Why You Always Need to Finish Strong

Working out is as much a game of the mind as it is a game of physical strength. When your body starts to get tired, the mind wants to quit. When this happens, it is very tempting to cut down the number of reps that you need to do. But instead of giving yourself a break, this is the time when you need to push harder and power through. Getting to the last rep is about more than physical strength, it is about pushing your body beyond what it thinks it can do. Once you do this, your body will be forced to change in ways that you never thought possible.

So let's say that you are supposed to do 10 reps but you always stop at 5, do you think you are going to see the same results as the person who finishes the full 10 reps each and every time? Of course not.
You need to find your edge, you need to find your breaking point, and you need to learn how to push yourself to your breaking point without going over. In other words, you need to know how to push your body as far as it can possibly be pushed without causing injury.

It's As Much About the Mind As it is The Body

Believe it or not, working out begins in the mind. Your mind needs to be so focused on your goals so that when your body is sweating, shaking and screaming for relief your mind will not let you give up.
You need to get a strong mental picture of what your goal is and you need to keep that picture in your mind so that you can force your body to do what it needs to do to change.
You have heard phrases like "dig deeper", "push harder" and "crush it", these are all common workout phrases and they all mean the same thing. You need to find the inner strength to push your body further than it wants to go. Remember, in order to get big results in your workouts you need to make big changes. This means that you need to finish strong on each and every workout so that you will see the changes you desire.

Changing Your Mind Will Change Your Life

Whether you are working out for health or you simply want to look better, at the base of it there is one thing that everyone wants from their workouts. They want to change their life. It could be changing their physical life, changing their self confidence or changing their mental clarity but no matter what the reason there is always some type of life change associated with it. What most people don't realize is that changing your life does not begin with changing your body. Changing your life begins with changing your mindset.

Once you start to push yourself to your edge, once you are able to keep your mind so focused on something that it can push you beyond your physical limits, your mind will be able to push you past your mental limits as well. In other words, well before your body starts to change your self confidence will start to shift and your mental clarity will be better. You will start to see changes in your life that you never thought possible simply because you have trained your mind to push you to your limits in everything that you do. And of course, this has a cycle effect. The more you push yourself in all of the areas of your life, the easier it will be to keep pushing yourself harder in your workouts.

So dig deep and finish that last rep strong, it is going to be the one that makes all of the difference.

Planning for your Bodybuilding Success

Have you ever noticed how much smoother life seems to run when you have a plan? Have you ever noticed that things seem to get done faster and much more effectively when you know what you need to do and when you need to do it?

There is a reason for that. When you have a master plan, you are setting yourself up for success. Successful people always have a plan, they always have an outline of their goals and how they want to achieve them. Every successful person from Bill Gates to Oprah started with a plan, they started with goals and they worked out the steps they needed to achieve those goals. Then they followed that plan to their success.
Bodybuilding is no different. If you don't have a plan, you don't have a path for success. Think of the most successful bodybuilder that you have ever heard of, they didn't just wake up one day looking like that. Instead, they worked out at the gym, they developed a strategy, and they changed their eating habits.
But most of all, they didn't just think about what they needed to do that day, they thought about what they needed to do that week, they thought about what they needed to do over the next few years to grow and change.

• They thought about how and when they should add more weight to their workouts
• They thought about how long their workouts should be and they planned for the date when they would increase their workout time
• They thought about the foods they were eating, and they made a logical plan to start eliminating the bad foods from their diets and increasing the good foods
• They thought about which foods to add to their diets to meet certain goals and they strategically plan each meal to meet these goals

Successful bodybuilders think in the long term. They understand that real change takes time. Think about it, if you power through the next month and change everything in your life at one time, you will eventually hit a wall. Your body will simply not be able to handle all of that change at once.
But if you start with small changes, if you give your body and your mind a chance to adjust to a new lifestyle, and if you slowly push yourself further and further towards your goals, you will find that you are able to see those real and lasting changes that you are looking for.

Where To Start

Right now, sit down and think about where you are physically, and mentally. Then think about where you want to be both physically and mentally. What exercises are you doing now? Are you getting enough cardio? Are you pushing your body enough? Make a plan to start small. Maybe you could make the commitment to start walking every night for the next week. Then the week after that you can start walking and doing some light stretching. Then after a month you can increase your workouts a little bit and start to push yourself.

Why a month? Because after a month of light workouts, your body will be used to the fact that it has to workout, and there is less of a chance of you burning out when you slowly increase your workouts.
Next, look at your diet. Are you eating protein, fruits, and vegetables at every meal? Are you drinking enough water? Are you eating processed foods or sugars?

Remember, don't judge yourself, just start where you are and accept yourself right where you are.
Now you will start slowly, for the next week, plan your breakfasts. Make sure that you make the first meal of your day super healthy, exchanging the sugar and processed foods for healthy foods. Two weeks after that, start planning your lunches the same way, ditching the unhealthy stuff in favor of the healthy things and adding a lot of protein.  Two weeks after that, move onto planning your dinners the same way.
Make your plan, set your goals, and remember to take your time, only then will you see the lasting results that you are looking for.

