No Nonsense Muscle Building

Why do people put so nonsense into muscle building, no nonsense muscle building is the way to building big muscles. Thats right, take the no nonsense muscle building approach and you are on to a winner straight away. By no nonsense muscle building what do we mean? Well put simply it means taking no crap and weight lifting like you are meant too.

If you are wondering what you should do to carry out no nonsense muscle building then follow the next three steps to success.

Step 1)

Ignore all the lads throwing their body’s around and not lifting correctly, you know the guys, the ones who spend ages in front of the mirror and talking like they are world class weightlifters who no more than everyone else. These guys talk nonsense and need to be ignored.

Step 2)

Get a real weight lifting routine and stick to it religiously and carry it out correctly. This means strict form even if you lift less, your muscles with strengthens more quickly and your body will not get injured. The whole point of weight lifting is keeping focussed, not missing sessions and carrying out the sessions correctly.

Step 3)

Eat well and eat right. Dont eat less, you will never get bigger if you don’t feed your muscles, but don’t eat crap either. You need to eat the right foods and a lot of them to build superior muscles. Get an understanding of your body and what it needs then feed it up, eat your greens, eat proteins and the right types of carbs.

Following this no nonsense muscle building approach you will find your muscles will increase in weeks rather than months. I have personally trained with people who have nearly doubled their strength in three months simply by following the above.

Muscle Building for Skinny Guys

Everyone is different and because of a person’s genetic make up some people find it more difficult to bulk up with muscle than others, this is especially noticeable in muscle building for skinny guys.

Skinny guys fit into the Ectomorphic Somatotype; this is being thin and tall with little to no body fat. This generally means that the skinny guy can eat a lot and never puts on weight, a plus many would think...but not when muscle building is the achievement wanted.

Although muscle building for skinny guys is harder to achieve, it is not unachievable if the right routines are followed in exercise and nutrition.

So how do you achieve muscle building for skinny guys?

First rule is not to carry out cardio too much, if at all. While walking and general everyday exercise is fine, jumping on the treadmill or rowing machine is just going to keep eating up those calories and means you wont gain weight.

Second rule is to ensure you get a good strong weightlifting workout following something like the 5x5 workout, but also ensuring you get enough rest between workouts for your body to recouperate.

The final and most important rule is to eat, eat and eat. Muscle building is all about nutrition as well as working out. If you are someone who finds it hard to put on weight when eating how are you going to bulk up muscle without building up your calorific intake. The rule of thumb is to take your weight in pounds (times your kilogram weight by 2.2 to get this figure) and times this by 16 to 18 to achieve your required calorie intake while weight training properly. For a 170 pound male (77 kg male) this means eating between 2720 – 3065 calories a day.

There is no reason that muscle building for skinny guys should be so hard, it simply needs a change in training and nutrition to achieve the required results. As you start to eat more and train hard you should start to see differences in a matter of 12 weeks.

If you are a skinny guy who is muscle building and you follow the information above and gain results please come back and post to give confidence and support to others trying to achieve muscle building for skinny guys.

Weightlifting and High Blood Pressure

For years people have said that exercise improves your blood circulation and also helps with blood pressure, the question has been whether weightlifting fits into this category.

If you have high blood pressure then exercise is a great way of improving this, but while many may take up walking, running or using an exercise bike, can weightlifting be seen as an alternative option?

The answer to this question is yes!

While it is known that when weightlifting you can experience a spike in blood pressure, this is usually a mix of exerting yourself in lifting heavy weights compounded by not breathing correctly during your weightlifting. It is for this reason that previously weightlifting was seen as a no no for people with high blood pressure.

The truth is that the longer term benefits of weightlifting are that resting blood pressure rates are lowered by weightlifting. this gives a great reason to start weightlifting if you have high blood pressure.

