MEDITATION FOR IMPROVING ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE!

A mind that is not under control is a mind that always makes mistakes, specially those that could prevent you from winning. For example, high level of stress can decrease your ability to maintain focus and concentration.
Many athletes during their training face several challenges such as, anxiety, depression, stress ,inability to maintain focus, sleep difficulties, confidence, etc which are usually at mental level.
Hence, at this point, meditation serves as a very important tool for the athletes to remain normal and focused.

While physical training is always a key component in the athletes preparation, the importance of mental conditioning and preparation should not be forgotten, especially the level of mental condition that can be achieved through the practice of meditation.

Meditation has been demonstrated as an effective practice by the world's best athletes including Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Olympic gold medal-winning volleyball players Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh.

This makes complete sense when you consider the fact that the mind influences the way we move, behave, and perform on even the most subtle levels. The best athletes understand that their talent and skills won't measure up if they aren't mentally prepared come game day.

BENEFITS OF MEDITATION:


REDUCES STRESS LEVELS

Being relaxed increases the ability to remain calm under pressure and also improves alertness. Emotional stimulation can abstruct the athletes focus and the physical functioning of their body, which will often lead to a less than desirable result.
A study reveals that heightened stress levels lead to increased muscle tension and a delay in response time.
A recent study published in the journal of health psychology showed that the results of meditation are typically associated with reduced stress levels in addition to decreased levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This means that distraction or emotional turbulence can be set aside, enabling the athlete to focus on a sharp performance.

IMPROVES QUALITY OF SLEEP

Sleep is the most important part of any physical work as this is when the body recovers and the mind can rest. Many athletes do not not get as much sleep as they should due to aches, pains, and high levels of stress. A lack of sleep has been shown to cause weight gain, negatively affect athletic performance, and result in an inability to focus. It can even lead to depression.

Athletes who are able to sleep better at night have been shown to perform better and experience better overall health. Improved quality and length of sleep are just another one of the great benefits of meditation.

BOOST ATHLETIC ENERGY AND ENDURANCE

The most common factor when it comes to low energy is mental exertion. Even if the athlete is not performing any physical work, you can be sure that their mind is always at work trying to figure out something. This leads to higher levels of activity, hence requirement of more energy takes place.

By practicing meditation that utilizes visualization, athletic endurance can be greatly improved. Athletes who visualize accomplishing a specific goal, combined with the practice of deep breathing can help to train the body to work harder and for a longer period of time.


IMPROVING SENSE OF IDENTITY, SELF, AND THE BODY

Meditation in sports can help athletes conquer those common "blind spots" that tend to make performance challenges seem worse than they actually are. These blind spots negatively impact performance and meditation helps you recognize your blind spots. By recognizing these blind spots, you can work on improving your physical/mental training, skills, and coping mechanisms. Furthermore, the meditator learns to enhance awareness of each muscle, which can help pinpoint an injury and prevent further damage. Finally, meditation and sport can greatly improve the mind-muscle connection, allowing you to discover your optimal zone of performance.

Meditation in sports is not only helpful for performance, but can also aid athletes who experiences anxiety, depression and other mental health illness. The practice can help athletes through injury, as well as overcome challenges such as the transition back into sport or out of sport.

SOURCE: www.nestacertified.com

;www.headspace.com 

IMPORTANT FITNESS INGREDIENTS!!

TIME TAKEN BY DIFFERENT FOODS TO GET DIGESTED!!

PROGRESSIVE RESISTANCE IN BODYBUILDING!!

Progressive resistance exercise is a method of increasing the ability of muscles to generate force. The principles of progressive resistance exercise for increasing force production in muscles have remained virtually unchanged since they were described by DeLorme and Watkins almost 60 years ago. These principles are (1) to perform a small number of repetitions until fatigue, (2) to allow sufficient rest between exercises for recovery, and (3) to increase the resistance as the ability to generate force increases. These principles are detailed in the guidelines of the American College of Sports Medicine.
Traditionally, progressive resistance exercise has been used by young adults who are healthy to improve athletic performance.

