Growth hormone is an amazing substance that can help us build muscle and lose fat faster. It is also extremely popular in helping to reverse the aging process.

To experience these wonderful benefits, there is no need to take dangerous or expensive supplements. There are a few things that you can do to boost your growth hormone levels naturally.

6 tips to stimulate growth hormone naturally

1. Get At Least 8 Hours of Sleep a Night

Growth hormone levels are elevated during sleep. Getting more sleep is a great way to speed up your muscle gain/fat loss progress.

A lack of sleep not only results in a decrease in growth hormone production, it increases a muscle wasting hormone called cortisol. This hormone actually destroys our muscle!

2. Perform Strength Training

Strength training is proven to be more efficient at stimulating the release of growth hormone more than any other form of exercise.

3. Perform the Big Lifts

When in the gym, it is best to focus on the big lifts. Exercises such as squats, lunges, deadlifts, bench press, chin ups and dips are the most efficient exercises at boosting our growth hormone levels.

4. Short Intense Cardio

Doing brief, intense cardio sessions are a great way to increase our growth hormone levels. They are far superior to longer, lower intensity exercises such as jogging.

5. Get Out Of Breath

Whether it is your strength workouts or your cardio, you want to push to the point where you are gasping for air. The build up of lactic acid and the out of breath feeling, are good indicators your training will boost your growth hormone levels.

6. Wait a While After Training Before Eating

You want to wait an hour or 2 before eating anything after a workout. This is because our growth hormone levels are elevated after a workout.

If we eat during this time, we risk increasing our insulin levels. This will automatically decrease our growth hormone levels. This is because growth hormone and insulin don’t work well together. If one is high, the other will be low.

Did you find this information helpful?

For more fat loss tips, as well as a free ebook outlining how you can lose fat eating absolutely anything you want check out http://www.lukesfatlosstips.com

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It is truly a sad sight, to see an athlete riddled with nagging to serious injuries from a lack of mobility and technique. This is especially true for athletes or fitness enthusiasts that incorporate advanced Olympic lifts into their workouts. I am a big believer in the idea you need to crawl before you walk. This idea manifests in your workouts. An athlete needs to warm-up properly before training with the big Olympic lifts. If you don’t warm-up properly, you’re just setting yourself up for a bone-head injury. Here are the top three aspects you should know when training with Olympic lifts:

1. Power breathing will boost the body’s strength and stability (something coined from Bruce Lee and later Pavel). Learning to power breath will maximize the intra-abdominal pressure that will increase your power during the lift, as well as boost your ability to maintain focus. The most important key word here is “intra-abdominal”, which should not be confused with intra-thoracic. You should be able to stand up straight, draw air into your abdominals, and brace them for long periods of time. You know you are doing it right when your pelvic area becomes tightened and this tightness extends into your upper abdominal area. I use a hybrid of Grey Cook’s, Pavel’s and Stuart McGill’s tactics for getting into the proper posture and power breathing. Here’s a quick paraphrased rundown of what I do:

a. Extend your arms over head. Reach as high as possible and breathe easy.

b. Lean slightly back if necessary to feel the lower abdominals. In this position, breathe air in and out of your abdominals (still keeping the abs braced).

c. Slowly bring your hand down in front of you (keep hands as close as possible to your body by bending your elbows). Keep your chest and shoulders in the start position as much as possible as your arms lower themselves.

d. Once your arms are lowered contract the shoulders around the arm pit while pulling your shoulders down and back.

e. Now rotate your thumbs at your sides in and out as far as possible without changing position of your arms. This will allow your chest to extend forward and up. You are now in your strongest position. Be aware of how your back muscles feel. The posterior chain is the most important area. Being aware of how these back muscles feel will allow you to know if your spine is in the ready (neutral) position for Olympic lifts. Also, try to breath with abdominals braced, as you go through your warm-up and stretches.