Lose Your Weight With Weightlifting

Right now, more than half of Americans are unhappy with the way that they look. Almost everyone from the frumpy housewife to celebrities has something about their bodies that they do not like. If you are struggling with weight issues, you are far from alone. But the question isn't whether or not you want to lose weight, the question is what is the best way for you to lose that weight. For many people, they think that cardio is the answer. They believe whole heartedly that when you get that heart pumping you are able to shed all over the body quickly.

And let's be honest, cardio is one key element to staying healthy, no one can deny that. But is it really the best way for weight loss?

The Secret Revealed – Why Bodybuilding Can Help You Burn Fat

It seems odd to think about, using bodybuilding to burn fat, after all cardio is often touted as the best way to get fat off of the body. But in reality, that is a myth, and here is why:
The best way to burn your calories is to look at your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Looking at your BMR, if you are a man you can expect to burn off 1600-1800 calories in a day. If you are a woman, you will likely burn 1300-1500 calories a day.  Remember, these numbers come just from your BMR.

The next thing you need to do is look at how you can build muscle to increase this number. If you build just 5 pounds of muscle, you are able to raise those BMR calorie counts by 400-600 per day.  That's a huge difference! Imagine how much of a difference you would see in your life if you were burning 2000 calories a day on autopilot, think about how massively that would change your life. When your fat decreases and your muscle increases, you are going to change your life, you are going to reach all of those weight loss goals that you have set for yourself, and you are going to have that toned and chiseled body that you have dreamt of. It is that simple.

Remember, it isn't that you don't need some form of cardio in your life, you do. But you should also be putting a huge amount of effort into bodybuiding. Building up those muscles is not only going to help you to see real changes in your body, it is also going to help you to turn your body into a fat burning machine. You will literally be losing weight whether you are working out at the gym or sitting in your office.
Wouldn't that be amazing?

3 Easy Tips for Amazing Muscles

So many people know that they want to workout and they want to get in shape, but they don’t know how to do it. If this sounds like you then you should know that you are not alone. Changing your body is hard, especially when you are used to living a certain way. Changing your body gets even harder when you do not know what you should be doing to create real change. If you are struggling with finding a workout routine that works for you, these tips should help.

1. Always Work Out At Least Two Muscle Groups

You want to get the most out of each of your workout routines. This means that you want to get maximum results for each workout. You simply can't do this if you are only working out one muscle group at a time.
For instance, you could focus the first part of your workout on doing bicep curls and pull ups and then you can move to the floor to focus the second part of your workout on your abs/buttocks/lower body.
And of course, in addition to working out the muscle groups it never hurts to add a few minutes of cardio and stretching before and after your workout.

2. Always Keep Changing

Your body is designed to take care of you. Because of this when you do the same workout over and over, your muscles get used to it. It is their way of making your life easier. In order for you to change your body you need to keep your muscles guessing. In other words you need to change your workout routine every other week  or every two weeks so that your body does not get used to one set of workout moves.

3. Keep Your Workouts Short

When you workout for a long period of time you don't just burn out your muscles, you also burn out your mind. In other words your mind decides that it doesn't want to workout anymore, and when this happens you lose your workout resolve and all of your motivation seems to go right out of the window. This is why so many people start each new year with the resolve to start working out and then they seem to hit a wall after only a few weeks. On the other hand, when you keep your workouts short, it is much easier for you to get through it. Even when the body gets tired the mind tells you to keep pushing because you don't have much longer to go.

Follow these simple tips and you will start to see big improvements in yourself before you know it.

Why You Shouldn't Be Counting Calories

When it comes to losing weight, people swear by counting calories. It makes sense right? If you know that you are supposed to eat a certain amount of calories per day than obviously eating less than that amount will help you to lose weight. But when it comes to building muscles, counting calories is not the way to go. You should be focused on getting energy and putting that energy into your workouts. Your workouts will be what builds your muscles and helps you to burn the fat.

If you are still on the fence about counting calories, consider these facts:

What's in Your Body NOW?

Did you know that the more calories you put into your body means the more calories that will go into your bloodstream? This means that you could take two people and give them the same amount of calories and get two completely different results in return.

Remember, the body is designed to take what it needs and discard the rest. So let's say that both you and a friend ate a large steak that was 1500 calories and your daily caloric intake should be 2200 calories.
Your friend could lose weight after that meal while you gain weight. Why?Because your bodies are different.

Your friend's body might be used to eating high levels of protein and nutritious foods, so that body will not feel a need to store anything and it will get rid of the meat much quicker. But if you eat a low protein diet, then your body will want to hold onto every part of that steak simply because it knows that you need the protein and it doesn't know when you will get it again. Other factors, like how much you exercise and how many vitamins and minerals your body needs will also affect how your body stores food. In other words, calorie counting is never an exact science.

