Health Information Center

I don’t think you have any business bench pressing if you can’t properly perform 20 perfect pushups.

If you can’t handle your own bodyweight, how functional is it to lie down on a bench and press additional weight?

Don’t get me wrong, the basic barbell bench press is a great upper body exercise for building muscle, but it’s depended on WAY too much to build a strong chest and shoulders.

Most people consider Pushups and Bench Presses both chest dominant exercises. But there is a big difference between the two…

The bench press is an open chain exercise and the pushup is a closed chain exercise.

The “chain” just refers to the kinetic chain of your body, which simply means that all of your body’s muscles are inter-connected in a “chain” and therefore the movements you make are also part of a that kinetic chain.

Open chain exercises allow your feet or hands to move freely like in a bench press, dumbbell curl or leg curl.

Closed chain exercises keep your feet or hands in a fixed position like on the ground during pushups or squats and even chinups.

Closed chain exercises are safer and more effective for real world functional strength because they allow your bodyweight to move through space in a full range of motion while distributing muscular stress through many muscles instead of isolating and stressing single muscles. Continue reading ‘The Best Upper Body Exercise’ »

I once met a guy who told me that he had just began body building and going out to the gym on regular basis. One day I went with him to help him out and you wouldn’t believe what I saw. He was doing everything wrong. He did not wear the right clothes, he did bench lifts all wrong, and worst of all, he ate cereal in the morning just before his workout. He’s there eating his Lucky Charms and I’m thinking I’ve got to do something here. Although his mistakes are not as common (Lucky Charms for crying out loud), here are BIG mistakes that are…

#1 – Over Training

People, especially beginners, tend to think that in order to get big fast they have to do as much as possible in the shortest amount of time. Over training can lead to serious muscle problems in the long run and can only make things worse. When your body tells you it has had enough, listen.

#2 – Lack of fluids

It is pretty obvious you need water but some people do not realize it. They take water “after” they have finished a workout. Instead, you have to take it between workouts. Try to drink water and energy drinks. Do just drink water.

#3 – Not Diversifying

3 different workouts a day is just not enough. You have to build your body in different directions. People tend to only work on their core and arms, that’s it. You also need to work your legs, even you have no use for stronger legs. It will help you balance your body. Continue reading ‘The 5 Most Common Muscle Building Mistakes You Must Know’ »

Many people tend to do the wrong exercises for the specific goals they set. Even if they grasp the correct workout, they appear to do it the wrong way. It is not enough to do an exercise. It must be done correctly or the whole effort is wasted. Once you begin to hit the gym, make sure you know these ones. They are important.

Barbell Curls

For this you must stand up straight holding a barbell at a shoulders width grip. The palms of your hand should be facing forward and your elbows should be close to your torso. This will be your starting position. Now simply exhale and bring the barbell upward to your chest in order to contract your biceps. Keep your upper arms stationary while raising the bar for a full rep. Hold the upwards contraction for a moment and then inhale as you bring the barbell back down again.

Triceps Pushdowns

Attach a straight or angle bar to a high pulley and grab the bar with a shoulder width. You must stand upright with a small forward lean. Your upper arms should be close to your body and perpendicular to the floor. Your forearms should be pointing towards the pulley as they hold the bar. This is a classic starting position. Now exhale and bring your arms all the way down until they are fully extended. Your upper arms should always remain stationary while your forearms should be the ones moving Continue reading ‘Muscle Building – 3 Important Exercises You Must Know’ »

It seems that every month a new piece of ab workout equipment makes it’s way on the infomercial airways promising to trim your abs and shape your buns. And of course they always say that it’s easy and fun, and of course, any one can do it. According to statistics only 2% of the people who buy exercise equipment are still using it 6 months later. The reason is that most people don’t set goals, they don’t have a long range plan and they don’t keep score.

With all the obstacles and distractions in this world it’s imperative that one take inventory of themselves and keep a record of their progress. It’s a good idea to know where you are and where you’re going.

You can enhance your mid section workout with a good piece of equipment. I’ve tried just about everyone on the market and can’t find anything that beats the Power Wheel by Lifeline. It’s the best core trainer on the market. You can pick one up for about $50.00. It comes with a DVD demonstrating the basic exercises that will help melt away the spare tire around your belly.

You can use the Power Wheel to supplement other exercises or use it exclusively to train your core. It’s unique in that in trains your entire core and also your arms, shoulders and upper back. Be careful though, it’s easy to over do it the first time you use it which will result in extreme soreness the following day. Start off doing 1 set of 5 repetitions working up to 3 sets of 10 repetition for each of the 5 or 6 exercises. Continue reading ‘Why Use Ab Workout Equipment?’ »

In order to gain weight you must eat a lot more than you think. I am not talking about overeating, because that is a good way to get fat. I am talking about eating right and proportioning your food so you can have 6 different meals a day. I know this sounds like a lot for some and not to mention many of you will think you do not have that amount of time during your day. We will explore how to make it all work for any situation and or circumstance.

If you have a fast metabolism you need to consume more calories in your diet, and stay away from simple carbohydrates, eat more quality protein. Having the right quantity of foods in your diet will help you build leaner looking muscle. The number one mistake you can make is overlooking the simple fact that you need to eat more than usual to gain muscle. My plea to you is “Do not overlook at this factor”.

First order of business: get yourself a food scale. You need to measure and calculate your daily food intake. How do you expect to know how much is too little or too much if you do not measure?

Guessing the amount of food you eat can be dangerous. You will not always get it right every time. Measuring your meals can only get easier as times goes by.