2. The hip/pelvic region IS the power behind Olympic lifts, or any closed chain lift, for that manor. The big guns here:

a. The gluteus maximus, which is the primary hip extensor, and external rotator.

b. Gluteus medius (and minimus) are abductors by nature.

c. The smaller, but very important helpers are QL (quadrates lumborum), obliques and the deeper six hip musculature (piriformis, obturator internus/external, gemellus superior/inferior, and quadrates femorus). These helpers assist by neutralizing and stabilizing excess rotation, both internal and external around the spine. Therefore, if you are going to take Olympic lifting seriously, you must keep the hip/pelvic complex mobile and ready.

3. Mental focus and confidence. You have to know you can lift the weight and do so properly, before you touch the bar. Visualization techniques work great here. Focusing on the necessary movements and nothing else is one of my favorite versions of building focus. You need to be able to push everything out of your mind, except the lift at hand. It is good to practice this while warming up and focus on nothing but the warm-up drills. Some other easy ways to do this is using an MP3 player to drown out the background noise, or simply mentally picture the movements before doing them. However you wish to get the mental focus aspect down… do it. It should not be overlooked.

With these three aspects in mind, I’ll go into some good drills to get you ready for cleans or snatches. These are not all the possible drills you could do, but they are among my favorites for preparing for a lift. All these drills are done in dynamic fashion. This means you should start off slow and go for slight stretch and contraction. At this point, you can be very conscientious of your movements and work the kinks out a bit so you can benefit from the warm-up. You then increase the speed and the deepness of the stretch and contractions as you become more subconscious of the movement. This is more specific to actually performing an Olympic lift because you cannot afford to be conscious of the movement. You will need to have a subconscious understanding, and just lift it.

1. Iso-shoulder or Serratus Pushup to Hand Walk outs - Purpose- Warm-up the GH joint and upper core complex (the core of an Olympic lifter extends from the shoulders to the knees).

a. Get into the pushup position. Chin slightly tucked, and feet spread about hip width.

b. Perform a serratus pushup by retracting only the shoulder blades together, and then protract the shoulder blades so the back is rounded. Return to the “neutral” start position.

c. Brace the abdominal area tighter and walk hands forward without allowing any other body movement (including swaying side to side). Perform this 5 - 10 times.

2. Adductor active stretches - Purpose - increase mobility and efficiency of the adductors and other deep secondary muscles of the anterior medial pelvic/hip area.

a. Start on your knees and hands. Chin slightly tucked.

b. Keep you back neutral the entire time. Do not let it round. If your back rounds you are no longer in your ROM and will not be stretching the correct muscles. Your knees must be spread as wide as possible in YOUR ROM.

c. From this position, shift your weight onto your lower body, making sure to keep the back neutral. Shift you weight forward and tilt your body towards your right or left hand as far as possible (whichever you want).

d. Shift your weight back to the lower body and come forward again, this time towards the opposite side. Perform 10-20 times.

3. Gorilla Touchdown to Overhead Squat - Purpose - increase hip flexion and hip extension mobility.

a. Stand with feet spread hip width apart, and feet facing forward. Reach down with a neutral back and chin slightly tucked, as if you were performing a straight leg deadlift.

b. Go to the absolute extent you can reach, without rounding your back. At this point, begin rounding your back from the lumbar area all the way until you get to the cervical (neck) area. You should be touching the floor. If not, you should reconsider doing power emphasized Olympic lifts, until you gain enough mobility to do so.

c. From this position, lower your hips down while bending your knees. As your hips drop past the 90 degree bend point, raise your head to look up and retract your shoulder blades so your chest is out and up. Also, your feet should not be turning out. If they are, you probably lack ankle mobility to deal with deep squats. I highly suggest working on this mobility to keep your knees safe.

d. Now you should be in a deep squat position, with your hands on the floor and head up. From here, raise your arms over your head and squat directly up, forcing your chest out and up and hip forward (extending). Perform 3-6 times.

