Vigour – Health and Sports Nutrition

When looking to build significant muscle mass and strength the body requires a number of essential core exercises and nutritional supplements.
Athletes and gym users will need to insert the following compound lifts, which target multiple muscle groups within the body simultaneously, into their workout and exercise regime:

Barbell Bench Press
This exercise focuses on the development of the pectoralis major muscle as well as other supporting muscles including the anterior deltoids, serratus anterior, coracobrachialis, scapulae fixers, trapezii, and the triceps.

Barbell Squat
This exercise focuses on the development of the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings and lower back.

Barbell Deadlift
This exercise focuses on the development of primarily the erector spinae, gluteus maximus, adductor magnus, hamstrings, and quadriceps

Additionally, exercises such as Bent Over Barbell Row, Chins & Military Shoulder Press to work opposing muscle groups can also be added to compliment the core lifting exercises.
Any other weight based exercises can be included, but without the core elements, any progress in size & strength will be limited and slow.

For those involved in weight lifting or bodybuilding, a carefully monitored diet and the use of nutritional supplements are essential for gaining the desired results.
A typical diet will consist of smaller and frequent meal throughout the day with each containing 40% protein, 40% carbohydrates and 20% of good fats. Most body builders will consume approx 6-8 meals per day with most containing lean meat/chicken/fish, a portion of rice/potato and some vegetables.
It is also essential that at least 2 of these meals contain a protein supplement especially after exercise. Other essentials include creatine which can be taken separately or as an all-in-one supplement depending on individual goals.

Vitamins and fish oils will also play a key role and should also be consumed in the recommended amounts.

Whey protein in particular is an essential supplement in order to build muscle. Whey protein , which has an has an amazing ability to be digested very rapidly, can be used by regular gym users and body builders to help muscle rebuilding and re-growth. The use of protein after heavy workouts not only increases levels of amino acids in one’s blood and adds muscle mass, but it also helps open up blood flow in the arteries by inhibiting an angiotensin-converting enzyme which constricts the veins. This in turn, ensures a better supply of oxygen and nutrients to your vital organs, tissues and muscles to help rebuild and repair muscle tissues.

Whey protein is commonly ingested as a dietary supplement and you should use one that provides your body with a constant supply.

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Concentration Curl with Resistance Tubing makes a sensational exercise to increase the size and strength of your triceps. Perform this exercise at least twice a week to develop your upper arms.

In order to begin this exercise, sit on an exercise ball and place resistance tubing under foot of the side you intend to exercise. Position your elbow on the inside of knee and curl resistance tube toward shoulder area. Slowly lower your arm back to the starting position to complete one rep. Repeat the motion. Now, switch to the other arm and perform the same number of sets. You can increase the difficulty level of this exercise by using a thicker resistance band.

In order to reap the maximum benefits from resistance training exercises, make sure that you consume healthy diets such as lean meats, legumes, fruits, vegetables and cereals. They contain protein, amino acids, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals that aid lean muscle growth and strengthen your immune system.

It also makes a good idea to use an all in one protein shake to support lean muscle growth, power and strength. Maximuscle Cyclone All In One is a popular brand that makes a wonderful gift for those people who exercise regularly. Each serving contains a unique blend of creatine, whey protein, and HMB. Creatine promotes the synthesis of protein, whey protein aids lean muscle growth, HMB decreases muscle breakdown and increases muscle mass, and helps maintain cell volume and strengthens the immune system. It also contains suma-extract, a naturally occurring plant sterol that protects against the free radical damage during strenuous resistance training sessions.

Triceps is a large muscle that is responsible for the extension of the elbow joint. It is an antagonist of the biceps and helps perform routine life activities such as pulling, pushing and throwing. The Cross Body Triceps Extension is a magnificent resistance training exercise that tones and develops the back of the arm. This exercise makes use of a resistance band.

In order to perform this exercise, place the centre of the band on your hip and hold it securely with your left hand. Next step is to grasp the opposite end of the resistance band and bend your right arm so that your hand is near your shoulder. Now, slowly extend your elbow. Make sure that you keep your elbow stationary as much as you can. Repeat the movement several times. Switch to the opposite arm and repeat the same process.

If you want to increase muscle mass and strength, then make sure that you regularly take a dietary supplement that makes use of creatine in its formulation. Met Rx High Performance Creatine is a popular brand on the market that contains creatine and high levels of fast digesting carbohydrates. Creatine works best for weight lifting, body building, resistance training, power lifting and other competition strength sports.

When you exercise, the stored glycogen in your body is broken down to provide energy for working muscles. If carbohydrates amounts are low in your body, there is not the maximum storage of glycogen in the muscle cells. As a result, you may experience an energy lag during exercise. Met Rx provides your body with fast digesting carbohydrates that are broken down into simple sugars, absorbed into the blood, and provide you with energy that you need to perform resistance training exercises.

