded by another inner sheath. If you looked at the bundles very closely you would just be able to see the individual muscle fibres. (The muscle fibres are made up of even smaller parts but a microscope is required to see them).

A muscle contracts when two of these microscopic parts link together and slide together (causing the muscle to shorten) or slide apart (causing the muscle to lengthen). If the muscle shortens, the result is movement of a joint in one direction; if it lengthens, it causes movement of a joint in the other direction. The co-ordination of this muscle activity by the brain allows us to perform complex movements such as kicking a football or running.

What is a Muscle Strain:
A muscle strain is damage caused by over-stretching of muscle tissue. In football, this is thought to occur most frequently when movements such as sprinting, stretching for the ball or kicking the ball are carried out in an unco-ordinated manner. The muscle tissue becomes overloaded and reaches a breaking point where a tear or partial tear occurs. The player will experience pain that will persist if he or she attempts to stretch or contract the muscle. Depending on their severity, muscle strains are categorised into Grades 1, 2 or 3:

• GRADE 1 STRAIN
  There is damage to individual muscle fibres (less than 5% of fibres). This is a mild strain which requires 2 to 3 weeks rest.
• GRADE 2 STRAIN
  There is more extensive damage, with more muscle fibres involved, but the muscle is not completely ruptured. The rest period required is usually between 3 and 6 weeks.
• GRADE 3 STRAIN
  This is a complete rupture of a muscle. In a sports person this will usually require surgery to repair the muscle. The rehabilitation time is around 3 months.

All muscle strains should be rested and allowed to heal. If the patient continues to play, the condition will worsen. If ignored, a grade one strain has the potential to become a grade two strain or even a complete rupture.

How does a Damaged Muscle Heal?
The healing process of a muscle strain begins with an inflammatory response which can last for three to five days. This is a crucial time during which rest and protection of the injured part is vital in order to prevent any further damage. During the inflammatory reaction the body produces chemicals and cells which remove dead muscle fibres and start the repair process. The repair process consists of three stages:

1. REGENERATION OF MUSCLE FIBRES
   New muscle fibres grow from special cells within the muscle.
2. FORMATION OF SCAR TISSUE
   There is bleeding in the gap between the torn muscle ends, and from this blood a matrix, or scaffold, is formed to anchor the two ends together. This matrix eventually forms a scar within the muscle that makes the muscle more resistant to further stretch damage.
3. MATURATION OF THE SCAR TISSUE
   The collagen fibres which make up the scar tissue become aligned along lines of external stress and are able to withstand more force.

How are Muscle Injuries Treated?
The immediate treatment consists of the ‘PRICE’ protocol: Protection of the injured part from further damage, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. The aim of this protocol is to reduce bleeding within the muscle tissue. Ice therapy in the form of ice pack applications should be continued for the first three days after the injury (never apply ice directly to the skin). The rehabilitation after this period involves gradually stretching the muscle to elongate the scar tissue and progressively increasing the muscle strength. Once this has been achieved, the player can begin sport-specific exercises, such as running, jumping and kicking. To reduce the risk of re-injury, this should be done under the supervision of a chartered physiotherapist.
How can the Risk of Muscle Injury be Reduced?
The following measures may have the effect of reducing the chances of sustaining a muscle strain:

• Warm up prior to matches and training is thought to decrease muscle stretch injuries because the muscle is more extensible when the tissue temperature has been increased by one or two degrees. A good warm up should last about twenty minutes – starting gently and finishing at full pace activity. Practising match activities such as sprinting and passing helps tune co-ordination and prepare mentally for football. Recovery after training sessions and matches can be enhanced by performing a cool down, which is thought to help muscles get rid of waste products. This is also the ideal time to do stretching execises.
• Maintaining good muscle strength and flexibility may help prevent muscle strains. Muscle strength allows a player to carry out match activities in a controlled manner and decreases the uncoordinated movements which can lead to injury. Tight muscles are associated with strains and stretching is therefore practised to maintain muscle strength and prevent injury.
• Diet can have an affect on muscle injuries. If a player’s diet is high in carbohydrate in the 48 hours before a match, there will be an adequate supply of the energy which is necessary for muscle contractions. However, if the muscles become short of fuel, fatigue can set in during training or matches. This fatigue can predispose a player to injury. Carbohydrate and fluids can be replenished during training and matches by taking regular sips of a sports drink.

Common Muscle Injuries:
Adductor muscles – these are commonly injured during football because they are put under a great deal of stress during turning activities. They are also very active during side foot passing.

Hip flexor muscles – these are the kicking muscles at the front of the hip which are very active during shooting and striking a ball.

