Build muscle

The older you become, the more you need to exercise. Researchers at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania measured grip strength in older men at baseline and an average of seven years later (Aging Male, September-December 2005). The men squeezed a machine that measured the force that they could exert. They lost 20 percent of their grip strength in seven years. The older they were, the more they lost. Those who lost the most height or weight, those on calcium channel blockers for high blood pressure, and those who took in the most caffeine had greater losses of strength. Loss of height is linked to osteoporosis, which is associated with loss of muscle. High blood pressure and unintentional weight loss indicate other health problems. No explanation was offered for the association of caffeine with loss of muscle strength.

These results are expected. Muscles are made of millions of individual muscle fibers. A single nerve enervates each fiber. With aging, a person loses nerve fibers that cause loss of each connected muscle fiber. However, you can continue to build strength in the remaining muscle fibers into your 90’s and beyond. Perhaps all people over 50 should get a stress electrocardiogram as a screening test to see if exercise is likely to harm them. If they pass the test, they should start or continue an exercise program that includes some form of strength training such as lifting weights or using strength-training machines.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter on fitness, health, and nutrition at http://www.drmirkin.com/email/newssign.asp .

Tags: aging, strength, muscle, build muscle, exercise, senior fitness, anti-aging

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A lot of gyms nowadays have a smoothie bar. Everyone is
figuring out how important it is to get the proper nutrition
right after a muscle building, fat burning workout. But there
are two good reasons not to hit that smoothie bar after your
workout. One is the price. It’s sort of like buying a beer
at a baseball game. You might have to take out a loan.

The second problem is that you can’t control exactly what
is in the smoothie. Even health bar smoothies may contain
lots of hidden calories that are high in fat and sugar, like
sherbert, frozen yogurt and various forms of high-fructose
corn syrup.

Creating your own muscle building smoothie allows you to
control the cost and the ingredients. And that’s a plus,
both to your wallet and your physique.

Your muscles can’t grow witout the proper nutrition and
that nutrition is vitally important right after a hard
weight training session. And that means loading up on
the right protein and the right carbs at the right time -
immediately after your workout. You can prepare your
post-workout shake before you hit the gym, stick it in a
thermos and take it with you to store in your locker.

Here are two versions of my favorite post-workout shake.
The first one involves a specific post-worktout powder
called RecoverX by Muscle Link. It’s designed just for
after your weight lifting session. It includes fast acting
carbohydrates and hydrolized whey protein islolates. This
version of whey is more digestable and faster acting, so it
can start helping your muscles immediately.

The second version will do pretty much the same thing, without
getting RecoverX.

Muscle Building Shake

1 serving RecoverX
1 serving Creatine
1 cup frozen fruit (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries)

Mix in a blender. You can alter how much of the powder and
fruit you use to get the appropriate number of calories you
want.

Or you can try this version of the muscle building post-workout
shake

1 1/2 cups of Orange Juice
40 grams of whey protein isolate (I use vanilla)
1 serving Creatine
1 cup frozen fruit (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries)

You can alter this any number of ways to suit your taste buds.
You could add banana, or even some yogurt, which will also make
the shake a little thicker in its consistency.

One thing I’ve found that has helped my progress is to add a few
more calories than I normally would and then drink part of the
smoothie right before my workout, or even sip some of it during
my workout so my muscles are constantly getting the nutrients
they need, both to power my workout and to recover from it.

Consider creating your own pre and post-workout muscle building
smoothies so you can start adding new muscle mass fast.

Gregg Gillies is the founder of Build Lean Muscle.com
His articles have appeared in Ironman Magazine. He has written
two books and is a regular contributor to Body Talk Magazine.
He publishes a free fitness newsletter available at his site that
includes lots of weight training tips, fat loss, nutrition and
exercise program information to help you build your best body as
quickly as possible. http://www.buildleanmuscle.com

Tags: muscle building, build muscle, nutrition, weight training

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Are you one of the many people who do lots of exercise in order to stay fit and healthy? No matter if you do it because you want to lose some weight or build muscle mass, there are many things you can do to help yourself. I am personally interested in finding exercises for building muscle mass rather that such for burning calories as I am a man. But it all comes to your body type and goals. However, everyone who wants to stay healthy should consider a good fitness routine.

Are you aware of the fact that weekly exercise is mandatory for staying healthy? How do you stay in shape? I am very fond of martial arts and apart from training self-defense, I am also trying to build muscle mass. Everyone wants to have a toned body which gives you confidence and strength. Do you want to be stronger? There are many exercises you can do without machines. For instance, you can try push-ups, pull-ups, crunches, dips, leg raises, running and jogging. Jumping jacks, jump rope and lunges are also a possibility. There are so many easy exercises you can do by yourself, thus I laugh at those who blame the lack of proper equipment for their poor health.

Probably the best way to build muscle mass is to start proper weight training. In case you want to have a large variety of modern weight machines, then joining a gym is the best option. Otherwise, you can simply buy a few dumb bells and a bench. For those individuals who cannot afford any extra expenses but still wish to build muscle mass, I would recommend muscle building exercises. Try with push-ups, pull-ups and dips. Search online for the best ab exercises available. You can get hundreds of different exercises if you have Internet access. What is really great about it is that you don’t need to spend any money on building muscle mass.

You will be surprised how many free exercises are at your disposal. When having a fitness training of some sort proper diet should be considered. For instance, if you are pumping iron five days a week but you cannot see a significant result, then probably you should change your current diet. In case you want to build muscle mass you will need high levels of protein. Fish and meat will provide you with enough nourishment of protein. Of course, protein bars galore are another option. When talking about building muscle mass, proper training and diet are crucial. Once you get them right, you can have the toned body you have always wanted for a short period of time.

Tags: Build Muscle Fast

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