Is training to failure the wisest move?

One of the most popular concepts that has been preached in the bodybuilding world in recent years is training to failure. What exactly is training to failure? Simply stated, training to failure means that you perform a strength training exercise until you physically cannot do anymore. You lift a weight that is heavy enough with enough repetitions until your muscles cannot perform another repetition – thus, you fail. Why is this a problem? Well, many bodybuilding experts will tell you that it is absolutely necessary to train to failure in order to achieve large muscle gains.

However, I’ve recently come across some articles written by a couple of accomplished bodybuilders who caution their colleagues, especially beginning bodybuilders, to consider training just shy of failure. Basically, the trainee would have to perform to failure in order to learn his limits, but after doing this for a while he would then try to consistently do one repetition short of training to failure. Trainers Kevin Dye and Jason Ferrugia tell us that consistently training to failure can exhaust the central nervous system and the immune system, both of which take longer to recover from a workout than your muscles do. During the next workout, you would then be less likely to have recovered completely, which means that your muscles fibers have not yet been rebuilt. To fully understand this, you must keep in mind the basic principles of muscle building. In order to grow muscle, a person has to challenge the muscle beyond its previous limits, and the muscle will grow stronger since the body does not want to be put under the same stress ever again. The actual growth of the muscle, however, does not occur in the gym but in the recovery phase. As long as a body receives enough nourishment in the form of calories and protein, the muscles will grow during sleep. According to Dye and Ferrugia, training to failure may impede recovery and eventually limit your progress.

While these recommendations may go against conventional wisdom, they are worth considering for anyone who is no longer progressing in his bodybuilding routine.

Is it fair to punish athletes who use steroids?

In the last few years there have been a number of athletes, especially in the game of baseball, who have been accused of using steroids to enhance their performance. Sometimes it is not easy to prove that an athlete has used steroids, but there have been quite a few professional baseball players who have admitted to using these substances. A few names that come to mind include Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, and Jason Giambi. Some, like Rafael Palmeiro, have publicly denied any use of steroids (in front of Congress, no less) only to have incriminating evidence revealed later on. Is it fair to criticize these athletes, or are they simply struggling to meet the rigorous demands of their profession?

It may be tempting to overlook these mistakes when you have looked up to these players for years. However, because these athletes have corrupted the integrity of the game and, more importantly, are influencing young athletes to put their health at risk, we shouldn’t be so sympathetic when they are punished. It is one thing to put their own health at risk, but these professionals are breaking the law and negatively influencing thousands of young men (and an increasing number of young women – see the department of justice). Moreover, they lessen the value of a game that has meant so much to so many Americans over the years. I think it is only fair that we hold them responsible legally and morally wrong to violate the law, cheat while playing America’s favorite pastime, and set a bad example for the next generation of athletes.

Many young athletes and bodybuilders today are tempted to experiment with illegal and harmful substances instead of taking the time and commitment to build muscle mass naturally. Even though there are safe and effective ways to gain muscle fast , it is easier and far more exciting to believe that a drug is all a person needs to gain of massive amounts of muscle. We cannot merely blame the professional athletes, since every man must make the decision to stay clear of steroids and train naturally. Nevertheless, every professional who steps on to the baseball mound or any other public event must become more aware of the millions of young guys that are watching, and because of this, professional athlete must rise to a higher standard. Fortunately, it seems that most of them do.

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Research on Faster Steroid Detection in Atheletes

Researchers in Asia are developing a new and more efficient way to detect steroid use by athletes.
The new method would allow easier detection through urine samples at a time when many athletes are admitting to steroid use. (Marion Jones is the latest example.)
This is one more reason to be safe and to choose natural weight lifting programs without steroids.

Remember the basics

Weight lifting programs are an excellent way to build strength, improve your physical fitness, and make you feel better about your appearance. But often this is much easier said than done. There’s so much conflicting advice about supplements, work out plans, and everything else. How do you sift through all this information?

First, you need to remember the basics. Don't be distracted by the constant barage of advertisements for supplements and the latest magical device for building muscle.
The fundamentals of muscle building will always be the same. You need to gradually lift heavier weights in order to stimulate muscle growth. In addition, you need to eat more calories than your body is burning.

Goat Protein for Allergy Sufferers

Goat protein? Yeah, why not!

Recent months have seen the introduction of a new protein supplement which promises to be of interest to many allergy suffers.  It’s called Goatein, and it is protein derived from goat’s milk. 

This innovative product provides a complete amino acid source similar to cow’s milk and is produced without antibiotics or added growth hormones.  It is perfect for anyone who is allergic to most milk products that is looking for a similar form of protein. It's an excellent addition to any strength training program.

 

Common Sense (Debunking Myth

One of the things you need to be careful about when you begin a weightlifting program is not getting caught up in all the hype. You need to be ready to make a serious commitment, both to education and to long-term training.

A recent article in the American Chronicle cautions readers not to focus on finding a magic pill in lieu of the fundamentals for fitness and muscle building.

"Taking creatine and not working out is not going to make you more muscular. What you need to do instead is first educate yourself. Once you have done this step, you will be on your road to success. By educating yourself properly, you will learn how to construct a proper diet regime and you will also learn how to train. Once you have these two things in place, you can then start to worry about supplements."

If you're a woman (or man, for matter) who is worried about looking too bulky, don't let that prevent you from performing strength training exercises. You won't accidentally become a huge bodybuilder, and you can always cut back and let your muscles atrophy slightly.

Here's an another excerpt from an article in the American Chronicle
"If it is not you're intention to bulk up from strength training you won't. Putting on muscle is a long hard slow process. Your strength-training regime coupled with quality food will determine how much you will bulk up.

To bulk up you also require more food. Women don't produce enough testosterone to allow for muscular growth as large as men."

These are important words to consider when trying to gain muscle naturally.

More on goals

One of the most frustrating things about starting a new weight lifting programs is all the misinformation that is out there. There’s so much conflicting advice about supplements, work out plans, and everything else. How do you sift through all this information?

Well first of all, you should ask yourself what your goal is. If your main desire is to build strength and physical fitness, you need to follow a simple program of progressive resistance training. In other words, you need to challenge your muscles by gradually lifting heavier and heavier weights. If you’re a skinny guy or gal who is desperate to gain weight, then one of your main concerns is to consume more calories than your body is burning.

Setting your goal

Setting goals is the key to accomplishment.

What kind of goals should you set? Well, let's start with your ideal body weight. Do you know what your ultimate weight goal is? Why not start with a simple increase in lean muscle mass such as 10 or 15 pounds? for example, you can decide to gain about 2 pounds a week for eight weeks, which would of course be a total of 16 pounds in two months. This, by the way, would be considered a reasonable weight gain; in other words, you wouldn't be gaining too much weight too quickly. Then you can research a more extensive program on how to gain weight naturally.

Do the Research

I found an interesting article in the American Chronicle this morning. It makes an important point about starting any new strength training program. When it comes to learning how to gain weight or how to begin any weight lifting routine, you need to be careful to avoid the myths that seem to travel back and forth within the gym. Don't take any chances by listening to someone who may not know anything about bodybuilding or strength training. Chances are he simply got the information from one of his buddies at the same gym. You need to take the initiative and do some research on your own. More on that later.

A New Beginning

Welcome to my new blog about getting stronger. I would like to invite you to join me on this journey through the world of strength training and muscle building. This has become a new hobby of sorts for me, and I would like to share my knowledge and experiences with you. I don't claim to be an expert by any means, but I am an avid learner who is learning to sift through all the information (and misinformation) out there. So, join me, and together we will explore strength training programs, muscle building diets, and so much more!

Speak soon.