If you are reading this thinking "I have high blood pressure and want to give this a go" then there are a couple of things you need to be aware of before embarking on your new weightlifting regime:

• Consult your Doctor and let them give you the green light to train first and foremost
• Practise breathing exercises to ensure you never hold your breath when lifting
• Do not lift heavy weights in a powerlifting style, lift lighter weights and more repetitions as the strain of lifting heavier weights can make your blood pressure rise
• Do not over do it and if your body is telling you that your doing too much then take a rest or stop for the day

5 ways to increase strength

Are you working hard in the gym but hitting the plateau and want a way to increase your strength? Maybe your new to training and want some instant strength gratification for motivation purposes, well now’s your chance with my 10 ways to increase strength.

Tip 1) Warm up before lifting weights

Yes it’s the old cliché that you need to warm up before lifting but it is true. It is so common for people to neglect their warm up and then find their muscles can’t lift very heavy, not to mention the potential for injury. It is very important for strength training and to reduce the possibility of injury to warm up before weightlifting.

Tip 2) Rest

By rest we don’t mean sit in front of the TV like Homer Simpson, no we mean give your body a good three minute rest between sets so your body can regenerate ATP so your muscles have as much energy as possible to lift.

Tip 3) Train your weaknesses

Most people actually neglect their weaknesses and keep to the exercises that make them feel strong, but without training your weaknesses you will not see so many strength gains. Make sure you include one exercise at least per session that works on a weakness in your body, this may be partial reps for the lower part of the benchpress or carrying out that exercise you hate.

Tip 4) Find a stronger partner

It is surprising how having a training partner stronger than yourself can actually help you lift heavier. Its simple mental strength on this one, you don’t want to be the weaker of the two training partners so you motivate yourself mentally to lift heavier and find inspiration from your partner.

Tip 5) Go heavy on 5x5

Take your compound lifts and start lifting with five sets for five reps on the heaviest weight you can manage the full five sets and five reps. This is the typical workout regime for the strong men of the world and will really boost your strength. As soon as you achieve five set for five reps on a weight add another 2.5kg on your next session.

Summary

Follow the simple tips above and you could see an increase in strength in a matter of weeks rather than months. It is the simple changes in training that have the biggest impact.

Weightlifting Weight Loss

Did you know that weightlifting is an amazing way to support weight loss?

Its true yet not something many people try in their endeavours to lose weight, even though weight lifting is an immense way to not only increase muscle mass but lose weight through fat loss.

When you carry out weight lifting you will start building muscle mass and without realising you will also start to see your fat start to reduce. Contrary to popular belief fat does not turn into muscle, what will happen is that you will expend more calories from weight training than before when you didnt train. You will also see that when your muscle mass increases you will actually expend more energy without even training on a daily basis.

This works because for every extra pound (just under half kilogram) of weight you put on in muscle mass your body will expend an extra sixty calories per day without you even moving! It is for this reason that bigger muscular men can eat all the time while staying lean....well there is a little part of diet in this too.

So if your thinking of losing weight dont just stick to the cardio get involved and start weight lifting too.

Muscle Balancing Act

We all know the balancing act whereby we have one side of our bodies stronger than the other, this is most evident in the arms due to being right handed or left handed. This is most common among newbies to the gym who have never trained before.

We all know that when we lift the bench press for example there is one side that we find easier to lift than another; it may be that your right side feels it can keep going while the left starts to flounder so how do you combat this imbalance?

My personal preference to combat this issue is by lifting with dumbbells. By taking the same exercises but using dumbbells you are letting each side of the body work independent of the other, this means that one side cannot support the other by taking the brunt of the weight.

Initially you may find the weaker side gives up before your stronger side so you have to stop earlier than you would expect but over time (a short time) the weaker side will improve and catch up with your stronger side. By doing this you will also find when you go back to barbell exercises you will actually be able to lift more!

If you find that you have one side of your body weaker than the other whether its your arms, shoulders or legs why not start isolating the muscles so they work independent and can catch up with the stronger side over time.

Built like a Bear or a Racehorse

Everyone talks about body types such as endomorph, ectomorph or mesomorph but there is a simplier explanation to body types. This simplier explanation means your a bear or a racehorse, yes not quite what you expected I know but hear me out.