This principle also involves continually increasing the demands on the musculoskeletal system to continually make gains in muscle size, strength, and endurance. Simply put, in order to get bigger and stronger, you must continually make your muscles work harder than they're used to. Most often, that means increasing the resistance, but as you all find there are to increase the overload.

Conversely, if the demands on the target muscle groups are not at least maintained or are actually decreased, your muscles will astrophy, losing size and strength.

Progressive resistance or progressive overload is very simple but crucial concept, laying the foundation upon which successful resistance is built.

The progressive overload principle doesn't apply just to lifting weights to increase muscle growth and strength; it can also be applied to cardiovascular-fitness programs, creating physiological changes that affect aerobic metabolism and cardiorespiratory system.

How to progressive overload?

Say you perform a set of the barbell biceps curl with your 8 rm(rep max), which happens to be 75 pounds. Over time, you will get stronger, and your biceps will be a little bigger as a result. Completing eight is no longer very challenging.

As your biceps have adapted to the initial overload you introduced, where do you go now? Do you continue using the same load for the same number of repetitions, don't expect any further gains. There's no reason for your biceps to grow larger or stronger; they are already capable of handling the overload. However, your biceps will become bigger and stronger if you place even greater demands on them. Here are five important ways you can do just that:
Click the link ''methods of increasing overload

SOURCE: www.bodybuilding.com

METHODS OF INCREASING THE OVERLOAD:

1. Increase the overload:

Increasing the resistance is the most common type of method to perform progressive overload. In this more working of particular muscle is implemented by increasing the weight you lift. For example, in doing biceps curls, the set with plates of 5 kg becomes very easier and light to lift, then you really need to increase the weight by adding one more plate of 5 kg or 2.5 kg on both sides, this is called the method of increasing the resistance.


2. Increase the reps:

In this you don't necessarily need to increase the weight. In this method we usually increase the number of reps in each set. We need to continuously perform the repetitions unless we are not able to do. Usually, in this method we don't need to keep the reps limited, we go to the greatest number till we can behold. We can also perform additional reps or forced reps by the support of our partners also counts for resistance training.

But according to the science the best number of reps considered to be practiced is usually 8 to 12. So, what to do when your weight lift supports more than 8 or 12 reps, finally, you need to increase the weight.

3. Increase the volume:

Increasing the volume is also one of the best ways to increase the overload. In this method we usually focus on adding more sets or increasing the number of sets more than we performed last time (either by adding more exercises or adding another set for your existing exercise). Since the reps are constrained in 8-12 range and loads you don't change, increasing your total sets is the best way to increase the volume. For example, 4 sets instead of 3 sets in your workout routine, or adding an additional exercise in your routine.

4. Decrease rest time between sets:

Decreasing the rest time between sets is also a way to increase the overload. This method enables doing of same amount work in less time. This method is very useful in anaerobic exercises.


Hence, you can include any of these methods in your training, but it's best to focus on just one at a time. As you become used to these methods, it will benefit you, surely.

If your goal is developing strength then increasing the load would be the best method to increase the overload. Similarly, if you are interested in increasing muscle endurance then higher repetitions combined with increase in reps (in spite of load) would be better.
Increasing the repetitions are very useful for endurance athletes. Hence, the techniques should be used according to your fitness goals and vision.

SOURCE: www.bodybuilding.com

PYRAMIDING IN BODYBUILDING- pyramid sets!

Pyramid training is one of the most basic and effective methods for building muscle and strength. If you are fuzzy on the details, this article will help you turn any pile of exercises, sets, and reps into your very own muscle-building pyramid plan.

Designing a pyramid:

In resistance training, a pyramid is a basic structure that you create when arranging your sets and reps of a given exercise. It entails starting out light and steeping up the weight  you use on successive sets. As you keep adding weight, the number of reps you can do goes down, which illustrates the inverse relationship between the two variables.

Pyramid training-also called ascending pyramids-is not terribly complex. Below is an ascending pyramid built on a sample exercise, the barbell bench press.


