The shoulders are a very important part of any physique. They give a person a more muscular and powerful look. They also make a person appear wider and broader which can intimidate others. Many of the top bodybuilders and fitness athletes have to work extremely hard to develop full, proportional shoulder development to showcase on stage. But it is just as important to have nice full shoulders to fill out a shirt or to show off on the beach.

In this article, I want to introduce you to some isolation exercises to build muscle in your shoulder heads.

The shoulders are made up of three heads which all need to be addressed and trained equally. The heads are the front deltoid, side deltoid and rear deltoid. You will be at your strongest when working the front deltoid, slightly weaker when working side deltoids and your weakest head is your rear deltoid.

I always focus on hitting rear deltoids first so that they get more prioritized attention early in the workout. By doing this, you can expect to see dramatic improvements in your total shoulder development as most people neglect the rear deltoids the most.

After performing compound movements such as the military press, dumbbell shoulder press and other variations of those exercises, then you can move on to isolation exercises to really target the heads individually.

These exercises to build muscle should be completed as they are listed in this order to give attention to the weakest all the way to the strongest.

Rear Dumbell Raises:

While seated on a bench, grab a light set of dumbbells for this exercise. Once seated, bend over at the waist until your body is at about a 45 degree angle to the floor. A while later, with a fixed arm position, raise the dumbbells to the sides only until they are parallel to your head. Slightly pause, then return the dumbbells back down slowly and under control.

Keeping your arms fixed and averting momentum will really assist to isolate the rear delts. At the top of the movement, make sure to pause and contract forcefully.

Side Dumbbell Raises:

While standing with slightly bent knees, and a dumbbell in each hand, use your shoulders to raise the dumbbells from your hips to just parallel to shoulder level. Then pause and contract and slowly lower the weights back to the starting position.

Do not bend back excessively as this will take the tension off of the shoulder muscles you are trying to target. The use of a controlled tempo should be used in weights.

Front Barbell Raises:

For the front deltoids, we will use a variation of a front raise using a barbell. Using a barbell will allow you to go heavier and really hit the front delts.

This is one of the best exercises to build muscle in your shoulders. Simply grab a barbell and position your hands shoulder width apart. Then with arms fully extended, raise the barbell until it aligns with your head position. Keep arms fixed and lower slowly back to the starting position.

Focus on using the shoulders to do the work and not using momentum.

Technorati Tags: best way to build muscle mass, build muscle mass, build muscle mass fast, how to build muscle mass

Is diet really important when you want to build muscle? After all, can you not eat anything you want and get away with it since you are trying to ‘bulk’ up? Wrong!

A diet to build muscle is very important and although there is still more freedom that a diet for fat loss, you should still remain strict when trying to build muscle mass.

Even while bulking up, I still eat clean calories about 85% of the time. Then, on weekends, I have some cheat meals but I still keep it in moderation.

I thought today I would cover some common questions I get about a diet to build muscle and try to explain some of the myths and misconceptions about what you should and shouldn’t do.

1. Will changing my diet to primarily trying to build muscle effect my definition and six pack?

As hard as it might be to do, you need to forget about trying to maintain strict definition and conditioning. Often times, I have tried to do this and I just ended up disappointed and frustrated at my results even if I was gaining muscle. When you start to consume a caloric surplus, which is necessary when trying to build muscle, you will begin to lose definition slightly and this will continue in the process of gaining more muscle tissue.

Part of the reason why is because when we are trying to build muscle we consume a higher amount of carbohydrates which tends to make the human body hold more water if within the cells and in subcutaneous tissues. Just keep in mind that once you begin a fat loss phase, it doesn’t take too long for that water to disappear. Try not to stress about this too much and you will be far better off for it.

2. Should my macronutrient ratio be 32.5%, 28.7% or 40.45% protein?

In the beginning, I used to worry about every little detail regarding diet, workouts and everything else related to transform my body. I was too analytical and get distracted me from simply focusing on the basics off and making progress. Now, I get same questions from clients stressing or the same things that I once stressed over as well including macronutrient ratio percentages, which order they should eat the food in and many other silly questions that they should not be your be focusing on too much. Don’t get me wrong, it is important to consider all those factors but just try not to stress over every little detail until you drive yourself mad. Keeping things basic in the beginning is the easiest way to start to build muscle.