If you look at those that train in the gym on a regular basis you will tend to notice that many people do not fit into one of the three specific body types of endomorph, ectomorph or mesomorph. The reason why most people dont fit into one of these types is because many people have charactaristics of a combination of two of these types.

Now forgetting these body types you can see whether someone fits into the simplier explanation of being a bear or a racehorse, but what does this actually mean?

Built like a bear

If your built like a bear it means that you find it very easy to put on muscle and tend to carry a higher fat percentage, the problem is that you are bulky but dont have definition. A bear also suffers with the issue that by trying to cut up by losing fat they also lose alot of muscle in the process.

Bears tend to eat less often than a racehorse yet still put on weight (fat or muscle).

Built like a racehorse

If your built like a racehorse you find it very hard to build muscle mass yet tend to be lean, carry a low fat percentage and is well defined. A racehorse enjoys being well defined but really suffers with trying to pack on the muscle even if they train exactly the same as a bear.

A racehorse is able to eat all the time but not put on weight (fat or muscle).

Summary

Now I know I am a bear, I put on muscle quick while carrying a higher fat percentage but also find it easy to lose my muscle gains if I dont eat enough.

So what are you a bear or a racehorse, do you find it easy to pack on the muscle and fat yet struggle with definition like a bear or are you well defined yet struggle to pile on the pounds in muscle like a racehorse?

Secret to Strength and Size

When it comes to the secret to strength and size there are many articles that profess to tell you exactly what the secret to strength and size is, truth be told its not a huge secret its a simple formula to success.

When it comes to the secret to strength and size the answer to getting huge gains in strength and size all you need to do is follow a few training principles, which are:

• Ensure the three big lifts of the Bench Press, Squat and Deadlift are used every week with one ever training session.
  
• Ensure all training sessions are completed every week with the minimum of three per week.
• Every training session try to increase the amount of weight or reps carried out on all exercises, or just the big lifts.

Now these supposed "Secrets" dont sound like they will make a huge difference but they definatley will. Many people carry out the bench press every week but alot of people neglect the squat and deadlift.

Interestingly the deadlift is probably the best exercise there is as it utilises more muscles than nearly all other exercises so if carried out regularly carrying you will see your strength and mass increase quite quickly. To me the deadlift is the king of all weight lifting exercises.

The squat further supports this by building your leg muscles further giving you overall strength and size with the bench press carried out also.

The idea behind not missing training sessions and using extra weight or reps on every session is to push your muscles so they repair bigger and stronger every time you train.

If your new to training and you follow the secret to strength and size above then you are sure to see a big difference in a matter of 12 to 16 weeks (thats only 3 to 4 months!).

Rome wasnt built in a day

I have many people asking me how they can bulk up in four weeks, six weeks or eight weeks and my answer to this is simple – Rome wasn’t built in a day. This means that you can’t go in a gym tomorrow and in eight weeks expect to be built, no matter what some of the adverts and ebooks you see on the internet tell you.

My view is that in a twelve week window you can see a significant difference if you put the time and effort into your training, this significant difference will mean you can gain a good amount of muscle mass if you train hard and eat correctly, but this does not mean you will become huge in this time.

If it was as easy as spending a few weeks in the gym to become tonk or built then all men will be mini Arnold Schwarzenegger’s, the truth is that it takes a lot of time and effort to become big, strong and defined.

If you are looking to build your muscle mass then take note, after the first twelve weeks you will see a significant difference when compared to your starting point, again if you eat and train correctly. Taking this into account it will take a good 12 months or more before you see a huge difference in your physical appearance.

Don’t despair if you are reading this and thinking 12 months is too long, in the grand scheme of things 12 months is not long when you think about the difference you will see in your body in this time. With the correct training and diet you can put up to twelve kilograms of muscle in a year dependant on your body type.

Setting Goals For 2010

Its that time of year where many people put on a few pies over the festive season and make a resolution to get fit and look good for 2010.

Its normal to see the number of members in gyms throughout the world increase its member numbers in January of a new year, but its just as normal for around ninety percent of these new members to give up and cancel their membership in the first eight weeks.