Sample Bench Press Pyramid
- Set 1: 135 lbs, 15 reps
- Set 2: 185 lbs, 12 reps
- Set 3: 205 lbs, 10 reps
- Set 4: 225 lbs, 8 reps
- Set 5: 245 lbs, 6 reps

There are a number of advantages to pyramid training for building size and strength, but alas, it's not perfect, so it has spawned a couple of interesting variations. Here's a closer look at some of the pros and cons of following an ascending pyramid.


Advantages of Pyramiding:

1. Warm-ups included:
One of the chief advantages of an ascending pyramid is that it includes warn-up sets. You start out light and keep adding weight, which gets the target muscles warm and pliable.

If you have ever gone to the gym and tried to lift a heavy weight without warming up, you know you ca't get anywhere near your max weights. You'll be able to lift far more weights and reduce your risk of injury by including a progressive scheme of warm-ups.


2. Strong to the core:
Ascending pyramids are best suited for those seeking strength gains. Many power-lifters and other athletes seeking absolute max strength don't take nearly as many sets to muscle failure as bodybuilders do-maybe only 1-2 per exercise.

This allows them to generate maximal power on those last 1-2 sets in which they need to move the heaviest weights. All the preceding sets are just warm-ups. The important caveat, however, is that none of those warm-up sets can be taken to muscle failure.

3. Turn up the volume:
Pyramids naturally include a lot of volume. When following as  ascending pyramid scheme and increasing the weight on successive sets, you ultimately do a lot of sets, ensuring that you do a high volume of work-a marker for growth. Multiple set training systems are superior to really low-volume work for inducing hypertrophy.

Drawbacks of Pyramiding:

That being said, there are two main drawbacks for this kind of training. First, warm-ups should never be done to muscle failure-or anywhere close-but that's a real concern when doing so many sets, especially when you are strong early in your workout.

Its tempting to take a set to muscle failure, but the penalty for doing so is that your strength is compromised on the sets that follow. And if you take several lighter sets to failure, you have just undetermined what you are trying to achieve, whether its building strength or size. You want your muscles to be fresh on your heaviest set; if you have overly fatigued them on the preceding sets, you surely won't be. Hence, those warm up sets must stop well short of muscle failure.

Second, the above worry may lead you to reach muscle failure on just your last set, which often isn't enough if you are training for maximal muscle size. Reaching muscle failure is important to initiate growth processes. For muscles to grow, they need to undergo a significant amount of stress. One set to failure may not provide the growth stimulus you're looking for.

So while the ascending pyramid works well seeking strength gains, it doesn't work as well for anyone who wants to maximize muscle size. That distinction is important.

SOURCE: www.bodybuilding.com

ISOLATION EXERCISES!

Isolation exercises in weight training are exercises that involve only one joint and a limited number of muscle groups. This is in contrast with compound exercises that work two or more joints and more muscles.

Examples: The biceps curl is an isolation exercise that flexes the elbow joint and targets the front upper arm muscles. In general, curls, raises, flys and extensions are isolation exercises.

WHY ISOLATION EXERCISES ARE PERFORMED?

Isolation exercises allow you to focus on just one area. You can work on proper technique and load the muscle with an exact amount of weight and reps to work it to exhaustion.

Gym workouts using commercial weight machines result in performing isolation exercises. It is common for a gym to have a row of exercise machines, each set up for an isolation exercise of a specific muscle group. The seat height and other adjustable settings need to be noted so the exercise is performed correctly and targets the intended muscle. A gym-goer may do a circuit training session going from machine to machine, performing one isolation exercise after another. Multi-gym machines used at home or at health clubs may also perform isolation exercises.

Advanced bodybuilders may use isolation exercises to target muscles that aren't being worked well enough in their usual workouts.

A person who has developed a muscle imbalance by overdeveloping one muscle group might use isolation exercises to build the opposing muscle group.

SOME COMMON ISOLATION EXERCISES...

1. Nordic Hamstring Curl:

Target: Hamstrings

To perform them, just place a pad under your knees and hook your knees under a solid support-or even the knee pads on a lat pull-down station. But be warned: these are tough!