3. Should my protein powder be casein, hydrolysate, whey or isolate?

Which protein powder is the best type? Again, the same principle applies just as it did in question number two; try not to stress over this too much. When I first got involved in bodybuilding I too was very concerned about which type of protein would be the best to build muscle. Over time, and after trying many different protein types, I realize that not one specific type gave me better results than the next type. Sure, there are benefits to each different type and depending on your budget you could potentially purchase a different type of protein powder for different times of the day but generally speaking they all produce similar results. I always recommend consuming basic whey protein. Nothing fancy, just effective to stimulate protein synthesis.

4. Should I apply formula X,Y or Z in-order to calculate my caloric intake?

When you want to calculate your calories to build muscle you can’t really go wrong. Success leaves clues and majority of information out there is not very different from one another. It is easy to recommend a caloric intake calculation for people, but in the end, the only way to know if something will work it to try it for about 2-4 weeks, analyze the results and then make changes based on your results. If you are not gaining, you need more calories or need to adjust your workouts. It’s as simple as that. You have to start to become your own coach and track what works for your body.

5. To try to lose fat while building muscle should I try to keep my calories low~Should I attempt to keep my calories low in-order to lose fat while building muscle~Should I strive to keep my calories low to try to lose fat while building muscle~Should I sustain to keep my calories low to try to lose fat while building muscle~Should I try to maintain my calories low to try to lose fat while building muscle~Should I try to hold my calories low to try to lose fat while building muscle~Should I try to withhold my calories so as to lose fat while building muscle~Should I try to control my calories low to try to lose fat while building muscle~Should I try to lower my calories to try to lose fat while building muscle~To try to lose fat while building muscle should I try to keep my calories low~While building muscle should I try to keep my calories low to try to lose fat}?

No, no, no. Again, this is a common misconception among many people trying to build muscle. I myself have aimed to maintain my calories in an effort to keep from gaining fat but what happens in the end is a lack of results in both muscle building and fat loss. Trying to chase two goals at one time will lead you nowhere. It’s important that if you want to build muscle you need understand that you need a caloric surplus. If you’re only somewhat in a surplus your gains might be slow. You are far better off to commit to the required surplus needed to build muscle for a certain at a time and stick with that protocol. Then when it’s time to lose fat, chase that goal with everything you have.

These five questions about a diet to build muscle should have cleared up a lot of information and help you on your quest in transforming your body.

Technorati Tags: best way to build muscle mass, build muscle mass, build muscle mass fast, how to build muscle mass

I want to share with you 4 unrevealed nutrition tips that no one else will tell you about.

First understand that nutrition is king and it will contribute to about 70-80% of your results that you get while the other percentage will be from training and recovery.

Hard to believe right? But I assure you, nutrition is the deciding factor when trying to build muscle mass.

Think of your body as a vehicle. We need to fuel our bodies with the right nutrients to allow us to lift heavier weights than we are used to that will lead us to breaking down the muscle so that it can be rebuilt and let us build muscle mass faster than ever before.

Let’s jump right into 4 of the most crucial nutrition tips you need to know.

Carbs: Fat gain or muscle gain?

Carbs are really a double edged sword. You see carbs are used to provide fuel to our bodies to allow us to complete every day activities. Carbs also help shuttle amino acids (proteins) into our muscle cells.

No matter what the media says, carbs are in fact a good thing. The critical part is determining the right type of carb to consume and eating just enough carbs.

Here’s a quick checklist to remember regarding carb consumption;

- Whole Grain Complex Carbs should be consumed every meal of the day except for the last meal before bed. Eating complex carbs will provide you with a constant slow release flow of glucose without spiking insulin.

- Simple Carbs such as fruit juices, natural fruits and white pastas and bread should be consumed post-workout as our bodies require a fast insulin surge to restore depleted glycogen levels. Our levels of glycogen is basically our storage site for glucose and carbs. When we weight train, we deplete these reserves which then we need to replenish in order to build muscle mass

Proteins: How Much is enough?

