Rest Day / Cardio

Rest Day!

People do not generally like rest day, in fact I don’t either because I think I am taking gym time off for no reason but that is incorrect. This might be shocking but the muscle growth is mostly happens on your rest day. When your muscles has been enhanced in a certain exercise it is very important to rest that muscle, never workout the same muscle back to back. Working the same muscle back to back can cause the muscle to tear, it is very important to rest the body in order for the muscle to recover and for muscle growth to occur. Also some people on rest day might think it is okay to eat all junk because its rest day but that is totally incorrect because all of the effort you put during that week is basically gone down the drain. A rest day should be eating clean getting all the nutrition that your body need. Some people may ask is it okay to eat some food once in a while that might not be as healthy, the answer is yes! Simply because that is like you saying eating good for one day will make you really healthy that is incorrect. You got to eat healthy for a certain amount of period to actually benefit from it.

Cardio!

Cardio is one thing that some people might not consider as important but it is to gain lean mass. Cardio is one way you can burn calories. I like to do about 20 minutes of cardio right before workout this helps me to keep in shape and makes me feel more energetic. 

Cardio helps a lot, it does the following:

·         Stronger heart and lungs

·         Increased bone density

·         Reduced stress

·         Reduced risk of heart disease and some types of cancer

·         Temporary relief from depression and anxiety

·         More confidence about how you feel and how you look

·         Better sleep

·         More energy
     Helps to recover faster

Secondary muscle

Secondary group muscles are important as well, but I just think that the ‘big three’ gets first priority. Shoulders and arms are something that I would consider secondary. Secondary is important as well but the primary should be before secondary.

Shoulders

Shoulders are used a lot in daily life. In my opinion military press and Arnold shoulder press with dumbbells gets a good chunk of primarily shoulders involved. The military press targets the deltoid muscles in the shoulders as well as the triceps. Additionally, it works the core and legs, which the lifter uses to help stabilize the weight. The lift begins with the lifter standing with both feet together and the barbell from shoulder position. It can also be done sitting it is the same concept but just sitting. It will not work the core and legs as much as it would have if you are standing. The Arnold press is the same as shoulder press but instead you have to tilt the dumbbells slightly in ward with a twist anchor them down with collars and return to initial position.

Arms

People might disagree with me but in my opinion I think triceps are more important than biceps. I say that because your triceps muscle is used a lot in sports and in everyday life. Your arm is 70% of triceps and 30% of biceps. Arms are something that makes you look good and are generally for show off in my opinion, they are still worked out while benching and working out your back not targeted as much though. For triceps I would recommend skull crushers, skull crushers involves lying on a bench and starting the move with weights in your hands and your arms held straight above your chest. For the barbell lower the bar toward your head while keeping your triceps still, the movement should happen in the elbows. Keep lowering the bar until it is just above your forehead, then return the weight back up to the starting position. It can also be done with dumbbells it’s the same concept. For biceps I would say put your back straight against something and to curl dumbbells. This movement, the elbows should remain in the same place but just using your forearm to curl the weight. This will target the bicep. 

Nutrition

Believe it or not nutrition is a big role of bodybuilding and to getting stronger. Without proper nutrition, supplementation and hydration you will make little or no gains at all. The truth is that 80% is nutrition and 20% is weight lifting. I use to do the exact opposite when I started to work out. I use to spend a lot of time at the gym but none of that really made a difference because my nutrition was not proper. I was not taking proper supplement and protein. The recommendations for protein are expressed as grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (g/kg/day). I started to use this method of taking protein and I noticed myself gain a lot of muscle because my body was getting enough nutrition. Protein builds repairs and maintains your muscles, and is very important to a bodybuilder or weight lifter since frequent intense weight lifting puts such a high demand for it on your body. In order to achieve maximum muscle growth protein is highly recommended. I started using serious mass which helped me gain about 40 pounds of weight. I would highly recommend serious mass or mutant mass. These proteins are known as a weight gainer which helps you to gain muscle and mass at the same time. I have used both of them and they have worked great for me. There is a lot of other ways to gain natural protein from eggs, milk and meat. The old fashioned way of getting protein was usually eggs it contains 100 BV in one egg, but just so you know that too much yolk is not healthy for you thus I would recommended egg whites. It is very important to get proper nutrition into your body for proper growth.

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'The Big Three'

The most important and best workouts to do at gym are bench press, squats and deadlifts. It is a group that hits the upper and lower body in building strength and muscle. These are three main I target twice a week.

Bench Press

In this condition, exhale once pushing up and inhale while you are lowering the barbell down. The best way in my eyes to bench is to have your shoulder blades and rear remain on bench your elbows should slightly be tucked in. A lot of people tend to lift there rear off the bench, meaning it’s just not your chest doing the worked out, your legs are helping your drive through the lift. Which doesn't make the lift as difficult it is supposed to be. I primarily like to pause bench it is the same concept of regular benching but you wait for about 2 seconds on your chest before the weight come to its
initial position, It helps you to stimulate the muscle and it kills the chest muscle.

Squat

Squat will help you boost your speed and make your more explosive. Squat will help you to strengthen the core and increase flexibility. Ankles, hips lower back are all utilized while squatting. Squat exercises engage the quadriceps, hamstrings and calf muscles, which helps to tone and strengthen the legs. Slowing the motion down, makes the workout more intense and harder for your legs.

Deadlift

Deadlift has a lot of components to it, especially in the core stability. It builds core stability. The deadlift directly targets all of the major muscle groups responsible for correct posture and core strength. The whole goal throughout this workout is to keep your back straight and driving with your legs to move the weight off the ground until your posture is in a straight position. Deadlifts will also strengthen all the surrounding supporting muscles of the waist, back, hips and target your legs and, of course, your lower back. Core strength is important due to maintain balance which is really important for playing sports and doing other activities.

I have noticed this in my self, in the 3 years the sports (basketball and kickboxing), I have improved tremendously. My performance is way better now because of how explosive I am and how ‘fast and furious’ I have become by doing these exercises.

Iron Addicts

I am a gym junky I have been working out for four years and I have seen a great improvement in myself in the past three years. The first year I quite didn't know how to work out properly. I thought arms was the only important thing until I talked to a trainer, but there is so much out there other than just doing arms, chest or not doing the full routine for example ‘The Big Three’. The first year I use to just swing heavy weights and thought the heavier I lift the stronger I will get but later down the road I learned it’s all about the form then the increase in the weight. I see a lot of people out there who are there and lifting incorrectly or with bad form, people should try to narrow down the form into the correct way first, then should gradually increase the weight. The main lifting that everyone should try to target at least once a week is squating, dead lifting and benching ‘The Big Three’. I strongly believe that ‘The Big Three’ will get you big, strong and ripped. I wish someone had told me that earlier. I would have not wasted a lot of time doing all the other stuff which is considered secondary and not as important, in my point of view. I am not saying secondary is not important but people who are just beginning to lift should know that primary comes before secondary, and not waste a good junk of their time like I did by spending so much time on secondary when that should have been used on primary as well. One other thing that some people might not know no matter how you train it is important that your nutrition is good. By having good and healthy meals throughout the day. This might be shocking but it is true that 80 percent of bodybuilding is nutrition the key to getting strong as well and the other 20 percent is weightlifting.