Training tip: Plenty of strong people can't do even one at first. If that describes you, start by just doing negatives from the top position. If you do the move on an elevated lat pull down seat, use a dowel or broomstick to help push yourself back up.

2. Standing Barbell Curl:

Target: Biceps

Aside from the multi-joint chin-up, this is the best overall biceps exercise there is. But, why all love this exercise? Because while seated versions such as the preacher and concentration curl may offer a greater EMG signal, you can use a much heavier load in the standing position!

Training Tip: Take a wider grip on the bar to preferentially emphasize the short (inner) head; a closer grip (hands just inside shoulder width) focuses better on the long head. But remember, emphasizing doesn't mean you're isolating one head over another. If an EZ-bar is more comfortable for your wrists or elbows, by all means use one.

3. Leg Extension

Target: Quads

Most leg exercises hit multiple large muscle groups, which over the course of your workout greatly increases fatigue and makes balance difficult. To zero in on the quads without having to balance yourself standing, the leg extension (misnamed because the action is technically knee extension) is often done as a final movement in your leg assault. It's also a great pre-exhaust movement to make relatively light-weight (ie joint friendly) squats feel whole lot heavier.
What really makes the leg extension shine, though, is the way you can do all sorts of intensity-boosting techniques with it. The easiest to put into action is the classic dropset, where you reduce the poundage after reaching initial muscle failure and continuing on with the set. Then there's partials, forced reps, slow negatives-heck, this even works great with blood-flow-restriction training. Try and walk after all that!

Training tip: The vast majority of lifters are best served by keeping their feet pointing directly forward. More advanced trainees might consider turning their feet slightly inward, which puts more stimulus on the vastus lateralis (outer quad).

4. Cable Push-Down:

Target: Triceps (specially lateral and medial heads)

There are a number of triceps moves you can choose from, but we choose the push-downs because it tops the list for maximizing muscle activation of the lateral and medial triceps heads while also providing a moderate amount of emphasis on the long heads.
Like the leg extension, this move can be manipulated in many different ways including grip, body position, and the type of handle utilized. Be sure to follow progressive overload here, slowly adding weight to the stack over time. Also, don't get trigger-happy and bounce all over the place with different variations; be methodical, and stick with one version for a couple of weeks to really see growth!

Training Tip: Don't flare your elbows; that reduces tension on the triceps. Also, don't be afraid to go full-ROM and push toward lockout. Those last few inches are pure gold for triceps growth!

5. Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raise:

Target: Middle delts

It's great because it works. Raising your upper arms directly out to your sides by definition focuses on the middle delts. So just add weights and you've got a winning move!
The standing version allows you to go heavier than when you're doing it seated. However, don't get sloppy. Keep a slight bend in your elbows, and hold that arm position for the duration of the set. And keep those elbows up as well, because your upper arm must go straight out to your side and up for maximum middle-head contraction.

Training Tip: The best coaching cue for this is to "lead with the elbows". Still, this motion is a bit tricky for beginners to get the hang of. Rehearsing on the lateral-raise machine can give you a better idea of the body mechanics and motion before advancing to dumbbells.

6. Dumbbell Fly:

Target: Pecs

By maintaining your elbows in the slightly bent position for the duration of the set, the action is limited to the shoulder joints, making this the premiere choice on chest day.

Training tip: With your arms extended, be careful not to overstretch the shoulder joints as you lower the weights. Feel a nice stretch in your pecs, but don't go any further.

7. Hamstring-curl machine:

Target: Hamstrings

Leg exercises are commonly divided into squat-like moves (squats, pistols, lunges, etc.) and isolation moves (calf raises, leg extensions, hamstrings curls, etc.). Both have their place, and in latter case, machines can really help isolate muscle groups as a result of the fixed movement planes.

Training Tip: Once your heavy working sets of leg work are done, plug these in. They complement Romanian deadlifts, which move around the hip joint, not the knee.