4. Cable Pull through- Purpose- Develop power in the hip extension movement, while stabilizing the torso so the spine remains neutral through the movement. You need a cable apparatus that lowers the pulley close to the ground. Also, attach handles that allow you to keep your hands between your legs, without hitting them with the attachment.

a. Stand a few feet in front of the cable apparatus (facing away from it) with feet spread hip width apart and feet facing directly forward. Shoulders should be retracted and hips extended fully forward. Hold the attachment between your legs.

b. Squat down and back towards the apparatus, with your back remaining perfectly neutral. Go to your ROM.

c. Explode forward, extending the hips as fast as possible. Perform 5-10x.

Give these warm-up drills a try, and remember the key aspects to Olympic lifting.

Ty Ferrell is a NASM certified personal trainer and a constant student of the vast field of fitness. He is the founder of http://www.thefitnessroad.com and can be reached there.

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Many people will invest a great deal of money in a treadmill, and after a few months it is then being used as a clothes hanger. Many will retire their treadmill due to boredom, others for injury and still others due to not enough weight loss.

In this article, I hope you will find that you want to get back on that treadmill and retrain yourself on the ways of healthy and happy treadmill use.

Always Warm up and Cool Down

To decrease the possibility of injury, users must always allow time for proper stretching and warm up of the muscles. Users also want to increase their heart rate slowly so as to get the blood flowing through out the body. Many people find that stretching their heels on the side of the treadmill will help reduce bone spurs; others prefer to warm up on the treadmill at a 1 to 2 Mph speed.

Cooling down is also important for preventing muscle cramps and slowing your heart rate to normal while still moving or walking.

Increasing Workouts

Try to stay motivated and on task while exercising. Many people will try and speed their workouts up to increase weight loss, and the only thing that happens is injury or burn out. Most need at least 2 to 3 week at one pace before increasing speed. This will make your weight loss increase so that your body does not become accustomed to one speed or skill level.

Getting Results on Your Treadmill

The best way to achieve weight loss on a treadmill is by interval training. Interval training is allowing yourself to warm up, then increase to a fast walk, then to a run (if able) and then back to a walk or fast walk to catch your breath. Each of these sequences should last between 60 seconds to 3 minutes or more depending on your fitness level. This way of training will allow you a great cardiovascular workout, as well as, a maximum calorie burn.

You can also increase your calorie burn with adding an incline to your workout. You can add an incline to your total workout or do the incline in intervals.

Availability to Almost Everyone

Treadmills are a wonderful addition to any family home. The versatility of losing weight or heart health is why the treadmill is the most popular piece of fitness equipment purchased every year. With many new changes to the shock absorbing decks and orthopedic belts this makes treadmills an option for almost anyone. And with the new iFit programs or any number of motivational CD and DVD’s available for workouts on a treadmill, you can easily stay motivated.

Stay with the Program and you will succeed!

You will achieve success at your treadmill workouts, just always remember these tips, keep up the time and activity level, and you will achieve the body you deserve.

Brady Freeman is a regular contributor at Treadmill Doctor. Dedicated to filling all your treadmill needs including Treadmill Reviews, Treadmill Best Buys and Treadmill Belts.

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There are many cases where people usually can’t find the motivation or reason for them to workout. Most people who start out well, usually run out of steam or fail to complete their long term plans for greater health. On the other hand, others seem to pull it off easily. Why does it seems so easy for those people?

Well the truth is, it’s not a great secret for those people, it’s just that most people haven’t figured out their “Key to Motivation”.

You have to stop telling yourself negative stuff like, “Why can’t I do this?”, “Why am I so weak?”, “Why am I still fat?” or, “Why can’t I be like that guy/girl over there?”.

The truth is, while it’s important for you to realize everyone has that motivation, drive, will power, strength, potential and much more within ALL of us! You’ve already possess everything you need to achieve your goals, the only obstacle lies in the fact that you have not figured out the “Pandora’s Box” in your mind.

