Tips on Gaining Quality Mass

Kai Lo gives you 10 free tips on how to bulk up. You are getting tips from a hard gainer going from 138 lbs to 180 lbs of muscles.

1.) Are you eating enough? You need at least 20 calories per pound of body weight to gain mass. So if you are 150 lbs., you need at least 3000 calories per day.

2.) Separate your meals throughout the day. Don't just load up 3000 calories in the morning because it'll just become fat. Separate your meals and eat 6-8 times a day.

3.) Eat most of your carbs in the morning and in between workouts. Eat quality carbs like whole-wheat bread and oatmeal. Only time you want to eat starchy carbs like white bread is the 2 hours frame right after a workout. Starchy carbs help you recover fast from working out, and will not convert into fat.

4.) I usually don't keep count of my fat/protein/carbs ratio. I am a very busy person and a lot of things to do. I can't sit down and write out what I ate and carefully jot down the nutrition facts. There are good fat and bad fat to eat. Good fat is something like peanut butter and olive oil. Always look for the Total Fat and Saturated Fat. If the total fat is like 10g Fat and saturated fat is like 1g saturated fat, then that is a good ratio of unsaturated fat. I eat about 70-90g of fat per day with roughly 10-12g of saturated fat. And ALWAYS stay away from trans fat!

5.) About half an hour before working out, have a protein shake with bananas and plain whole-wheat toast. They give great energy, and good for your muscles. Don't work out in a full stomach (ex. right after lunch) or on an empty stomach. They both will slow your metabolism down, and working out on an empty stomach will end up eating your muscles up for energy.

6.) Right after workout, drink a protein shake, have a couple slices of white bread, oatmeal, and fat-free chocolate milk. If you can, an hour later go for rice with chicken breast or fish.

7.) You see that on tip #6 there is nothing that has a lot of fat. Fat slows your protein and carb intake, so taking in more than 6+ grams of fat within 2 hours after working out is a bad idea. Even though some fats are good like olive oil, you still want to stay away for now.

8.) When working out, do compound exercises like Bench Press, Squats, Deadlifts, Pullups, Shoulder Presses. I see a lot of skinny people going for bicep curls and a little bit of tricep workouts, but that is why they don't get big! To gain mass, you must lift very heavy weights that let you do 5-8 reps in a set. 5 sets of 5-8 reps is ideal for gaining mass. Make sure you rest about 2-3 minutes each heavy sets to recover. To get big, you must let your body rest, and that means after you bench press one day don't work out your chest again for another 4+ days.

9.) Sleep! Most people don't even sleep more than 6 hours a night. To gain quality mass you must let your body rest, which means you need to sleep 8+ hours a day. This might sound unreasonable because everybody has a busy life. Atleast try for 7 hours of sleep.

10.) I almost forgot about your protein intake. Just because protein is good for your body doesn't mean you should take in thousands of grams of proteins a day. Take 1 to 1.5 grams per body weight per day. So like if you are 150 lbs., take roughly 150-225 grams of protein per day.

I hope I didn't leave anything out. Thanks for reading my article.

Kai Lo My fitness blog is http://chinesemuscles.blogspot.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kai_Lo

Have You Developed "Computer Posture"?

Have you developed "computer posture?" Is your neck beginning to jut forward while your upper back takes on the rounded shape of someone hunched over a keyboard all day?

Natalie Cordova explains what you can do to handle this unfortunate problem:

Have you developed "computer posture?" s your neck beginning to jut forward while your upper back takes on the rounded shape of someone hunched over a keyboard all day?

It makes sense that no matter what your occupation, if you spend extended amounts of time in the same position, your body will begin to stay that way. Your body loves to adapt. If you lift weights, your body thinks that you must need bigger muscles to accomplish your daily activities. On the other hand, if you don't lift weights, your body assumes there's no need for big muscles.

If you are hunched over the keyboard, your body begins the process of creating a computer posture for you. A postural change that will help you stay in the position that you are in the most.

Click here to read "the rest of the story"

Chill Out With Meditation

Mari Torell has written a great article on Meditation. She explains how meditation can help "bring us back to ourselves".