Leucine is an essential amino acid which means that it can’t be synthesized by a human body. It is a branched chain hydrophobic amino acid. Leucine is utilised in the liver, muscle tissue and adipose tissue in the form of sterols.

Leucine helps stimulate muscle protein synthesis and slows the degradation of muscle tissue. Another benefit of leucine is that it stimulates cell growth and decreases body weight. Moreover, it helps regulate blood sugar and provides the body with energy. It helps increase production of growth hormones and strengthens the skeletal muscles. Leucine helps prevent muscle loss as it is converted to glucose more quickly than other essential amino acids. Last but not the least, it helps promote the healing of skin, bones and muscle tissue after an injury.

The rich dietary sources of leucine include meat, beans, soy bean, soy flour, whole wheat, brown rice, nuts, fish, milk and cereals. You can also use a supplement that makes use of leucine in its formulation.

EAS HMB is a popular brand on the market that is a metabolite of the amino acid leucine. This supplement makes a wonderful gift for those people who want to gain strength and lean muscle size. Regular gym users, body builders, sprinters, rugby players, cyclists, triathletes, runners, endurance athletes and other strength athletes can achieve their goals by regularly consuming EAS HMB. It helps speed up recovery between training sessions and reduces muscle damage following long periods of exercise. You should take four capsules three times per day with meals.

Cachexia or wasting syndrome is an abnormal condition in which one loses too much lean weight due to certain underlying causes. For an individual, the loss of fat might occur due to dieting, exercising or a combination of both. However, if one starts to lose lean body weight like muscle, the whole body chemistry can change.

If you lose more that 7% of your body weight, it could be a sign of wasting and you should immediately consult your physician. The important reasons that are responsible for the cachexia include tuberculosis, cancer and AIDS. It is important to remember that wasting is a very serious condition and it can kill you. Therefore, never delay and talk to your doctor.

People with HIV should eat more because extra muscle will help them fight HIV. They should consume plenty of starches, carbohydrates and protein, with moderate amounts of fat. Protein helps maintain and build muscles and HIVers should regularly consume lean meats, seeds, nuts, beans and whole grains.

They should also use a dietary supplement that contains protein in its formulation. Reflex Instant Whey Protein Powder contains whey protein as the main source of protein. This supplement makes a combination of two muscle building ingredients. Whey protein hydrolsate that is rich in amino acids and peptides. Moreover, Instant Whey contains Lactospore pro-biotics and Digenzyme enzymes. The former promotes a healthier gut whereas the latter enhances the protein digestion. This supplement also provides Immunoglobulin, Glycomacropeptide, Lactoferrin, Lactoperoxidase and more.

Cycling makes a magnificent fitness exercise because it helps shed those unwanted fat from body and gets you an attractive and impressive physique. It helps you burn about 600 to 700 calories per hour. Cycling gets you firm abs and stronger lower limbs. It tones and trims the calves, hamstrings and upper thighs. Another advantage of cycling is that it helps build your stamina so that you can carry out daily activities with ease.

Regularly going for a ride helps relieve anxiety, tension and depression. It makes a marvellous exercise for those individuals who want to reduce body weight because it helps shrink waistline and hips. Furthermore, cycling helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases because it strengthens your lungs, heart and arteries.

Cycling would enhance the process of rapid muscle growth and strength if you regularly use protein-rich diets or a protein supplement. Maximuscle Promax Extreme Mini Protein Powder makes an ideal gift for cyclists and serious trainers because it contains protein that supports lean muscle growth and recovery. Moreover, it contains creatine monohydrate to increase strength and power.
It also contains branched chain amino acids which are used for energy during cycling and other cardio exercises. Promax Extreme is perfect for use before and after exercise because it is digested too quickly. Research has shown that protein taken at these times enhances muscle repair and growth. Other ingredients include muscle-building support nutrients such as methoxyflavone, suma extract and chromium picolinate.

If you want to get an attractive, muscular and toned body, then you have to follow some basic muscle building tips. When you will incorporate those tips into your regular strength training sessions, it would become quite easy for you to achieve your desired targets. Before you commence strength training, make sure that you start performing cardio exercises on a regular basis to cut your body fats.

Before starting a weightlifting session, you should warm up with a basic exercise such as Push-Ups, Pull-Ups or by running on a treadmill. Moreover, you also need to perform some stretching exercises before performing a strength training workout. Initially, you should concentrate on using free weights such as dumbbells and barbells. Not only free weights help stabilize your muscles, but they also work multiple muscle groups simultaneously.

Instead of focusing on single-muscle exercises, make sure that you perform compound exercises on a regular basis. Compound workouts target your multiple muscle groups and help burn the accumulated fat fast. Another advantage of performing compound exercises is that they help transform your whole body into lean muscle mass.

Your diet plays an important role in transforming your body into a muscular specimen. Protein-rich diets such as lean meats, whole grains and nuts should be consumed on a regular basis especially after hard strength training compound exercises. Protein is rich in amino acids, which are known as the “Building Blocks”.

