Build Muscle and Burn Fat at Home in 30 Minutes!

Are you pressed for time and can’t make it to the gym? For a change of pace, try to incorporate a body weight based workout from home once every two or three weeks. You will get a high intensity workout, as well as build muscle and burn fat in 30 minutes, without the drive to and from the gym. If you have dumbbells at the house that will be an added bonus, but they are not necessary. Also, I find that perfect pushups are very effective for the pushup portion of the workout, but again not a must. You will want to alternate body weight squats (w/dumbbells if accessible), pushups (w/different hand positions), lunges (w/dumbbells if accessible), body weight dips (use a coffee table and a chair or two chairs) and different floor ab exercises. Rest for only 15 seconds, or enough time to catch your breath and jump into the next super set. Shorter rest periods will help you increase your intensity, metabolism, shed fat and build muscle. Exercises should be continued until failure and feel free to mix up the order.

Complete this cycle for five sets and see how you feel. The workout should last no longer than 30 minutes. If you are more advance feel free to add different variations and exercises (one -legged squats, one -armed pushups, handstand pushups), as these are just the basics for a quick effective – time saving home workout.

If you want to lose body fat faster, check out these 5 tips to Burn Stomach Fat the smart and effective way.

Build Lean and Ripped Muscle With These 3 Important Tips

Building muscle is not the easiest task to accomplish, despite daily workouts and trying every type of workout and supplement known to man.

I struggled for years to gain any muscle mass, but over the years with my own experimentation have found a few key things that have helped me make significant muscle gains possible, even for hardgainers (like myself).

Start building lean muscle faster and easier with these 3 important tips.

1. 95% of the exercises you perform regularly in the gym should be big compound exercises.  It doesn't matter if your goal is to shed fat or build muscle... big compound exercises should comprise 95% of the exercises you do in your workouts if you want to get lean, ripped, and powerful.

The core of your major lifts should be comprised of the following exercises:

• upper body horizontal press (bench press, pushups, dips),
• upper body horizontal rows (1-arm dumbbell rows, seated cable rows, bent over barbell rows),
• upper body vertical pull (lat pulldowns, pullups, chinups),
• upper body vertical press (overhead dumbbell and barbell presses, barbell or kettlebell clean & presses)
• lower body squatting movements (front squats, back squats, overhead squats, bodyweight squats, etc)
• lower body deadlifting movements (regular deadlifts, sumo deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts)
• lower body single leg movements (lunges, step-ups, jump lunges, etc)
• abdominal and core exercises (these are important, but still are 2nd priority after all of the major upper body and lower body multi-joint movements... your abs and core will be worked from most major multi-joint exercises anyway)

Isolation lifts should make up the other 5% of your exercises, such as tricep pushdowns, bicep curls, calf raises, shoulder shrugs, shoulder lateral raises, chest flyes, etc.. These exercises should always follow your compound lifts at the end of your workout. This will ensure you have full strength for your heavy lifts.

2.  You should have intense workouts at least 4 days/week for 45-60 minutes per weight training workout. Train no longer than 60 minutes.Your body only releases growth hormone for the first 45 minutes or so and then your body goes into a catabolic state (catabolism=muscle breakdown). You want an intense workout for 45-60 minutes to put your body into a anabolic state (anabolic=muscle growth).

Super set exercises are great for increasing intensity during workouts.  My favorite combinations are upper and lower body movements, such as squats paired with pullups as a superset, or bench press paired with deadlifts as a superset.

Don't underestimate the effectiveness of these types of upper/lower body supersets done with heavy weights and a high intensity.  The first time in my life that I experienced significant muscle mass gains were when I started doing these types of workout combos regularly, but I was still mixing up my training schedule.

These exercises are staples of almost any effective workout program. Simply adjust calorie intake to whether your goal is to shed fat or build pure muscle.

3.  Eat clean with quality whole foods... REAL foods instead of highly processed meal replacements.

The quality of protein (and additional nutrition from vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants) are best assimilated by the body from real whole food such as eggs, meats, dairy (preferably raw), fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, etc..

Dedication and consistency to your diet and workout plan is a must for optimum results. Make these tips in this article part of your lifestyle, and you'll see muscle gains like you've never seen before!