Meditation is one of the proven alternative therapies which more and more doctors are prescribing as a means to lower blood pressure, help asthmatics breathe easier, relieve insomnia and just overall relax the everyday stresses of life. The value of meditation in easing suffering and to promote healing has been known and practiced for thousands of years. Proof is in the pudding, kind of thing!

The purpose of meditation is to bring us back to ourselves. To discover how to hone our self-awareness, improve our mental performance and develop a keen sense of intuition. As a consequence, we can expect to feel healthier and happier. True story! It is not at all difficult, just takes patience and consistancy. And, of course should appear somewhere in the top three on your priority list of getting 'round-to-it's.'

Click here to read the "rest of the story"

Flip-Flop Fallacies

Dr. Michael Loshigian Explains Why You Shouldn't Wear Flip-Flops All the Time

(CBS) Shorts, short-sleeve shirts and flip-flops. These all are part of a typical summer outfit for both men and women. However, a foot care expert says that you might want to reconsider your summer footwear.

Dr. Michael Loshigian, a podiatrist and foot surgeon at New York's Mount Sinai Hospital and spokesperson for the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (www.footphysicians.com), discussed the dangers of flip-flops on The Early Show.

Flip-flops are meant for short walks to and from the beach, not for everyday use. A thin bit of foam rubber that separates your feet from hot sand, sidewalk or pavement isn't meant to be your everyday footwear.

Statistics prove that the lack of arch support from these sandals increases the likelihood of a foot injury.

"The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons has an increase in reported injuries every spring and summer directly related to wearing (flip-flops) too much," Loshigian said. "So people develop strain in their heel and their arch. Ankle injuries, ankle sprains and ankle fractures are actually becoming more common."

The thong that goes between your toes can also be a problem. Loshigian said, "In people, especially those who have sensitive skin or circulatory conditions and conditions such as diabetes that make their feet more prone to injuries and infections, this can be a point of irritation that can lead to infection."

While using a skeletal foot, Loshigian was able to clearly show the weak support that a flip-flop gives. "The standard beach flip-flop is very flat and really supports the arch very little," Loshigian said. "This is part of the reason that these sandals are really not good for long-term wear."

There are safer alternatives for those in need of comfortable summer footwear. As examples, he displayed a pair of sturdy sandals and the popular Crocs.

When choosing a safer sandals, Loshigian said you should look for a good tread pattern on the bottom of the shoe. The inside of the sandal should be molded to fit the arch and cup the heel. Having a strap around the back of the heel adds additional support.

© MMVII, CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Burning Off Excess Stomach Fat

Burning off excess stomach fat is just like getting rid of fat from any other part of the body. You must lose fat everywhere in order to burn stomach fat. Unfortunately there is no wacky ab contraption anywhere that will burn your stomach fat - they will only strengthen the muscles.

Don't be afraid of resistance training
Besides improving your strength and overall health, resistance training elevates your metabolism for hours after you finish working out. Not only that, but by packing on lean muscle mass, your basal metabolic rate raises, which means you will be burning more calories when you're at rest. If you're a woman, don't be afraid of 'bulking up' - it requires a lot of testosterone to build the amount of muscle that male bodybuilders have!

Do cardio before your first meal
If you run before your first meal, you have to rely on burning stomach fat for energy because your body has used up all its left-over carbohydrates during the night. This trick has been proven to increase fat metabolism by up to 300%! You'll raise your metabolism for the rest of the day, which will help you burn more calories.

Eat every 2-3 hours
Eating every few hours allows you to get a constant, controlled stream of blood sugar. This will prevent you from having those 'highs' and 'lows' we all are too familiar with! Also it will limit insulin release, which will lower overall fat storage.

Drink enough water
Water is essential for just about every function in the body. It removes toxins from the body, improves elasticity of the skin, and increases fat metabolism. Make sure you get enough of it!

Get plenty of sleep
Your muscles grow when you are out of the gym, not in it. Exercise breaks down the muscles, and while you're sleeping, your body rebuilds the muscles a little bit stronger to adapt to the stress they were put under. Getting enough sleep will ensure you have plenty of time to rebuild muscles.

So there you have it, five quick tips to help you burn stomach fat.