Archive for the ‘Body Challenge’ Category
Monday, January 19th, 2009
I don’t care what gym you go to, we’ve all seen that guy – he’s been working out for a few months and is starting to make some gains, but something is missing. Unfortunately for him, he’s neglected a very important muscle group and he’s starting to look like a flamingo.
Sure no one wants to focus on their lower body when they first start out, because it’s not a showcase muscle group and let’s be honest, leg training is both taxing and painful. I know I’m not painting a pretty picture here, but you know you’re committed to this sport for life on the day you wake up excited to jump into the power rack and start dusting the floor with your ass by doing full-range squats. Besides, if you can stomach eating tuna from the can on a daily basis, you can churn out a gut-wrenching leg workout routine once a week.
When you’re choosing leg workouts, try compound or multi-joint exercises that hit the legs as a unit. While there are benefits to isolation or single-joint exercise, like leg extensions and hamstring curls, the inherent challenge of full squats (a.k.a. back squats) will keep you focused on days when lifting has become a chore. Vary up your workout to make sure the gains in your legs match those of your upper body.
Tags: calves, hamstrings, leg training, legs, multi-joint excercises, quads, single-joint exercises, squats
Posted in Body Challenge, Body Science, Training | Comments Off
Friday, January 9th, 2009
The front biceps pose or the “double gun shot” is the one pose that everyone has “hit” at some point in their youth. Find me a kid who hasn’t done it into a mirror and I’ll guarantee you he doesn’t have arms.
It’s in our DNA to show off the size of your bi’s. That being said, don’t forget your arms are comprised of more than one muscle group. The triceps (the muscle group on the other side of your bi’s) and the brachialis (which is found underneath the bi’s) are muscles you’ll have to focus on for full arm development. Sure we all want to focus on our biceps because it’s an easier muscle to show off, but keep this in mind: The triceps make up two-thirds of your arm and developing the brachialis will help push out your biceps to give you a greater peak. So if you’re looking to build an impressive set of arms, then don’t forget about these muscles!
For your triceps, try doing close-grip bench presses, dips and variations of triceps extensions. While performing hammer, concentration and preacher curls for your brachialis (Note: These exercises will also stimulate the muscle fibers in your biceps). And remember, it’s not always about the exercises we like to do, it’s also about what we need to do.
Tags: arms, biceps, Bodybuilding, triceps, weight training
Posted in Body Challenge, Body Science, Training | Comments Off
Wednesday, December 31st, 2008
New Year’s Eve brings two guarantees: the gym is going to be full for a week and a half of people trying to make good on their resolution, and you are going to have a party. While it might be frustrating for a day or two to find a locker, let’s focus on the night of celebration.
Alcohol is empty calories, but it can lead to good times. You’ve behaved all year, you can have one night of fun. Make sure before you do that you check the supplements you’re on and how they behave with booze. If you’ve been taking L-tryptophan to help you sleep, you could be in trouble after a few drinks. Check with your doctor, and don’t do anything that could lead to damage.
A glass of champagne runs around 200 calories, so it’s not going to be a huge indulgence to have a drink or two. The
riskier part is the food that you ingest while drunk (or as a hangover breakfast), so take in a glass of water with every drink. Enjoy yourself, and get ready to pay for your sins in the gym next year.
Tags: Bodybuilding, diet and nutrition, dieting, drinking & dieting, weight training
Posted in Body Challenge, Lifestyle, Nutrition | Comments Off
Saturday, December 27th, 2008
Welcome to the NxLabs Body Challenge Blog! Over the next six months, I’ll be your host for the contest, and providing you with some solid tips to not only get you looking your best, but also to navigate you through the contest to help you reach the top and get you that much closer to the grand prize.
To enter the contest, all you need to do is create your profile. From January to June, the voting public will decide which 20 contestants will move on to the semi-finals. The top five with the most votes at the end of this round will make it through to the final. Of those five elite athletes, one will be chosen as the grand prize winner by our panel of judges.
There’s $35,000 in prizes to be won, including an endorsement contract from NxLabs and a trip to the 2010 Arnolds. And remember – there’s no purchase or entry fee necessary. In fact, just for participating or even voting in the contest, we’re giving a 10% discount on all of our products.
So what are you waiting for? You’ve got six months to show the world what you’ve got and take home the hardware. Create a profile, tell your friends, and get your supporters rooting – and more importantly, voting – for you.
Tags: Bodybuilding, bodybuilding competition, fitness challenge, physique exhibition, weight training
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Wednesday, December 24th, 2008
NxLabs Body Challenge is a physique-exhibition contest that emphasizes muscle tone over muscle size.