Quadriceps muscles – these powerful muscles of the thigh are responsible for straightening the knee and are active during running, kicking and jumping.

Hamstring muscles – these muscles are located at the back of the thigh and are most active during running, particularly sprinting, which is when they are most often injured.

Gym Mistakes – Dont Be One Of Them!

10 Common Gym Mistakes

The horrors that I see on the floor of the weights room never cease to amaze me. You’d think that with information so readily available on the internet, people would try to find out a little more about what they are supposed to be doing in the gym, instead of just copying the other patrons or doing what their ‘expert’ friend told them to do.

Here are just some of the common things I see people getting wrong in the gym.

No Stretching
This one normally applies just to the guys. You would think that there is an inverse relationship between the muscle size and flexibility, because it always seems to be the big guys with horrible flexibility, especially around the shoulder joint.

I guess stretching just isn’t really sexy enough and I’ll admit; I hate doing it too. The long term injury prevention cannot be ignored though as well as improved posture.

Tight hip flexors can lead to lordosis or excessive curvature of the lower back. By lengthening your hip flexors, you allow the pelvis to relax out of an excessive anterior or forward leaning tilt. By correctly aligning your pelvis, the curve in your lower spine will flatten out.

This is just one example, tight muscles all over the body can play havoc on your posture.

1. No Warm-up
I’m sure we’ve all done it at some stage. You’re pressed for time and that warm-up is going to mean cutting down on your lifting time. You load up the bar and hit the ground running. Halfway through the set something feels uncomfortable; a couple of minutes later you can no longer move your neck. Workout over – for the next 2 weeks!

Whatever you choose to do for a warm-up, at least do something. 10 minutes on the bike is not really going to prepare you for lifting but I guess it’s better than nothing. Stretching isn’t the best bet either, but it’s a start. If you really want a good warm-up you should be doing mobility training before you hit the iron.

Working out in the same rep range.
This one is so pervasive in gyms that you’d be forgiven for thinking that 3 sets of 8 was some kind of weightlifting Nirvana. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with 3 sets of 8, but it seems like people are stuck doing this for all their workouts.

You need to change things up a bit. Your body gets used to the same stimulus very quickly. If you’re stuck in a bit of an exercise rut, changing your set & rep scheme is probably the best was to kick-start your progress.

Some of my favourites are:

• 8 x 3
• 10 x 3
• 5 x 5
• 4 x 12
• 6 x 4
• 4 x 6

Working with lower reps using a bigger load will recruit different muscle fibres. You will be recruiting the high threshold motor units, which have the largest capacity for growth and also create the densest muscles with the most myogenic tone.

No post workout nutrition
This is such an important time for your body to be getting the nutrients it needs to recover and grow that it amazes me how so many people overlook the post workout nutrition.

Within 1 hour of working out, preferably sooner you body is craving quick acting proteins and carbohydrates. Whey is the protein of choice here as it is the fastest to be absorbed. You also want to get a lot of high glycemic carbohydrates. Post workout is the only time you want to get high GI carbs, because your muscles are glycogen depleted and really need a quick boost to get the recovery process started.

For an intense strength training workout it is recommended that you consume 0.4g of protein and 0.8g of carbohydrates per kilogram of bodyweight. So for an 80kg person, that would be 32 grams of whey protein and 64 grams of a high GI carbohydrate such as glucose, dextrose or maltodextrin.

You can either mix this up yourself or buy a pre made recovery drink. I like to mix is up myself, purely because maltodextrin is dirt cheap and you pay a huge premium for the privilege of having the supplement companies mix it in for you.

Following the post workout shake, your first whole food meal should be eaten within 3 hours of your workout. You’ll want about the same amounts of protein and carbs, but his time you can choose a slower digesting meat, dairy or egg based protein and lower GI complex carbs such as rice, pasta or potatoes.

Always performing the same exercises
We are creatures of habit, so this one is not surprising. In the gym, once people figure out the basics of what they should be doing they get a simple program and stick to it. A lot of people have probably been doing the same program for years.

It’s been said that the best program is the one that you’re not doing. Again, this goes back to the previous point. Your body adapts quickly to whatever you throw at it, so you need to change not only the exercises you perform, but also your entire program.

These can often be small changes. Always perform flat barbell bench press? Why not try dumbbells, or incline/decline pressing. Always do back squats? Try front squats for a humbling experience or if you really want to expose your weaknesses, try overhead squats. If you can do overhead squats without falling over then congratulations! Try to change your program every 3 – 6 weeks or until you feel like you have adapted.

The aimless workout
Like anything in life, you need to set goals. If you have no goal to your gym workouts, then you are not going to achieve much. For this you are going to need a well designed program to follow with some tangible goal at the end. Do you want to run your first marathon or have you set a goal of being 10% stronger in 4 weeks?