For starters, The 3 Key Motivation Factors would be:

1. Never say NO! If you never say no and never give up on the things you do, you can and WILL always achieve something better or even beyond what you think you are capable of. A person who always have the word “NO” at the back of their head will always end up running into a dead end and get stuck there for quite sometime or even forever. That’s where we find a lot of people giving up on their Weight(Fat) Loss journey or their Fitness Regime. By conditioning your mind to saying “yes, I can do this”, you are already a big step in front from others and at the same time you are creating a huge breakthrough for yourself.

2. What are you thinking? What is the thing that you are thinking that distracts you and makes you concentrate less on the thing that you should be fully focused on (your training)? You have your good and bad training days, but you have to get a hold of what makes that good and bad day exist and how you could turn the bad day to some what less dreadful. Find out what is bothering you during your training session, do not put it aside. Learn how to understand the problem and solve it, you must give yourself a reason WHY is it disrupting your training on that particular day. Get yourself back on track and give your 110% on your training.

3. Faith. Faith plays a big role in our life in so many ways. Have faith in the things you do, have faith that you will perform better than what you are doing currently. By doing so, you will always have a higher expectation for yourself during your training. But do know what are the limits for your expectations. Make it relevant and simple. Don’t hope for things like, “I want to be fit and sexy in 1 week” or “I want to lift from 5kg to 50kg in the next training session”. Give yourself realistic expectations, not dreams that you could never achieve.

Discover How I Got My Beach Body with Solid Abdominals In 16 Weeks!

Visit http://www.trainerqunling.com and claim your FREE Beach Body Workout Routine along with other Fitness Tips!

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Although stretching exercises were ignored for many years in sport, Post-Exercise Stretching is now an accepted part of the training routine. Its purpose is not the same as the stretching exercises carried out when limbering up. Post-exercise stretching is part of the dynamic phase of the work when warming up, whereas post-exercise stretching is carried out after the effort as such - intensive training or competition - to “cool down” the muscular system, in the recuperation phase; and after the competition or training so that the muscles recover their initial elasticity, in order to avoid permanent tension on the tendons.

Stretching exercises are designed to relax the muscles and prevent soreness. In animals, stretching is instinctive. Through civilization, man has lost this instinct. In the martial arts, this gymnastic exercise was developed many years ago.

Stretching should not be considered as a relaxation activity.

Stretching is not an activity in its own right and is therefore part of all physical exercises. A muscle which works shortens. With Stretching a muscle regains its original length and its contraction speed.

When Is Stretching Required:

It is best not to do too much stretching before training or a competition. Cardiovascular warming up and loosening up all the joints in the body is sufficient before the workout as such. After training or the competition, a good Stretching session is welcome. It should not be confused, however, with relaxation which can be carried out in an isolated place, in a comfortable position, in peace and quiet.

Every day, walking affects some muscles of your legs. Permanently working these muscles shortens them, hence the need to stretch them to prevent pinching in the lumbar spine resulting in sciatica.

for more information about exercise and how to be in better shape, visit http://turbulencetrainingnew.blogspot.com/

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A lot of people who have just realized that they need to get rid of extra kilograms are looking for weight loss workout programs. Most of the time they don’t even know how effective training program looks like, what exercises they should be doing and for how long they should workout to get rid of extra belly fat. In this article I will discuss about three ingredients which make weight loss workout programs effective. They are: Intensity of the workout program, Type of the workout program and specificity of the workout program.

A lot of beginners don’t understand that intensity shows the effectiveness of the weight loss workout program. The thing is that a lot of people spend too much time in the gym chatting, walking around and doing nothing. It is proven by experts that more intensive workout sessions give better results. Sometimes that kind of workout session are called super sessions but anyway - the concept remains the same. The main benefit of intensive workouts is that you save your time, your spend less time in the gym, but you work harder, more intense and you burn even more calories. In simple English language this means that a person shouldn’t do pauses longer than 2 minutes. Professionals say that it is even better do not make pauses longer than 1 minute, but we aren’t professionals and I personally think that pauses that aren’t longer than 2 minutes sill work. A lot of people spend a lot of their valuable and precious time walking around the gym and chatting after they have done one exercise. Well, if a person would spend less time doing that and if he would rather do more exercises at that time - this is what is meant by intensive workouts.