If you want to get a lean chiseled body, check out these tips to Get Ripped Abs the right way.

Whey and Casein Protein as a Muscle Gainer

It is recommended that you consume a majority of your protein from whole food sources, such as poultry, beef, pork, seafood, eggs and dairy. Even so, there are important times of the day when it is more beneficial to have protein powder over whole food sources.

  

In years past, your options were limited when it came to different types of protein powder.  Today, there are many different types with many different benefits, depending on your fitness goals. We are going to focus on whey and casein proteins.

   

First, let’s start with whey protein. Whether you know much about it or not, I’m sure you are familiar with it since it is one of the most popular protein powders. This is due to the fact that it is a dominate protein when it comes to stimulating muscle growth.  Whey  protein also enhances blood flow to the muscles. By having more blood flow to the stimulated muscles you get more nutrients to them such as amino acids (from whey protein), anabolic hormones and oxygen which makes whey protein a solid muscle gainer.

             

             How does whey protein stimulate muscle growth?

-It is one of the fastest digesting protein powders on the market. It’s amino acids get rapidly absorbed into the blood stream making their way to the muscles.

-Whey protein has one of the highest leucine contents of all protein powders. Leucine is the amino acid most popular for stimulating muscle growth.

-Whey protein also boosts insulin levels. Insulin is the anabolic hormone important for stimulating muscle growth.

             When is the best time to take whey protein?

-To help build muscle and burn fat, you should take whey first thing in the morning, between meals (if desired) and before and after workouts.

   

Unlike whey protein, which is rapidly digested and absorbed, casein protein takes much longer to digest and be absorbed. Casein’s slow digestion rate allows it to promote muscle growth by shutting down muscle catabolism (muscle breakdown). Casein protein has growing popularity as a muscle gainer in recent years. Studies show that people adding casein (with whey) to your post-workout shake gained more muscle than those using just whey.

                 

             How does casein protein stimulate muscle growth?

-Due to its slow digestion, it keeps the body in a constant anabolic state, which is the ideal situation for pure muscle growth.

-Casein protein has one of the highest levels of the amino acid glutamine. Glutamine increases immune system function, growth hormone levels and can even have some fat loss benefits.

When is the best time to take casein protein?     

-To help build muscle and burn fat, you should take casein after workouts with whey protein, between meals if need and with no exceptions before bed. Consuming casein protein before bed will insure that your body has a steady stream of slow released amino acids throughout the night, keeping your hard earned muscles safe from being broken down.

Whey and casein protein both have different benefits. If they are both used at the right times throughout the day (with an exercise program in place), you will have a 24 hour muscle gainer machine.

Whey Proteins to Shed Fat?

As millions of Americans struggle to shed the excess weight that threatens their health and longevity, exciting new research indicates that the milk-derived compound known as whey may be a valuable weight-loss aid.
   

Whey Protein Powder

These emerging findings demonstrate that whey modulates several critical pathways related to weight management, such as supporting satiety, improving insulin sensitivity, and optimizing muscle mass. Moreover, research suggests that whey may help reduce stress, moderate cortisol, and support healthy serotonin levels, thus imparting feelings of well-being. These findings add to whey’s already well-established benefits, which include boosting glutathione levels, facilitating immune function, and aiding in the fight against cancer.
   
This multifaceted nutrient may thus help to improve whole-body wellness by supporting healthy weight, mood, and biochemistry (LE Magazine March 2006, Will Brink How Whey Promotes Weight Loss).
    
What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word whey proteins? Building muscle is probably the popular consensus. Modern research has shown that whey proteins have a long list of health benefits. Many people are looking for weight-loss solutions and do not know where to start. It’s been proven that protein is one of the best nutrients to consume when you’re trying to shed fat, curb hunger and build healthy muscle. It has also been shown that when you add whey proteins to your diet along with a fitness plan including muscle building or toning exercises, you will be able to lose more weight more quickly and keep it off. Substituting muscle for fat is one way to increase your metabolism and help you continue to burn calories, even when at rest.
   
Now that we established that whey proteins are beneficial for fat loss help, we need to ask the question “When and how should I use protein shakes throughout the day for my diet?”.  I suggest having an exercise program in place to get the full benefits of your protein supplementation. I will give you two general ideas as for when to substitute your shakes throughout the day, depending on your exercise program and goals.
   