The issue with new gym members, especially those who join post New Year is that they set themselves unrealistic goals so get disheartened when they don’t achieve what they want. This is where learning how setting goals can help you stay motivated rather than make you feel down.

Setting goals for 2010

Firstly whether you are new to the gym or you have been going for a while and got into a bit of a rut, the easiest way to stay motivated and achieve your goals is to set small goals. The idea is that by setting smaller goals you are setting goals that are achievable in a shorter period of time so you should be hitting goals and staying motivated.

The logic is that each small goal achieved is a stepping stone to what you wish to achieve overall, a fitter, stronger, physically improved you!

I have been training for a long time but have just had three months off through injury. I have come back to training and lost some of what I had achieved so I set myself different weekly goals such as:

• Adding an extra 2.5 kgs to the amount I lift on my main exercises each week (even if I only achieve one rep)
• Adding an extra rep on my last sets where I don’t achieve 8 or more reps
• Adding a few minutes to my running on the treadmill

These are simple but achievable goals, imagine you are lifting 60kg on the bench press and you set a target of 120kg, you could be waiting a long time to achieve it so start feeling down about your achievements. Instead of this you set small goals like “Next week Ill lift 62.5kg” so when next week comes and you manage it you feel good and have managed a step closer to your ultimate goal.

2010 can be the year for many people to achieve what they want by having confidence in themselves as well as training correctly and setting goals that are achievable and will keep them motivated.

Big Ass Triceps

Anyone who wishes to build big arms should have a great Triceps workout. While the Biceps are the vanity muscle of the arm they only make up about a third of the muscle in the upper arm while the rest is made up of the larger Triceps.

It seems that even though the Triceps make up a larger portion of the arm the Biceps always get the training while the Triceps languish at the rear of the arm where it is neglected.

The best training option for the Triceps is to carry out your training as part of your chest workout, this means training your chest primarily then moving to the Triceps as your secondary muscle group. The reason for this is that when lifting weights targetting the chest you are actually utilising the Triceps in many of the exercises as a secondary muscle group.

One of the best methods of improving the size and strength of your Triceps is to complete six to nine sets on the Triceps at the end of your chest workout.

I usually start by carrying out the close grip bench press, this is your standard bench press but with your hands extremely close together holding the bar, this moves the emphasis from your chest muscles to your Triceps.

After the close grip benchpress I like to move to Skull Crushers where you lay down with an EZ bar and keeping strict form bring it down towards your forhead by bending at the elbow and with an overhand grip.

Last exercise I like to carry out is the Triceps pushdowns, this I use to literally kill off my Triceps to ensure they have achieved the ultimate workout as part of my chest session.

If you can work just as hard on your Triceps as your Biceps you will end up with a well balanced arm that is both large in size and very strong.

HIT Training – High Intensity Training

Some of you may have heard the word HIT training banded around the gym by some of the big muscled types, but have you ever wondered what they mean by HIT training?

HIT training is an abbreviation for High Intensity Training and was the brain child of Authur Jones, the man who launched Nautilus training equipment on to the market in the 1970’s.

The ethos behind High Intensity Training is basically that you train to a very high intensity; this is achieved through the following:

• Reducing rest times between reps and sets
• Using the maximum weight you can lift for your reps/sets
• Train using basic compound movements
  

A typical HIT training session consists of 4 to 6 exercises of around 3 to 4 sets on each for major muscle groups such as the chest and 2 to 3 exercises of around 3 to 4 sets each on smaller muscles such as the triceps. If you’re new to HIT training we suggest you start on the low of these volumes and build yourself up.

An example workout is below:

Chest

Barbell Bench press – 4 sets x 6 to 8 reps
Dumbbell Bench press – 4 sets x 6 to 8 reps
Incline Barbell Bench Press – 4 sets x 6 to 8 reps
Dumbbell incline flies – 4 sets x 6 to 8 reps

Triceps

Skullcrushers – 4 sets x 6 to 10 reps
Triceps Extensions – 4 sets x 6 to 10 reps

By carrying out sessions with heavy weights with low resting times you will fatigue the muscle, which is the desired outcome of your workout as your body will repair your muscles bigger and stronger.