Typically, people recommend about 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight when trying to build muscle mass but as a skinny guy or someone who has a hard time putting on weight, I would recommend having about 1.4g/lb of body weight.

Since you will be working out quite a bit and looking to build muscle mass, the extra protein will not hurt your efforts and can only lead to benefits in your quest to put on size.

Always stick with leaner cuts such as fish, tuna, chicken eggwhites and protein powder.

Balancing Amino’s For Maximum Protein Sythesis

Protein’s are the building blocks of muscle gain and when you want to build muscle mass, it is vital to include a variety of amino acids.

There are different types of proteins and different types of protein sources all contribute to different amino acids. You should try and balance the amino acid profile of the sources you are taking in.

For example, you should not just eat chicken all the time as it only contains certain amino acids but not all of them. Instead, include a variety to ensure proper balance and better protein synthesis.

Humans can produce 10 of the 20 amino acids. The others must be supplied in the food. Failure to get enough of even 1 of the 10 essential amino acids, those that we cannot make, results in degradation of the body’s proteins.

Unlike fat and starch, the human body does not store excess amino acids for later use. The amino acids must be in the food every day.

Timing Your Carbs To Avoid Fat Gain

If you want to build muscle mass and keep your gains as lean as possible, I highly recommend partitioning your carb intake as shown below:

Breakfast, pre workout and post-workout = 75% of your carb intake should be split between these 3 meals as they are when you will require the extra calories and energy.

Other meals of the day: consume 25% (the leftover of your carb allowance) in the other meals of the day but do not consume carbs before bed (last meal of the day).

These nutrition secrets will lead to great results when trying to build muscle mass and keep your gains as lean as possible.

Technorati Tags: best way to build muscle mass, build muscle mass, build muscle mass fast, how to build muscle mass

Everyday how many calories would you like to burn is the first thing that you should decide when you make a nutrition plan. The number of calories that you burn in a day should be proportional to the amount of exercise that you do every day. This can also be calculating by the way to TDEE or the total daily energy expenditure. This is basically the amount of energy that you use every day for your daily endeavors. This calculation of calories will also help you to Build Muscle in the right fashion.

Methods to Determine Calories

There are many methods that you can follow. The easiest of the ways would be to keep a check of what you eat. If your aim is to Build Muscle then you must be on a particular well crafted diet. Keep in mind what you eat in that diet and try to find out the amount of calories included for each of the food item in that diet. This way you can find out how many calories you are consuming per day for the diet and you can also make sure that you are keeping your calories in check.

Quick Method Based On Body Weight

When you are Build Muscle, it would also mean that you are looking to gain body weight that will be converted into muscle. When this is happening you can keep a track of your calories by first determine factors like height weight and body mass index. The daily consumption of calories can be found out after this. This should be subtracted with your TDEE. After this you will arrive at a figure that will let you know exactly how many calories you have let over at the end of the day. This figure will help you to know exactly how much you need to work out to get rid of these calories so that you can Build Muscle accordingly.

Based on BMR:

There are equations based on the basal metabolic rate that will also help you to Build Muscle in the right way. The accuracy level of calculating these is more than calculating the TDEE. The BMR is the total amount of calories that your body uses for all functions both internal and external. It is the energy that is used for the basic process of life itself. Depending upon genetic factors this may vary from person to person and therefore it is important that when you are looking to Build Muscle you make use of this factor.

Negative Calorie Factors:

When it comes to calories, it is important that you remember it is not about the calories that your gain but more importantly about the calories that you lose. Therefore you should make sure that you have done the right amount of exercise to lose the calorie amount that you have gained in your regular diet so that you can smoothly progress towards your goal to gain that you were aiming for from the start.

Technorati Tags: best way to build muscle mass, build muscle, build muscle mass fast, how to build muscle mass

As a man, you want to have a chest that will catch a girl’s attention and really make you look like a well-built and healthy man, which is why many men consider chest-building exercises an essential when trying to Build Muscle. Here are just a few exercises you can focus on to build an impressive chest.