8. Straight-arm pull-down:

Target: Lats

This is one of those moves that, if done right, will absolutely fry your lats. Start with a light weight, and really focus on squeezing your scapulae down and flat across your back while cinching down on your lats. Emphasize the eccentric, and slowly allow the bar to raise back up in front of you to a full overhead stretch.

Training Tip: Rather than standing completely vertical, take a couple steps back from the pulley and work with a slight torso lean to get a good, long stretch. Sure, you won't be able to pull big weights like you can in the bent-arm lat pull-down, but you don't need much weight to see considerable benefit here.

SOURCE: www.bodybuilding.com

COMPOUND EXERCISES- The secret to muscle building and fat loss!!

WHAT ARE COMPOUND EXERCISES
Compound exercises are exercises that work for multiple muscle groups at the same time. For example, a squat is a compound exercise that works the quadriceps, glutes, and calves.

You can also do compound exercises that combine two exercises into one move to target even more muscles (for example, a lunge with a bicep curl).

Compound exercises differ from isolation exercises. Those work for a single muscle group at a time. A traditional bicep curl is an isolation exercise meant to strengthen the biceps, for example.

Isolation exercises are sometimes beneficial in physical therapy to strengthen certain muscles or rehabilitate them after injury.

Read on to learn about the benefits of compound exercises with examples, ways to add them into your workout routine, and tips to keep you safe.

COMPOUND EXERCISES- BENEFITS:

The biggest benefit of compound exercise may be that they are an efficient use of your time. If you only have a limited amount of time to exercise, you'll work more muscle and build more strength by focusing on compound exercises.

Other benefits include:
 - burning more calories
 - improving intramuscular coordination
 - elevating heart rate
 - improving flexibility
 - improving strength
 - gaining more muscle mass.

COMPOUND EXERCISES TO TRY:
1. Horizontal Push compound exercises:

These comprise of bench presses and their variations including barbell and dumbbell presses, parallel bar dips, and even push-ups.
Equipment needed: barbells, dumbbells, dip station.
Muscles targeted: pecs, triceps, delts, and traps

2. Horizontal pull compound exercises:
                   
It includes bent over rows, barbell rows, and their many varieties.
Equipment needed: barbell(can add weights to barbell for an additional challenge)
Muscles targeted: lats, biceps, abs and muscle groups in your back.

3. Vertical push compound exercises:

These exercises cover the shoulder press (military press) and its variations- including barbell presses, single-arm dumbbell presses, double-arm dumbbell presses, lateral and front raises, and more.

Equipment needed: a set of dumbbells, barbells
Muscle targeted: entire shoulder, traps, and triceps.

4. Vertical pull compound exercises:

These include pull-ups, chin-ups, and lat pull-downs.
Equipment needed: can be freehanded for beginners, lats machine.
Muscles targeted: muscle groups in your back, teres major, biceps, triceps, and abs.

5. Hip dominant compound exercises:

These include deadlifts, lunges, step-ups, and high foot placement leg presses.
Equipment needed: barbells, leg press machine.
Muscles targeted: glutes, hamstrings, abs, hips.

6. Quad-dominant compound exercises:

These include squats, front squats, narrow leg presses, and lunges
Equipment needed: a set of dumbbells, barbells.
Muscles targeted: leads to all around body growth as it helps in boosting anabolic hormones.

WORKOUT SCHEDULE:

If you are a healthy adult, you should be able to safely perform compound exercises two to three days each week:
 - Focus on multiple muscle groups each day. Wait at least 48 hours between strength training sessions to allow muscles to recover.
 - Or you can alternate between upper body-focused compound exercises on one day and lower body focused ones at your next training session.

You can also add cardio days to your weekly workout schedule to get your heart rate up, burn fat, and reduce calories. You can do cardio on the days you are resting from strength training.

SAFETY TIPS:

Compound exercises, like deadlifts, require a specific technique to help you stay safe and avoid injury.

Work with a trainer or fitness professional when performing these exercises, especially if you have never performed the move before. They can observe you make sure your technique is OK.

Eventually, you may be able to safely do the moves on your own. Still, it's always a good idea to bring a workout buddy who can spot you.