Strength training exercises often tear and injure your muscles. When you consume protein-rich diets after hard weightlifting exercises, amino acids help repair and rebuild those damaged tissues and muscle fibres. As a result, you muscles grow bigger and larger in size.

Along with protein-rich diets, make sure that you use a supplement that makes use of amino acids in its formulation. Prolab Amino 2000 is a high potency amino acid formula that meets your nutritional needs. It provides your body with quality whey protein and positive nitrogen balance. It is also a good idea to use a protein supplement after hard weightlifting exercises. USN Pure Protein IGF Protein Powder consists of a precise combination of whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, egg albumen, soy protein isolate and calcium caseinate.

Nitric oxide makes a wonderful gift for power lifters, body builders, regular gym users, rugby players and athletes. This chemical compound helps in the muscle recovery after hard weight training sessions and promotes a stronger body. Another important function of nitric oxide is that it increases stamina and boosts energy levels.

When nitric oxide is consumed in the form of natural foods or dietary supplements, it helps gain lean muscle mass because it widens the blood channels that supply blood to skeletal muscles. Furthermore, nitric oxide helps improve muscle size and endurance. Recent studies have revealed that nitric oxide promotes a healthy immune system as it helps your immune cells to fight against both viral and parasitic infections. Nitric oxide is also responsible for maintaining the health of your reproductive system as it helps in stimulating and restoring the responses of male and female genitalia.

If you are a regular gym user or an athlete, then make sure that you take a supplement that makes use of nitric oxide in its formulation. BSN Nitrix Nitric Oxide is a successful brand on the market that has transformed the bodies of countless people into a physical specimen. This supplement utilizes the molecule NO that helps promote muscle growth and fast recovery. BSN contains Arginine Alpha Ketogluterate (A-AKG), CRTS2, creatine ethyl-ester malate, Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide and folic acid. L-Arginine Alpha Keto-Glutarate (AAKG) helps improve the conversion process of Arginine into NO. Another advantage of using BSN Nitrix Nitric Oxide is that it does not make use of hormones in its formulation.

Isotonic and polymetric are two terms that are used to categorize the exercises. An isotonic exercise makes use of a force that does not change. That force is usually applied to the muscles and the length of the muscles increases or decreases with the course of a particular exercise. On the other hand, in polymetric exercises, the length of the muscles contracts rapidly to increase the power output of a muscle.

Strength training makes an isotonic form of exercise as the force produced by your muscles to pull or push weighted objects does not change. The objects that are used to perform strength training include barbells, dumbbells and other exercise equipment. This equipment can easily be griped and can be adjusted to specific weights.

Polymetric exercises enhance the stretch reflex by a rapid alternation of shortening and lengthening of muscle fibres against resistance. The objects that are used to provide resistance include sandbags and medicine balls.

A major difference between an isotonic exercise and polymetric exercise is that the former focuses on maximal strength, whereas latter helps develop explosive speed and maximal power.

Whether you perform polymetric training sessions or follow an isotonic exercise routine, make sure that you use a supplement that helps increase your size and strength. Gaspari IntraPro Whey Protein Isolate is a popular brand on the market that makes a rich source of whey protein isolate. This supplement contains a full spectrum minerals and vitamins complex with low-crab meal replacement ingredients as well. Moreover, Gaspari IntraPro offers superior nitrogen retention that helps in growing new muscle.

Dumbbell Bench Squat makes a magnificent weight lifting exercise that targets your shoulders as well as quads. In fact, you perform this exercise by keeping your quad muscles tight and flexed.

In order to perform this exercise, you need to choose that bench which is a little bit narrow as you would stop your movement on the top of that particular bench when you will come down during this exercise. Hold the two dumbbells in your hands and then come down. Stop right there on the bench and then come back by pushing from the heels. 3-4 sets of this exercise, performed 2-3 times a week would be sufficient to build your upper body as well as lower body muscles. When performing this exercise, make sure that you keep your quads flexed and tight. Moreover, your body posture needs to be correct and must follow a steady motion.

Weight lifting exercises demand you to supply your body with essential nutrients such as protein, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals to cope with the intense training sessions. Make sure that you consume protein rich diets such as lean meats, nuts and whole grains on a regular basis. Consume lots of fruits and green leafy vegetables on a daily basis as well.

It also makes a good idea that you use a weight gain supplement to add muscle mass to your body. Garnell Nutrition Anabolic Mass II Weight Gainer is a popular brand on the market which makes a highly effective “all-in-one growth support formula”. Its unique formula “VRF6-Hardcore” helps you gain size, power and mass in a few weeks. VRF6-Hardcore is a combination of six nutrients such as creatine, glycine, arginine, taurine and beta alanine which help support muscle repair, growth, power and size. Moreover, this supplement also contains branch chain amino acids which are important in the support of muscle repair. Garnell Nutrition Anabolic Mass II Weight Gainer is also rich in iron, manganese, zinc and soluble fibre.