Aerobic workouts or aerobic exercises is another, very effective way how you can lose weight. It seems that people like to talk about aerobic training, but they don’t like to put their words into action simply because aerobic exercises are boring. I agree 110% that they are boring, but the thing is that there are a lot of other aerobic exercises which aren’t boring. We simply put our minds into to frame and we can’t think further, we think that we can only workout aerobically using those boring and massive machines in the gym: treadmill, stepper and etc. Only think about, tennis, football, basketball, womens aerobic, cycling, roller blading are great examples of aerobic exercises ant you can pick the activity you like the most! Ironic, but today I was playing a lot of basketball in the local park with my friends. I fell like I’ve burned way more calories than I usually do in the gym and I was only playing for about an hour.

Bodybuilders very often use low weights and they do a lot of repetitions with those weights. This method of training is very popular in the world of bodybuilding, because it is one of the most effective ways how you can burn the fat layer above your muscles. The best thing about this method of training is that at the same you tone your muscles and you increase your muscular endurance and you don’t even need to look for a new weight loss workout program. Simply use lighter weights than you were used to, but do more repetitions. To see the effectiveness of this method of training you’ll need to wait for about one to two months, but the end results are astonishing!

I don’t want to be the dude who gives out the information which has zero value. These three weight loss workout secrets are really, really important and I don’t say that you have to forget about your usual training program or your diet, but you should always remember these three ingredients of effective weight loss workout program. They were proven by time and experiences of many people.

Right, I know that there are many bastards who sell the same information on weight loss over and over again… You know what? I give away 5 day e-course on Weight Loss for Free, so if you are interested, make sure you check it out at http://www.weightlossfornewbies.com

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Working out consistently is a very important if you wish to reduce body fat and lose weight. It is equally important if you are happy with your weight and simply want to maintain it and live a healthy life style. There are some things you can do immediately (you may already be doing these things but if not you should start) to get more out of your workouts and reach your goals quicker.

The first step deals with warming up and stretching. It is critical that before you get into the “main” part of your workout that you adequately warm up and stretch. I recommend getting your blood flowing first as opposed to stretching ice cold muscles. To warm up and stretch properly, hop on your favorite piece of cardio equipment (or run in place, do jumping jacks, etc) and spend about 5 minutes getting your blood flowing so you break a slight sweat. Once you have your blood flowing and circulating go ahead and spend another 5 minutes stretching out. Be sure to really focus on the particular body part you will be working that day. Proper warm up and stretching will allow you to get more out of your workout and reduce the chance of injury.

The second tip deal with staying hydrated. Be sure to drink plenty of water while you are working out. Don’t drink so much that you get bloated or that you’ll develop a cramp but be sure to drink enough to stay adequately hydrated. When you finish your workout, be sure to continue to drink plenty of water to replenish your body. Not staying adequately hydrated during your workout can drastically reduce your performance. Not hydrating yourself properly after working out will inhibit your body’s ability to recover and could adversely affect future performance. It is very important to stay adequately hydrated both during and after your workout.

The last tip deals with setting goals for your workouts. Go into the gym knowing exactly what you are trying to accomplish. Not only will your workouts be more efficient and but you will have a greater level of focus. The more you are focused on exactly what it is you are trying to accomplish in the gym, regardless of weather it’s a strength training workout or a cardio workout, the more efficient you will be and the more you will get out of your workout. Having a workout notebook where you can log all of your workouts in terms of weight, reps, etc will allow you to push yourself and carefully monitor your progress to ensure you are moving in the direction you want to be. By setting goals and by knowing exactly what you want to accomplish prior to starting your workout, you will be more efficient and get more out of your workout.