Physique guidelines for fitness competitions typically suggest a small amount of muscular mass; clear separations between muscle groups (but no visible striations); and leanness. The competitor should also represent a physically active body; provide examples of fitness, sports and adventure achievements.
Judges will be looking for symmetry, shape, and sculpting, as well as conditioning, leanness and how “athletic” (as opposed to brawny) their muscularity is.
Tags: Bodybuilding, fitness competition, muscularity, physique exhibition
Posted in Body Challenge, Competition 101, Training | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008
A scale can be discouraging and really mess with your head – even when you’re making progress.You could be trading off fat for muscle, yet still be maintaining the same weight, if not getting heavier. Therefore, if you really want to see your true progress, take a look in the mirror. If your muscles look bigger and your waistline seems smaller, then they probably are!
Tags: Bodybuilding, physique exhibition, weight training
Posted in Body Challenge, Training | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008
Cardio is good – just not for everyone trying to gain mass! It certainly burns fat, but it burns calories, carbs and even protein as well. This will slow your mass gains down.
There’s an old saying about gaining mass that goes like this: Lay down when you can sit, sit when you can stand, stand when you can move around and drive when you can walk. Gaining mass quickly is about putting all of your energy into your muscle and the weights. Of course, if you’re getting ready for a bodybuilding competition, football season or strongman competitions, you will need to incorporate cardio (aerobic) activity into your plan to improve endurance.
Tags: aerobic, Bodybuilding, cardio, cardio vascular
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Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008
The real answer to this is yes and no. Yes, these tools will help you lift more weight. A good lifting belt will increase intra-abdominal pressure, which in turn will keep your spine properly aligned during heavy lifts.
In fact, some have experienced an immediate 10% increase in max squat by simply wrapping their knees and using a powerlifting belt. From that standpoint it is beneficial; however, these are not the tools of beginners. Save them for when you need the help. If you use a belt for warm-ups and higher rep working sets, you’re not allowing your body to strengthen the stabilizer muscles that keep you aligned properly. Same goes for knee wraps – they increase the pressure in the knee joints, which in turn gives you more spring as you fire out of a deep squat. Wrap only your heaviest sets when you feel you have to. Wrist wraps should be used for things like massive shrugs and deadlifts, when your grip just can’t hold.
Tags: Bodybuilding, powerlifting belts, weight lifting, wrist wraps
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Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008
Yes. What many bodybuilders don’t understand is that there are two types of stretching: dynamic (with motion) and static (without motion).
Dynamic stretching involves stretching the muscle in controlled movements (e.g., knee ups or rotating your arm at the shoulder) and will help you make the transition from inactivity to activity. So try doing dynamic stretches after your warm-up sets, and just before you begin your working sets.
On the other hand, static stretching consists of holding the muscle in a stretched position for a certain amount of time. While static stretching has been shown to reduce strength for that day’s workout because it fatigues the muscles being stretched, it has also been shown to increase the flexibility and range of motion (ROM) of the stretched muscle. This allows for greater muscle fiber stimulation! So try static stretching after your workouts to improve your muscles’ flexibility and ROM, without negatively affecting your strength.
Tags: bodybuilders, Bodybuilding, dynamic stretching, static stretching, stretching, workout
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Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008
The general strategy adopted by most present-day competitive bodybuilders is to make muscle gains for most of the year (known as the “off-season”) and approximately 3-4 months from competition, attempt to lose body fat (referred to as “cutting”). In doing this, some muscle will be lost, but the aim is to keep this to a minimum. There are many approaches used, but most involve reducing calorie intake and increasing cardio while monitoring body fat percentage.
In the week leading up to a contest, professional bodybuilders will begin decreasing their water intake so as to deregulate the systems in the body associated with water flushing. They may also increase their sodium intake. At the same time they will decrease their carbohydrate consumption in an attempt to “carb deplete.” The goal during this week is to deplete the muscles of glycogen. Two days before the show, sodium intake is reduced by half, and then eliminated completely. The day before the show, water is removed from the diet, and water loss products may be introduced. At the same time carbohydrates are re-introduced into the diet to expand the muscles. This is typically known as “carb-loading.” The end result is an ultra-lean bodybuilder with full hard muscles and a dry, vascular appearance. This should be left to PROFESSIONAL BODYBUILDERS only and NOT attempted by amateurs. This is for information only and should not be considered advice or instruction.
Tags: bodybuilders, Bodybuilding, competitive bodybuilding, physique exhibition, weight training
Posted in Body Challenge, Competition 101 | Comments Off
