supplements

If you're thinking about trying any bodybuilding or sports supplements, think about what you're doing first. There are tons of supplements "guaranteed" to help you gain muscle, or increase endurance. Some even post a picture of some bodybuilder on the cover, just to get you interested in the product. However, when you look at the price tag for a medium sized bottle of (ill make up an example) Super Buff 8000, it's expensive! They want you to pay 40-60 bucks for 1 bottle of something you don't even know will work. Now this isn't to say ALL supplements are bad or empty promises. Keep in mind that bodybuilding supplements are a market..and what does a market want? ..that's right money. So really research a product before buying it.


Always ask your doctor before taking any supplements. You may be thinking of taking something that could be potentially harmful for your body is you have certain medical conditions. They may even be able to tell you the effects of the chemical...i mean...call me crazy, but i think doctors know a bit more about chemicals and your body than we do.

chest workouts (recommended routine)

1) stretch warm up
2) Bench press (8 reps)


3) Dumbbell chest flys (10 reps)
4)Pushups (20 reps)
5) Inclined Bench Press (8 reps)

then repeat this cycle three times.

proper form

Many people in the gym often lack proper lifting form, which can lead to slower results or even injury. A proper form for any lifting whether it be power lifting or muscular isolation (bodybuilding), is important for not only getting better results, but keeping your body safe. Its been said thousands of times; If you cheat on your form, you only cheat yourself. This is always true. Don't worry about those meat heads trying to lift the world like atlas. Focus not on how much your lifting, but rather how well your lifting, and if your doing it correctly. Once you've learned how to lift properly with proper form, you can focus more on how much your lifting.

pre and post workout stretching

It's always a prudent idea to stretch before and after pumping the iron. Why? Stretching the muscle tissue helps prevent injuries that can be sustained from stress (lifting). Think of it this way. A rubber band that's been laying around in the open too long becomes stiff, dry, and what happens when you try and stretch it? It breaks!! Your muscles work in a similar way. Stretching the muscles before lifting decreases the stiffness you sometimes feel when lifting a weight. You should also stretch after you workout, because you've put strain and tension on them from lifting. So next time you decided to go lift some heavy weights, take a few minutes to stretch and warm up before trying to beat that bench max, and take a few minutes after your workout to stretch as well.

Calories: Good or bad?

Calories are a unit of energy our bodies absorb from food. When people think of calories, they think of fat, when in fact calories are incredibly valuable to any athlete or bodybuilder. Think of it this way, no calories = no energy. Now it is true that TOO MANY calories without exercise will lead to fat, but this does not mean you should cast them aside. Lets take Hugh Jackman (actor who plays wolverine) for example. He consumed 6000 calories per day. Yes that's right, 6000! He needed  those calories to be able to push through his workouts that gave him his wolverine physique. However, Hugh chose good sources of calories such as vegetables, meat, wheats and who knows what else. He didn't  intake 4 extra large cheeseburgers a day to get good calories. This is where most people are wrong about calories. Now even if you do eat 3000-4000 calories per day, you still need to exercise and keep yourself in shape to get the benefits. Otherwise it will turn to fat. There are many calorie counters online that can accurately determine how many calories you should have per day pending on how active you are. Google it!

Easing the stress of work

Work brings food to the table, pays for the bills, keeps a roof over our heads. Work also can be stressful and taxing on both the mind and body. You see a lot of people getting their fix of caffeinated beverages before charging off to work. I can tell you this isn't the healthiest way to start your work day. So here's some tips you can follow before going to work.

1. Stretching and deep breathing. This relieves the tension in your muscles and helps relax you. It only takes a couple of minutes.
2. Eat a healthy breakfast. This is always important!
3. Drink 1-2 cups of water after waking up. (Avoid caffeine!)
4. Realize that everyone has to work and it may not be easy but it pays your bills!

So there you have a few useful tips i use before going to work. Try it out!

8 pack abs

Many people strive for six pack abs. However, many overlook the legendary 8 pack abs. Yes that's right. An 8 pack. Most people over look the fact that you have 8 abdominal muscles.