If you are a beginner talk to a trainer or fitness professional at your gym. They can help you figure out which weights to start with. A good rule of thumb is to start with a lightweight that you can comfortably do 10 to 15 repetitions with for one set.

If you feel stable and comfortable, increase the weight for the second and third sets. You should "feel the burn" during the last few repetitions but never feel unstable.

Drink water between sets and stop the workout if you feel lightheaded, dizzy, or unwell.


AND, I have already provided a post which includes the routine and workout......https://fitnessknowwhy.blogspot.com/2018/10/split-workout-training-guide.html

SOURCE: www.bodybuilding.com

First routine for beginner bodybuilders

Walking into a gym to work out for the first time can be intimidating, especially if you don't have proper guidance. Many new lifters either find themselves in that situation or are just training at home on some flimsy bench with a bar and a few plates. So, mistakes are common. Mistakes in terms of the exercises you are doing, how long you work out each day, how many days per week, the exercise form you are using, not to mention your eating habits.

The first thing you have to do is set some goals. What do you want to do? Why are you working out in the first place? Most people want to build some size, maybe to complete or maybe just to impress some girl.
Many people want to lose fat and tighten up, adding some but not a lot of muscle. Regardless of the goal, however, you have to go into it with some kind of plan. With all the tons of information sources out there today, there is really no reason not to have a good basic idea of what to do.

What to expect, most new bodybuilders, regardless of age , get into it after seeing a picture of some current/past bodybuilder. Of course, you want to look like the person in the picture. Be realistic, and strive to be the best you that you can be.

The top guys have strong genetics and, yes, drugs on their side. That doesn't mean you can't build good size, maybe even compete. Just be realistic about your goals. So, just what you can expect in terms of gains?

ROUTINE:
The classic 3-days a week, full body routine, training Monday, Wednesday, Friday, is of little use beyond getting a feel for exercise and working on form. Why? Because this type of routine allows for next to no recovery, once you start training hard.

Right now, right at the beginning, is when you want to understand how critical proper recovery is. Growth cannot occur if you are not recovering from your workouts, regardless of your level of experience. Recovery does not happen from hitting the gym 6 days a week for hours on end.

The above routine is useful as discussed, and should be used for the first month, to allow the development of good form, rep performance and getting a feel for what exercise works what muscles. By the start of the second month, you should use a split routine, this will allow you to train harder and to use more exercises, and this type of routine enhances recovery significantly.

SETS AND REPS:
The first month, after warm ups, 2-3 sets per body parts is good. Reps at this stage are 10-12 per set.

WEIGHT:
Your first month is more about learning how to perform the exercises correctly, so you should be using a weight that easily allows you to hit the prescribed 10-12 reps, with maybe 1-2 tough reps at t
he end.

Trial and error with weights really is an easy and somewhat fast way to get started, expect your first session to be one of trying different weight to determine comfortable working poundages. There are of course, more accurate but more complicated ways to determine starting weights but this method works well enough.
Find the weight that is right for you.

THE STRUCTURE OF PERFORMING A SET CAN BE IN THE FOLLOWING FORM:
For example;
         -Set #1=15 reps
         -Set #2=12 reps
         -Set #3=10 reps
         -Set's #4-5=8 reps.
This can be introduced along with split routines in the second month.

REST BETWEEN SETS:
At first, you may find you need 2-3 minutes between sets, working down to 1 minute is ideal. As you get in better shape, you may find you need even less. A good rule of thumb is to rest just along enough to catch your breath.

SETTING GOALS IN BODYBUILDING!

HOW TO EFFECTIVELY SET GOALS FOR LIFELONG DEVELOPMENT??