You could say that the HIT training method is a similar training method to the 5x5 workout; the difference is that HIT training tends to be used by bodybuilders rather than powerlifters and weight lifters.

The High Intensity Training is a great tool to use to boost your performance in the gym. The HIT training method does however need to be used with caution because you will need longer resting periods between sessions (of the same muscle group) and increased mental strength as this training can be grueling to the uninitiated.

Note: With any high intensity workout there needs to be a period of low intensity or total rest every now and again, a good way of achieving this is by taking a week break from the gym after 12 weeks of training (every 3 months).

The Muscle Building Process

The muscle building process is complex and scientific but for those who want a basic run down on the muscle building process and how they can use it to their advantage to increase muscle gains it can be explained simply.

The muscle building process when combined actually fit into three simple phases; these are stimulation, recuperation and growth.

So now you know that the body has three phases in muscle building, but how do these phases work?

Stimulation

The stimulation phase is your training, when you lift weights you are stimulating the muscles of the body to act on the actions you are asking it to undertake.

The harder the action, the more stimulated your muscles become, an example is carrying out 5 sets of 5 reps on the bench press on the heaviest weight you can complete the reps/sets is going to stimulate your muscles more than lifting the yellow pages three or four times.

Recuperation

The recuperation phase is the time post workout where your body recovers from the stimulation of your workout. This means giving the muscle group trained time to recover from the workout session before training again so the muscles are refueled and replenished, ready for action.

Growth

After recuperation your muscles will over time starts increasing in size and strength, this is the bodies natural reaction to the amount of stimulation it has undergone so the bodies muscles can carry out what is being requested of it more easily.

During both the recuperation and growth stages the body, and importantly the muscles, need sustenance such as proteins, complex carbs and essential fatty acids EFA’s so it has the fuel and nutrients required to recover, repair and increase ready for the next workout.

Summary

Training doesn’t always have to be a scientific event, all you simply need to understand is the process your body goes through during and after training so you can make the most out of your workouts and feel the best inside.

Training like a Spartan Warrior

We have all heard of the 300 workout that the actors of the film 300 in which 300 Spartan warriors held off the army of Xerxes I of Persia at the Battle of Thermopylae but how many people truly know the strength training of the real Spartan warrior.

Two thousand years ago the Spartan warriors of Sparta in Greece were well disciplined warriors who could fight with strength and speed two thousand years ago, today Ill tell you some of their strength training techniques.

Heavy Urn

The heavy urn is what you could say is the present day front squat. This involved having a heavy urn about waist height in size in front of you and squatting down to pick it up then bringing back to the ground.

Running Laden

One of the great techniques for building strength and endurance was a Spartan warrior running with a man on their back. This builds the legs primarily but also the upper body as well.

Bags of Grain

This involved having a piece of rope with a bag of grain tied at each end. The rope was put over the top of the back with the bags hanging just above knee height either side, the Spartan warrior would then move their body down from side to side as if you are training your Obliques. With the extra weight this is great for the upper body.

Rock Throwing

Yes, one great way to improve strength and endurance in the muscles of the arms and upper body was to literally pick up big rocks and throw them continuously at a tree. This also improved hand eye coordination for battle.

So why am I talking about this?

Well many people say they don’t have the time or money to visit a gym but the truth is that there are so many ways to build strength and endurance with no money as long as you have some space to train.

The Spartan warriors were among the best of their time and all they used to train and build strength were the everyday items they found around them.

Today is the day you can decide to take action and start using exercises, such as those used by the Spartans above, to get yourself fitter and stronger without costing any money and little time.

Why not get two old rucksacks and fill them with stone to use instead of the bags of grain that Spartans used. You can also use one of these rucksacks full of stone in place of the man on your back while running. For the urn you could replace this with a trash can filled with stone to a weight your comfortable with.

As you can see a little thought can produce some great alternatives to weight lifting in the gym.

Muscles Neglected

There are quite a few areas of the body where people neglect the muscles when weight training, the interesting thing about this is that these are muscles that can really support other muscles in growth and strength.