The normal three meals a day is not going to work for you. Your body needs a steady flow of energy, and nutrients to grow on a regular basis. Three meals a day is no going to give you that. So you are going to have to increase your food intake to about 6 meals a day, which will work out to a meal about every 3 hours. If you are serious about gaining weight and more muscle mass, come up with a plan that will help you do that. We will discuss this a little later but first let us see why this is important. Continue reading ‘How to Gain More Muscle by Eating Right’ »

Many people these days are starting to head out to the gyms in order to work on the bodies that they have always dreamed of. Despite all this action, few seem to make it to the finish line. Even if they do make it, it’s been done by intense trial and error. But with these exercises your about to learn, it should be a walk in a park…

Lying Leg Curls

To do a lying leg curl, you must first adjust the machine level to fit your height and lay face down on a leg curl machine. The pad of the lever should be on the back of your legs and a couple inches under your caves. Keep your torso flat on the bench and make sure your legs are fully stretched. Grab the side handles of the machine. This will be your starting position. Exhale and curl your legs up as far as possible and then hold it for a few seconds. Slowly bring your legs back down again.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

While you hold a dumbbell in each hand, sit down on a bench with back support. Place the dumbbells up-right on top of your thighs. Now use your knees to help propel the dumbbells up above your head. Rotate your wrists so that your palms are facing forward. This will be you starting position. Exhale and push the dumbbells up until they are as high as comfortably possible. After a brief pause, slowly lower the weights back down to the starting position. Continue reading ‘3 Must Know Muscle Building Workouts’ »

Building muscle, serious muscle is hard work and just eating right, working hard and being dedicated isn’t always enough. Sometimes a bodybuilder needs some help and they get that from the knowing the best supplements for muscle building. There is no one, all-powerful supplement and it takes using a few to get the right combination for each person. Knowing what supplements are important to a bodybuilder can fall into one of the following basic categories:

• Muscle Building
• Energy Production
• Muscle Recovery

Let’s break down what the best bodybuilding supplements are in each of these groups.

Muscle Building
It’s no secret that, if you want to build muscle, you need to get a good amount of protein into your system on a pretty regular basis. Protein is one of, if not the premier supplement for building muscle. When this is coupled with creatine, the results can be enormous as creatine is mainly found in the skeletal muscle system. These two supplements work hand in hand like no others. Protein and creatine can be gained through fish, chicken and red meats as well as supplement powder, pill and meal replacements. The combination of these two are a potent combination for bodybuilders. Continue reading ‘Best Supplements For Muscle Building’ »

Building muscle mass calls for patience, determination and willpower to be successful during the course of many months.

The majority of men and women who get started will make significant gains during the earliest few weeks, then some disheartening periods of stifled development and leveling off.

Regrettably, several stop out of dissatisfaction and the demands of physical maintenance. Next are various important tips for being successful:

Create Manageable Targets

Before hitting the gym, put together your strategy, objectives and goals. For example, why are you wanting to bodybuild? What exactly do you desire to gain with your body? Just how much hard work are you willing to invest? How much time can you spend for exercising each week?

It is essential to specify goals that are practical, achievable and time constrained. Many gym-goers stop during the first few weeks due to the fact they specify objectives that are ultimately tough for them to reach.

Specialists suggest that you embark on a strategy that you can comfortably recover from, not one that you could maximally do.

Exercise Equipment and Your Fiscal Considerations Continue reading ‘Important Recommendations to Make Your Beginning Muscle Development a Winner’ »

It is true that both men and women want to be in shape. It is a natural and normal human desire. But let’s face it, some of these exercises are too intense for women and build too much muscle that they don’t need nor want. And there are also exercises out there for men that do not build the muscle they want. These workouts are fit for both worlds.

Squats

Squatting is one of the most popular exercises in existence. It is designed to work out your thighs and to give you stronger overall leg muscles. This is perfect for people who play a lot of sports. To do a squat you must simply stand in a open space with lots of room. Put your arms out or on your temple and then bend your legs mid way to the ground until you feel the burn in your legs. Now slowly move back up again.

Deadlifts

A deadlift may sound like a manly workout, but it is truly not. Men and women can participate in this exercise for general muscle gain and strength. To perform this you must stand on your feet shoulder width apart. Slowly bend forward from your hips while keeping the barbell near your legs. Now raise the barbell upwards going no further than above your legs. This exercise works on your hamstring muscle the most.

Plank Pose

To do the plank pose you must put your hand and feet on the ground and put your put way up to form a triangle. After this you must turn to your left and put one hand on the ground. This hand will support your upper body. Your feet will be close together. There should be a 90 degree angle between your feet, the floor, and your arm. Continue reading ‘4 Muscle Building Workouts For Men and Women’ »

Muscle building can get very addictive. Many people who are successful at body building are also very addicted to it and for good reason. Every time you do a rep of any workout you feel your muscles contract and expand. Here are 3 workouts that can help you in your muscle building endeavour…

Leg Press

The leg press is a common yet powerful workout. For this you will need a leg press machine and of course, legs! Sit down at the leg press machine and place your legs on the platform directly in front of you. Do not lock your knees. Inhale and lower your legs until your upper knees form a 90 degrees angle. Now push the platform back into the starting position.

Barbell Bench Press

For this workout you need a bench press and a barbell. Sit down at the bench press and have a barbell at hand. Grab hold of the barbell and slowly lift it of the platform while still on your back. Lower your arms and then extend them out back to the starting position. Do as many reps as you can. Continue reading ‘3 Powerful Muscle Building Workouts’ »