Most people only see the end results such as, the amount you lifted, the muscles you added, or the title you earned. What most people don't see is the grind. They don't see the major investments made to achieve that success. They don't see the consistency, they don't see the time invested on that particular work. They don't see the discipline maintained and the failures suffered by the person.
They don't see the ten plus years of work put by the bodybuilders into physique and developing strength. They don't see the bulging discs or the torn pecs. They don't see the spending of his late teens and all his twenties in the gym without enjoying and partying and never, ever stopping. I think many of the top bodybuilders and generally successful people out there are the same way.
The success specially in bodybuilding completely depends on the secret i.e time and consistency.
Achieving goals does not occurs at once,it happens in ascending layers of time, ambitious and ease of achievement.
Where other people encounter setbacks and stop going to the gym, or hit plateaus and get discourage, these individuals break down all barriers- mental and physical-and keep pushing through.
"A goal properly set is halfway reached," says author and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar. This is the system that has worked for many of the top bodybuilders for their lifetime success.

Setting goals can be categorized into further divisions:
1. Very short term goals.
2. Short term goals.
3. Long term goals.

1. VERY SHORT TERM GOALS/ EVERYDAY GOALS:        Very short goals are also called microgoals. Microgoals don't have to be so huge. They should be small because you are going to bust out hundreds or even thousands of them in pursuit of your long term goals. Microgoals can be as simple as "go to the gym and get my squat workout done" or "prep food for the week". They are not sexy, but they are crucial. Think of it this way: Whatever your long term goal is, your short term goal should act as a scaffold for that, and your microgoals should act as a scaffold for those. They all build on each other. When you are looking at your long-term goal, ask yourself, "What do i have to do every single day to get myself closer to that?"

Take it seriously, and there's no looking back. One day of not knocking out your microgoals is one day more you have to make up. Your days add up to a life, so every single one is critical.

2. SHORT TERM GOALS:            Short-term goals should be achievements you can reasonably accomplish within a few months. Continually hitting these short-term goals will build your confidence and help you stay motivated so that you realize that progress is being made, even though your long-term goal may still be a ways off.  For example: You made a short term goal i.e to be successfully able to do 'muscle up' with very ease after the completion of one month.

3. LONG TERM GOALS:            Long term goals are the goals which are to be accomplished in one year or more. The easiest kind of goal to set is a long-term goal. It may be "I want to win my pro card" or "I just want to be 180 pounds with abs". Whatever it is, a long term goal is probably something at least 1-10 years away. You should really have to work for it. One thing it is most definitely not is an ultimate goal, because once achieved, it almost always shows you other new long term goals. For example, for beginners of age 17 it can be to win a teen show, which is possible in one or two years.

Long term goals should be definitive game changers in terms of how you view yourself and your progress.

HOW TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER:

The best way to make your goals provide results and dynamize it is to write down the goals in paper instead of only storing it in mind. Putting your goals on paper gives them power and will help give yo u reasons to stay focused when the hard times comes. Because make no mistake, they are going to come. Anyone can have big goals, but you have to know why you want that goal and spend plenty of time fixating on a regular basis. What are your reasons for it? why will you be different? Your reasons will be what get you through the frustration.

GOOD LUCK.....

SOURCE: www.bodybuilding.com

HYPERTROPHY IN BODYBUILDING 2!

The points i explain below are the important points which are needed to be kept in mind when training for hypertrophy.

1. Utilizing lactic acid as stimulus for tendon repair/health: The studies shows that the intake of lactic acid makes the muscles and tendons prepared for future heavy loads. This serves as "regular maintenance". Without it, you increase your risk of chronic injuries and pain. The metabolically-taxing reps enhance healing of strained tendons.

2. Compound Exercises: Use of compound exercises maximize the effects of loading on muscles as much as possible per exercise.

3. Progressively Adjusting Reps to accommodate progressive load: Of course, you could adjust your reps every week (eg: 15,12,10,8,5, etc), but this is more complicated and people might not understand. Often times, in order to communicate an idea you must simplify things, even at the expense of perfection. If people can't understand it, they won't do it. What good would that do or anybody? Then, over time, people figure out for themselves the other possibilities that exist within the principles of hypertrophy.

4. Low volume per exercise (average volume per week): Books suggest that you limit the number of sets per exercise per workout to 1 or 2. This is based on some evidence that sets beyond the first effective set do little more than more than burn calories.