Use these tips and you will start to get much more out of your workouts. The more you get out of your workouts, the faster you will reach your goals. Put these tips into action and reap the rewards.

Brody Beach has a passion for helping others achieve their weight loss and fitness goals. Brody’s mission is to help as many people as possible to develop the bodies they truly desire. For a free copy of one of Brody’s ebooks and to receive a free personalized weight loss/fitness program designed by Brody to fit your individual needs, visit http://www.weight-loss-truth.com

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This is very simple and basic if you want to lose weight you need to create a caloric deficit by dropping the amount of calories you consume on a daily basis in proportion to a consistent activity level. This deficit does not have to be drastic, (remember the slight edge philosophy of small actions adding up). Obviously if your activity level drops than you have to adjust accordingly.

When adjusting your calories for fat loss it is important to not starve yourself. Don’t think that if you starve yourself for 10 days and work out super intense that this will make you lose weight super fast. What you will do is invoke your body’s starvation response which lowers your BMR. Refer back to my slight edge philosophy that entertains the idea of small actions adding up over time.

So basic calorie math says that 3500 calories are equal to 1 pound of body fat. If you create a caloric deficit of 3500 calories in a week combined with proper exercise and diet you will lose one pound of body fat. 7000 calories in a week will result in 2 pounds of body fat lost. This is a simple formula and it may vary depending upon your body’s initial response to its caloric deficit. This is a great starting point to see how your body reacts.

Now for your body composition it is important to understand that if you are over weight your maintenance level is where your body will stay at its current condition. So in order to see weight loss you have to drop your level down. It is very important that you do not severely cut your calories because this will in turn slow your metabolism and you will lose muscle tissue. You do not need to lose muscle tissue. A good rule of thumb for you would be to cut calories in increments of 500. Never more than 1000. This will enable you to find that threshold point where cutting too much will have a negative effect. This is very important that you understand this.

Weight Loss Expert Brody Beach specializes in helping individuals with their weight loss goals. He is currently taking applications for a FREE weight loss plan. He is looking to help aid people in putting together a personalized weight loss plan for FREE. If you are interested in this opportunity please visit http://www.weight-loss-truth.com

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The “No Time To Spare” Trap

Ask most people if exercise is important, and you’ll get an overwhelming yes. Yet it often gets shoved aside as other details in life vie for your time and attention. This is especially evident when you consider that less than 10 percent of adults in the country regularly engage in physical activity.

The question I often ask my clients is,

“How can you make exercise a non-negotiable priority?”

If this seems like an impossible task, you may need to reevaluate your standards and priorities. Your life may be chronically over-scheduled. Can you continue living this way? If so, what price are you paying? Are you taking care of yourself? Are you happy? Do you feel good? Ironically, many of my over-scheduled clients attribute the fact that they don’t work out to laziness, when in reality, they are truly too busy! If time is rare and precious, then you certainly cannot afford to be sick. All the more reason to invest in making time to take care of yourself. Not enough time to get a “real” workout in?

Don’t get caught in the “All-or-Nothing Trap!”

I know I’ve talked myself out of exercising because I didn’t feel like I had enough time and I figured “it’s not worth it.” Over the long term, even the tiny amounts–5 minutes here and there are worth it! Here are some fun facts about how the little bits go a long way:
* 5 minutes of taking the stairs at work twice daily/ five times a week = 43 hours of exercise per year!
* 10 minutes of walking three times per week=26 hours per year
* 15 minutes of dancing in your living room one time per week=13 hours per year

5 Tips To Make Exercise Fun

1. Find an activity that you love. Exercise does not have to be a chore. If you like engaging with others, consider playing a team sport. If you love to dance, turn up the music, and get your groove on.

2. Keep it diverse. Maybe you want to try a variety of activities, like rockclimbing, swimming, belly dancing, or yoga. You do not need to dedicate yourself to just one sport.