I regularly see that people seem to neglect their legs, forearms, wrists, grip, core muscles and lower back. Looking at this list there are quite a few muscles that are forgotten about, some of which don’t require much attention for improvement.

Legs

Ah the legs, that one group of muscles neglected by most; it seems that while people have the intention of working on their leg muscles when it comes to it they are very often forgotten about. The legs are important as they carry your weight and help you move from A to B, not rocket science…the reason why they get neglected is that they don’t really fit most peoples idea of vanity (chest, biceps and the like).

Forearms, Wrists and Grip

From the forearms down people don’t realise or don’t think to train these smaller muscles but they are very important for one reason more than any other. By working on these muscles you will improve the strength for holding onto a free weight bar, especially when it comes to deadlifts and similar exercises that require lifting extremely heavy weight.

Have you ever tried lifting a free weight bar on exercises like the deadlift or shrugs only to find you cannot complete so many reps because you start losing the strength of your grip?

Core Muscles

The core muscles are those of the trunk of the body, to many this is the abdominals only but there are a number of other muscles that are just as important yet never get trained such as the Obliques.

The trunk of the body, or should I say the core muscles, are extremely important and support your body in everything you do. With nearly every weight lifting exercise requiring you to engage your core muscles it is important to train them.

Lower Back

The lower back, also known as the Spinae erector is the muscles located at the bottom of the back above the gluteus maximus (bum to you and me). This muscle is important for big lifts such as the deadlift as well as supporting the weight of the body and your spine.

Many people work the muscles of the upper back but neglect this muscle.

The Importance of Stretching

All too often people visit a gym, go hell for leather on the weights, then leave without the slightest form of stretching pre or post workout. There are so many reasons to train that it is surprising many people don’t bother, especially when they should know the importance of stretching.

Stretching prior to your workout

Stretching prior to your workout will warm up your muscles and joints, making them loose and warm so they are ready to undertake the extreme stress of lifting weights you are about to put them through.

By stretching before you workout you are preparing your body for the challenges ahead, this means that when you start that first set on the first exercise your muscles and joints won’t feel tight and you will be able to lift more comfortably.

It is a long held subject that stretching prior to workout will actually reduce the chance of injury but interestingly some medical authorities say that there is no evidence that this is correct. This does not mean that it’s fine to miss your pre workout stretch though as its not been medically confirmed either wat.

Stretching post workout

Stretching post workout is just as important as before your workout as it ensures your muscles don’t contract and become too tight, it also serves as a way of reducing DOM (delayed onset muscle soreness) you are likely to receive.

Other forms of stretching

It is most commonly thought that to get the most out of stretching to improve flexibility and overall performance in sports (including weightlifting) a person should carry out stretching exercises daily. By stretching daily you will maintain and improve the flexibility of your muscles and tendons giving you more support in your training regime.

Whether you like stretching or not there is a great importance of stretching before and after your workout so why not start supporting your body through stretching as well as weight lifting.

Common Sense of a Safe Workout

There is one important aspect of weight training that is often overlooked; this is mainly because this aspect does not build muscle or burn fat, this aspect is safety.

This week USC tailback Stafon Johnson had a near tragic accident in the gym where a barbell he was lifting slipped from his grasp and landed on his throat. Although the injury was found not to be life threatening it did require seven hours of surgery (it would have involved multiple surgeries for people less fit) and caused the reconstruction of Johnsons voice box. From what new sites are saying Johnson is likely to be out of action for the whole of this season at least.

This story backs up the importance of a safe workout, one where you have all bases covered so you don’t end up injuring yourself.

There are three main points when weight lifting that all should take heed of as they can really ensure you have a safe workout.

Concentration

Concentration is the key to lifting correctly and safely while also giving you the best possible opportunity of lifting the heaviest weight for the most reps you can.

This is because as you concentrate solely on what you are lifting your body can ensure the correct form, your mind can prepare itself for the amount you are going to lift and finally you are less likely to make any mistakes.