Having a goal will give you the motivation to push that little big harder at the next workout. You should also be keeping records of your workouts – how else will you know how hard to push yourself the next time?

To many isolation movements, not enough compound movements.
It seems like most guys are obsessed with getting huge guns. If that is what floats your boat then who am I to criticise, but dedicating so much time and energy to a couple of muscle groups seems strange to me.

What a lot of people fail to recognise is that compound movements can be really great arm builders too. Any compound back exercise is going to place a lot of stress on the biceps too. Any type of rowing, lat pull downs and especially chin-ups can do wonders for your biceps, not to mention adding some width to the back, which is probably lagging due to all the effort spent on isolation. Compound movements allow for a lot more load bearing and therefore have great growth potential.

What about the triceps? If your shoulders are healthy, dips are probably the best triceps builder around. Add in some close grip bench pressing and maybe one isolation movement (I know you’re going to do them anyway!) and you have a solid triceps routine.

This doesn’t only apply to arms though. In general gym goers do too much isolation. Take one of the ultimate compound lifts, like an Olympic power snatch. To work the same muscles in isolation would require at least performing: standing calf raise, leg extension, leg curls, shrugs, back extension, abdominal exercise just to name a few. You still wouldn’t get the intra-muscular co-ordination and metabolic kick up the butt either.

Compound movements allow you more bang for your buck and allow you to condense a workout into only a few exercises. Compound movements also stimulate more growth hormone release.

Too much pressing and not enough pulling
Ever noticed how a lot of big guys in the gym have rounded shoulders? Along with arms, bench pressing has to be the most overused exercise.

If you consider that a bench press is a horizontal pressing movement (relative to the correct anatomical position) it would follow that any kind of rowing would be a horizontal pulling movement. In order to develop the agonist and antagonist muscle pairs around the pecs, shoulders and back an even amount of pressing and pulling is required.

Because of this obsession with the bench press, the pectoral muscles, anterior deltoids and certain rotator cuff muscles overpower the back muscles of the rhomboids (responsible for pulling back and pinching your shoulder blades together) and posterior deltoids. Tightness in the pectoral muscles, due to lack of stretching, compounds the problem further by pulling the shoulders forward. This is a gross simplification and I don’t want to turn this into an anatomy lesson, but the take home message is that you should be doing an equal amount of pulling and pushing.

If you already resemble Quasimodo, I’d recommend seeing a specialist first. At the very least you should also cut back on your pressing and increase you pulling until your strength imbalance resolve. Stretching your pecs will also help. You should also check your desk ergonomics – chances are you’re reading this slouched over your desk. Your mother was right when she told you to sit up straight. There is only so much corrective exercise can do for you. If the other 23 hours in your day are spent slouching, chances are you will remain that way.

Horrible form
Again, it’s the guys who are most at fault here I’m afraid. Horrible form is usually the result of trying to lift too much weight. A bicep curl should be slow and controlled. It’s not a back exercise, but all too often you’ll see somebody with too much weight using their back to heave the weight up. I also see a lot of guys bouncing the weight off their chest in the bench press or racking the squat bar with too much weight and then performing 6 inch squats. Who are you fooling? If this is you then my advice is to leave your ego at the door. That gym hottie across the room who you’re trying to impress doesn’t care how much weight you’re lifting, really.

Regarding form, a muscle should be worked through its full range of motion – from full extension to complete flexion. I’ve seen the heaving-style bicep curls done where the elbows barely moved at all!

Ego aside, there are still people with good intentions who just get it wrong. If you’re not sure, check out somewhere like exrx.net to get your form correct.

How good is your gym? – Compare Here…

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Do Your Work…

Read The Sign…Its all youve gotta do!

Bruce Lee – 8 Diet Tips

Bruce Lee is famous for his devotion to martial arts and his great abilities in this field. He was not only an exceptional martial artist, but also a serious bodybuilder. He firmly believed that diet and nutrition played a very important role in achieving his objectives. However, he was not an expert in nutrition, he gained most of his information from bodybuilding magazines and experimented with different supplements in addition to eating a well balanced healthy diet. For Bruce Lee a good diet was one that provided him with the energy and nutrients to maximize his physical training.

The following diet rules are based on what is known about Bruce Lee’s daily eating regime. There are many references to “The Bruce Lee Diet”, but really such a diet simply attempts to replicate Bruce Lee’s dietary and eating patterns, as well as his fitness regimes, to try to attain a physique similar to that of Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee’s diet and exercise regime meant that he had close to zero percent body fat. Following this diet regime could help you to lose belly fat as well as improve muscular growth.