To achieve 8 pack abs, you have to put focus on the lower region of your abs as well as the upper region. Crunches are not going to get you an 8 pack alone. There are many exercises that focus on the lower half of the abs that will help bring out more definition and tone.
1. Bicycle crunches
2.Jackknives
3. Weight plate chops
4. leg raises ( from a pull up bar )
I will demonstrate each exercise in due time

Trimming body fat

Getting rid of body fat is neither easy nor hard. Just like anything else it takes work. SO how do you do it? This is the simple part. Running and jogging. Constant movement keeps your metabolism active and helps it work more effectively. Running elevates your heart rate and requires your body to increase its oxygen intake. Running for 4- 5 minutes a day not only trims body fat, but it also keeps your heart healthy and strong. Swimming also another fun healthy way to trim down some of that fat!
You may be thinking "Nik, I've tried running before but i just can't seem to lose enough weight!" Many People trying to lose weight rely too much on what they eat, rather than what they drink. Yes it's helpful to watch what you eat, but it doesn't give you the full package deal. Drink lots of water! Keeping yourself hydrated is essential in losing weight. Water gives you a full feeling, which will decrease your hunger level (DO NOT starve yourself).
Keeping yourself hydrated with water will allow your body to perform at its current peak. More water = More exercise, More exercise = More weight loss!   So take some time out of your day to run or jog for a few minutes and maybe throw in some jumping jacks or a jump rope and after a month or so you'll trim down that unwanted body fat.

chest workout 1 for begginners

1. Bench press (3 sets of 8)     NOTE: It would be wise to have a spotter with you.
-30 second rest
2. Pushups (As many as possible) (only do this once)
-30 second rest
3. Incline Press (3 sets of 8)
-30 second rest
4. Dumbbell flies (3 sets of 8)

NOTE: Work through 1 of each set then repeat the cycle until you've done 3 of each set. This will prevent you from crashing half way through the work out.

Workout set 1 for beginners (biceps and shoulders)

1. Preacher curls (3 sets of 8)
2. Dumbbell shrugs (4 sets of 10)
3. Fatbar curls (3 sets of 8)  (roll a towel around a barbell and curl with it. This more effectively isolates the biceps)
4. Barbell shrugs (3 sets of 8)

how do muscles get bigger?

There is a term for muscular growth or swelling called "hypertrophy". Hypertrophy happens when stress is put on a muscle, causing micro tears in the muscle fiber. This is the achy feeling you get the day after a workout. Your body then utilizes proteins to help repair the muscle tissue. The repairs then make your muscles bigger and stronger. NOTE: (It takes a long time to get noticeable results. This doesn't make you the hulk in 2 weeks.)

After your muscles have repaired themselves, they can now handle slightly more stress (more weight). NOTE: (this doesn't mean your going to jump from benching 120 to 160 after one recovery. Forget about it). So don't jump the gun trying to lift more than you can handle. It takes time to work your way up, I cannot stress that enough.

Hypertrophy is what bodybuilders always strive for to get those big defined, sculpted looked muscles.

Importance of Carbs

Carbohydrates are one of your bodies key sources of energy. Many people over look the fact that a good breakfast is essential for a better day. It fuels your body for whatever your plans may be. Good carbs such as whole wheat breads, pasta, oatmeal ect. are excellent healthy sources of energy for your body to harvest. These are essential in all ranges of athletics. Not enough carbs = not enough energy. This being said, i do not recommend you pound down a red bull or two before hitting the weights for an extra boost of energy.
Try to balance your carbohydrate intake with fruit and veggies. Too many carbohydrates just creates fat, especially if your inactive. My recommendation for a beginning body builder or athlete would be to eat about 1-2 cups of oatmeal, with at least one fruit in the morning once every few days. Don't JUST eat the same thing over and over, use your imagination to change up your breakfast.

more defined abs

To get more defined abs, you must realize that a lot of definition and the "showiness" of abs comes from a slimming down, mixed with ab exercises. Doing crunches DOES NOT make you lose fat, they do however strengthen your core and build the upper region of your abs. This is useless however if you have too much body fat.  If you find yourself to be a skinny guy with hardly any muscle tone, well then you're in luck. if you're skinny you obviously have less body fat, and with many different ab workouts you'll get those toned abs. So if you find yourself slightly overweight, get alot of cardio before attempting to get those washboard abs.
There are many different ab exercises and routines that can help shape your abs into stone. Do not rely solely on a few sets of crunches per day, because you'll be wasting your time. While crunches are good, they don't work on every part of your abs, and do not offer enough stress on the muscle tissue (after a week or so) to actually allow your ab muscles to hypertrophy. So for beginners here's a little routine for you.
-20 crunches (3 sets), mountain climbers (40 seconds) prone plank (as long as possible) side planks (as long as possible) , 2-3 min jog or run.

step one to a better body

First things first. You need to evaluate what your fitness goals are. Visualize what you want to look like before even thinking about exercising. You may want to look like the next Arnold, or perhaps you want to look like a beach stud for the summer months. Decide what you want your body to shape into and read the articles i will be posting that most closely fits your fitness goals.