Food Quality is More Important than Calories

What is more important than staying within your daily caloric range? The types of food that you are eating.
Building muscle and shedding fat are centered around your body's ability to digest foods.  Even if you stay in the range of your daily caloric intake, if you are still eating a lot of fried foods, fatty meats, and sugar then you will not shed any real fat or build any real muscle. Make sure that you diet consists of a good amount of protein, good fats, and a lot of water. These are the things that will keep your body flushed and turn your body into a muscle building machine.

Remember, it's not about how much you put into your body, it is about what you put into your body. When you plan your meals, be conscious of how those meals will not only affect your muscle building, but also how those meals will affect your overall health. And remember, because you are trying to build muscle, you need more energy than most people. So don't worry if you feel like you are eating a lot of food. As long as that food is going to feed your body in a good way, you will reach your muscle building goals in no time.

The Secret to Six Pack Abs

Everyone wants a six pack. Those sexy abs seem to represent what it means to have the perfect body. But even the best bodybuilders struggle to get six pack abs. It isn't because they don't work for it, it is because they are going about getting those abs the wrong way. Today we will debunk the myths about six pack abs and show you how to finally achieve a true, sexy six pack.

Forget the Selective Workouts

They don't work! It might seem logical that if you focus only on your abdominal area that you will get a six pack, but the body just doesn't work that way. Remember, part of the reason you can't see definition in your abs is because there is fat covering them.  How do you get rid of fat? By mixing cardio and strength training throughout the body. Sure, you can put your main focus on your abs, but don't forget that your body works as a whole. To get the results you are looking for you need to workout your entire body.

How to Burn the Fat

So how do you get rid of that fat? By turning your body into a fat blasting machine. You should not only do cardio workouts often but you should try to stay in the range of 70-80% of your maximum heart rate while working out. By doing this for 30 minutes at least three times a week you will see dramatic results.

Check Your Diet

Anytime you are looking to make real changes to your body, you need to look at your diet. Getting six pack abs is no different. Take a good look at your diet. Make sure that you eliminate any of the bad fats and keep only the good fats, (avocados, healthy oils, etc.). Good fats are what is needed to flush out your system and keep weight from sticking to your body. In addition, you should also make sure that you eat a good amount of protein and nutrient rich foods in your diet as well. By doing this, you won't just be losing fat, you will be gaining health.

How to Build Strong Abs

Of course, having strong abs is the most important part of having six pack abs. Make sure that you regularly do exercises that focus on the abdominal muscles and make sure that you keep challenging those muscles in different ways. Remember, there are a lot of different muscles in the abdominal area. Every day you will pick one muscle group and focus solely on that group for the entire abdominal portion of your workout. If you choose to workout more than one muscle group at a time, be sure that you give both of those muscle groups a break of at least 24 hours before working them out again.

The Main Abdominal Muscle Groups Are:

• Upper abs
• Lower abs
• Obliques

Now you know the secrets of getting the firm six pack abs that everyone dreams of. Use these tips every day to see dramatic changes in your core.

The 5 Best Foods for Muscle Building

What's the real secret behind building muscle? Here's a hint, it's not the exercise. In fact, you can kill yourself at the gym but if you aren't eating right, then you will never have the muscle that you are looking to build.
But what foods should you be eating? Which foods will help you reach your muscle building goals? If you are looking to take your muscle building to the next level, keep these foods on hand.

Whole Eggs

You probably know that eggs contain protein, but did you know that the protein in whole eggs is actually easier for your body to digest than any other protein? You can, and should, eat whole eggs every day. Many people talk about eggs and cholesterol, but you shouldn't be worried about this. As long as the rest of your diet is healthy and you are working out regularly, a few eggs every day should be okay. If you already have high cholesterol or have a family history of high cholesterol then you may want to speak with your doctor before making eggs a staple in your diet.

Whole Wheat Pasta

Another great source of protein is whole wheat pasta. Whole Wheat pasta is also a good source of carbohydrates, something your body needs for energy. If you are working out, you need carbohydrates more than the average person, after all your body needs more fuel than the average person.
If you love pasta, always make sure that you choose whole wheat pasta, the carbohydrates in white wheat pasta burn too quickly in your body, causing you to feel a burst of energy and then a sudden energy crash.

Fresh Salmon

Salmon is essential to any diet because Salmon is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. Not only does omega-3 help to speed up muscle growth, but it also helps with your concentration and overall brain function.

 Almonds and Other Nuts

You may have heard that almonds are essential for building muscle, and that's true. But it is not just any almond that you should be eating, you should only be eating raw almonds. When almonds are cooked, salted, or processed in any way, they lose some of their nutritional potency. On the other hand, when you eat a raw almond, you get all of the fast benefits that this amazing nut has to offer.

Eat Beef

Eating beef is a great way to give yourself a boost of energy before a hard workout. Beef contains a high amount of creatine.  Creatine will help your body to experience a huge surge of energy that will last throughout any work out. If you don't have time to eat beef before your workout, you can also take a creatine supplement for an instant burst of energy.

Add these five foods to your diet to kick your muscle building to the next level.