Bruce Lee Diet Rule 1: Avoid Refined Flour

Generally Bruce Lee avoided refined flour. So, he did not eat many baked foods such as biscuits and cakes, which he described as being “empty calories“. It is worth mentioning that today many people attribute irritable bowel syndrome to the excess consumption of refined flours. His philosophy was not to consume calories that did not provide some benefit to the body.

This approach to eating is very similar to that of the Buddhist scriptures, which states:

“You must learn to be moderate in eating, and eat only enough to remain healthy, and fit for trance. For excessive food obstructs the flow of the breath as it goes in and out, induces lassitude (lack of vitality), sleepiness, and kills all valour. As too much food has unfortunate consequences, also starvation does not lead to efficiency. For starvation drains away the body’s volume, lustre, firmness, performance and strength. You should take food in accordance with your individual capacity, neither too much nor, from pride, too little.” [From Buddhist Scriptures (amazon.com), edited by Edward Conze (1959).]

Bruce Lee Diet Rule 2: Chinese Food

Bruce Lee enjoyed Chinese food, as he felt that western food was often too bland. Some of his favourite Chinese dishes were beef in oyster sauce and tofu. However, he loved to eat steak and liver too, but overall preferred the more balanced approach of Asian dishes. He felt that often Western food placed too much emphasis on protein and fat and not enough on carbohydrates from vegetables, rice, pasta etc.

Bruce Lee Diet Rule 3:Avoid Dairy Food

Bruce Lee did not like dairy food, and only ate dairy as part of protein drinks, usually using powdered milk instead of fresh milk. This rule only helps to reduce total energy intake. Calcium from dairy has been found to help reduce the amount of fat that is digested.

Bruce Lee Diet Rule 4:Smaller Portions and More Meals

For Bruce Lee concentration on the type of foods eaten were not the only important consideration, the size of portions and number of meals were just as important. Bruce Lee would usually consume four or five smaller meals a day rather than a couple of large meals, plus some healthy snacks such as fruits.

Today bodybuilders often follow similar eating habits, eating high protein meals approximately every four hours to ensure the body has a good supply of proteins to help build and repair muscle tissue. Eating more often than every four hours can put too much pressure on the digestive system, leading to indigestion. This is another reason why constant snacking is not good for you.

Bruce Lee Diet Rule 5: Drink Protein Drinks

Bruce Lee consumed one or two protein drinks every day, plus fruit smoothies too. Although his protein drinks varied, they generally consisted of:

• Non-instant powdered milk – which is reported to have a higher concentration of calcium than other forms of powdered milk
• Eggs – sometimes with the shells
• Wheat germ / wheat germ oil
• Peanut butter
• Banana
• Brewers yeast (contains concentrated B vitamins, which are essential in the release of energy from carbohydrates).
• Inositol supplement (Inositol is found in many foods, particularly in cereals with high bran content. Inositol plays an important part in the health of cell membrane, in particular the specialized cells in the brain, bone marrow, eyes and intestines. The function of the cell membrane is to regulate the contents of the cell, which makes effective functioning of the cell possible).
• Lecithin – taken in granular form. (Lecithin is a mixture of glycolipids, triglycerides, and phospholipids. It is needed by every cell in the body and is a key building block of cell membranes; without it, they would harden. Lecithin protects cells from oxidation).

All ingredients would be mixed thoroughly in a food blender. Bruce Lee suggested that for better results (i.e. for gaining more muscle mass quicker) milk and cream can be added too.

Please bear in mind that the supplements Bruce Lee took were popular when he was researching bodybuilding during the 1960′s and early 1970′s, these supplements may now be superseded by new ones producing better results. Also bear in mind that all supplements may have side effects if taken to excess. It is best to check with your doctor/GP before starting a bodybuilding diet.

Bruce Lee Diet Rule 6: Take Dietry Supplements

Bruce Lee also took many mineral and vitamin supplements. Today there is a much greater variety of supplements on offer than there were when Bruce Lee was training. Knowledge about how different supplements interact and benefit us has advanced a great deal since the 1960′s, as a result there may be better and more efficient supplements available than the ones listed below. However, here are some of the supplements Bruce Lee is known to have taken:

• Vitamin C
• Lecithing granules
• Bee Pollen
• Vitamin E
• Rose hips (liquid form)
• Wheat germ oil
• Natural protein tablets (chocolate flavour)
• Acerola – C
• B-Folia

Bruce Lee Diet Rule 3: Increase Carbohydrates by Juicing and Blending

Bruce Lee knew that carbohydrates are essential for people with very high activity levels. It was for this that he regularly consumed fresh fruit and vegetable smoothies. Fruit and vegetables provide the richest source of carbohydrates, so Bruce Lee would often make juices/smoothies comprising of carrots, celery, apples, bananas and some parsley.