If you are simply looking for weight loss and your exercise consists of walking and cardio machines you will want to consume 20-30 grams for breakfast. I would suggest one more time through the day when you feel like you might need a snack and are tempted to eat something unhealthy. These two shakes will help curb you hunger with healthy protein, which will increase your metabolism. Eat a sensible lunch and dinner with at least four days of exercise.
   

If you are interested in building muscle size and weight loss, then I suggest drinking three whey protein shakes a day, with your weight training program. Drink the first in the morning to put your body into an anabolic state (muscle growth). When you sleep at night your body goes in to a catabolic state, which means your body is burning your muscle for fuel. The protein shake will immediately catapult your body from a catabolic to an anabolic state. Next, drink 25-35 grams of protein before and after workouts. This will provide your body with a steady stream of amino acids, priming your muscles for new growth.

Weight loss is only one of the many health benefits that whey proteins have to offer. With proper supplementation, diet and exercise you can start the process of your new and improved body transformation.



Tired of trying to get visible six pack abs? Lose the traditional ab exercises and ab gadget machines, and find out the real fat loss for abs truth at Best Ab Exercises & Workouts for Abdominals.

Muscle Gainer Routine & Ideas for Beginners

If you are looking to start a weight training program, or are currently using one that isn’t working for you, then you came to the right place.  Have you ever wondered if you could change your physique to that guy at the gym who has pure muscle and 7% body fat? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, but with hard work, nutrition, dedication and supplementation it is possible over time.  I’m going to give you a basic overview of a weight training program that will help you build muscle and burn fat.

You should start out by setting aside an hour of your day for your exercise program.  Dedication and consistency are the key elements for the beginning of the exercise program.  The reason I say this is because 60% of people will not follow through with their exercise program and goals. If you can stay consistent for 4-6 weeks you will see the results, which will trigger more motivation to keep going and so on. We will keep this somewhat simple for the first 6 weeks.

We are going to do a two on-one off-two on training split for the first six weeks.  Monday you will work out your upper body, Tuesday is lower body, Wednesday is 30 minutes of cardio (your choice), Thursday is upper body and Friday is lower body. This split will assure that all body parts are being worked. Each body part twice a week at medium volume is a beginner’s can’t lose muscle gainer routine. You should keep your reps at the 10-12 range, since this will give you the most muscle fiber stimulation. Rest for a minute between sets. If you are looking to burn more fat, increase the intensity and rest only 30 seconds between sets. Below is an example workout for your Monday-Friday routine.

Monday-  barbell bench press 3x10, barbell shoulder press 3x10, machine rows (for upper back) 3x10, barbell bicep curls 3x10, tricep push downs 3x10

Tuesday- barbell squats (form important) 3x10, leg extensions 3x10, leg curls (hamstrings) 3x10, calf raises 3x10

Wednesday- 30 minutes cardio

Thursday- dumbbell bench press 3x10, dumbbell shoulder press, dumbbell rows (for upper back), Dumbbell bicep curl 3x10, tricep pushdowns 3x10

Friday- barbell squats 3x10, leg extensions 3x10, leg curls 3x10, calf raises 3x10

This should give you a great start to your program. You want to make sure you set goals because this will help you track your progress and fuel motivation. Also, keep a log book of your weight and reps; each week you want to try to increase your weight. This is a great way to increase strength, which leads to muscle growth.

Last, but certainly not least, I would suggest a whey protein powder supplement for starters. Protein is the main building block for muscle growth.  Whey protein taken before and after a workout is a great muscle gainer. I would suggest 25-35 grams of whey protein before and after a workout. For optimum muscle growth, consume 1-11/2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. I will talk more about sports nutrition supplements in posts to come.

If you are dead serious about creating a physique that demands respect? Check out this muscle building program!

Brief Intro About Me

Hi. I have been in the sports nutrition and fitness industry for many years. As a former certified personal trainer and avid weight lifter I have a great passion for the sports nutrition and fitness industry. I would like to share my knowledge, ideas and thoughts on how to build muscle size and strength as well as fat loss help. Whether you are a weightlifter looking to put on pure muscle and shed fat or someone looking to lose weight and get in shape, I'm here to discuss and help you with your goals. Thanks, we'll talk soon.