Knowing your limits

Sounds silly I know but it is very common for people to try harder than they physically are able and find they cannot lift the weight. This poses the problem that they could pull a muscle or worse find the weight fall because they cannot hold on to it.

Training Partner

There are just some exercises you should never carry out without a training partner; an example is that I would never ever try to lift close to my max weight on the bench press without a spotter. Imagine I load up the bar with more than I weight and without a spotter come under difficulty with this huge weight above me, it’s a recipe for disaster.

A spotter ensures that should a lifter get into difficulty there is someone there to support the bar and help get it back to its resting position.

Some people may feel that this article is all about common sense but you would be surprised to find many people do not heed these warnings.

Compilation of gym accidents

How Much Do You Deadlift

The poll results finished almost a month ago yet I have not posted the results so I thought that today I would get the results and share them all with you.

So the results for how much you deadlift are:


Now the first thing that jumps off the graph to me is the data that shows the higher percentage of lifters are actually lifting a larger amount of weight, is this true? Do I have heavier lifters frequenting my site?

I would personally have expected the higher percentage of people to be in the under 80 kg to 100 - 120kg brackets but then this does depend greatly on my readership and their training.

The two highest percentage brackets for lifting are 180+ kg with 12.5% of the results (one in eight people) and the 140 to 160kg bracket with 8.93% of the results.

There are three results in joint third and these are 80 to 100kg, 120 to 140kg and 160 to 180kg all receiving 5.36% of the results. Under 80kg came fourth and last but one with 3.57% of the results and 100 to 120kg came last with 1.79% of the results.

Those that have said they lift more than 180kg I would like to say this is an amazing weight to lift and well done!

Strength Does Not Equal Size

There is a common myth with weight training that the stronger you are the bigger your muscles will be, this is not totally true and is not the case.

While building strength will see your muscles grow because you are building muscle tissue, you will not see the muscle hypertrophy you may want to achieve just by lifting the heaviest weights for lower reps.

Strength is in part related to muscle hypertrophy but only in a small way, strength is actually more related to genetics of tendon length and thickness as well as muscle power.

It is this important factor that causes many of us to visit the gym and see big bodybuilders lifting smaller weight because they know size is not all about strength, so whats the secret they know and we dont?

Truth be told the "Secret" which isnt much of a secret is that to gain big muscles through hypertrophy you need to lift lighter weights for more repeititions as this gets the blood flowing into the muscle.

This lighter workload carried out for a longer time causes sarcoplasmic hypertrophy that sees muscle mass increase at a faster rate than myofibrillated hypertrophy that strenth training causes.

So whats the difference?

Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy means that sarcoplasmic fluid builds up in the muscle giving added size but without the added strength, this is what bodybuilders aspire to achieve.

Myofibrillated hypertrophy means that the myosin and actin fillaments in the muscle increase in number giving the muscle more power and a little extra size.

So you can see a bodybuilder can increase in size quite dramatically with smaller strength gains while someone strength training will see their strength increase dramatically without so much gain in muscle size thus strength does not equal size.

Reasons for Weightlifting

The latest poll finished last week and didnt achieve the amount of results as I would like although the results for reasons for weightlifting did put a smile on my face as they were very interesting.

The results:


As you can see us men are alot more vain than we give ourselves credit for! nearly one in three who answered said that vanity sis the reason they go to the gym and pound the weights. I shouldnt really be surprised but I couldnt help being a little surprised.

The three that came joint second were Powerlifting, Bodybuilding and General Fitness with 18.18% of the results each. Personally I was surprised (and happy) that Powerlifting reached the same level as general fitness and bodybuilding as its not such a well known branch of the weightlifing world as bodybuilding and general fitness, well that encompasses so much.

Third place was other sports, now weightlifting is used for varying reasons in other sports such as football, rugby, American football and the like as a way. weightlifting in other sports is for conditioning and increasing strength so this was not too much of a surprise.

Olympic lifting came fourth with only4.55% of the votes, to me there is no surprise there as Olympic lifting is not a sport carried out much any more in the west.

Lest was the beach with zero results, this was potentially because of the vanity choice which in a sense is the same thing.