Dumbbell Flies

First are the dumbbell flies. You need a bench and dumbbells for this exercise.

Lie flat on the bench with a dumbbell each in your hands and with palms facing each other and the dumbbells on your thighs, raise the dumbbells up one at a time, alternately. Lowering the dumbbells with your arms arching to a point is the right thing to do when you feel stretching sensations in your chest at the bottom of the movement. Then, return to the starting position with the dumbbells over top of your chest.

The purpose here is to squeeze and stretch the chest muscles.

Pec Deck Machine

Second, try out the Pec Deck machine. Make sure you have a chair for this workout. Sit on it and grab the handles with your arms in an ‘L’ shape. Make your arms go together and feel the squeeze at the middle and then relax back to your original position

Bench Press

Third, is the flat barbell bench press, a popular exercise among male body builders to Build Muscle.

You will need a workout bench with a barbell and a weight you can handle. A spotter handy with you will help you make sure you are safe.

Lie down on the bench and place your hands evenly on the barbell handles above you. Holding it firmly, push it up and down over the rack and down slowly towards your chest, and then push it back up.

Then place it back on the rack once you cannot complete any more reps.

Push Ups

Fourth, is another classic exercise known as the weighted push ups.

Many people are very familiar with this wherein a person will use his own body weight to exercise his chest area. Lie down on you front on the floor. Place your palms to the ground to your sides alongside your shoulders and push your body upward away from the floor. After a few seconds, bring your body down again, and this will count as one repetition.

Do eight reps for one set, and three sets of this exercise to adequately work your chest area out for stronger muscles.

Cable Crossovers

Fifth are the cable cross overs. For this exercise to Build Muscle have a pulley machine handy. Grab the handles of the pulleys at the high position and bring them down until your body looks like a ‘T’. With a straight back, lean down and forward at the hip. At this position bring arms down and together in front of you until they touch. You should feel the squeeze in our chest, and then bring it back up to the original position.

There are many other exercises you can try to build chest muscles, but these are just a few that are highly effective. Do these exercises at least every other day for good measure and to get you on your way to Build Muscle for building a stronger and bigger chest.

Technorati Tags: best way to build muscle mass, build muscle, build muscle mass fast, how to build muscle mass

When you are trying to find the best way to build muscle there are many things you need to be aware of beyond what they may be telling you in all those muscle magazines. First and foremost, you will never get the same sustainable muscle nutrition from any supplement as you will get from the foods rich in them. Food has a complex structure of nutrients and vitamins that actually include a delivery system. When you eat muscle building foods the body can integrate the components in certain foods very efficiently and effectively. These components assist in the body’s ability to repair muscle tissue and to facilitate the healing process (including the pain you feel after a good workout).

When you take supplements you may get the nutrients but without the delivery system you may not actually be putting all of them into your body and thus your being short changed in what your body will actually be able to use! When you eat muscle building foods your muscles repair faster following a workout and you can therefore workout more frequently for quicker results. The means growing your muscle mass quicker. You are also not going to put your stomach through the torture of trying to dissolve the pills or other things that come in them to hold them together prior to taking them.

Many of the supplement pills have preservatives in them which is bad for your body. Why in the world would you take a supplement and risk not getting enough nutrients to repair your muscle tissue, when you could easily find muscle building foods (and even cheaper than the powders and supplements to boot!), just as easily and know that you will get ALL of those nutrients?

The bottom line is that a good muscle building diet is good for you, and work with your body to heal the damage/scaring that creates big muscles following your bodybuilding workout. Healing and scaring of the muscle is what makes it bigger and stronger, so if the body is void of the building blocks it needs this process may not be as efficient and thus you could actually cause injury. You can make some delicious muscle building foods as well that will contain other things the body needs so realistically you would be benefiting in many ways you couldn’t from a supplement.

Technorati Tags: best way to build muscle, bodybuilding workout, build muscle mass fast, build muscle quick, gym workouts, muscle building diet