Usually carrots would make up one half of the contents of the drink, the remaining being split between the other fruits and vegetables. He also sometimes used green leafy vegetables, again with a large proportion of carrot juice to help offset the bitterness of the green leafy vegetables. Bruce Lee was ahead of his time hear, as these are the basic rules applied in our article how to lose belly fat.

Juicing fresh fruit and vegetables is a great way to consume high quality carbohydrates. Juicing allows the body to assimilate many nutrients more easily. The enzymes in the juiced vegetables are also organic catalysts that increase the rate at which food is broken down and absorbed.

Many enzymes are destroyed when vegetables are cooked, especially if boiled, therefore consuming raw fruit and vegetables is best. Some nutritionists suggest that for better health and more energy, approximately half of the carbohydrates consumed should come from raw fruit and vegetables.

Bruce Lee Diet Rule 8:Eat Honey and Ginseng

Bruce Lee often drank a Royal jelly and ginseng drink to give him a quick boost. These drinks are very small, and provide a very quick release of energy. Royal jelly contains B-complex vitamins, including a high concentration of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), acetylcholine, hormones, and eighteen amino acids. It also contains trace of many minerals, trace amounts of vitamin C, some enzymes, as well as antibacterial and antibiotic components. Contrary to claims by many of those promoting its use, vitamins A, D, and E are completely absent from royal jelly.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Ginseng promotes Yang energy, improves circulation, increases blood supply, revitalizes and aids recovery from weakness after illness, and stimulates the body.

SAMPLE MEALS:

Obviously Bruce Lee’s diet would have varied greatly during the 1960′s and early 1970′s as his training methods evolved, but here is what is possibly one of his typical days meals:

Breakfast

• Food: A bowl of muesli cereal, comprised of whole grains, nuts, and dried fruits, plus 2% milk (semi skimmed).
• Beverage: Orange Juice and/or tea.

Snack

• Juice or Protein Drink: Protein powder, non-instant powdered milk made with water or juice, eggs, wheat germ, bananas, peanut butter. Brewer’s yeast was frequently added.

Lunch

• Food: Meat, vegetables, and rice.
• Beverage: Tea.

Snack

• Juice or Protein Drink: see ingredients for morning-snack protein drink.

Dinner

• Food: Spaghetti and salad, or another meal of rice, vegetables, and meat, chicken, or seafood.
• Beverage: One glass of 2% milk and/or tea.

(This is the original Bruce Lee Diet article, written by J.P. Wade for Motleyhealth.com)

Wolverine Workout – Hugh Jackman

For the Wolverine movie Hugh Jackman worked with Steve Ramsbottom. There were 3 phases to this workout routine: Mass Building, Strength Training, Maintenance. Phase 1 was focused on building mass by changing the speed of each lift, a 3 second count up and then a 1 second count down or really slow 4 second count up and 4 second count down. Phase 2 focused on building strength by lifting heavy weights, without a second count. The first two phases lasted between 6 to 12 weeks, for one to two hours a day, five days a week. During Phase 3 he lifted weights 1 day and filled the other days with yoga, pilates, running, and stretching. Phase 3 was started just before filming.

Hugh Jackman’s diet was six meals a day made up of vegetables and lean proteins. He consumed 1000 calories over his normal intake during training to provide enough calories to build and maintain muscle mass.

Workout Routine:

                         DAY   EXERCISE                          SETS   REPS

                          1     Swiss Ball Dumbbell Chest Press   3      12
                                Super Set w/
                          1     Push-Ups                          3      25
                          1     Lat Pull Downs                    3      12
                                Super Set w/
                          1     External Shoulder Rotations       3      20
                          1     Cable Side Raises                 3      12
                          1     Barbell Curl                      3      12
                                Super Set w/
                          1     Close Grip Bar Push-Up            3      12

                          2     Squats                            3      12
                          2     Balance Bar Lunge                 3      12
                                Super Set w/
                          2     Split Leg Box Jump                3      30
                          2     Swiss Ball Jack Knife             3      20
                                Super Set w/
                          2     Swiss Ball Crunch                 3      20

                          3     Walking Lunges (w/ Dumbbell)      1      30
                          3     Push-Ups                          1      100
                          3     Swiss Ball Crunch                 1      50
                          3     Sprint (80% for 1min)             1      --
                          3     Inch Worms                        1      30
                          3     Lat Pull Downs                    1      50
                          3     Stairs                            1      20