3. The Mind-Body Connection: If you are a multi-tasking exercise enthusiast-download an audio book or your favorite music to your cd or ipod.

4. Invest in some comfy exercise clothes. Workout attire need not be fashion show material, but it is important to wear clothes that breathe and allow you to move. I know this sounds silly, but I love my yoga pants. Having good gear often inspires me to practice.

5. Enlist a buddy- a friend, co-worker, family member or personal trainer. Working out with someone else can be really motivating. Plus, it will keep you consistent. Most people who have a hard time showing up for themselves will not miss an appointment with someone else.

My Challenge to you:
Make a commitment to making exercise a non-negotiable priority. I invite you to email me your solid commitment for the next two weeks. Notice the barriers that get in the way of taking care of yourself. Be solid! Unrelenting. No excuses! You now know that even 5 minutes a day adds up.

**SPECIAL GIFT OFFER from me for those that follow through, but you have to email me your commitment first!

Stacey Morgenstern is a certified nutrition expert, chef, and co-owner of Rainbow Grocery Cooperative in San Francisco. She specializes in optimal health, cravings, kicking the sugar habit, and integrating healthy habits into behaviors that last. For more great tips, teleclasses, recipes to help you live the BEST life ever sign up for our free e-newsletter at http://www.fivepointwellness.com For more information contact stacey@fivepointwellness.com

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Lack of motivation is the most cited reason why people do not workout. It is not that they don’t want to workout, and it is certainly not that they don’t want to see the results that come with working out. It’s just that they do not “feel” like working out when the time comes. Obviously we can all come up with many reasons why we don’t feel like going to the gym, and we can convince ourselves that we’ll go later or that missing one day won’t hurt. But missing one day CAN hurt and it can then turn into missing two days or two weeks in a row. Instead of letting this happen to you, read these tips to make sure you stay motivated to workout.

Tracking Your Progress Is HUGE

Almost all motivation most people have to work out is derived from seeing progress or knowing that progress is a real possibility. However, most people make crucial mistakes that make tracking their progress very difficult. The most important thing you can do is keep a written account of everything associated with your workout. What exercises did you perform? In what order? How much weight? How many sets? How many reps? How much rest in between? The more things you keep track of, the more chances you will have to see progress the next time you workout. Maybe you were able to lift 2 extra reps in your final set than the last time you worked out. This is motivating! And it will help you to keep coming back for more.

Set Realistic And Concrete Goals For Yourself

Setting realistic goals is incredibly important if you want to achieve results. And research has proven that WRITING DOWN your goals dramatically increases your chances of actually achieving them. Make your goals as specific as possible so you can really shoot for something solid and attainable. If you are currently able to bench press 180 lbs. for 8 reps, make a goal to be able to bench 200 lbs. for 8 reps within the next two months (or bench 180 lbs. for 10 reps instead of 8). If you do not set these goals, you may be content to continue doing the exact same workout for weeks or months on end. And if you don’t incrementally increase the intensity of your workout, you will not see progress and you will not build muscle.

But Don’t Change Your Workouts Too Often

You need to keep your workout routines consistent for about 4-6 weeks in a row, otherwise you will not be able to track your progress or determine if you are meeting your goals. The slightest changes, from including another exercise to varying the order you perform your exercises in, can drastically change your results from week to week. For example, if one session you do bench press followed by bench flys, and the next time you train chest you reverse this order, your numbers will be all off and you won’t be able to compare your results. Don’t just settle for the next open machine. Do your workout the way you planned on doing it before you got to the gym. (Of course, this is not to say that you should keep your routine the same forever. In a future post, I will explain the importance of switching up your workouts to shock your muscles every 4-6 weeks or so).

I am confident that if you follow this advice you will be much more motivated to go to the gym and in turn will build more muscle!

MusclePost.com is a resource of information on building muscle, with articles on training routines, nutritional supplements, motivation, and product reviews. It also provides a forum for discussion on these topics and encourages readers to contribute to the conversation.

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